BBC radio legend addresses ‘cruel’ axing of show

Bill Rennells, 92, presented the final episode of ‘Harmony Night’ on New Year’s Eve

A BBC radio host has criticised the broadcaster for axing his local radio show on New Year’s Eve.

Bill Rennells, 92, who has been working in media for more than 70 years, has said that his former bosses made the “cruel” decision to cancel the BBC local radio show Harmony Night – a call-in programme that lets listeners in Oxford, Kent and Berkshire request their favourite songs.

Harmony Night, which was broadcast every Sunday night between 10pm and 1am, had been long fronted by Rennells before the BBC announced its decision to axe the show. The final broadcast was aired on 31 December.

In a statement issued to listeners on 6 January, Rennells wrote: “Dear family, Here it is...Saturday Jan 6 2024 and I still find myself thinking of things to do in Harmony. I have to pinch myself to tell myself we are no more as a radio family.”

Rennells noted that he was proud to work with the BBC and would look back on his career with “pride,” but had some reservations about the future of the broadcaster’s management.

“I was so proud to be with the BBC and still look back with pride. I am however unhappy with some of the senior appointments that I consider to have dragged the Corporation down,” Rennells wrote on a newly launched website called Harmony Night, which was set up as an “appreciation page” for the axed radio show and its fans.

“So many adjectives have been used for the destruction of our beautiful Harmony Night and the league leader of those is ‘cruel’. Our last night was so emotional,” Rennells added.

“It is ludicrous that they destroyed us when the programme was at the height of its strength and popularity.

“As long as I can remember, there’s always been radio. When I was a child in London Road, Canterbury, the radio was on all the time. As I drifted off to sleep the sounds of dance bands floated up the stairs from the radio,” Rennells wrote.

“Our tears have joined yours in despair but we have resolved that the Harmony Night family will live on. We’ll keep in touch with as many of you as possible and have reunions in several places. Truly it is au revoir and not goodbye.”

Bill Rennells presented the final episode of ‘Harmony Night’ on 31 December (BBC)

A Change.org petition was launched by one listener in October when it was announced that the show’s future was under threat.

The petitioner, Dilys Bound, wrote on the fundraising site that “life would be much lonelier for many listeners” and that the show provided a “lifeline” to some by providing an interactive phone-in element.

Bound urged fellow listeners to sign the petition, adding: “This is the last programme of its type on BBC Radio and it is very much worth saving.”

In a statement, the BBC said that changing audience habits influenced the decision and that it will be increasing the “local content” available on BBC sounds.

A BBC spokesperson told The Independent: “We would like to thank Bill for all of his work on Local and Network Radio throughout his career with the BBC.”

We are grateful for the commitment, time and energy that Bill put into the presentation and production of ‘Harmony Night’ and the years he worked as a sports reporter and commentator at BBC Radio Oxford. As Bill says, this is not goodbye, and we have said that we are keen to work with him on ideas in the future.”

“We have consistently said that we are committed to providing a strong, creative, local radio service for listeners across England and we have maintained all 39 Local Radio Stations.”

“The budget for BBC Local services has not been cut, but audience habits are changing, and licence fee payers want more content available to them when they want it. So we have invested in providing more local digital news and we have increased the local content available on BBC Sounds.”

Rennells began his career as a news producer with BBC Radio Oxford in 1970 before joining Radio 2 eight years later, where he hosted Music From The Movies and the late night programme Nightride for 14 years.

After the show’s final transmission on New Year’s Eve, Rennells’s co-presenter Lisa Simmons wrote on Twitter/X: “Thank you for the thousands of messages & well wishes. We’ll go out on a high, so tonight will be a celebration. Do join Bill, Pete & I live from 10pm to 1am x.”

Commemorating the show, one listener wrote on X: “What a loss to the airwaves. What a beautiful show it’s always been, I’ll be said to miss it.”

Another listener branded the axing a “terrible shame” while another wrote: “Sunday nights won’t be the same.”