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Feedback episodes

  • Behind the scenes at The World at One

    Roger Bolton goes behind the scenes at The World at One and hears listener reaction to Simon Mayo’s upcoming departure from BBC Radio 2.

    After only a few months on air, the BBC Radio 2 Drivetime show presented by Simon Mayo and Jo Whiley is set to end, following Simon Mayo's decision to leave the station altogether. Listeners give their views and radio critic Gillian Reynolds reflects on this latest high profile presenter departure.

    Earlier this year, Sarah Montague swapped jobs with fellow BBC Radio 4 presenter Martha Kearney - Sarah became the host of The World at One, while Martha joined the early risers at Today. Roger visits the programme to discuss the move with Sarah and gets an insight into the decision-making that goes into the programme on a daily basis.

    Last week’s Sunday Worship, Postcards from the Land of Grief, was a reflective and personal journey from loss to hope, presented by the Reverend Richard Littledale. Listeners who were struck by its words and music talk about the programme.

    Presenter: Roger Bolton

    Producer: Will Yates
    A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4

    28 min
  • 19/10/2018

    After a week that saw Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab hurry to Brussels for talks, the BBC’s Brussels reporter Adam Fleming talks to Roger Bolton. He shares his personal insights into the challenges of covering breaking news on Brexit.

    The BBC Radio 4 series ‘The Anatomy of Loneliness’ came to a close this week. It explored the results of the BBC’s Loneliness Experiment, an online survey conducted in collaboration with Wellcome Collection. Roger talks to series presenter Claudia Hammond and BBC Radio Science Unit editor Deborah Cohen and asks: what can we learn from self-selecting surveys?

    This week marks the end of a government consultation on reforming the 2004 Gender Recognition Act, which set out the legal process by which a person can change their gender. On Tuesday, Radio 4’s ‘Woman’s Hour’ discussed the subject, hearing from voices on various sides of the debate. Feedback hears some listeners’ perspectives on how the issue was discussed.

    And BBC Radio 5 Live’s competition to find the Young Commentator of the Year is open for entries. But what makes for a pitch perfect sports commentary? Roger talks to last year’s winner Isaac Barrington and to 5 Live commentator John Murray to hear their tips on painting a picture of sport live on air.

    Presenter: Roger Bolton

    Producer: Will Yates
    A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4

    28 min
  • The BBC’s climate change coverage under the spotlight, Radio 4’s Intrigue: The Ratline

    News editor for BBC News and Current Affairs James Stephenson joins Roger Bolton to discuss how BBC Radio should be covering man-made climate change. As new presenters are announced on Radios 2 and 4, listeners react to the choices. And podcast fans love Intrigue: The Ratline but can it work as well for a radio audience?

    Members of staff are being encouraged to enrol on a course detailing the BBC’s approach to climate change coverage and an editorial policy note distributed last month stated “you do not need to include outright deniers of climate change in BBC coverage”. News coverage of the recent IPCC’s report has left listeners with mixed opinions on whether there’s been a change of tone in the reporting. Roger puts your thoughts to James Stephenson, who accepts presentation errors were made recently.

    Hot on the heels of Eddie Mair’s departure from PM, Chris Evans announced he was leaving too. As their replacements are announced, we hear your thoughts on Evan Davis and Zoe Ball being appointed as their replacements.

    Intrigue: The Ratline is both a traditional broadcast programme and an extended podcast. A story of love, spies and genocide, podcast listeners have been gripped. Editor Hugh Levinson sits down with Roger to discuss the popular ten-part series and the need to penetrate the podcast market.

    Presenter: Roger Bolton

    Producer: Will Yates

    A Whistledown production of BBC Radio 4.

    28 min
  • Is A Point of View the place for Brexit? And behind the scenes of Research and Development

    Roger Bolton is joined by A Point of View editor Richard Vadon to discuss the programme's Brexit editions. Also, PM listeners bid a fond farewell to Eddie Mair and review his temporary replacement, and we go behind the scenes at BBC Research and Development to see how the department is reinventing radio for a younger audience.

