Radio 5 Live appoints first audience editor

The BBC has appointed its first audience editor in an attempt to include more listener-led news and stories across its Radio 5 Live radio content.

The BBC has appointed its first audience editor in an attempt to include more listener-led news and stories across its Radio 5 Live radio content.

Louise Birt, former assistant editor on the 5 Live breakfast show, is leading a team of three broadcast journalists with responsibility for sifting through listeners' calls, emails and letters. The idea is to generate more audience-based content for the -station's programmes.

The appointment is the first of its kind in the corporation and Birt said she had met with other BBC radio networks to discuss plans for additional audience editors.

Although specifically employed to supply 5 Live with programme content, Birt said she had been able to use audience submissions for other areas of the BBC, including BBC news.

She said: 'I am an audience editor in the sense I am looking at the texts and calls we are sent to find the most interesting things to follow up.

'It has been a revelation - some things you don't think will amount to much end up being the biggest stories.'