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481 episodes — Page 8 of 10
10/10/2014
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 A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
03/10/2014
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. A Whistledown production for Radio 4.
08/08/2014
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 A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
01/08/2014
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. A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
25/07/2014
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. A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
18/07/2014
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 A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
11/07/2014
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 A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
04/07/2014
This week on Feedback, Roger Bolton discusses accusations of false balance in the BBC's climate change reporting with BBC Trustee Alison Hastings.Also in the programme, if the BBC director general Tony Hall has made a commitment to more female presenters on radio; two of 5Live's top women - Victoria Derbyshire and Sheila Fogarty - are leaving and are being replaced by men. Is Radio Bloke making a comeback?Plus I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue and the art of innuendo and why Any Questions presenter Jonathan Dimbleby sent a profusely apologetic tweet to MP Chris Bryant.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4 4.
27/06/2014
Lots of emails this week from listeners angered by BBC radio's lack of coverage of what was claimed to be a 50,000-strong demonstration against the coalition's cuts - even though it started just outside Broadcasting House. Was it, you wondered, evidence that the corporation's news coverage isn't as impartial as it claims?Also under discussion - the "N word". Is it ever acceptable to use it on the air? Roger talks to the producer of Radio 4's Archive on 4 documentary A History of the N Word and Radio 4's Editor of editorial standards, Roger Mahony.Elsewhere in the programme, the truth behind the story that Jack Dee threatened to resign from Radio 4's I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue; the release of a report on the quality and impartiality of BBC coverage of rural affairs; and the shipping forecast - beloved of Radio 4 listeners, but is it still used by those in peril on the sea?Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
20/06/2014
Fans of Radio 2's Alex Lester, the self-professed Dark Lord, are in open revolt at the news that he's being moved from his midweek early morning slot to the weekend. They're also angry that his old slot is to be filled with repeats. In the first programme of the new series, Roger Bolton talks to BBC Radio 2 Controller Bob Shennan about his decision to reduce the station's live broadcasting through the night.Also, is the BBC responsible for some of UKIP's recent successes by giving the party too much coverage? Ric Bailey, the BBC's Chief Political Adviser, takes us through how the corporation aims to ensure impartiality in its political reporting.Roger will also be investigating the mysterious case of Radio 4's missing shipping forecast and why the Radio iPlayer catch-up service has been cut from smart TVs. And we'll be going behind-the-scenes to find out about "lost" BBC archive programmes sent in by members of the public.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
25/04/2014
With The Archers taking a dramatic turn this week (switch off if you don't want to hear a spoiler before the omnibus on Sunday!), listeners question its recently appointed editor, Sean O'Connor, about whether he's making their favourite programme too tabloid. Are some characters undergoing personality transplants? And why, on Good Friday, were some Archers listeners left upset by what they felt was an irreverent approach to the Passion story?Also this week, we hear from just some of the many listeners who felt that BBC Radio news went over the top with the story that Manchester United manager David Moyes' had been sacked. Football fans and phobics alike want to know why it was placed at the top of bulletins and news programmes throughout the day, rather than in the sports bulletin.And Roger Bolton pays a visit to the nerve centre of BBC Radio 4 Extra to find out how they resurrect the radio legends of the past. The predominantly archive station is in its second decade, so are there still treasures to be found in the BBC archives? And is some comedy from a different era too offensive to be broadcast?It's our last programme of this series but please keep your comments and questions about BBC Radio coming in. We'll be back in the summer.Producer: Lizz Pearson A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
18/04/2014
It's the most popular programme on Radio 4 by far, the flagship Radio 4 news programme, which begins the day for more than seven million listeners. No programme attracts more correspondence from Feedback listeners than Today. This week Feedback puts some of that correspondence to Jamie Angus, who's been Editor of the programme for almost nine months. In his first radio interview, Jamie deals with listener complaints including an interview in which presenter Evan Davis continually interrupted politician Iain Duncan Smith, a Today item with the victim of an acid attack, and the question of balance on climate change. He also sets out his vision for Today.The BBC iPlayer App is a popular device for radio listeners wanting to 'tune in' on the move, via their tablets and phones. But recent changes to the way it works have left many Feedback listeners unhappy. One of them is Nick Gilbody. He took up Feedback's invitation to come to London and meet Roger Bolton, as well as the man responsible for making sure the app is coming up to scratch, Andrew Scott, General Manager of Radio - BBC Future Media. But does the encounter solve his problems, and leave him a satisfied Feedback customer?We'll also be travelling to Emmanuel Church in Didsbury near Manchester, to meet the team who produce the world's longest-running daily non-news radio show. The Daily Service has brought Christian worship to BBC listeners since 1928. We hear from the singers, the presenter and producer who decide on the themes for worship, and the music at the programme's heart.Producer: Lizz Pearson A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
11/04/2014
Radio 4's forum for comments, queries, criticisms and congratulations.
