BBC Radio 5 Live is to axe The Non League Football Show, but fans will still be able to get their grassroots football fix as podcast platform Audioboom has stepped in to save the programme.
The Non League Football Show, fronted by Caroline Barker with the strapline “for the fans by the fans”, has been a popular weekly radio show on BBC Radio 5 Live for the past four years.
Prior to that the live show, subsequently made available on-demand on the iPlayer and Apple’s iTunes, was on BBC London for six years.
The BBC is seeking cuts across the board, including looking at Radio 5 Live and local radio costs, and has decided not to recommission the show this season.
The first episode of this footballing season would have normally been made available on Sunday, but the show’s programme page on the BBC says “there are no upcoming broadcasts of this programme”.
Podcast platform AudioBoom has stepped in to continue to run the show, co-funding it with the programme’s makers Jibba Jabba.
“There was never any doubt that The Non League Football Show would return again this season … the only doubt was what platform it would be on,” said Barker, who is sticking with the show after its move from the BBC.
“We love making it, love dealing with the fans, players, managers and administrators of the wonderful world of non-league football. We love that it makes a difference to so many who are passionate about this level of the game.”
Audioboom reported an 80% surge in “listens” of content in the first half of the year compared to 2015, from 123m to 222m, according to its latest stockmarket filing.
The new show, which will remain free, will be made available on Audioboom’s platform and iTunes on Friday mornings.
“We are delighted to be the new home of the Non League Football Show,” said Marc Webber, head of sport at Audioboom. “We already help many grassroots football clubs from Wrexham to Slough share the sounds of their club for free. To be able to host the flagship show for the semi-pro and amateur game means no one has more audio on this well-supported scene as Audioboom.”
The BBC said that it took the decision to cancel the show because of factors including “extensive coverage” already given to non-league football across its radio network.
“The decision was made based on several factors including the extensive coverage given to non-league football across the BBC’s network of 40 local radio stations, who are able to provide more in-depth news, and in some cases commentary, to fans on a local level,” said a spokeswoman for BBC Sport.
Audioboom’s shareholders include property developer Nick Candy who stepped down as a non-executive director in August.
The company also revealed that it is in talks with an unnamed Chinese fund on a potential $8m (£6.2m) investment to accelerate growth.
Audioboom also raised a separate £2.55m through a share issue.
The company reported revenues of £329,000 in the first half of 2016, compared with just £46,000 in the same period last year, and a pre-tax loss of £2.55m.
