We previously reported that On The Wire, the show that has been hosted since 1984 by The Wire’s dub and reggae columnist Steve Baker on BBC Radio Lancashire, was to be axed by the BBC, as part of a major cost-cutting restructuring of local radio in England.

It now transpires that the show has not been axed, but is being ‘rested’.

In an email correspondence with a supporter of the show seen by The Wire, BBC Radio Lancashire editor John Clayton stated:

“Like other parts of the BBC, BBC England has to make savings to address the financial challenges the organisation faces. We have set out proposals to transform what we do across the country including on local radio, but we remain fully committed to providing local content including community and specialist music programming and are talking to our stations about what their schedules could look like.

“It is now proposed that the emergency schedule [that was implemented in response to the Covid-19 crises] will become a permanent arrangement as BBC England looks to play its part in achieving the huge savings required. If the plan is implemented there will be an England-wide Late Show each night between 10pm–1am which means that we will no longer be able to broadcast On The Wire at midnight on Saturday, the timeslot it has occupied for many, many years.

“But as things stand, On The Wire remains ‘rested’ not ‘axed’. It is true that Steve’s contract has been ended for the time being but that was simply a matter of practicality and he has been treated in exactly the same way as countless other freelance presenters across the BBC who have seen their programmes taken off the air because of our response to the pandemic.

“I appreciate that this will not fully allay your concerns about the future of On The Wire, but I hope that it reassures you that the so-called axe has not fallen yet and that we will continue to look for practical solutions.”

Asked to comment on this development, Steve Barker stated: “I don’t know what ‘rested’ means. What do you think it might mean? No one has called me to tell me this. Strange eh?”

Meanwhile, a change.org petition to save the show has now reached more than 1000 signatories.