04/04/2014
In a dramatic episode of The Archers at the end of last week, Ruth Archer had a miscarriage and sought comfort from her mother Heather. The moment occurred in Friday's broadcast and was repeated during the omnibus on Sunday - Mothering Sunday. Many Feedback listeners felt the timing of the repeat was inappropriate. But others felt the storyline sensitively explored an issue that affects many women.On Saturday, The Archers broke out of Ambridge when Lynda Snell was heard on the phone to Any Answers presenter Anita Anand and David Archer burst into Radio 4 continuity. They were just two of the characters that popped up in the Radio 4 schedule as part of Character Invasion. Other fictional interrupters included Big Bird on Tweet of the Day and Roy of the Rovers on Today. But for some listeners mixing fiction with Radio 4's factual output fell flat. We put listeners' comments to Jeremy Howe, Radio 4's Commissioning Editor for Drama.We'll also be hearing listeners' reaction to a report published on Wednesday by the House of Commons Science and Technology committee. It criticises the BBC's coverage of the Climate Change debate for creating 'false balance' in some of its reports. These findings come as no surprise for some listeners.Also this week, we try to find out why Radio 4 Long Wave has been disappearing at just after 10 o'clock every morning and returning seven hours later. The answer comes from Alan Boyle, who has the intriguing title of Head of Spectrum and Investigation for BBC Distribution.And we hitchhike with director Dirk Maggs as we go behind the scenes at the live Radio 4 broadcast of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. On Saturday morning it came home to Radio 4, 36 years after the first series landed, with earth-shattering effect. We'll join the original cast of characters - Arthur Dent, Zaphod Beeblebrox, Ford Prefect, Trillian - and the new Voice of the Book, John Lloyd.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
28/03/2014
A Today interview is never an easy ride for politicians. But listeners tuning in this week felt Evan Davis's interview with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Iain Duncan Smith, too things too far. We hear those views.It's an altogether more civilised affair as Roger Bolton drops in on Radio 3's 'pop up' studio at the Royal Festival Hall in London's Southbank Centre. For the past fortnight, Radio 3 have broadcast their live programmes from a perspex box. Radio 3's editorial team, producers and presenters have been meeting audiences. We'll be speaking to In Tune presenter Sean Rafferty and some of his adoring public. Radio drama can transport you thousands of miles with the power of the voices, evocative music and sound effects. So why was the recent Afternoon Drama serial 'A Kidnapping' recorded on-location in Manila? Many Feedback listeners loved the production, but some felt recording in the Philippines was a waste of their licence fee. 'A Kidnapping' Director John Dryden discusses the serial and the costs of recording radio drama abroad.Many of you will be more familiar with Jane Garvey, Eddie Mair, and Julian Worricker on Radio 4, but they were all part of the original team at 5Live when it launched in 1994 - twenty years ago this week. While they may have flown the nest to join Radio 4, Peter Allen (Jane Garvey's co-host at 5Live Breakfast) has remained. We'll be speaking to Peter about his memories of the station's early days.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
21/03/2014
How does Radio 4 decide when to change the schedule? The death of Tony Benn last week disrupted some listeners when an Inspector Rebus drama was cancelled in favour of a documentary about the Labour grandee. Then, on Monday morning, the advertised Book of the Week was removed to make way for a re-run of Benn's diaries. Listeners have complained in the past about similar changes to scheduled programmes when Margaret Thatcher and Nelson Mandela died. Roger Bolton asks the Head of Planning and Scheduling, Tony Pilgrim, why Radio 4 does it.Roger will also be getting lost in the issue of the week at the Moral Maze with presenter Michael Buerk, producer Phil Pegum, and panellists Claire Fox, Giles Fraser, Anne McElvoy, and Michael Portillo.When Radio 4 announced that one of its most popular comedies, Cabin Pressure, would take to the air no more, many listeners wanted to know why. The dream cast of Benedict Cumberbatch , Stephanie Cole, Roger Allam and John Finnemore have just recorded their final episode - and 23,000 people applied for tickets. We'll be asking writer John Finnemore if he has any regrets about ending the series.And the BBC Director General, Tony Hall, wants fifty percent of all BBC local radio breakfast shows to have at least one woman presenter - either solo or as co-host - by the end of 2014. Roger speaks to the man who has to instigate those changes David Holdsworth, the Controller of English Regions.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
14/03/2014
Is anyone at the BBC listening? This week we'll be talking to John Humphrys about whether liberal bias at the BBC has put it out of step with public opinion, and whether anything is changing. And there's a tale of sabotage and sacrilege in a Lincolnshire abbey.In an interview with this week's Radio Times, John Humphrys admitted the BBC had, in the past, been wrong in its coverage of immigration and Europe. "We weren't sufficiently sceptical - that's the most accurate phrase - of the pro-European case. We bought into the European ideal". And he went on to say that the BBC has been "grotesquely over-managed". Roger Bolton asks John what has changed and whether BBC presenters should criticise their employer.Roger's also been brushing up his Welsh this week to speak to the Editor of Programmes for BBC Radio Cymru, Betsan Powys. Following a dispute with Welsh musicians and a fall in listener figures, BBC Radio Cymru, the only national Welsh language radio station, decided it needed to start listening to its audience. After months of conversations with listeners, Radio Cymru has re-launched with a dramatic shake-up to its schedules. Will it work? And will they still be listening now they've made the changes?And our quest to find the very first bells broadcast on the BBC takes us to a small town in the Midlands to hear a listeners' fascinating tale of a nefarious plot to foil the broadcasters.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
07/03/2014
Amidst a sea of glitz and glamour at last Sunday's Oscars, one other moment stood out. It was BBC arts and entertainment correspondent Colin Paterson's appearance on the Today programme, live from the red carpet. Colin's attempts to grab the attention of U2 singer Bono, live on the programme has been the talk of Twitter, media commentators, and BBC 5Live. But some Feedback listeners were not amused. Colin Paterson tells us what happened.Also, you can normally set your watch by the 8.30am switchover from the Today programme to Yesterday in Parliament on BBC Radio 4 Long Wave. But on Tuesday morning it failed to appear. Why? And did this break the BBC's Agreement to "transmit an impartial account day by day of the proceedings in both Houses of Parliament"? We speak to Peter Knowles, Editor of BBC Parliamentary programmes.And Roger Bolton visits the BBC Radio 4 Sunday morning programme Broadcasting House to find out whether your emails really get read and how much they influence the programme. He'll be interrogating their inbox and speaking to presenter Paddy O'Connell and the BH team.And a listener remembers a terrifying voice from broadcast history.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
28/02/2014
