Why is there no local news on BBC Breakfast today? What has happened to regional segment - and has it stopped

BBC Breakfast airs daily from 6am across the UK and provides news, weather, sport, and feature pieces to its national audience, However, a major feature of the show, the local news segment, has been disrupted for many viewers this week due to industrial action within the company.

Usually, the presenter on the main show will introduce several local news segments over the course of the broadcast - these would feature different news pieces depending on where in the country it is being broadcast - before returning to the main show.

But viewers were quick to complain this week when BBC Breakfast host Sally Nugent warned that the local news coverage may be affected by regional industrial action.

Some local news continued to be reported but in many cases viewers were left with new stories from entirely different parts of the country to where they live.

What has happened to local news on BBC Breakfast?

Viewers keen to find out the local headlines and weather forecast each morning through BBC Breakfast have been left disappointed on Wednesday.

Sally introduced the news 'where you are', but in many cases viewers saw content that did not apply to their communities at all. One viewer from the east of England who normally gets local news through Look East instead saw news packages made for those in Liverpool, Manchester, and Cornwall. Local weather reporting has also been affected by the industrial action.

In 2021, a similar problem occurred when staff shortages caused by the Covid pandemic led to extended national news being broadcast in place of local news coverage.

Why is BBC Breakfast not showing local news?

The loss of several regional news segments on 7 and 8 June was a result of industrial action taken by BBC staff over proposed cuts to local radio.

Around 1,000 staff are believed to have walked out on the 48 hour strike which has impacted regional radio and TV programming.

Regional coverage for South, West Midlands, North West and North East did not have regional news coverage due to the strikes and instead saw news items designed to be aired in other parts of the country.

Among the planned BBC cuts is the halving of the 100 hours of community programming which airs each week, Additionally, some staff could be asked to reapply for their positions, and some radio stations would be expected to share more programming.

The BBC has been looking for ways to save money since the new license fee agreement, which saw the cost of the TV license frozen at £159 a year for two years, came into place. The fate of the license fee beyond 2027, when the current charter expires, is unknown, but the government has voiced plans to scrap the fee entirely and replace it with a new funding model.

Will the local news segment return to BBC Breakfast?

Yes, the changes to local news coverage on BBC Breakfast this week were caused by industrial action. The 48 hour strike will end today (8 June) and regular regional programming should return tomorrow.

It is possible that local news may be affected in the future if further strike action takes place - but so far more strikes have not been announced.