The Bottom Line

Britain's multi-billion pound nuclear dream. EDF is building the country's first new nuclear power station in decades at Hinkley Point C in Somerset. But that's just the start. Two other companies also have dreams of bringing nuclear to sites in Cumbria and on Anglesey. But the financing and logistics of these projects are tough. Power stations cost billions to build and investors won't see returns for more than five years. Critics of the nuclear option argue that renewables - wind and solar power - would be a better option to generate electricity. Just what are the options and the costs involved? Three nuclear rivals join Evan Davis.Guests: Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson, managing director, nuclear new build, EDF Energy UK Duncan Hawthorne, chief executive, Horizon Nuclear Power Tom Samson, chief executive, NuGeneration Nuclear Power Dame Sue Ion, chair of the Nuclear Innovation and Research Advisory Board.

Migrant entrepreneurs create one in seven businesses in the UK. This week Evan Davis talks to three entrepreneurs who all arrived from overseas with very little and then went on to create a successful business. GUESTSTony Kitous, Founder, Comptoir LibanaisRazan Alsous, Yorkshire Dama CheeseSurinder Arora, Founder and Chairman, Arora Group.

The UK is a world leader in financial services technology, otherwise known as fintech. Presenter Evan Davis asks how Britain has beaten Silicon Valley and what challenges fintech poses to traditional banking?Guests: Antony Jenkins, Founder and Executive Chairman, 10x Future Technologies Ishaan Malhi, Founder, Trussle.com Eileen Burbidge, Co-founder, Passion CapitalProducer: Julie Ball.

From budget airline seats to insurance, Evan Davis discovers the secrets of pricing.

How does a can of Italian tomatoes reach the supermarket shelf and a car manufacturer receives its parts in time? Evan Davis finds out about the hidden transport networks that bring goods from around the world to our high street shops and factory floors.Joining Evan to discuss the business of logistics are:Paul Dyer, CEO of DHL Supply Chain Maggie Simpson, Executive Director of the Rail Freight Group , the representative body for rail freight in the UK Oliver Treneman, Park Development Director, DP World London GatewayProducer: Julie Ball.

The UK space industry is growing faster than the wider economy. Its application is broad - from manufacturing satellites, earth observation projects, to advanced research and design for space exploration. The government aims to capitalise on all this activity and wants the UK to have its own space port for commercial flights and satellite missions. The programme will hear from the country's top small satellite manufacturer and from a firm developing a revolutionary hypersonic propulsion engine. Evan Davis's guests are:Catherine Mealing-Jones, UK Space Agency Mark Thomas, Reaction Engines Patrick Wood, Surrey Satellite Technology Producer: Lesley McAlpine.

We spend a third of our life at work so it's inevitable that relationships blossom, whether it's a one night stand at the Christmas party or one that becomes a long term partnership. How do companies handle the issues that can arise from office romance? Evan Davis and his guests discuss the solutions.GUESTSNeil Morrison, Director, Strategy, Culture and Innovation. Penguin Random HouseHelen Farr, Partner, Employment Law Group, Fox WilliamsDanielle Harmer, Chief People Officer, Metro Bank.

How can people running charities balance doing good, maximising income, while retaining public trust? The sector is undergoing changes in regulation in the wake of scandals involving fundraising and governance. Evan Davis meets the experts. Taking part are: the chairman of the new Fundraising Regulator, Lord Grade of Yarmouth; Jayne Clarke of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and Simon Gillespie from the British Heart Foundation.

The care home business is heading for a crisis according to Evan Davis's guests in this edition of The Bottom Line. The cost of providing care in this labour-intensive business has increased significantly because of the introduction of the National Living Wage. The fees paid by local authorities on behalf of poorer residents no longer cover the cost of providing accommodation, food and staffing. Care homes make up the shortfall by charging higher fees to privately funded residents. Social care analyst William Laing tells Evan Davis that private payers subsidise publicly funded residents by, on average, £8000 per annum. But this is not an option in less affluent areas with a shortage of fee paying clients.John Ransford of the HC-One group provides care for mainly publicly funded residents. He tells Evan that 24 hour care for the elderly has to be provided for less than the cost of a night in a Travelodge.Evan's guests believe that the care sector's business model is unsustainable. Find out what they think will happen next.Guests:Dr. Jane Townson. Chief Executive Officer, Somerset Care GroupJohn Ransford, Non-Executive Director, HC-One William Laing, Founder and a Director of Laing Buisson, Healthcare Intelligence CompanyProducer: Julie Ball.

