and watch on iplayer. a number of viewers, though, have told us they don t believe a news channel is the right place for a phone in show. here are two of them. we now have the option of watching either a radio phone in programme which is simultaneously broadcast on radio five if we wanted to listen to it or switching to a competitor s news coverage. none of which hold a candle to the bbc s normal offering. so between nine and 11 am, every weekday morning is now a news desert. we ve also lost a number of excellent news presenters, the likes of anita mcveigh and martine croxall, who brought empathy and interest to their broadcasts. and whilst i know that the bbc in these straitened times have to save money, surely there are other ways in which this can be done without losing the fundamental quality of bbc news coverage. if i wanted to listen to a radio phone in or even participate, then i go to the radio and television news and bbc news is a particular medium which is important