New breakfast presenter for BBC Wiltshire

25/09/2012 - 07:58 | 11 Replies More

Ben Prater will take over the breakfast show on a single BBC Wiltshire from November 5th, replacing both Matthew Smith and Graham Mack.

Ben currently hosts Drive on BBC Radio Bristol and has previously worked at BBC Radio Sheffield. He trained as a journalist and was a BBC reporter before he started presenting programmes in 2002.

Matthew Smith, who currently hosts the breakfast show on BBC Wiltshire, and Graham Mack in Swindon, will both be replaced with the new single show.

Ben said: “Opportunities like this are rare and to be offered the chance to present a show like this in the part of the world I know and love is a dream come true. I can’t wait to throw myself into it and get out across this beautiful county.”

Managing Editor of BBC Wiltshire, Tony Worgan said: “Ben is one of the best presenters in local radio. He will be a huge asset to the station and will bring his years of expertise in radio to an all-new show that will be a must-listen for anyone who lives in Wiltshire and cares about the county. Ben was born and grew up in the West Country, and we think BBC Wiltshire listeners will love him as a presenter of the new Breakfast show.”

Since 2000, a split breakfast show has been broadcast to Swindon, but under the BBC’s Delivering Quality First proposals it was announced that split Breakfast programmes in BBC English Regions in Devon, Cambridge, Wiltshire and Three Counties would cease.

Written by: Radio Today

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Category: Station News

  • david

    Seems odd to get a new presenter in, rather than having Sony award winner Mack do the full region.

  • Luke Walton

    Great reporter, great result

  • Disgusted of Highworth

    Absolutely tragic to lose the best Breakfast Presenter this station has had. Graham did a great job for democracy in holding Politicians and Business people to account. No doubt we are in for a bland rural twee programme rather than a cutting edge programme. History has shown Witlshire and Swindon are very, very different communities. I hope I am proved wrong.

  • jopijedd

    A sad loss for Radio Bristol’s Drivetime output, but Wiltshire’s gain is their loss. I hope they can find somebody similarly dependable and warm to replace Ben Prater because the rest of their local current affairs output is decidedly spiky or patronising .

  • Country bumkin

    Country Lad
    So glad to learn of Graham Mack’s departure.Now we will be able to listen to the breakfast show again without hearing his offensive comments relating to the counties’plebs!!!
    He should be able to find some sort of a role with his Tory friends on the council.Maybe refuse collecting!!!!
    BBC is well rid!!

  • http://www.facebook.com/ddwig Dave Wiggy Wiggins

    Do Get Presenters From Of Point West BBC Radio Wiltshire Should Now

  • Chris wants local news

    Strangely, this is good news for Swindon. The Swindon mafia presentation that favoured chumming up with those in the club and shouting down everyone else while ignoring the scandals perpetrated by said mafia will not be missed.

  • Angela

    Angela..Graham Mack will be a big miss. I have been listening to Shaun Hodges, his temporary replacement and sorry Shaun but you haven’t got that special something that comes naturally to Graham who clearly loved his job.He was a brilliant interviewer and always asked the right questions, put ting the person in a tight corner and completely unbiased in his opinions.
    I am so annoyed at the way he was treated

  • Local Radio Fan

    Before moving to Wiltshire, we often listened to Ben Prater on Radio Bristol From the outset, before he had his own programme, we could tell Ben had great potential. Good to welcome you to Radio Wiltshire.

  • Westonmark

    Can’t say I’m sorry Ben Prattle is leaving Bristol, we may get a programme we can listen to now.

  • http://twitter.com/Pwookey Philip Wookey

    Glad he’s left Bristol, I couldnt stand his constant use of pigeon English, I stopped listening to his dumbed down show.

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