In trouble!

http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/...ewd.6648510.jp

Belfield more popular than King Kelner? Never!

A 'one day suspension' seems fairly pointless.

The guy is an idiot. I agree that suspending him for one day is pretty pointless. The changes made in the last few months at the station, from the end of Andrew and Georgey on Breakfast, the remoal of Steve Bailey, Paul Carrington, and Jonny IAnson plus the new start time for breakfast of 6.30 mean I never listen anymore.

It does indeed seem strange to have a one day suspension - depends, I guess , on just how lewd the comments were. What's interesting is that if the comments were defmatory to the weather presenter, in "real life" it'd be an actionable offence. But since it's between two "on air" colleagues it's OK....

What did he say? I'd like to feel your cold fronts? Would you like to feel my stiff northerly or was it something more sinister like I'd like to cover you in some white stuff of my own?! Who knows?!

By clicking on this link, you can listen to what happened. There's a clip, then Alex introducing his show, slagging off Galaxy and commercial radio, then an old song, then the incident in question. Later somebody said on the text that it was slow and slushy, to which Alex replied "like my ex-wife".

I like the guy. Since Carrington left the only time I listened before Belfield joined was when Kelner did his one off Friday night show a few months back.

I think Leeds are trying to do the same as Sheffield did by bringing Toby Foster on board. Traditional BBC Sheffield listeners hated Toby at first, but over time he's helped turn the station around from a dull, boring listen which appealed to old people in allotments to a wider audience from twenties to pensioners.

Steve Bailey is still with BBC Yorkshire on Radio York, which at the moment is from Leeds.

Get rid of Belfield - I just cannot listen to the guy.

Had to laugh when he criticised the commercials merging. In a few years no doubt when BBC Radio Yorkshire launches replacing the four locals (Leeds, Sheffield, York & Humberside) his smile will be on the other side of his face!

And no doubt a few years after that Manchester, Merseyside, Cumbria, Newcastle and Yorkshire will merge for BBC Radio North!

I agree. I have just listened to the clip in question and his comments were disgusting. The guy should have been fired for this.

I don't understand how he gets away with all these episodes on air - as up on bbc newcastle there is nothing like this - this alex bellfield man is just rude, disrespectul and up his own a***! most of the time on his show.

All I can say is :.

How can anyone listen to this man? How did he get hired? Has the audience really gone up?

If so, then it's depressing as I've never heard such a hideous, ego on legs, calculatingly and nauseatingly crude, stream of bollocks in 40 years of avid radio listening.

This man urgently needs castrating. God God. On BBC Local Radio too.

They've probably still got the "BBC North FM" and "We're best for sport, we're BBC North" jingles somewhere from the Night Network days

I can see the reaosns for hiring a personality who is likely to polarise the audience - see various Richard Bacon threads. However, this is just disrespectful rubbish.

First he responds to a text about a school closure, saying he can't be bothered to read out the information.
The Galaxy reference is totally pointless. It's such an in joke it belongs where the sun doesn't shine.
Then he calls it "The Big Show"! Does he really think he's as good as Steve Wright?!

As for the weather girl comment - it's the kind of creepy thing a listner would say off air. Lewd. Simple.

The trouble is, this guy believes his own hype. He might well read out this comment on his next show.

laughable isnt it love the show Alex

He's a typical BBC local radio wannabe trying to be cutting and edgey and then has to do all the things that he hates like tea dances cancelled etc .As for slagging off commercial radio I bet if Real Radio waved a big fat cheque he'd cross town in a shot.Saying all this I admire the fact he is daring to be slightly more edgy than your usual cosy BBC local journo who has beeb taught how to just about link in between the songs and go to the next boring interview about dog fouling or benefits. I think he will be around for a long time though not my cup of tea.

Trevgo, you have nicely summed up what I think of Alex Belfield. Can you imagine what the reaction would have been if a Radio 2 presenter had made these comments at 9.15 in the morning or indeed any other time?

This man has really dragged Radio Leeds into the gutter. I wonder if this is all part of the new strategy for BBC Local Radio?