Brexit means the UK government will have to negotiate trade agreements with the EU and the rest of the world. Trade deal experts share their tips with presenter Evan Davis.Guests include:Janice Charette, Canadian High Commissioner to the UK Tim Cullen, founder and director of Oxford Programme on NegotiationProducer: Julie Ball.

If the word auction conjures up pictures of a man with a gavel in a packed room shouting 'going, going, gone' - think again. These days governments and businesses rely on complicated online auctions to buy and sell. Auctions are also the preferred mechanism for the allocation of radio spectrum licences to mobile phone companies and the selling of mineral rights. Auctions come in a huge variety of forms, and the precise design can have a dramatic effect on the outcomes. Do you know a sealed bid from a "combinatorial clock" auction? Evan Davis and guests discuss the business of auctions. Guests include: Dan Maldoom, DotEcon Samantha Collett property developer Stephen Lerner, 3 UKProducer: Lesley McAlpine.

The future of the car industry. How car manufacturers are joining forces with "ride hailing" companies like Uber and why the future might be driverless. Evan Davis and guests discuss. Disruptive technology has made seismic changes to several business models: think Apple iTunes and the music industry or Netflix and our television viewing habits. It seems that the car industry might be next. Unlike their predecessors, car manufacturers are joining forces with the technology companies. Google with Ford, Uber with Volvo, General Motors with Lyft, pooling their expertise and resources. Joining Evan Davis on the programme are three guests who will talk about the hopes and fears for the industry and what this will mean for the rest of us.GUESTSGeorg Ell, Director, Western Europe, Tesla MotorsMatteo de Renzi, CEO, Western Europe, GettandDr. Eberhard Zeeb, Senior Manager, Function and Software Driving Assistance, Daimler Producer: Julie Ball.

Evan Davis and guests explore the fast moving world of selling to 18-24 year olds. Collectively, that age group has billions to spend. Individually, many are strapped for cash. So how do companies get their attention and their money? The answer seems to be: market your brand using social media. Link up with a celebrity with millions of followers and watch the money roll in. That's the theory. Forget old style television adverts. That age group isn't watching the box - they're on their mobiles. Joining the programme will be: Josephine Hansom from Youth Sight; Philip O'Ferrall, Viacom International Media Networks and Simon Beckerman from Depop.Producer: Lesley McAlpine.

Starting a business is often compared to bringing up a baby, and with good reason: it's costly, gives you sleepless nights and requires your attention during every waking moment. But what happens when it is time sell the business you have nurtured? Three successful entrepreneurs talk to Evan Davis about the feelings of relief and regret which can accompany selling off a business.GUESTSLiz Earle, Co-founder of Liz Earle Naturally Active SkincareWilliam Kendall, Chairman, Cawston PressJules Coleman, Co-founder of Hassle.com.

Are activist investors good or bad for the firms they target? They hunt down companies they think are underperforming. They buy a stake in the business, then lobby for change. Critics say activists want to make a fast buck and then head for the exit. But you could regard these investors as doing a valuable service - challenging poorly performing company boards and making more profit for shareholders. Top UK names like Rolls Royce and John Menzies have been affected. Explore the world of activist investors with Evan Davis. Joining him will be: activist investor, Harlan Zimmerman, senior partner at Cevian Capital; Chris Walton, a company chairman and non-executive director; and Sacha Sadan, director of corporate governance at Legal and General Investment Management. Producer: Lesley McAlpine.

Why are more top employers offering school leavers a fast track career without the need to go to university? Applicants for the top Degree Apprenticeships need to get good A level grades and pass a rigorous selection process. Their reward is the opportunity to earn a living while they gain a degree and qualify as a professional. Evan Davis discusses the pros and cons of such schemes with a high flying apprentice and two employers who are competing with universities for the brightest and best school leavers.

How do you do business when you can't see into the future? This may be what businesses always have to do, but Brexit has undeniably made the future even harder to discern than usual. When will it happen, what relationship with Europe will follow, and how will the rest of the world react? For now we don't know, but the answers to those questions will affect every business in Britain. So how are companies planning for an uncertain future while at the same time trying to ensure that whichever model of Brexit emerges is one that suits their needs. Joining Evan Davis are:Karen Briggs: Head of Brexit - KPMG Gerald Mason: SVP - Tate & Lyle Sugars Gavin Williams: Partner - Herbert Smith Freehills Producer: Joe Kent.