Listen to this week's Feedback with the lights on because we're talking horror. Radio 4 has just broadcast an adaptation of The Exorcist, the 1971 novel which tells the story of the possession and battle for a little girl's soul and became an infamously head-spinning 1973 film. With demonic possession and very strong language, Radio 4's version was hardly a bedtime story, despite its 11pm slot. So why did they do it? And are the pictures scarier on the radio? Roger Bolton speaks to The Exorcist producer Gaynor MacFarlane and Radio 4's Commissioning Editor for Drama, Jeremy Howe.Also, what does power really mean? We'll be speaking to the editor of Woman's Hour Alice Feinstein about the launch of this year's Power List. And we'll hear why forensic science can be incredibly moving.We also discover what happens when a 21-year-old listener plays Roger Bolton for the day? Radio 1Xtra fan Claire Bynoe is our guide to Radio 1 and 1Xtra's Access All Areas - a month-long audience takeover that's seen young people controlling everything from DJs to playlists and watching and listening from all angles. Claire was one of a few listeners chosen to take part in Access All Areas Studios, which gave them the chance to do whatever they wanted in a BBC studio for an hour. She'll be putting Radio 1/1Xtra editor Rebecca Frank and producer Aled Haydn-Jones in the hot seat.Producers: Karen Pirie and Katherine Godfrey A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
21/02/2014
The Today programme says its "fair, balanced and impartial" in its science coverage. The statement came in response to comments after interviewing former Chancellor of the Exchequer Lord Lawson, a climate change sceptic, alongside Sir Brain Hoskins, Professor of Meteorology and Director of the Grantham Institute of Climate Change at Imperial College. Today was the cause of further frustration on Monday when many listeners felt a story about genetically modified potatoes had no opposing side represented. We speak to some of those listeners about Today's coverage of controversies in science.British success at the Sochi Winter Olympics has created added interest in the games - as well as an 'enthusiastic' response from TV commentator Aimee Fuller to snowboarder Jenny Jones' bronze medal win last week. But what about radio coverage from Sochi? We'll be asking the Head of BBC radio sport, Richard Burgess, why 5Live Sports Extra has been quiet throughout the games when listeners have an appetite for more from Sochi.The BBC's Director of Television, Danny Cohen, has promised no more all-male comedy panel shows. We find out from the Radio 4 Commissioning Editor for Comedy whether Radio 4 will also go so far as to ban all-male comedy shows.And Feedback listener and folk music enthusiast Diana Butler takes us behind the scenes at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards to find out whether the network is pushing this once niche music into the mainstream.Producers: Karen Pirie and Katherine Godfrey A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
14/02/2014
Should the Today programme have invited Lord Lawson, a former Chancellor of the Exchequer and now chairman of the Global Warming Policy Foundation, to comment on climate change? On Thursday morning, as the floods across Britain continued to make the headlines, Feedback listeners poured scorn on a Today programme discussion between Lord Lawson and Sir Brian Hoskins, a government climate change adviser from Imperial College in London. We'll hear why they were so angered by the debate.The other issue dominating our inbox this week is the change to the radio section of BBC iPlayer. Changes to the way listeners access their favourite programmes on demand have caused confusion for some users, who contacted us asking why the switchover has happened - and without warning. Mark Friend, the Radio Controller for Multiplatform, takes to the phones in an iPlayer clinic with frustrated listeners.We'll also be finding out how our intrepid radio swap listeners Edward Harkins and Katherine Wilson have been finding their new breakfast listening. Katherine, a die-hard Today fan, headed north for her news to Good Morning Scotland - which has been Edward's breakfast show of choice for years. They chat with James Naughtie, who's currently occupying both territories as a voice on Today and on Good Morning Scotland.Scotland has been on the minds of many listeners, north and south of the Scottish border, ahead of the referendum in September. Roger Bolton speaks to the Editor of BBC Scotland's Referendum Unit, John Mullins, to find out how the BBC tries to ensure its coverage is unbiased.Producers: Karen Pirie and Katherine Godfrey A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
07/02/2014
BBC Radio News is becoming too tabloid. That's one of the accusations from some listeners who think the coverage of celebrity affairs and accusations of sexual abuse by former entertainers is given disproportionate time in comparison with 'serious' updates from Syria, for example. This week, Roger Bolton visits the BBC Newsroom in the shiny, one-year-old New Broadcasting House in London, to find out who sets the news agenda and why. He'll be speaking to the Editor of the BBC Radio Newsroom, Richard Clarke.Roger will also be asking why BBC Radio 4 news bulletins revealed the results of BBC One's Fake or Fortune before the programme was broadcast - much to the disappointment of many Feedback listeners.We'll also be speaking to the BBC's Chief Economics Correspondent, Hugh Pym, about what makes a top story. And joining BBC newsreader Zeb Soanes to find out what happens when it all goes wrong minutes before he's about to read a bulletin.And is Ambridge Extra taking off its wellies for good? Some of your reactions to the news that The Archers spin-off will be taking a rest.Producer: Karen Pirie A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
13/12/2013
The news of Nelson Mandela's death reverberated around the world on Thursday evening. But by Friday morning it dominated not only the news but also the normal schedule across BBC Radio 4. Many listeners were frustrated by the coverage which they say was just too much, and at the expense of important national news about the worst storms for a generation and the Autumn Statement. And the coverage continues. We speak to the Head of the BBC Newsroom, Mary Hockaday, and ask whether Nelson Mandela's death really warranted all that airtime.And is Radio 4 becoming a speech and music network? Listeners are divided about whether melody has a place as part of Radio 4's speech output with programmes like Mastertapes, Soul Music and dedicated music documentaries all occupying airtime in recent weeks. We speak to Radio 4's Commissioning Editor for the Arts, Tony Phillips, about whether there are now more music programmes on the network.While popular music may not be every listener's cup of tea, there are certainly plenty of you who enjoy the dulcet tones of bells on Radio 4. Last week Denis Nowlan, Radio 4's Network Manager, asked for listeners' help to reveal when bells were first heard on a Sunday on the network. Since then, we've heard from many of you who remember them from your childhood.We'll also be visiting Ambridge to speak to the woman who presides over sixty years of history - The Archers Archivist, Camilla Fisher. She's joined by long-term script writer Joanna Toye to pull out some hidden gems from the thousands of minute details she holds about characters' lives.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
06/12/2013