    Author Michael Morpurgo's recent episode of A Point of View divided listeners. He took a heavily critical stance of Brexit, titling the edition Think Again and making a passionate plea for the people of the UK to reconsider the decision to leave the EU. It came hot on the heels of John Gray's episode, Brexit and Illiberal Europe, in which the philosopher criticised the Remain camp. Both episodes angered many listeners. Roger puts their comments to the programme's editor Richard Vadon.

    The BBC has recently promised to "reinvent radio" for a new generation, but what will the radio of the future look and sound like? Feedback reporter Rob Crossan takes us behind the scenes of the BBC's Research and Development unit, teenagers in tow, to see and hear their work.

    As Eddie Mair makes his low-key exit from the PM hot seat, listeners reflect on Chris Mason's week at the helm.

    And one Radio 4 listener tells us how she was taken aback while listening to A Life's Work and hearing the familiar voice of her late husband.

    Presenter: Roger Bolton

    Producer: Will Yates

    A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

    28 min
  • Foreign News in Extraordinary Times

    Three of the BBC's leading foreign correspondents discuss reporting foreign news in extraordinary times - with Roger Bolton.

    Jon Sopel is the BBC's North America Editor, Lyse Doucet is Chief International Correspondent and Steve Rosenberg is the Moscow correspondent. They answer listeners' questions and talk about the unique challenges of their roles - from reporting amid the Syrian Civil War to being called an "enemy of the people" by the President of the United States.

    Producer: Will Yates

    A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

    28 min
  • Why are listeners leaving Today behind? And the Radio 1 interview that never aired.

    Roger Bolton asks why Today is losing listeners and hears views on the Radio 1 interview that never aired. Natalie Haynes talks about finding hilarity in antiquity.

    The latest set of RAJAR radio listening figures were released this week. There was a big fall in the number of people tuning in to Radio 4's Today. We hear from disgruntled listeners about why they've stopped listening and former Editor of Today and Controller of 5Live, Roger Mosey, discusses whether the corporation should be worried.

    Radio 1 caused a social media storm last week by first trailing - and then cancelling - an interview with the controversial YouTube vlogger Logan Paul. The online star had been invited for an interview with Charlie Sloth despite making headlines earlier this year when he made a video that many felt made light of suicide. Listeners explain why they were angry about the interview and respond to Radio 1's explanation for cancelling it.

    Natalie Haynes Stands up for the Classics is perhaps the model of an unlikely hit - a self-described ex-comedian looking for humorous ways to explore the lives of figures from ancient history. Feedback listeners seem to love it, so Natalie joins Roger Bolton to answer their questions and reveal the origin of her obsession with Classics.

    Producer: Will Yates

    A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

    28 min
  • Michael Howard and Ed Miliband, Evan Davis's 'Sweet Reason', 'Where's the F in News'

    Roger Bolton shares listener reaction with Michael Howard and Ed Miliband, Evan Davis discusses Sweet Reason and there's audience comment on Where's the F in News?

    Are debates on the radio too angry? Has everyone stopped listening and just become determined to get their own view across? Evan Davis's new programme Sweet Reason is designed to be an alternative to adversarialism. But, when it made its debut, it still had some Feedback listeners shouting at the radio. Evan joins Roger to talk about making a reasonable programme in a divided age and answers listeners' comments on the way he handled the topic of Patriarchy in the first episode.

    Where's the F in News? is Radio 4's first all-female comedy panel show. When started its first full series on Friday, it split the Feedback inbox between enthusiastic fans and those who felt it just wasn't funny. We hear the listeners' verdict.

    And Lord Michael Howard and Ed Miliband MP have completed their runs sitting in for Jeremy Vine. The former Conservative leader was earning his first cap for network while, by comparison, his Labour counterpart is a seasoned veteran. They join Roger to react to audience views and reflect on the experience.

    Presenter: Roger Bolton

    Producer: Will Yates
    Executive Producer: Katherine Godfrey

    A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

    28 min
  • Cliff Richard vs the BBC, Brexit coverage, Accents in politics

    Roger Bolton hears listener views on the Sir Cliff Richard verdict and finds out about the new wave of World Service podcasts. BBC News executive James Stephenson discusses the corporation's Brexit coverage and Chris Mason talks about accents in politics.