Theresa May has promised a bigger role for the state in business. The previously unfashionable concept of a comprehensive industrial strategy is back on the agenda. There is a new wariness about foreign investment in strategic industries such as electricity generation. Mrs May also wants to see employee representatives on company boards. Presenter Evan Davis discusses "Theresanomics" with a panel of entrepreneurs and corporate leaders. Guests include:Elizabeth Corley, vice-chair of Allianz Global Investors David Pitt-Watson, former Chair of Hermes Focus Funds and co-author of The New CapitalistsProducer: Julie Ball.

The Olympics Games is the biggest sporting event on earth. But the road to a successful Olympics can be more gruelling than a marathon. With less than two weeks to go until the opening ceremony in Rio, Evan Davis and guests discuss the difficulties of managing the money, the politics and the people. GUESTS:Neil Wood MBE, Partner, Deloitte and former CFO of London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (LOCOG) Gerhard Heiberg, International Olympic Committee (IOC) member and President and CEO of Lillehammer Winter Olympic,s 1994Professor Andrew Zimbalist, Sports Economist, Smith College Massachusetts, Consultant and AuthorProducer: Julie BallEditor: Innes Bowen.

Is escaping the rat race always a good idea? Many people dream of giving up the day job to start their own business - and we often hear about the success stories. But does everyone have what it takes? Evan Davis and guests compare the dream and the reality. GUESTS:Luke Johnson, Entrepreneur and Founder of Risk Capital PartnersPaula Fry, former Director, Fashion Seeker UK Sarah Meredith, Sole Trader, Rock CakesDeirdre Critchley, former Director, Jammy Cow Producer: Elizabeth Cassin.

It's hard to put a value on a human life. When you're well, perhaps you don't think about it. But if you're ill, getting access to the right drugs, whatever the cost, is a priority. But the NHS does not have a bottomless pit of money. And some medicines are judged too expensive to be freely available, so patients miss out on treatments that could save or extend their lives. There are usually two villains of the piece: The drugs companies for charging too much; the NHS for not stumping up the cash. In this edition, Evan Davis and guests explore how pharmaceutical companies price their drugs, the role of the NHS in deciding how much the medicines are worth and, in the case of generic or non-branded drugs, they'll ask whether competition is working properly to keep down the NHS medicines bill. Guests: Erik Nordkamp, Managing Director, Pfizer UKCarole Longson, Director of the Centre for Health Technology Evaluation at NICE, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence Warwick Smith, Director-General, British Generic Manufacturers AssociationProducer: Sally Abrahams.

How will the vote to leave the EU affect big and small businesses in the UK? Evan Davis and guests discuss trade deals, tariffs and 'passporting' rights that allow UK-based firms to sell financial products and services from Britain to EU customers. They'll also explore how companies can turn the current economic uncertainty into business opportunities. Guests:Anne Richards, CEO, M & G Investments Juergen Maier, CEO Siemens UKJulia Gash, Founder and CEO, BIDBI Jan Atteslander, EconomieSuisseProducer: Sally Abrahams.

Most of us negotiate in some form or other every day - whether it's about who walks the dog, how much screen-time the kids can have or when to visit the in-laws. But too often we treat it like a competitive sport, with only one aim: to win. Which can backfire, especially when you need co-operation later on. It's much the same in business - negotiating to win at all costs is unlikely to result in a long-term, sustainable business relationship. So how to achieve a win-win situation when both sides leave satisfied and ready to do business with each other again? Evan Davis and guests explore the skills that can help settle disputes between individuals, companies and even nations. They'll discuss when to walk away from the negotiating table and they'll find out what happens when doing a deal is literally a matter of life and death. Guests: Tim Cullen, Director, Oxford Programme on Negotiation, Said Business SchoolBridie Warner-Adsetts, COO, Naylor IndustriesSue Williams, Hostage Negotiator Producer: Sally Abrahams.

The business of film. Evan Davis follows the money trail from script to screen. With the help of a top independent film producer, a film distributor and the head of a top cinema chain, Evan discovers who takes the risks and who makes the money behind the scenes. GuestsAlex Hamilton, Managing Director, Entertainment One UKElizabeth Karlsen, Producer and co-founder, Number9 FilmsTim Richards, CEO, Vue International.