Did Radio 4 devote far too much airtime this week to the marital strife of a cook and an ad man? That's the view of many Feedback listeners who complained that the BBC became more gossip-mag than public service broadcaster in its coverage of Nigella Lawson and Charles Saatchi's very public divorce.Also, why has Radio 4 been asking sailors how they get their weather information? Does this signal the beginning of the end for The Shipping Forecast? Network manager Denis Nowlan eases listeners' fears.And we wander the lanes of Ambridge with the Archers Archivist, Camilla Fisher and long-term writer Jo Toye, who give us the lowdown on how they ensure all the characters are in the right place at the right time.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
29/11/2013
There are irritants aplenty this week as listeners tell us about the Radio 4 programmes that have driven them to distraction. Many of them wrote to ask why Radio 4's Book of the Week about the life of former French president Mitterrand used French accents that rendered it more 'Allo 'Allo! than serious biography.And many other listeners are infuriated by the repeated use of just four piano notes heard in Radio 4's A History of Britain in Numbers. The series' Executive Producer, David Prest, tells us why they decided to use a 'motif' that some say distracted them from the vital statistics.We'll also be talking to the Controller of BBC Radio 2, Bob Shennan. While Radio 2's audience reached a record high of 15 million this year, the changes to the Sunday evening schedule and the loss of firm favourites like Big Band Special and Russell Davies has left some listeners deeply disappointed. The Controller explains why he made the changes.And should an active politician appear on Desert Island Discs? We air your views on Ed Miliband's appearance on Sunday's edition.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
22/11/2013
Radio 4's Mastertapes returned for a third series last week, with John Wilson talking to musicians about a career-defining album in front of a live audience. The series began with Robbie Williams discussing his debut solo album Life Thru a Lens. But would the programme be more at home on a music network like Radio 2 or 6Music, rather than Radio 4? Roger Bolton talks to the series producer Paul Kobrak about the place for a programme like Mastertapes on a speech network.When Any Questions visited the historic Chartwell House for last Friday's broadcast, presenter Jonathan Dimbleby was cut off just as the programme began, only to return seemingly on the telephone. And later in the week, James Naughtie was oblivious that he had dropped off the air for twelve seconds during the Today programme. Is Radio 4 the victim of sabotage or is there a ghost in the machine?There is a takeover happening at the Beeb - some lucky listeners will be invading studios, cropping up as the voice of 'Previously on PM', and even visiting Ambridge (or at least the studio where The Archers is recorded). They're the winners of charity auctions to raise money for Children in Need. But some listeners wonder whether this type of fundraising is unfair to those without large sums of money to spare and ask whether a lottery would be fairer. Roger Bolton speaks to Children in Need's Head of Editorial, Gareth Hydes.And we're looking for your questions for the Controller of BBC Radio 2, Bob Shennan. He'll be joining Roger Bolton next week to hear your comments and answer whatever you'd like to ask him. So please send your thoughts to us using the usual contact methods.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
15/11/2013
Was last week's edition of Radio 4's Profile programme sexist? Some Feedback listeners have accused the programme of just that after a profile of the new Director of Public Prosecutions, Alison Saunders, featured numerous references to her cooking and baking abilities. In this week's Feedback, the Editor of Profile, Richard Knight, defends the programme.Roger Bolton also speaks to Ric Bailey, the BBC's Chief Political Advisor, about the challenges facing the Corporation in the lead up to the Scottish Referendum. How can it ensure impartiality in its coverage? The BBC Trust has launched a 12 week consultation seeking views on the BBC Executive's proposed additional guidelines for reporting on the referendum. Visit the BBC Trust website to find out how you can have your say.Also this week, meet the new generation of Just A Minute panellists who are giving Paul Merton, Sue Perkins, and Graham Norton a run for their money on Radio 4 Extra's Junior Just a Minute.And a radio fan digs out a rare edition of Feedback from almost exactly thirty years ago and finds an unexpectedly topical item about Radio 4 continuity announcer Susan Rae.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
08/11/2013
The last of the Reith Lectures was delivered earlier this week. Grayson Perry's series of four lectures on the world of contemporary art has had, in the words of their Commissioning Editor, 'by far the most response ever for a series of Reith Lectures'. Feedback has received many letters of congratulations for Grayson Perry but some listeners question whether the programmes have been in keeping with the Reith Lectures' reputation for showcasing the thoughts of 'significant international thinkers'. We ask Mohit Bakaya, the Commissioning Editor for the Reith Lectures, why he chose Mr Perry and whether anyone can now follow him?Last week we spoke to Radio 4's Drama Commissioner, Jeremy Howe, about why the network decided to air G.F. Newman's The Corrupted over ten consecutive editions of the Afternoon Drama, especially given its violent and sexual content. This week, many of you wrote to heap praise on the series and the experimental scheduling. But some listeners were deeply disappointed that the first five of the episodes disappeared from BBC iPlayer before the series ended.Too late for fans of The Corrupted, but changes to BBC iPlayer are afoot which will mean that many programmes remain available for thirty days. We speak to the Controller of Multi-Platforms for BBC Radio Mark Friend to find out more.And it's one of the most coveted slots on Radio 4, so how do authors and publishers get picked for Book of The Week? Roger Bolton speaks to the Commissioning Editor for the series, Jane Ellison.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
01/11/2013
Has Radio 4 been taken over by corrupting influences? Author G F Newman's The Corrupted has aired every weekday for the past two weeks in the Afternoon Drama slot, usually the place for one-off plays. Some listeners are not happy about it, especially with the sexual and violent content of the drama that some feel goes too far for broadcasts during half term. We talk to Radio 4's Commissioning Editor for Drama, Jeremy Howe, about why he felt the The Corrupted was worth 7 hours of airtime over just two weeks.Jane Garvey joins Roger Bolton to discuss issues raised by her recent Radio 4 series Getting On Air, which charts five landmark moments in the history of women in broadcasting. Is there now true equality in radio?Plus, two Bobs for the price of one on Radio 2. When the clocks went back early on Sunday morning, listeners expecting an extra hour of Whispering Bob Harris got more than they bargained for when two different parts of the programme played out over each other for twenty minutes. So what went wrong and what's to stop it happening again?And your thoughts on Grayson Perry's Reith Lectures ahead of our interview with Commissioning Editor Mohit Bakaya next week. You can send your questions and comments about the Reith lectures to us using the usual contact methods.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
25/10/2013
