Feedback

Ramadan has featured prominently in The Archers in recent weeks with stalwart Lynda Snell joining the Malik family in fasting, and some listeners found the storyline unconvincing, even a bit preachy. Andrea speaks with Dr Cara Courage, co-founder of The Academic Archers.

Radio 4’s Today programme interview with Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick provoked a flurry of comments on the presenter’s line of questioning. We hear your views.

After Newscast, Americast and Ukrainecast, now there’s Scotcast! Andrea meets presenter Martin Geissler to find out how it’s covering Scottish news.

And listeners are responding in droves to the announcement BBC Sounds will soon no longer be available outside the UK.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood

A Whistledown Scotland production for Radio 4

Women listeners are quick to pick up on the total absence of girls from How Boarding Schools Shaped Britain, a documentary series presented by Nicky Campbell. Executive Producer Clare Fordham explains why it focused exclusively on boys and gives an apology for not acknowledging the omission in the programme.

BBC Sounds will soon only be available in the UK. The announcement has prompted many shocked overseas listeners to express how much they value this connection to home. Andrea Catherwood talks through the changes with James Cridland, Editor of Podnews.

And listeners continue to react to coverage of global events, this week critiquing the language used by news presenters to describe the unforgettable meeting in the Oval Office.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood

A Whistledown Scotland production for Radio 4

Radio 3 is cutting its long-running drama slot, and it's something that has elicited reactions from listeners, playwrights, and actors alike. Andrea Catherwood starts the new series of Feedback by discussing the changes with station controller Sam Jackson. She also speaks to the co-chair of the Writing Guild of Great Britain, Nicola Baldwin, about what made Radio 3 drama special.

Recent episodes of Desert Island Discs have been creating big reactions from listeners too - lawyer Nemone Lethbridge's choice of song 'I Wanna Go Back to Dixie' by American satirist Tom Lehrer was defended by the BBC, but was it a step too far for some listeners?

And as news teams across BBC Radio react to seismic world events, one listener gives his view on how the coverage has sounded to him.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

Andrea Catherwood presents the programme that hears your views on BBC audio.

This week, the first ever Feedback Forum brings together groups of keen listeners who enjoy all kinds of speech content. Radio 4 loyalists, together with younger listeners who don't own radios, and who get all their content "on-demand", share what they like and dislike from BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

There's a lot of enthusiasm for some of the network's long running favourites. In Our Time has been devoured by young and old listeners, who admire the 85 year old presenter, Melvyn Bragg, for his "sassiness" and authority.

The Archers, with it's new timeslots, and podcast, generates strong emotions, with the sentencing of George Grundy gripping the group.

The arrival of Emma Barnett on the Today programme brings praise for a more informal and youthful approach, but also some irritation with what one person says is too much ongoing enthusiasm for her new job.

Marianna Spring's library of content on conspiracies leads some in the group to consider their own listening, and there is a lively debate about whether a diet of pure "on-demand" content means algorithms pulling listeners into echo chambers.

2024 was a year of high audiences across all radio with Radio 4 attracting approaching 10 million listeners a week. But persuading the next generation to tune in is crucial to its long term future, so the production team ask some of the keen podcasters to try out some radio content. Find out if minds are changed in this special edition of Feedback.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

Andrea Catherwood announces the results of Feedback's Interview of The Year.

"It’s been a long process, beginning right back in January," says Andrea. "We've been asking you all year to tell us about exceptional interviews anywhere on BBC Radio or podcasts that have really stopped you in your tracks, made you think again about something or showed off the exceptional skill of an interviewer."

From listener suggestions and comments, the Feedback team compiled a short list of ten interviews, which was then handed to a jury made up of Feedback listeners to decide on the winners. They were asked to base their scores on insight, impact and interviewer skill.

In this programme, we'll hear extracts from all ten shortlisted interviews, speak to the top three finalists, and at the end of the programme, Andrea will reveal the listeners choice of the overall winner of The Feedback Interview of the Year.

