Feedback

Roger Bolton hears listener views on BBC radio programmes and developments.

From next year, users will need to login and give their postcode to access BBC iPlayer, iPlayer Radio and some mobile apps. The BBC says the move will enable it to offer a more personalised service - tailoring content to individual preferences. Some Feedback listeners and concerned the information gleaned will be used to crack down on the non-payment of the licence fee. The BBC's Director of Homepage and myBBC, Phil Fearnley, explains the Corporation's thinking.

We find out more about binaural Beckett. Radio 3's Head of Speech Programming, Matthew Dodd, talks to Roger about why he commissioned new productions of five plays Samuel Beckett wrote especially for the Third Programme and how they were recorded binaurally - with voices and sounds in 360 degrees, coming not just from left and right but also from behind and in front of the listener.

The Daily Telegraph's radio critic, Gillian Reynolds, gives her thoughts on the appointment of James Purnell as the head of a new BBC division - Radio and Education.

And the Radio 4 Documentary A Casual Clearance explored the practical and emotional difficulties involved in clearing out a parent's house when they have died. It struck a chord with a number of listeners. Producer Clare Jenkins explains why and how she made the programme.

Producer: Kate Dixon

Roger Bolton discusses audience views on BBC radio programmes.

The news coming out of Aleppo in Syria becomes more horrific each day but, while the human suffering of civilians caught up in the conflict is undeniable, hard facts about what's happening on the ground are very difficult to come by. As in everything else, the BBC's duty is to remain duly impartial in its reporting. But some listeners believe the BBC has been less than even-handed in its coverage of recent events.

Can the BBC ever be truly neutral in reporting wars? Roger discusses the issue with Dr Peter Busch, Senior Lecturer in War Studies at King's College London, and the BBC's Director of Editorial Policy and Standards, David Jordan.

And is the BBC guilty of pushing stories about its own programmes at the expense of more newsworthy items? Some listeners say they think coverage of The Archers trial and The Great British Bake Off in recent weeks has blurred the line between real news and self-promotion.

Finally - making Tracks. The last episode of Radio 4's nine-part drama goes out on Tuesday 4th October, and one of its producers, James Robinson, gives Roger the inside track on how the programme was conceived and made.

Producer: Kate Dixon

Roger Bolton with views from the audience on BBCX radio programmes and issues.

Sir David Attenborough's two part documentary series for Radio 4, The Waterside Ape, delved into the developments on the aquatic ape theory - the idea that our human ancestors evolved not on the wide savannahs of Africa, but alongside water. It's a contentious idea and some scientists have claimed it played fast and loose with the evidence and promoted a minority thesis unnecessarily. Roger hears the views of listeners.

The Controller of Radio 1, Ben Cooper, wants to make his network the "Netflix of Music Radio". To do that he's putting in place what he calls a phone-first strategy - 25 hours a week of content will be made available for people to download onto their smartphones and listen to whenever they want. He tells Roger why he thinks all BBC stations will eventually have to follow suit.

And how good are BBC journalists at explaining which statistics are reliable? The BBC Trust recently conducted a review of the impartiality of the BBC's reporting of statistics in its news and current affairs output. The verdict, according to one of the authors of the report, Paul Johnson from the Institute of Fiscal Studies, is that the BBC is doing a "pretty good job" but there are two to three areas of concern.

And listeners give their reaction to last week's interview with Katy Searle, the BBC's Editor of Political News, about perceived bias in the Beeb's coverage of Jeremy Corbyn.

Producer: Kate Dixon

Roger Bolton asks if BBC coverage has been biased against Jeremy Corbyn, putting listener concerns to Political News Editor Katy Searle. Have radio programmes looked too much at Jeremy Corbyn's personality at the expense of his policies?

In the week that the Chair of the BBC Trust handed in her resignation, the draft BBC Royal charter was released. Chairman of the Voice of the Listener and Viewer Colin Browne talks to Roger Bolton about the Charter and its repercussions. Will it safeguard the independence of the Corporation?

In 1986 a specialist music programme took to the air on Radio Ulster. The Bottom Line - or Across the Line as it's now known - celebrated its 30th birthday earlier this month with a live concert featuring performances from some of the bands it helped to launch. How has the programme outlived so many of its rivals?

And a week on from the biggest trial in the history of Ambridge, we hear why some listeners of The Archers were left dissatisfied, while others were delighted with the outcome.

Producer: Kate Dixon

It's the first of a new series, and one of the big stories over the summer was the Olympic Games in Rio. But are Radio 4 news bulletins the place for sports coverage - and did the BBC go too far in championing Team GB? Feedback listeners have their say, and Roger Bolton puts their thoughts to Editor of Radio 4's Six O'clock News, Dominic Ball.

The long-awaited trial of Helen for attempted murder has had many glued to The Archers this week, and the fictional village of Ambridge has featured in real life news headlines across the world. With the storyline of Rob's coercive control reaching a climax, it's both gripped and repelled listeners. We hear from two avid fans on either side of the fence.

And, as recording for the new series of Ramblings gets underway, we couldn't miss the opportunity to take a walk in the countryside with presenter Clare Balding. She's traipsed the British Isles for 17 years with producer Lucy Lunt, and Roger discovers why the simple act of walking in the fresh air with incredible scenery elicits such openness from their guests.