In this week's Feedback, Roger Bolton speaks to the BBC's Director of Editorial Policy and Standards, David Jordan, about 'due impartiality' in climate change coverage.And writer Morwenna Banks explains why she chose radio to tell a powerful story of friendship in the face of breast cancer. Her Radio 4 Saturday Drama Goodbye starred acting heavyweights Olivia Colman and Natascha McElhone as Lizzie and Jen, two friends struggling to say goodbye after Lizzie's terminal diagnosis. It left many Feedback listeners astounded by its realistic and emotional portrayal of the situation.We revisit our listener panel of four mothers in Cambridge to find out how they got along when they tried to find and use CBeebies Radio. A recent BBC Trust survey found that not one parent they spoke to knew how to access the CBeebies radio service - did the Feedback mothers fare any better? And Roger speaks to the Controller of CBeebies, Kay Benbow, to find out what they are doing to publicise CBeebies Radio.And from Raa Raa the Lion to Reith - we hear from some Feedback listeners' views on Grayson Perry's Reith Lectures.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
18/10/2013
Does the BBC still need to balance climate change science with sceptical views on the other side? After the World At One gave airtime to a climate change denier, Bob Carter, Feedback listeners questioned whether this was impartiality gone mad. We speak to Professor Steve Jones, who wrote a report for the BBC Trust on the impartiality and accuracy of the BBC's science coverage, about where to draw the line.Nobel Prize winners, top-selling novelists, former presidents and Russell Brand. There's stiff competition for a place on Desert Island Discs. Regardless of the guest, the much-loved series rarely causes Feedback listeners to comment, but when naturalist and TV presenter Chris Packham was castaway with Kirsty Young last week, many wrote to say how moved they were by his honesty and refreshing musical choices. We hear Chris' view of the experience.Also this week, have you heard CBeebies radio? No? Well neither had any of the parents surveyed in a recent BBC Trust review into children's services. Feedback reporter Catherine Carr visits four mums who have agreed to give it a go.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
11/10/2013
This week the BBC Director General Tony Hall unveiled his vision for the future of the corporation. At its heart is technology. A new app called Open Minds will draw programmes from across the BBC's speech radio output and Radio 1 is to lead the way in becoming an audio-visual network with its own video channel on BBC iPlayer to host exclusive interviews and performances. We speak to the Controller of Radio 1 and 1Xtra about visualisation and whether the future of BBC radio depends on it.But while Radio 1 is coming soon to a screen near you, some listeners have reached saturation point with the silver screen takeover of BBC Radio 3. As part of the BBC's Sound of Cinema season, the network has aired three weeks of special concerts celebrating film music and editions of regular programmes dedicated to cinema. They tell us it's been a blockbuster with their audience - but it's been a flop with some Feedback listeners.And when Inside Science replaced Material World on Radio 4 in July, many Feedback listeners were up in arms. But just how different is it to the old programme? We join presenter Adam Rutherford and his team to find out.Also, newsreader Neil Sleat has his moment in the spotlight as he reveals the inner workings of the newscaster's brain when faced with pronouncing a 35 letter Hawaiian name, live on air. Twice.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
23/08/2013
In the last programme in this series of Feedback, we bring you a special edition devoted to one of the most divisive radio subjects - comedy.Recorded in front of an audience at the Edinburgh Fringe, Roger Bolton puts questions from listeners in the room and at home to a panel of comedy movers and shakers.Roger is joined on stage by Radio 4 Commissioning Editor Caroline Raphael - the woman who decides what's funny enough for Radio 4 and by comedian Marcus Brigstocke, who can be heard across BBC radio in programmes like the Now Show and The Brig Society, as well as radio producer Colin Anderson and the Head of Radio for BBC Scotland, Jeff Zycinski.There will also be some fringe talent in the form of performance poet Mark Niel and hotly-tipped newcomer Michael Fabbri.Producer: Kevin Dawson A Whistledown Production for BBC Radio 4.So email: [email protected].
16/08/2013
On Monday evening, just as England bowler Stuart Broad was reaching the peak of a devastating spell, listeners to Radio 4 Long Wave were ripped from the action. They were plunged into the seven o'clock news followed by The Archers. Radio 4 Network Manager Denis Nowlan explains what went wrong.Last week we announced that The Archers is to have a new editor - Sean O'Connor will take over in September. But this week some Archers' fans were turned off by a scene involving reunited lovers Helen and Rob.And is the rest of Radio 4 over-sexed during the school holidays? Listeners have objected to sexual content in programmes such as The Diary of Samuel Pepys, Sketchorama, and How to Have a Perfect Marriage, especially when children are more likely to be at home. Roger Bolton talks sex on the radio with Roger Mahony, Radio 4's Editor of Editorial Standards.Over the course of this series of Feedback, we've heard from many listeners who still lament the loss of Radio 4 science programme Material World. Its replacement, Inside Science, has its fans, but the majority of Feedback listeners have not warmed to the programme during its first two months. We hear your opinions so far. And we'll be speaking the Editor of the BBC Radio Science Unit, Deborah Cohen, about Inside Science in the autumn.Feedback listeners are extremely keen eyed and eared. We're sure you've checked this web text thoroughly for mistakes. And we certainly hope it adheres to the BBC's Style Guide, because this week Roger speaks to Ian Jolly, Style Editor for the BBC Newsroom in London. Listeners frequently write to us to note a perceived increase in Americanisms but what's the 'big deal'?Email: [email protected]: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
09/08/2013
Was the BBC's HardTalk too hard on Baritone Thomas Hampson? When Sarah Montague interviewed the opera star on the World Service and BBC News programme, opera fans around the world took umbrage. We hear from the listener whose complaint went viral and made him an overnight hero in the opera world.Plus, is the World at One able to maintain its reputation for hard news during silly season? Roger Bolton speaks to WATO editor Nick Sutton.The announcement that Peter Capaldi is to play the 12th Doctor was big news in TV this week, but Radio 4 is to have its own sea-change. The successor to long-serving editor of The Archers, Vanessa Whitburn, has just been announced. Sean O'Connor will take on the role from September. He was a producer for The Archers in the 1990s. But stints at EastEnders, Hollyoaks, and the salacious ITV drama Footballers' Wives have also been prominent talking points for listeners. We hear Archers addicts' hopes for the O'Connor tenure.Former voice of Radio 4, Charlotte Green, landed her dream job this week. She'll be replacing James Alexander Gordon to read 5Live's classified football results every Saturday from the end of September. Feedback listeners wish her well, but some would still rather hear her back on Radio 4.And we speak to one of the winners of the first BBC Writers' Prize for Radio, Sarah Hehir. Her play 'Bang Up' aired this week in the Afternoon Drama slot on BBC Radio 4.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4Email: [email protected].
