HEART is set to close its Swindon radio studio in a nationwide job cuts plan.

Global Radio, which owns the Heart Wiltshire station, plans to replace its local breakfast shows with three programmes made by producers nationally.

Swindon's is one of 10 radio studios in Global’s network that will be closed as part of the restructure plans.

The 22 breakfast shows across the Heart Radio network would be replaced with a single programme. Rather than 23 drivetime shows, there would be 10 regional programmes.

Ashley Tabor, founder of Global, told RadioToday that new breakfast programmes would mean the firm could better compete with the BBC and digital services.

The changes have been made possible by new Ofcom rules introduced last year. reducing the amount of local programming on regional and local radio stations required from seven hours a day to three. The regulators also axed a requirement for local radio stations to produce their own breakfast shows.

Shadow culture secretary, Tom Watson, called the Global changes a travesty.

“Replacing local voices with London-based presenters will be a terrible loss to communities across the country. Radio has unique reach, providing listeners with national and a local news and friendly company. This announcement is a terrible blow,” he told the Guardian.