It is not easy to teach new tricks to the business world's old dogs. The latest fashionable solution for big corporations slowed down by bureaucracy and traditional ways of thinking is to incubate tech start-ups. The idea is that the big corporation benefits from the creativity and "can do" attitude of the start-up. In return the start-up gets funding, professional advice and help navigating the corporate world to reach the top decision makers. The model is known as "corporate acceleration" and it is growing in popularity. Evan Davis hears how it works. GUESTS: Jess Williamson, Director, Techstars with Barclays FinTech AcceleratorDavid Fogel, Head of Accelerator & Deputy Director at Wayra UKEmily Forbes, Founder, SeenitProducer: Julie Ball.

Asset management - or asset stripping? This week Evan Davis asks when making a profit from running a business becomes simple plundering.In business, things go wrong at the best of times ... mistakes are made, luck turns bad. But sometimes things can also go wrong not because of bad luck, but because someone makes money out of failure.The "profit or plunder" question has been raised by events at BHS. It was struggling, facing intense competition in a tough retail environment. But the owner took quite a bit of money out of the company. And the staff pension fund went into deficit. Sir Phillip Green, who was then in charge, sold the business to an inexperienced former bankrupt who didn't make it work and it is now in administration.This has made a lot of people angry - but aside from BHS, how do we distinguish between a case that is bad luck, a bad apple, or a system that is badly designed?Joining Evan Davis in the Bottom Line studio this week are Bruce Davis of peer-to-peer lender Abundance, Breffni Walsh of Brands Are Best and Garry Wilson of private equity firm Endless LLP.

What does EU membership mean for UK business and how might that change if Britain votes to leave? Business leaders join Evan Davis to discuss how trade agreements and red tape can both help and hinder corporate success. What can Switzerland teach us about trading with Europe and beyond, despite being outside the EU? Guests:Jan Atteslander, EconomieSuisse Julia Gash, CEO, BidbiChristopher Nieper, Managing Director, David NieperJayne-Anne Gadhia, CEO, Virgin Money Jon Moynihan, Chairman, Ipex Capital Producer: Sally Abrahams.

Whether it's creating Angry Birds, the best-selling mobile app, or developing the best-selling Alzheimer's drug or discovering one of the world's biggest oil fields in recent years, every company dreams of blockbuster success. But what happens after you hit the jackpot? How do you sustain that level of success? And what's needed to adapt from small start-up to big business? Evan Davis and guests share the secrets of success and explore their experiences of trying to maintain their market position. Guests:Kati Levoranta, CEO, Rovio Entertainment (creators of Angry Birds) Dr David Jefferys, Global Senior Vice President, Eisai PharmaceuticalsJón Ferrier, CEO, Gulf Keystone Petroleum Producer: Sally Abrahams.

Many senior executives now employ personal coaches to help them through their toughest business challenges. Coaches can provide confidential, independent support for senior managers who find life lonely at the top. But shouldn't the boss be capable of making decisions on his or her own? And are coaches sometimes the hidden power behind the senior executive throne?Guests:Gavin Patterson, CEO of BT GroupMelanie Richards, Vice Chairman and Partner of KPMG UKJonathan Bowman-Perks, Coach and MentorProducer: Ruth Edwards.

Horse racing is the second most popular spectator sport in the UK but it is also a business. Presenter Evan Davis and guests discuss who makes the money: the horse owners, the jockeys, the race courses or the bookmakers?Guests:Simon Bazalgette, Chief Executive, The Jockey ClubRachel Hood, Director, The Horsemen's GroupCiaran O'Brien, Group Communications Director, William Hill bookmakersProducer: Julie Ball.

Global firms like Amazon, Google and Starbucks have been criticised for using clever accounting tricks to reduce their tax bills in the UK. But how much tax should they be paying? Evan Davis and guests discuss the whys and wherefores of the international tax regime, including the role of tax havens. Along the way, they'll digest the "Dutch sandwich" and the "double Irish" tax avoidance devices used by some multinationals. And given the widespread perception that many firms don't pay their fair share of tax, they'll assess efforts by the world's major economies to rewrite the rules on corporate tax.Guests:Heather Self, Tax Partner, Pinsent MasonRolf Rothuizen, Partner, RPS Legal, AmsterdamAnthony Travers, Chairman, Cayman Islands Stock ExchangeProducer: Sally Abrahams.