02/08/2013
The 119th Proms season is in full swing and in Feedback this week Roger Bolton meets Roger Wright, the Director of the Proms. We put listeners' questions to the Director, behind the scenes at the Royal Albert Hall.Roger Wright is also the Controller of BBC Radio 3. And he might have something to say if his network took one Feedback listener's suggestion seriously. We hear his novel approach to toughening up Breakfast on 3 and toning down Radio 4's Today programme.It's been a good week for the Today programme as it remains the jewel in BBC radio's breakfast crown. The Radio Joint Audience Research (RAJAR) figures published this week show Today has gained more than 200,000 listeners in the last year and that Radio 4's weekly audience is at an all-time high. Digital listening has also leapt up by 3.7 million since last year. But digital dissatisfaction is rife amongst many Feedback listeners. We hear your digital woes.And, is it 'Silly Season' on Radio 4? While you may be listening to Feedback, many people are sunning themselves elsewhere. Indeed many of those who report and make the news also take a break in August, leaving the news bereft of, well, news. We hear from one listener who thinks Radio 4's PM has gone too far in replacing what news there is with flimsy whimsy.Plus, details of how you apply for tickets to join us for our comedy special at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe on Friday 23rd August.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
26/07/2013
Radio 4's forum for comments, queries, criticisms and congratulations.George Alexander Louis is not yet a week old and already his name is known around the world, thanks in no small part to the BBC's coverage of the royal birth. But was it all a bit too much? Many of you think the BBC went baby mad.Operation Dropout mobilises as Roger Bolton meets the man who looks into those awkward silences caused by technological failure - the BBC's Technology Controller for Journalism, Andy Bocking.And while the controller sits on-high, we meet one of those on the front line - senior studio manager Bob Nettles. Feedback spends the day with Bob and puts listeners' audio queries to one of the best pairs of ears in the business.Also, the emotional power of radio drama. We hear from the listener who was left dumbfounded by Nick Warburton's afternoon drama Irongate.And we're looking for your questions, comments, and queries about this year's Proms. We'll be talking to the Director of the Proms, Roger Wright, who is also the Controller of BBC Radio 3, in a future edition of Feedback. So do send us your thoughts.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
19/07/2013
This week the BBC announced that the Today programme is to get a new presenter - a female one. Mishal Husain will join the Today line-up in the Autumn and, along with Sarah Montague, will take the ratio from 1 in 5 female to male presenters, to 2 in 6. Feedback listeners welcome the announcement.But it's not all jubilation. We hear reaction to the BBC's Annual Report. Some of it made for "grim reading" according to the DG Lord Hall. £5 million spent on three separate inquiries into the Jimmy Savile scandal, as well as £25 million paid out in severance payments, and £98 million lost on the failed Digital Media Initiative.Roger Bolton speaks to Lord Hennessy and asks whether his new Radio 4 series 'Reflections' is a bit too soft on his political interviewees. We explore the art of the political interview with a man who's met them all.And as outraged comments about The Archers' Matt and Lilian story that was only broadcast digitally continue to fill our postbag, we ask the boss of Digital Radio UK how easy and widespread digital listening really is.Finally - Operation Drop-out returns! It's time, once again, to call on the good men and women who so diligently wrote to us last year with their examples of interviews where dropped telephone lines, sub-standard digital connections, and woeful mobiles had disrupted their listening pleasure. Listeners spotted some telephonic trouble in the Today studio this week - but are Today the only culprits? We'll be putting questions to the technology department soon so consider yourself conscripted for the cause.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
12/07/2013
Last week Roger Bolton spoke to the acting editor of The Archers, Julie Beckett, about the decision to put the moment of revelation in the Matt and Lilian saga in The Archers' digital-only offshoot Ambridge Extra. After the interview aired we received a deluge of complaints - more than about the coverage of the death and funeral of Baroness Thatcher. Listeners were "incandescent" with rage about both the decision itself and the interview, which many felt offered far from adequate answers.Given the weight of correspondence, this week Roger puts your frustrations to Jeremy Howe, commissioning editor for drama on Radio 4 and 4 Extra.And why has the BBC removed a free piece of technology, called Radio Downloader, which allowed listeners to download and keep BBC radio programmes? The BBC has promised to offer radio downloads from 2014. But how much radio will be available and for how long? Roger speaks to Mark Friend, Head of Multi-Platform for Radio.Is sorry the hardest word? We hear from listeners who were outraged by the comments made by BBC Radio 5 Live presenter John Inverdale about Wimbledon women's champion Marion Bartoli, during the finals coverage. But many felt his on-air apology the following day was not enough.We like to encourage creativity from our listeners - last week a song, before that some petite prose from our Twitter followers, and this week we hear from a listener who vents their spleen not in writing, nor on the telephone, or even on Twitter, but with an inventive mash-up of last week's interview with Julie Beckett.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
05/07/2013
Is the BBC impartial? What does impartiality really mean? Questions posed in the latest review by the BBC Trust. The Breadth of Opinion report is part of the Trust's rolling programme of impartiality reviews and looks at how the BBC covers immigration, Europe, and religion - three areas listeners regularly write to Feedback about. We speak to the review's author, Stuart Prebble, to find out whether the BBC is living up to its impartial reputation.Also, the acting editor of The Archers, Julie Beckett, is back in the Feedback hotseat. Roger Bolton asks her why a major Archers plot revelation was only heard in the new series of Ambridge Extra, which began this week on the digital station Radio 4 Extra. Some Archers devotees are not happy.Radio comedy is something that regularly leaves audiences unamused. Perhaps that's why Radio 4 commissioned you, the listener, to pen its latest comedy offering The Show What You Wrote on Thursday nights. Roger speaks to two fledgling comedy writers about what it takes to get the nation laughing.And it's not only comedy that's divisive. Last week, Recycled Radio producer Miles Warde fought off strong listener criticism about his series, which takes well-known voices from the archive, chops them up, and creates something new. But after that edition of Feedback aired, admirers of the series immediately came to its defence. One Feedback listener - part-time songwriter Dave Summers - liked Recycled Radio so much that he's dedicated one of his songs to everyone who didn't get it. You can hear 'I Heard it on Radio 4' in this week's Feedback and in full below.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
