The National Union of Journalists is to ballot for industrial action after it was announced BBC Radio Foyle's flagship breakfast news programme is to be cut to just 30 minutes.
In a blow for local journalism, the programme will be reduced from its current two-hour slot from 7-9am. The news was announced by BBC Northern Ireland on Thursday afternoon.
The regional radio station will also lose its half-hour programme at lunchtime, broadcast each day at 1pm, but the BBC say hourly radio news bulletins will continue at the Derry radio station.
