Bishop Joe Aldred Hits BBC Radio

Bishop Joe Aldred, Chair of the Council of Black-led Churches, will hit BBC WM radio this Saturday with a new topical discussion programme targeted at the African and Caribbean communities of Birmingham and the Black Country.

The Saturday night broadcast will see Bishop Aldred, a Birmingham local, lead discussions with special guests on some of the biggest news stories of the week.

The two-hour slot between 8 and 10pm promises an entertaining mix of debate and music with a big emphasis on listener participation.

"Against a background of so much negativity that has attached itself to the Black community, I view this as a great opportunity to contribute to community empowerment and progress by dealing week-by-week with the issues that are at the heart of the African and Caribbean community," he said.

"I hope that the whole of Birmingham and the Black Country will tune in every week and interact with what I believe will be a great programme."

Jeremy Pollock, Acting Managing Editor, BBC WM, said: "Joe's very passionate about the African and Caribbean community - he's got a lot to say, and we're delighted he's going to be saying it on BBC WM."

Bishop Joe joins the BBC WM team, taking over the Saturday evening slot from Marverine Cole.