28/06/2013
Is any discussion too adult for Radio 4? When the Moral Maze took on the subject of internet pornography, Feedback listeners were diametrically opposed on whether the discussion went too far. Roger Bolton talks to Moral Maze producer Phil Pegum about how and why he chose to tackle the subject, live on air, and when he has to intervene to rein in contributors.Plus, Jazzer from The Archers and acting Archers editor Julie Beckett discuss the controversial outburst that has been the most talked about Radio 4 event this week.Also this week: Radio 4's Recycled Radio has proved to be divisive - a type of Marmite radio - loved by many on Twitter but generally loathed by Feedback listeners. Roger puts your feedback to its producer Miles Warde and invites Radio 4 commissioning editor Mohit Bakaya and Wireless Nights producer Laurence Grissell to discuss experimental radio on Radio 4.Last week the Editor of the BBC Radio Science Unit, Deborah Cohen, gave the reasons for the removal of Material World and its long-serving presenter Quentin Cooper. Many of you thought the reasons were less than satisfactory. We hear from those lamenting the departure of Material World and those who welcome the change.And, a celebration of the bonkers in this week's Tweet of the Week. Every week we ask our Twitter followers on @BBCR4Feedback to tweet us their reviews of BBC Radio programmes that have caught their ear this week. If you hear something you loved or loathed tweet us your very best poetry and prose reviews and you could win: our gratitude; admiration; and the coveted title of 'Tweet of the Week' during next week's Feedback.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
21/06/2013
This week Quentin Cooper presented his last edition of Radio 4's long-running science programme Material World. The Editor of BBC Radio Science, Deborah Cohen tells Roger why it was time for a change.In the wake of our interview with BBC Trustee Richard Ayre about the BBC's loss of £98.2 million, we air your views on the decision to bring in outside investigators at further cost.There was another story about BBC finances this week. But you might not have heard it. Listeners were surprised that the BBC did not report on revelations that it paid out £28 million of licence-fee payer money in payoffs over the last eight years. Plus, OFCOM comes down on the side of listeners who complained about the use of a derogatory and discriminatory word during a Today programme interview. Our reporter Karen Pirie mingles with the crowds at the Royal Cornwall Show to hear how BBC Cornwall interacts with its listeners.Let sleeping dogs lie -the strange effect that Feedback has on listeners of particularly sensitive hearing. And the moment you've all been waiting for...the announcement of our Tweet of the Week. We've been asking our loyal twitter followers on @BBCR4Feedback to tweet us their reviews of BBC Radio programmes that have caught their ear this week. If you hear something you loved or loathed tweet us your very best poetry and prose reviews and you could win: our gratitude; admiration; and the coveted title of 'Tweet of the Week' during next week's Feedback.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
14/06/2013
It's a year since the BBC introduced an improved complaints procedure. And the BBC Trust, which exists to protect the licence fee payers' interests, has just reported back on the new system. Their public consultation shows that most people now think the system is working well. But some Feedback listeners still think there's room for improvement. Roger Bolton speaks to BBC Trustee Richard Ayre, who is in charge of reviewing the complaints procedure.And Richard Ayre gives the BBC Trust's view on the BBC's failed Digital Media Initiative (DMI). While we were off-air, the BBC announced that it was scrapping DMI after spending £98 million pounds on the five-year digital archiving project, a sum amounting to almost 700,000 licence fees.Plus, which programme is sending feline Feedback listeners into a frenzy? Roger speaks to renowned wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson about this pressing issue.And could you be our Tweet of the Week? We know you're the best radio reviewers around so we'd like you to tweet us on @bbcr4feedback with your most poetic, heartfelt, heated, and inventive reviews of BBC Radio, programmes and policies in 140 characters. If yours is selected as a Tweet of the Week you will win.absolutely nothing, except the undoubted admiration of other listeners, and our undying gratitude of course.Producer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
26/04/2013
In the last of the current series of Feedback, Roger Bolton is joined by Gwyneth Williams, the Controller of Radio 4. She responds to listener questions on topics ranging from the coverage of Baroness Thatcher's funeral to Paul and Lillian's love affair in The Archers.Earlier this week the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, was interviewed by John Humphrys about UK borrowing figures - but the interview took a personal turn at the end when Mr Osborne was quizzed on his tears during Margaret Thatcher's funeral. We hear the views of listeners who were unimpressed by the line of questioning. Also, are standards of grammar and pronunciation slipping at Radio 4? Many think so. But what will the Controller make of the comments?Producer: Kate Taylor A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
19/04/2013
The measles outbreak in South Wales has been near the top of the national news agenda for weeks. Time was that, whenever the MMR jab was mentioned, so too was the alleged connection to autism. Now, BBC reports state baldly that any suggested link has been "totally discredited". Are they right to be so categoric? Roger discusses the issue with the BBC's Medical Correspondent Fergus Walsh.What makes for a good "quizzer"? We go behind the scenes with Rufus Stilgoe as he prepares for his first appearance on Radio 4's Counterpoint.Local radio listeners upset by their treasured evening shows being replaced by an All England Show go head-to-head with David Holdsworth, the BBC's Controller of English Regions.And we're looking for your questions for Gwyneth Williams, the Controller of Radio 4. We'll be talking to Gwyneth in a week's time, so be sure to send us your questions as soon as possible. Some listeners will even be able to put their points to the Controller directly.Presenter: Roger Bolton Producer: Kate Taylor A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