I think you have a point, but you're also being rather unkind to tarnish most other presenters as "cosy journos". BBC LR certainly still has a few of those, but it also has a good tally of ex commercial presenters who've brought many years of experience to the party. There are also examples of "edgy"/"entertaining" in house BBC people across the country.

If you want an example of someone who makes a put down sound funny and entertaining, I'd recommend Bernie Keith from BBC Northampton.

I agree that since Graham Liver left that Radio Leeds have been struggling to find a cheeky but interesting replacemnt. Johnny was dull and Alex B is rubbish.
I used to listen to breakfast even with Georgey's cackle, (she is much quieter on evenings) but Kelner doesn't click and I rarely listen despite not wishing to listen to Chris Evans or Chris Moyles, normally swtich to commercial with my DAB

I'm sure Alex Belfield loves you all and there's nothing you can do about it!

If you listen to the link that I posted above, you'll hear Alex Belfield making sexual comments to an elderly caller.

Your dead right ..i apologise for tarring all BBC local presenters with the cosy journo tag although I bet Mr Belfield has a lot of crusty old journos harrumphing into their cocoa.

Still here trying to tear Belfield apart I see.

I love these discussions on here, they're brilliant.

I usually have a good ear for spotting good presenters that will go on to be the flagship presenters of the station.

All of which pretty much got slagged off by people at first, usually because people don't like change.

Toby Foster - BBC Sheffield, too loud, too 'in your face', more suited to commercial radio is what I heard a lot of.

Chris Moyles - BBC Radio 1, let's face it, hardly ever a good word said about him for years, but enough people listen.

Dixie (David Dixon) - Real Radio (Yorkshire), there was a small uproar from the 'average listener' when Dixon took over Breakfast from Daryl Denham. Though from the first day he covered for him on a week off, you could feel it was a better performing show. The chemistry between the two was much better, a more free flowing upbeat show with a lot more laughs. Result: Gold Sony award.

Chris Evans - BBC Radio 2, again loud and in your face, welcoming on board new listeners who would never have dreamed of listening to Wogan. The loyal listeners of Radio 2 will still hang around, like him or not, my mum is a prime example of that and she cant stand him. Result: Listener figures up.

The list can go on, but prooves you have to be different in radio, you have to be that bit more cutting edge, you have to push the boundries here and there, whether its right or wrong will show in your listner figures.

Belfield has gained me as a listener on a morning because, to be fair, everything else in the area is bland. Look at the schedule listings for stations across West Yorkshire, it's all bland, boring 'run of the mill' stuff you can hear anywhere.

The fact were talking about this here goes to show, he's gaining presence in the area, exactly the same as Foster did at BBC Sheffield originally.

Well, as I said, it's depressing.

I can't speak for the bulk of his output as I'm down here, and don't spend hours listening to R Leeds on 't internet. There have been threads complaining about him before here, and that clip was enough for me to believe that anyone capable of such effluent should not be on BBC radio. And I'm not talking about the lewd comment, but the delivery. Does he get hard saying "standard rates apply" or something?

I am a loud critic of bland radio. I also believe from the snippets I hear, BBC LR does need to sharpen up a bit. This is way too far.

It's interesting you mention C Evans in the same post. He absolutely would have made the Galaxy/Capital jibe, but there would have been a barb, as Chris is bright. This guy is as thick as sh!t and naturally, made a complete nosh of it.

The sniffy attitude of some at the BBC, especially when many came from commercial radio in the first place, does really get on my wick. The Radio Leeds listener would never listen to Galaxy so why mention it...there but for the grace and all that as you say.

Odd you should say the Radio Leeds listener would not listen to Galaxy, in turn must make me odd.

In general and depending what mood I'm in, the Stations I would listen to most are Real, BBC Sheffield and Galaxy for breakfast.
Then any of the above and/or BBC's Leeds or York for the rest of the day.
I've not got around to sampling Kelner for BBC Leeds breakfast yet, but I've heard a mixed response so guess I'll have to check it out.