    This week, a legal ruling awarded Sir Cliff Richard £210,000 in damages against the BBC with the judge saying some of the news coverage of a police raid on Sir Cliff's home infringed his privacy rights in a "serious" and "somewhat sensationalist" way. Citing concerns with the precedent set down in the case, the BBC has stated that it is considering an appeal. We hear listeners' views.

    Brexit has been a constant feature in the Feedback inbox and, this week, listeners have been asking why the BBC hasn't put more resources into investigating what they see as Brexit "scandals". Roger puts those concerns to the BBC's News Editor, James Stephenson.

    Death in Ice Valley, an investigative podcast that looked into the death of an unidentified woman in Norway in 1970, has been downloaded and streamed more than 2.7 million times. It's the BBC's most successful new podcast launch. BBC World Service Podcast Editor Jon Manel, who commissioned the series, joins Feedback to discuss how his network is looking to reach new audiences.

    And a recent Radio 4 documentary looked at accents and politics, asking Could the PM Have a Brummie Accent? It caught the imagination of many Feedback listeners. Chris Mason, BBC Political correspondent and Yorkshireman, talks about why he took on the topic.

    Producer: Will Yates

    A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

    28 min
  • 1Xtra music row, the Proms launch, the Infinite Monkey Cage at 100

    Roger Bolton talks to Brian Cox as The Infinite Monkey Cage reaches its century, discusses the Proms with director David Pickard and airs controversy over the music played on 1Xtra.

    The documentary Spitting Blades aired on BBC Radio 4, but the complaints in the Feedback inbox were about BBC Radio 1Xtra. During the programme, presenter Simeon Moore, also known as the rapper Zimbo, considered whether some rap music could be helping to glamorise gang violence and raised questions about music played on the BBC's urban station, Radio 1 Xtra. Some Feedback listeners were frustrated by BBC executives from the station declining to appear in the documentary.

    The Proms started this week with a digital extravaganza projected onto the Royal Albert Hall. Proms director David Pickard discusses gender targets, reaching a younger audience and why he's already booked some performers for 2022.

    The BBC has released its annual report, revealing many key indicators of its performance as well as the headline-making salary figures of its top stars. Listeners react, and the former BBC Trustee and Radio 4 Controller Mark Damazer chews over the implications of the document.

    Irreverent science panel show The Infinite Monkey Cage has now reached a hundred episodes - an impressive feat for a show that saw plenty of complaints to Feedback when it first aired. Presenter and physicist Professor Brian Cox and producer Alexandra Feachem hear what listeners make of the show now.

    Presenter: Roger Bolton

    Producer: Will Yates
    Executive Producer: Katherine Godfrey

    A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

    28 min
  • Sarah Sands, Eddie Mair leaves PM, Ed 'Death Metal' Miliband returns

    Editor Sarah Sands joins Roger Bolton to discuss online criticism of the Today programme, PM listeners bid goodbye to Eddie Mair and Radio 2 explains why Ed "Death Metal" Miliband is returning to the network, this time alongside Michael Howard.

    Today has been coming under fire on social media, in the press and in the Feedback inbox. Some listeners and outside critics are decrying what they see as unbalanced news coverage, a lack of hard facts on big issues and overly aggressive interviews from presenters. The Editor Sarah Sands answers the criticisms and discusses her strategy for the future of BBC Radio's flagship news programme.

    Eddie Mair has just announced that he is seeking a change after 20 years of presenting PM for Radio 4 and heading straight to a commercial competitor. Most, though not all, in the Feedback inbox are dismayed and we hear their messages of farewell.

    And after putting Ed Miliband in place of Jeremy Vine on Radio 2 made headlines last year, the network has decided to repeat the experiment. The Jeremy Vine show editor, Phil Jones, tells Feedback why they brought Ed back but not Iain Duncan Smith, how he thinks Michael Howard will fare on his debut in Jeremy Vine's chair, and whether he has any big stunts up his sleeve for their shows.

    Presenter: Roger Bolton

    Producer: Will Yates
    Executive Producer: Katherine Godfrey

    A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

    28 min

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From the publisher's feed

Radio 4's forum for comments, queries, criticisms and congratulations

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