12/04/2013
Over the top eulogising or overly critical? In this week's Feedback, listeners are divided over the BBC's coverage of the death of Margaret Thatcher. We talk to the Head of the BBC Newsroom, Mary Hockaday.And do you need to know what's on BBC One when you're listening to Radio 4? We put your frustrations about the latest high-profile cross-TV and radio campaigns - BBC One's The Village and Radio 4's Front Row - to the Director of Marketing and Audiences for BBC Radio, Neil Caldicott.Following our discussion last week about whether Radio 4 could and should do more to attract new, younger listeners, we hear some surprising reactions from youthful fans of the network.Listener Rob Johnston gives us an English lesson.And we're looking for your questions for Gwyneth Williams, the Controller of Radio 4. We'll be talking to Gwyneth in a week's time so be sure to send us your questions. Some listeners will even be able to put their points to the Controller directly.Presenter: Roger BoltonProducer: Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
05/04/2013
Does Radio 4 need to replenish its audience with an injection of young blood? Roger talks to the station's Network Manager Denis Nowlan about attracting new audiences and gets the views of age-aware Feedback listeners.And for many concert goers, the most taxing decision during the interval is whether to have a G&T or a glass of wine. But for Radio 3 producers, there's a tricky balance to be struck between entertaining the audience in the stalls and the listeners at home. We talk to Radio 3's Head of Speech Matthew Dodd and hear your suggestions for how to keep the interval interesting.Also - the case of the disappearing drama. The scheduling of the lavish adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere across Radio 4 and then the digital-only station 4Extra drew criticism from some Feedback listeners when the series aired in March. Nevermind, many were content to access the drama online having seen that it would be available for over a year. But when they settled down to listen, Neverwhere was nowhere to be found. Feedback investigates.And we hear your views on the first interview with the new BBC Director General, Tony Hall, who went into the Today studio to talk to John Humphrys. Many felt it wasn't exactly a warm welcome.Presenter: Roger Bolton Producers Will Yates A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
29/03/2013
Confusion, frustration, abdication and revolution in this week's Feedback.Vanessa Whitburn the longest-serving editor of The Archers is leaving after 22 years. She tells Roger about bullying from listeners, hints at plans for the Ambridge murder that never was and confesses that she often keeps quiet about her job for fear of being hijacked at social events.Also this week, Radio 4 listeners have been treated to a series of five "playful and surprising audio interventions" - three-minute creations by contemporary artists. More like "baffling" and "bizarre" say many listeners. Tony Phillips the man who commissioned the works, explains the thinking behind them.Is The Bottom Line too focussed on fat cats? In these times of austerity is there enough room on Radio 4 for the voice of rest of the workers? The programme's presenter Evan Davis takes it on the chin.And why did Radio 4 ruin the afternoon of so many Formula 1 fans?Presenter: Roger BoltonProducers: Karen Pirie and Katherine Godfrey A Whistledown production for BBC Radio.
22/03/2013
Do BBC reporters know their Higgs boson from their Bunsen burner? Many of you think BBC science reporting is woefully inaccurate. Roger Bolton talks to David Shukman, a year into his role as the BBC Science Editor, to find out what steps the BBC is taking to equip reporters with scientific knowhow.Last week the Crown Prosecution Service published its first ever study into false allegations of rape and domestic violence, which said that such claims are a very small percentage of the overall figure. So why did Newsbeat major on the victims of false claims? Roger talks to Newsbeat presenter Chris Smith.And Radio 2 presenter Stuart Maconie takes us inside the People's Songs, Radio 2's social history of post-war Britain told through 50 pop records, largely determined by listeners. We meet some of the listeners whose stories of love, lust, and life made the run-down.Also, how can a ten-year-old know what it's like to be eighty? Well, the young actors in a new Radio 3 drama, called The Startling Truths of Old World Sparrows, were very convincing according to many listeners who wrote to Feedback to say how moved they were. The play took the testimony of three octogenarians and used child actors to voice their thoughts. Roger speaks to Fiona Evans, its writer, to find out more about this ground breaking approach.Presenter: Roger Bolton Producers: Karen Pirie and Katherine Godfrey Feedback is a Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.
15/03/2013
This week in Feedback, we ask when music should be censored by the BBC. After a listener spotted that Oliver's Army by Elvis Costello had the 'n' word cut out abruptly during a 6Music show, we decided to look into how and why music is edited for offensive language. Roger Bolton visits Radio 1 and 1Xtra to meet DJ Trevor Nelson and Head of Music George Ergatoudis. George explains how they fulfil listener demand for the more controversial hip hop, rap, and pop songs, without offending the audience. And DJ legend Mike Read weighs in on the debate.And are analogue listeners missing out on the best of new drama on BBC radio? This weekend the star-studded adaptation of Neil Gaiman's Neverwhere finally arrives on Radio 4 and 4 Extra amid much excitement. But its scheduling has raised some eyebrows from Feedback listeners. Neverwhere begins on Saturday on Radio 4 but episodes two to six will only be available on the digital station Radio 4 Extra. We asked Tony Pilgrim, Head of Planning and Scheduling for Radio 4 and 4 Extra, to explain why.Also, how should the Today programme cover mental health issues? After a recent item about new findings from the human genome project, which suggested a genetic component to some mental illnesses, we heard from listeners who felt the report needed more balance.And you come to comedian Jeremy Hardy's defence.Presenter: Roger BoltonProducers: Karen Pirie and Katherine Godfrey A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.