Producer: Kate Dixon

Roger Bolton hears the questions and concerns of BBC radio listeners.

This series, one issue has been top of the Feedback agenda - impartiality. The surge in questions and comments from listeners was initially sparked by the EU Referendum coverage, with concerns that striving for impartiality meant the BBC did not sufficiently scrutinise the campaigns and determine which conflicting claims were right. Listeners have also been highlighting other areas where they question whether the BBC has not met its standards of impartiality - namely science and the arts. David Jordan, the BBC's Director of Editorial Policy and Standards responds to the concerns.

How does dancing on the radio work? That's a question Radio 3 tackled in their recent broadcast of the Strictly Come Dancing Prom. This year's host Katie Derham takes listeners on a behind-the-scenes tour of the rehearsal for a closer look at how the popular TV hit has been adapted for radio.

And find out why listeners were stopped in their tracks by the Radio 4 Drama Life Lines, which explores the challenging and often distressing world of work as an ambulance call handler.

Produced by Kate Dixon

Is it right to refer to a politician using just their first name? It's a question posed by some Feedback listeners after reporters referred to the new Foreign Secretary as simply "Boris". They are asking why he appears to be an exception to the rule and, more pertinently, if this note of familiarity softens the tone of interviews.

And are this year's Proms getting a shake-up? Having celebrated its 120th anniversary last year, the Proms have been given a new Director - David Pickard. As the 2016 season gets underway this weekend, what is his vision for the Proms? The Director speaks to Roger Bolton from the Royal Albert Hall, discussing the use of unexpected locations, whether this year will be less London-centric and how much is on offer for younger listeners.

Last week Feedback considered how the continued turmoil of Brexit was affecting comedy output - this week it's a look at the business unit. As the markets and the pound have been rocked by the out vote, listener Ian Callaghan goes behind-the-scenes of the BBC's Business and Economics unit to discover how they're responding.

Did you keep a diary during your teenage years? If so, would you be willing to share your adolescent highs and lows with a listening audience? That's exactly what Radio 4 comedy My Teenage Diary asks of its celebrity guests. But some listeners question the authenticity of the diaries, asking how likely it was that they were both preserved and contain fitting punchlines for a radio comedy. The producer, Harriet Jaine, and one of the guest on the latest series, Samira Ahmed, discuss how the programme is put together.

Produced by Kate Dixon

The unpredictable and fast-moving political landscape post-Brexit continues to dominate the headlines and listeners remain divided over whether the BBC's coverage has been as "duly impartial" as its Charter requires.

The "political earthquake" caused by last month's vote has presented special challenges to BBC Radio News - not just in terms of balance but also because of the sheer speed with which the tectonic plates have shifted. And when Boris Johnson announced he wasn't running for the tory leadership it wasn't just the lunchtime bulletins which had to be re-written - it presented a considerable headache to the writers and performers of Radio 4's Deadringers, who were recording their programme just a few hours later.

We went along to see how they would cope.

Series producer Bill Dare talks us through some of the hairier moments of the last two weeks and Jon Culshaw and Jan Ravens explain how they've speedily perfected their impersonations of Michael Gove and Theresa May.

And is visualisation the future of radio? Roger Bolton chairs a panel with Joe Harland, the BBC's Head of Visual Radio; Rhian Roberts, the editor of digital for Radios 4, 3 and 4 Extra; and three listeners with very different views on the need to be able to watch radio.

Producer: Will Yates

Following the confirmation that the UK had voted to leave the European Union, BBC Radio 5Live cancelled their planned schedules and extended their phone-ins after being contacted by thousands of listeners. But some Feedback correspondents question whether the result merited the such comprehensive coverage and why some sports coverage was shelved. Other listeners have also queried the benefit of hearing "outlandish claims" being made by callers. Gill Farrington, 5Live's Breakfast programme editor answers these listeners' queries.

Feedback listeners also have concerns with how Radio 4 has been reporting on Brexit. Many feel that the station has a post-referendum tone of "doom and gloom".

And over the next two weeks, Feedback is exploring the pioneering world of visual radio. What's in the pipeline for your viewing? Is it taking resources away from other areas? What works best for each station's audience? It begins in 5Live where the Head of Digital Will Cooper details his plans.

And it's not often that we have an inbox full of audience members admitting to having cried at the radio, but narrative series The Boy Who Gave His Heart Away moved many listeners. The story unfolded over five days telling of two families faced with losing their children. Cole Moreton, who wrote and presented the series, gives the inside story of how it was made.

Producer: Karen Pirie

The long-awaited decision day has finally arrived. Votes have been cast and campaigns have come to an end. But that hasn't halted your questions, comments and queries on how the BBC has reported on and covered the EU Referendum. In this special edition of Feedback, listeners put forward their views on whether BBC news as a whole has been an aid in your decision making.

Throughout the campaign, the Feedback inbox has received numerous questions as listeners have flagged up the areas in which they feel the BBC could have reported the campaign season differently. How did impartiality affect the coverage? Was the news too focused on individual personalities? Have certain issues been missing from the BBC reports? These are just a handful of questions that have been put to the BBC's Chief Political Adviser, Ric Bailey.

Amongst the points on the campaigns as a whole, listeners also share their views on how the tragic passing of MP Jo Cox has affected BBC output.

Produced by Kate Dixon.