The Bottom Line first broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in February 2006. At the time, Tony Blair was Prime Minister, interest rates were 4.5%, petrol was 90 pence a litre and a first class stamp cost 32p (half today's price). In a special edition, to mark ten years since the programme came on air, Evan Davis and guests discuss some of the big changes that have happened in the past decade, including: the global recession, record high and record low oil prices, a technology boom and China's extraordinary economic growth. How have businesses adapted to the changing world? Guests: Nicola Horlick, CEO, Money & CoSir Ian Cheshire, Chairman, DebenhamsNicola Shaw, CEO, HS1Ken Olisa, Founder and Chairman, Restoration Partners Producer: Sally Abrahams.

When you enter personal details onto any website or smartphone app, what happens to it? Where does it get stored, who owns it and who has access to it? These questions are becoming more relevant to ask as we put more details about every facet of our lives onto the internet. With a new piece of legislation passed in the EU dealing with this precise issue, businesses need to be up to speed with their knowledge on effective privacy managementEvan Davis and guests discuss why personal data is so valuable to business, and how the individual can also benefit from sharing this information.Guests: Mike Gordon, CEO, Callcredit Information GroupLiz Brandt, CEO, Ctrl ShiftEduardo Ustaran, Data Privacy expert and Partner, Hogan Lovells.

All businesses rely on customers. So, why do some businesses bend over backwards to keep customers happy, and why do some of them appear not to care? What is the impact of poor customer service on a business and how much does it cost them to invest in improving their infrastructure? Evan Davis discusses dos and don'ts of customer service with an airline, an energy company and a retailer, all of which have tried to completely overhaul their image. Has it worked?Guests: Kenny Jacobs, Chief Marketing Officer at Ryanair; Neil Clitheroe CEO retail and generation at Scottish Power and Gary Booker, Chief Marketing Officer at Dixons CarphoneProducer: Sally Abrahams Researcher: Sofia Patel.

After the Paris summit on climate change and the global commitment to cut carbon emissions, The Bottom Line is going green - with businesses that generate energy from the sun, the wind - and from cheese. And, whilst the government is committed to getting more of its energy from renewables, Evan Davis and guests discuss why green firms are seeing red over cuts to subsidies they say are vital to update ageing infrastructure. Guests:Juliet Davenport, CEO, Good EnergyJeremy Leggett, Founder, SolarcenturyPaul Cowling, MD, RWE Innogy UK Producer: Sally Abrahams.

After recent corporate scandals like VW's emissions' cheating, Tesco's accounting irregularities, Barclays interest-rate rigging, many asked why company board members failed to act. What happened to the checks and balances designed to curb management excesses? Evan Davis and guests look at how company boards operate and how to make them work effectively. They discuss the role of company directors, the skills and experience required and examine why some say 'Beware the charismatic CEO'. Guests: Sir David Walker, Former Chairman, Barclays plcMichael Jackson, Former Chair, The Sage Group plcMargaret Heffernan, Former CEO, entrepreneur and author Producer: Sally Abrahams.

Can the Northern Powerhouse solve Britain's North-South economic divide? For now, the Northern Powerhouse is a concept: an idea that towns and cities in the north can unite, forming their own economic hub to rival London and the south east. So how to turn it into a reality? Evan Davis and guests are with an audience at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce to discuss what kind of businesses will settle in the north of England and what needs to be done to encourage them to make the move. They'll talk about the frustrations of poor transport links, the joys of green spaces and the reasons why businesses like to cluster.Guests: Wayne Hemingway, Designer and entrepreneur, Hemingway Design Vanda Murray, an Independent Director, Manchester Airports Group Sir Richard Leese, Leader, Manchester City Council and Chair, Transport for the North Jo York, co-founder, Reframed TVProducer: Sally Abrahams.

Rewriting the rules: what does it take to be a non-conformist? Evan Davis is joined by a banker, a brewer and a tech entrepreneur as they discuss how success can mean challenging the orthodox way of doing things.Guests:James Watt - Founder, Brewdog LtdSarah Wood - Co-founder, Unruly MediaAnders Bouvin, CEO, Handelsbanken UK.

