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Russell Brand was invited onto Radio 4's Start the Week to join a discussion on Revolution. But was he out of place on the panel of experts? Some listeners saw it as little more than blatant promotion of his latest book. The programme's editor, Rebecca Stratford, explains the thinking behind her decision.

Surround sound has long been enhancing mainstream cinema, and it's now made an appearance in BBC radio drama. And you don't need a 5.1 surround sound speaker set to hear it. So how does it work? All is revealed in a behind the scenes laboratory at BBC Research and Development, where the authentic sounds of World War 1 are brought to life.

John Humphrys recently declared on Feedback that UKIP is Britain's fourth political party - leading listeners to wonder if the Green Party ranked anywhere in his poll. With the 2015 General Election around the corner, how does the BBC determine which parties appear in its political debates? Breaking down the stats and figures behind the selection process is the BBC's Chief Political Advisor, Ric Bailey.

And how did two Radio 4 programmes get repeated minutes after their original broadcast?

Produced by Will Yates

Lord Heseltine has been criticised for his use of the word 'handicapped' on Radio 4's Any Questions. But should Jonathan Dimbleby or the programme's producers have stepped in to correct him? Radio 4's Peter White, who's also the BBC's Disability Affairs Correspondent, gives his take on the evolution of terminology -and the minefield of words to avoid.

Moral Maze presenter Michael Buerk also came under fire this week for his choice of words in a live on-air trail. He was promoting this week's debate on whether the footballer and convicted rapist Ched Evans should be allowed to return to his footballing career. But the trail led many to accuse the presenter of victim blaming.

And will there ever be a perfect political interview to please all listeners? This week the interviewing skills of Today presenters John Humphrys and Sarah Montague are called into question. But who is really at fault here - is it the combative approach of interviewers or the impenetrable defence of politicians?

The BBC wants to reflect the UK's ethnic diversity more accurately in both television and radio broadcasting. In order to widen their pool of expert contributors, the BBC Academy has launched a series of Black and Minority Ethnic Expert Voices Days. Two applicants who attended the event explain why they want to help change the look and sound of the BBC.

And get your headphones at the ready for a glimpse into the world of surround sound and binaural audio.

Produced by Will Yates

Have political interviews become a monotonous drone on your radio? Newsnight Editor Ian Katz believes most are simply "boring-snoring". 5 live Breakfast presenter Nicky Campbell and Today's John Humphrys fought their corner in a Masterclass at this year's Radio Festival in Salford on "The Art of the Political Interview." Three Feedback listeners also went along and put their questions to Radio 4's Grand Inquisitor.

Roger Bolton also talks to Desert Island Discs' Kirsty Young about how she gets her castaways to open up. She also reveals which castaway made her go weak at the knees.

The Head Down Generation, the BBC Trust and commercial rivals are just some of concerns that the Controller of Radio 1 and 1Xtra, Ben Cooper, has to consider. But what seven things are keeping him awake at night? He responds to the ever-present question of Radio 1's average audience age and brings new meaning to the words pipe and platform.

Produced by Will Yates

A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4.

Good news. You now have 30 day to catch up on radio programmes using iPlayer. Andrew Scott, the General Manager of radio and music for BBC Future Media joins Roger Bolton to discuss the changes.

Musician, writer, broadcaster - Jarvis Cocker can seemingly turn his hand to anything. But can he combine his intimate late-night delivery of Radio 4 programme Wireless Nights with the full force of the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra? Kate Taylor takes us behind the scenes at the rehearsal to meet Jarvis along with the Wireless Nights producer Laurence Grissell and the General Manager of the BBC Philharmonic, Simon Webb.

The battle for the 12 o'clock slot on Radio 4 continues. You and Yours listeners are still reeling from losing a quarter of the consumer affairs programme each day to make space for Home Front, Radio 4's landmark 500-part drama about the First World War. But while Home Front is taking a break there's a new series called '21st Century Mythologies' in its place. Every day Peter Conrad focuses on a different example of popular culture - including Nando's, Apple computers and the Kardashians - echoing the French semiotician Roland Barthes' Mythologies 60 years earlier. Clever cultural commentary? Some listeners are not convinced.

And listeners react to an item on Today in which Sarah Montagu interviewed a woman who had married herself.

Produced by Will Yates

Has a summer of tough foreign news had you switching off the radio? The Editor of the Today programme, Jamie Angus, talks to Roger Bolton about his plans to bring a greater range of approaches to telling international stories. The aim is to give audiences a broader view of life in countries which are more often in the news for conflict or disaster - but is it sugar-coating the news for listeners?

Mud-slinging or mediation? What's the best way to debate? Many Feedback listeners tell us they want more measured, discursive debate - especially on important issues. Matthew Taylor, who's used to holding his own on the Moral Maze, has been presenting Agree to Differ in which he asks contributors to seek common ground in their argument. He debates the subject with the boss of Any Questions, Clare McGinn.

And why is You and Yours being cut short for a World War I drama? The 500-part, four-year-long serial Home Front is knocking twelve minutes off the consumer affairs programme each day. Will You and Yours ever gets its missing minutes back? Roger asks Radio 4's Head of Planning and Scheduling, Tony Pilgrim.

Produced by Will Yates.

On 4th August 1914 Britain entered World War I. The BBC marked the date with a variety of programmes exploring the history of the conflict and by broadcasting commemorative ceremonies. Many listeners were moved by the coverage, others questioned whether it was too jingoistic, while some wonder whether the level of analysis is sustainable for the next four years.

