Dr Chris Smith, Founder and Presenter of the Naked Scientists, produced this announcement on the Facebook ‘The Naked Scientists’ page yesterday morning.
EAST “SAYING GOODBYE” TO NAKED SCIENTISTS – As it stands, the Naked Scientists will no longer be aired by the BBC in the east of England from January. Schedules are being altered and it has not been possible to obtain an alternative slot, bringing to an end almost 10 years of our being a unique example of a specialist science show on BBC local and regional radio. We apologise deeply to those people who listen to our radio broadcasts and who will be deprived. We are, however, very keen to try to preserve our relationship with you all, and the BBC in the east, but so far we have not been successful in our attempts to negotiate a viable proposal that is time efficient and sustainable. Listeners are urged to direct their suggestions and ideas to the BBC’s Feedback programme – feedback@bbc.co.uk – and to the BBC Trust – http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/contact_us/ Meanwhile, thank you for your support over the last 10 years and we hope that you will continue to support us in our other endeavours.
The Naked Scientists is a huge project, evidenced through their unique website.
Currently, “The Naked Scientists” present a one-hour audience-interactive science radio talk show broadcast live by the BBC in the East of England (“BBC Radio Cambridgeshire”), on Sunday evenings at 6 pm. This is due to finish at the end of December 2012, according to an announcement made by Dr Chris Smith on “The Sue Marchant Show” last Thursday 1 November 2012 (this show is currently, for one day only, available on the BBC iPlayer).
This particular series on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire was created and is edited by Cambridge University Pathology Department consultant virologist Dr Chris Smith. He hosts the show with other scientists. Each episode of the main Naked Scientists programme is one hour long and includes a digest of topical science news stories, audience questions answered live on the air and interviews with guest scientists. Questions have ranged from everyday chemistry to quantum physics. These individuals join the hosts in the studio to talk about their work and to take questions live from listeners. Previous featured guests include the discoverer of the DNA fingerprint, Alec Jeffreys, the Astronomer Royal Sir Martin Rees, and the co-discoverer of DNA structure, James D. Watson. The show also features on-location reports and interviews, and an interactive segment called Kitchen Science where listeners are encouraged to attempt a science experiment at home during the show.
Objectively, the decision to take this particular show off the air is a very odd one. Cambridge itself has given birth to more Nobel Prizes in medicine than some countries, and its research has recently been top of the global rankings. All local radio schedules have their fair share of mediocre programming, but the output of The Naked Scientists has been consistently excellent. It is therefore all-the-more surprising that the BBC, itself a flagship institution, should wish to make an unnecessary saving of one hour like this, possibly to make yet room for more music and chat, in clear breach of its public sector broadcasting remit at a time when it will wish to secure Licence Fee funding. There is no such similar programme in the local schedules, and one can therefore hope that the BBC will respond to feedback that it should preserve its jewel in its crown.
Within the sector, it is well known that The Naked Scientists have proven ability and excellence in science communication: The Naked Scientists have won 7 national and international awards for science communication since 2006. Furthermore, The Naked Scientists project is very well respected amongst the major scientific funding bodies, having received funding and awards from the Wellcome Trust, the Natural Environment Research Council, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Cambridge University including the Isaac Newton Trust, the Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Please direct your thoughts in an email to feedback@bbc.co.uk, if you would like to give any feedback on the value of this popular show; you could also include trust.enquiries@bbc.co.uk (“BBC Trust”) and feedback@bbc.co.uk in your emails.
