TalkSport steps up Radio 5 Live attack

TalkSport has ramped up its offensive on BBC Radio 5 Live by publishing a poll suggesting that half of the station's listeners want it to focus more on serious news, on the day that the BBC Trust launched a review of the network.

According to a poll of 1,000 5 Live listeners commissioned by the UTV-owned TalkSport, the respondents estimated that just 38% of 5 Live's airtime is dedicated to news, considerably less than its licence requirement of 75%.

Only 20% of listeners to Richard Bacon's afternoon show felt that it represented a 'news programme', despite the fact that the entire show is counted towards 5 Live's news quota.

Most listeners associated 5 Live with sport, estimating that 45% of total airtime is dedicated to sport coverage, of which 67% is football. Around half of the respondents wanted 5 Live to increase the amount of attention it gives to minority and secondary sports.

The research follows last week's move by the BBC Trust to dismiss a complaint from TalkSport about Radio 5 Live's output, despite admitting that it raised "some significant and valid questions".

The BBC's governing body ruled that 5 Live was fulfilling its licence requirement to provide 75% of news output, and also rejected TalkSport's complaint about a lack of coverage of minority and secondary sports on the station.

However, the Trust said that the issues raised would inform the first service review of 5 Live in its 15-year history, which launched yesterday and is seeking views from the public on the "quality, distinctiveness and value for money" of the station and its sister network 5 Live Sports Extra.

Alison Hastings, lead trustee on the review, said: "Between them, 5 Live and 5 Live Sports Extra reach nearly 8 million people every week. We want to know how well those listeners - and others with an interest in the two stations - think they're doing, and how well they're performing against their service licences. The service reviews we've carried out so far have led to increasing quality and distinctiveness across the board."

Scott Taunton, the managing director of UTV Media, said: "The opinion poll shows that listeners see 5 Live's sport output as being dominated by Premier League football, and that there is an appetite to see the station improve its coverage of a wider range of non-mainstream sports.

"This report reveals some startling statistics, which is why we are submitting it to the BBC Trust to inform the initial stages of its review. We will of course be making further submissions to the BBC Trust during the consultation period."

A public consultation on the 5 Live service review will run until July 13, with the Trust expected to publish its findings later in the year.