Also this week, Roger Bolton meets his teenage crush - Carol Tregorran from The Archers, played by film star Eleanor Bron. Carol hasn't been heard in The Archers for 34 years, but how long will she be staying this time?

And Roger is in Glasgow meeting journalists at the BBC headquarters at Pacific Quay on the day of the first televised debate of the Scottish Referendum campaign. With just six weeks to go before the people of Scotland cast their vote, Roger asks Scotland Correspondent Colin Blane and Special Correspondent Allan Little whether they can give their listeners inside and outside of Scotland the information they want and need. He also meets Louise White, presenter of BBC Radio Scotland's phone-in programme Morning Call, and BBC Scotland political editor Brian Taylor who deals with allegations of bias from both sides.

Marcus Brigstocke has dealt with plenty of allegations of bias for his brand of close-to-the-bone political satire. His Radio 4 comedy series The Brig Society returned this week and already listeners are divided over whether his analysis of the European Union was refreshingly witty or wilfully one-sided. Which side are you on?

Producer: Lizz Pearson

Listeners' views on the BBC's coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continue to dominate our inbox. There are allegations of bias on both sides - the BBC coverage is accused of being too pro-Palestinian and too pro-Israeli. But how easy is it to accurately report the conflict on the ground from within Gaza? Roger Bolton speaks to the BBC's chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet.

Also this week, should history stay in the past? John Humphrys and Melvyn Bragg have gone head-to-head over the use of the present tense to describe historical events. Matthew Parris, who presents Radio 4's long-running biographical series Great Lives, was among the first to criticise this seemingly modern fad. But is it actually a new thing? And can it be an effective tool for bringing the past to life? Matthew gives his view.

And Roger joins the gardeners of Cumbria on board the M V Teal on Windermere for a special recording of Gardeners' Question Time. The chairman, Eric Robson, is celebrating 20 years of presiding over the gardening queries of the nation, but what's in his garden? And how do the panel of Bob Flowerdew, Pippa Greenwood, and Bunny Guinness prepare for any question that the audience might throw at them? Find out how an audience of 150 gardeners, perhaps more used to being close to the earth, take to the water. You can hear the special edition of Gardeners' Question Time on Friday 8th August at 15.00 and repeated on Sunday 10th August at 14.00 on BBC Radio 4.

Finally, are Sandi Toksvig and her News Quiz panel taking up raving? The problems with the BBC iPlayer continue.

Producer: Katherine Godfrey.

Last weekend many radio listeners were looking forward to catching up on all the programmes they'd missed during the week using the BBC iPlayer. But they found programmes were mysteriously unavailable. In some cases they remained so until Monday afternoon. What went wrong and should the BBC have done more to communicate about the problem? Roger Bolton speaks to the BBC's Mark Friend, the Controller for Radio and Music Multiplatform.

The panellists on this week's Moral Maze had no problems communicating - in fact, many listeners felt they came across all too loud and clear. Feedback received complaints about the overly combative atmosphere during a debate on 'Just War and Gaza'. Roger asks the programme's producer Phil Pegum whether the moral complexities of the argument were drowned out by what one listener described as "childish squabbling".

What makes a great radio double-act? Feedback visits the Test Match Special commentary box to find out what makes the apparently fractious duo of Geoffrey Boycott and Jonathan Agnew tick.

The BBC published its annual report this week which showed that viewing and listening figures were dropping, particularly among young people. And accusations of South-East bias reared their head again, which comes as no surprise to some of our listeners.

Also - there's the Twitter phenomenon started by a Feedback listener - #EatyTalky.

Producer: Will Yates.

On Thursday, the BBC announced 415 jobs losses from its news department. The job cuts are to save money after the last licence fee agreement left the BBC needing to find £800 million in efficiency savings. But what do the cuts mean for radio news? Roger Bolton asks the BBC's Director of News, James Harding.

And amid accusations of bias on both sides, Roger speaks to the World News Editor, Andrew Roy, about whether the BBC is sufficiently impartial in its coverage of the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Also this week, hard hitting journalism isn't only for Radio 4. As Radio 1 celebrates 40 years of documentary-making and its Newsbeat programme, we'll be asking some of its young listeners for their views on its documentaries. The Radio 1 and 1Xtra Stories are an hour long and cover anything from domestic violence and teacher-pupil relationships to the lifestyles of the rich and famous. But are they too long for the audience? Is there too much music? We put those questions to Radio 1 Commissioning Editor Piers Bradford and Chloe Straw, an Executive Producer from the independent production company Somethin' Else.

Producer: Will Yates

The editor of The World at One answers listeners' complaints about his programme's interview with the actor Nigel Havers, there's Radio 4's new comedy series about cancer survivors, and the dos and don'ts of eating on the radio.

Feedback received many emails this week from listeners who question The World at One's decision to interview actor Nigel Havers about the integrity of his aunt Baroness Butler Sloss and her appointment to lead a government inquiry into child sex abuse. Was it a case of celebrity leakage? The programme's editor Nick Sutton answers his critics.

Also, should we be laughing at cancer? Some listeners are turned off by the new radio comedy Bad Salsa which looks at dancing and cancer survivors. Roger discusses the thinking behind the programme with the writer Kay Stonham and producer Alison Vernon-Smith.

And we consider the art and perils of eating on the radio with Woman's Hour presenter Dame Jenni Murray and the broadcaster Simon Parkes.

Producer: Will Yates