Producers: Rebecca Guthrie and David Prest

Comedy on BBC Radio 4 generates a lot of discussion in the Feedback inbox, and this year's been no different, especially after the introduction of a new raft of comedy commissions over the last twelve months. Andrea Catherwood talks to to Julia McKenzie, Commissioning Editor for Comedy and Entertainment, and Jon Holmes, comedian and creator of one of those new commissions, The Naked Week - and they respond to listener comments and critiques.

And as Christmas approaches, we go behind the scenes in King's College Chapel as preparations take place for Radio 4's annual Christmas Eve broadcast of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

Andrea Catherwood presents the programme that hears your views on BBC audio.

A new series of The Reith Lectures is underway, presented by forensic psychologist Dr Gwen Adshead. She poses four questions about violence and the prison system - and so two listeners who work in prison services and have lived experience of being in prison visited our VoxBox to give their thoughts on the broadcasts. Paula Harriott, Chief Executive of the charity Unlock, and Marc Conway, CEO of Fair Justice, give their assessment on how Gwen answered her own questions.

And following last week's episode of Feedback many listeners jumped to the defence of a recent Archers storyline featuring a holiday lets scam. But why did some say that it was getting them in the Christmas spirit?

We also heard from more listeners on the end of Short Cuts, the programme that highlights short and experimental audio documentaries by makers from around the world.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

A raft of scam-themed programming went out across BBC channels last week, with the aim of raising awareness about the hoaxes often found hidden in plain sight. Long running drama The Archers fulfilled the brief wholeheartedly as visitors to Ambridge found themselves hoodwinked into buying fake holiday lets online, with unpleasant consequences. But did listeners think it was believable?

Short Cuts, Radio 4's experimental programme showcasing short documentaries is being taken off the airwaves after the end of the current series. There's been an outcry from the audio production community as it is how many programme makers get their Radio 4 debut. Andrea talks to Talia Augustidis, one of the audio makers behind a petition pushing back on the changes, and Charlotte Petts, a listener and freelance audio producer.

The Naked Week, the new Friday evening comedy, has been launched, and presenter Andrew Hunter Murray joked about Feedback listeners getting in touch about the programme's debut. That's exactly what they did, and here's what they said.

Finally, veteran broadcaster Mishal Husain announced that she will be leaving the Today Programme this month. Listeners contacted us to wish Mishal well, after almost 25 years at the BBC.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

This year there's been no shortage of material for the latest series of Dead Ringers. Andrea Catherwood is joined by cast member Jan Ravens and Richard Morris, Creative Director of Comedy and Entertainment for BBC Studios, and asks if it's still possible to make light of serious matters.

In a previous episode of Feedback we heard from John McAndrew, Director of Programmes for BBC News, who defended the recent cuts to BBC News including the axing of HARDtalk and Radio 4's 5.30am News Briefing, among others. Following that interview, listeners have had more to say about the decision. We hear their responses on what will be missed, and whether or not the changes are justified.

And as submissions for Feedback's Interview of the Year close, we hear one more pick - from listener Calum, who had high praise for an episode of Desert Island Discs in which Lauren Laverne interviewed Shirine Khoury-Haq, the first woman CEO of the Co-Op.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 3 has unveiled a new online-only stream - Unwind. It's dedicated to calming classical music and broadcasts 24/7 on BBC Sounds. For some listeners it's unlocked the mystery of a good night's sleep, but for others the playlists are more mindless than mindful. Andrea Catherwood puts your comments to Radio 3 Controller Sam Jackson.

In a week where farmers shot to the top of the news agenda following changes to their inheritance tax exemptions in the 2024 Budget, Andrea talks to Dimitri Houtart - who was until recently the Executive Editor of Rural Affairs, and Rural Affairs Champion at the BBC. Has Radio 4's reporting managed to cut through the sound of tractors roaring down Whitehall? And how do you push for fair coverage of rural communities inside the BBC?

And with only a few weeks to go before Feedback unveils the Interview of the Year 2024, one listener nominates John Wilson's conversation with writer Hanif Kureishi, for This Cultural Life.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4