A man who was once the BBC’s oldest radio presenter before his show was axed on New Year’s Eve has hit out at the ‘heartless’ decision.
Bill Rennells, 92, hosted the Harmony Night call-in programme on BBC Local Radio, which allowed listeners in Berkshire, Kent and Oxford request their favourite songs.
The programme was axed on New Year’s Eve 2023, reportedly not due to budget cuts, and while the BBC praised Bill for his ‘commitment, time and energy’, but insisted the show was axed due to ‘audience habits’.
Bill had worked at the BBC for over 40 years, first joining as a news producer at Radio Oxford in 1970, and called the decision ‘cruel[‘.
Now the former broadcaster has shared updates on his life on the Harmony Night website and his latest entry on March 3 contained some very strong words for the BBC.
He revealed in a post that he and his partner Rita had listened to the last-ever Harmony Night episode together, with ‘mixed emotions’.
‘The uppers were the heart-warming messages we received from you, the downers were in the incredulity that the BBC should be so heartless as to destroy such a jewel in the crown as Harmony Night and to cause such heartbreak in the process.’
He went on to say: ‘I find no joy in predicting that within 10 years or so, there will be no BBC.’
Bill shared updates on his and Rita’s family, including children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, and said ‘we wish this sort of happiness on all our extended Harmony Night family.
‘Our joint love is something the BBC cannot destroy.’
When Harmony Night was first axed, Bill didn’t hold back in his thoughts with a statement to The Sun.
He said: ‘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. It is ludicrous that they destroyed us when the programme was at the height of its strength and popularity.’
A BBC spokesperson said: ‘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.
‘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.’
After eight years at Radio Oxford, Bill joined Radio 2, initially on the Thursday night graveyard slot as well as fronting Music From The Movies.
By early 1984, he was hosting the early morning programme, and by the end of the year he took over late night show Nightride, which started a 14-year run until 1993.
He rejoined Radio Oxford in 2011.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@metro.co.uk, calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
MORE : BBC Radio 1’s Clara Amfo reveals awkward encounter with Jason Derulo in studio
MORE : BBC Radio 1 announces another big shake-up after Jordan North exit
