EXECUTIVES from BBC Radio Merseyside are in negotiations to ensure their transmitter continues to run during times of emergency after switching off during a power failure last year.
The failure has prompted a Liverpool politician to express concerns over the Government's nationwide security drive in which people were urged to stay home and "tune in" in an emergency.
Cllr Keith Turner believes that the breakdown in communications has exposed a flaw in the multi-million pound advice programme.
He said: "When the power failure occurred my natural reaction was to tune into Radio Merseyside via a battery-powered radio. But I was surprised that I could not tune in.
"Most people listen to FM so that's why I was searching for an FM signal. Local radio stations should have back-up batteries and the BBC as a state broadcaster should have made sure that a system was in place."
Last year, the Government started a campaign "Preparing for emergencies" and delivered to all homes in the UK a "What You Need To Know" leaflet..
The leaflet informs residents to have a battery radio with spare batteries and in an emergency, the Government's advice is to "Go in, stay in, tune in".
Tonight, the city council will be asked by Cllr Turner why the large-scale power outage last November which affected huge swathes of south Liverpool, led to most local FM radio stations switching off.
A BBC spokeswoman said: "The BBC is working to review the situation with Crown Castle (the private company which owns its Allerton transmitter which was affected)."
Crown Castle was unwilling to comment to the Daily Post.
However, Liam Fogherty, BBC Radio Merseyside's acting manager, said: "Senior BBC figures have been exploring ways to deal with the problem.
"They have been liaising with emergency services and Merseytravel and council officers. The Wallasey transmitter was unaffected and BBC distribution was not responsible. Now transmitters are being audited and installed. The BBC is taking steps with private partners Crown Castle."
Radio City and Magic experienced the same problems at the time of the blackout. A Radio City spokesman said: "There was a power cut from an outside power source and we are now installing a backup."
The five-and-a-half-hour power cut on November 19 affected supermarkets, retail parks and offices which had to close or use emergency generators when the black-out hit the south of the city at around 5.30pm.
The power cut affected more than 50,000 homes.
A Scottish Power spokeswoman said the power cut was caused by a break in a 33,000-volt cable in Penny Lane, Allerton, and a simultaneous fault in a sub-station in Wavertree.