What does a financial engineer do? A mechanical engineer may design a machine, one that does a task or overcomes an obstacle, but what problems does modern finance solve? Can the clever manipulation of debt, equity or derivatives, really make human beings better off? Some think finance is a bit of a racket, designed to extract money from the enterprise of others; others think modern finance is a miracle that can create value from nothing. Evan Davis and guests try to get to the bottom of this argument on this week's The Bottom Line.Guests:John Kay - Economist and writer Jessica James - Head of the FX Quantative Solutions Group, Commerzbank Jon Moulton - Founder, Better Capital.

From the design desk to the shop window, how do fast fashion brands deliver the latest trends in double-quick time? Evan Davis and guests discuss fabric, factories and a nimble supply chain. Guests: Catarina Midby, Sustainability manager, H & M; Carol Kane, Co-founder and Joint CEO, Boohoo; Kim Winser, Founder and CEO, Winser London. Producer: Sally Abrahams.

Whether it's high-profile sports events or blockbuster art exhibitions, companies like Adidas and Unilever spend millions of pounds on sponsorship - to get their brand associated with sporting or artistic excellence. The global sponsorship market is worth more than 30 billion pounds a year, but what happens when negative publicity - like Fifa's World Cup corruption scandal - starts to tarnish a brand? Evan Davis and guests discuss whether sponsors should walk away or use their influence to press for change. Guests:Peter Mather, Group Regional Vice President for Europe, BP; Jan Gooding, Group Brand Director, Aviva; Jaimie Fuller, Chairman, Skins. Producer: Sally Abrahams.

Companies like Royal Mail, Saga and the AA have recently listed their shares on the stock market. It gives them access to plenty of money to help them grow, but also means they're subject to public scrutiny. Evan Davis and guests discuss why firms decide to float and how they must adapt to becoming a plc. Guests: Martin Clarke, CFO, the AA; Dan Wagner, CEO, Powa Technologies; Gillian Karran-Cumberlege, Co-Founder, Fidelio Partners. Producer: Sally Abrahams.

Volkswagen is dealing with a corporate crisis following the emissions rigging scandal. Evan Davis and guests discuss. Guests: Sir John Egan, former CEO, Jaguar, former Chairman, Severn Trent Lord Browne, former CEO, BP Lucy Marcus, CEO, Marcus Venture Consulting Arndt Ellinghorst, Senior MD, Evercore ISIProducer: Sally Abrahams.

How do you value something like a painting? What makes one artist worth more than another? Who decides what is in vogue and why do they have so much power in the art world? Evan Davis presents a discussion on taste and value in the art world with a panel including the British artist Grayson Perry.Guests:Grayson Perry - ArtistValeria Napoleone - Collector and PatronRalph Taylor - Director, UK Board Contemporary Art, Bonhams.

Food deflation, the rise of the discount grocers and continuing price wars. Evan Davis and guests discuss who are the long-term winners in the supermarkets' battle to gain market share.Guests: Mark Price, Managing Director, Waitrose Steve Murrells, CEO, Co-operative Foods Kevin Gunter, Chairman, Fulton's FoodsProducer: Sally Abrahams.

Who needs qualifications for success? Three business leaders tell Evan Davis how they made it to the top after leaving school with just one A'Level between them all. Two of the guests explain how, having dyslexia and being labelled failures at school, made them even more determined to make a success of their lives. And they'll explore whether the skills to be an entrepreneur can be taught in the classroom.Guests: Jo Malone, CEO, Jo Loves Gary Grant, CEO, The Entertainer Mark Featherstone-Witty, CEO, Liverpool Institute for Performing ArtsProducer: Jim Frank.

Despite widespread predictions of their demise and amid falling numbers of readers, newspapers are still with us. How are they adapting to the challenges of digital technologies? The industry is split on the issue of whether or not to charge readers for online. What is the best business model for newspapers to survive and prosper? Evan Davis and guests discuss.The guests this week are: John Ridding, Chief Executive of the Financial Times; Ashley Highfield, Chief Executive of the Johnson Press and Andrew Miller, out-going Chief Executive of the Guardian Media Group.Producer: Jim Frank.

Despite widespread predictions of their demise and amid falling numbers of readers, newspapers are still with us. How are they adapting to the challenges of digital technologies? The industry is split on the issue of whether or not to charge readers for online. What is the best business model for newspapers to survive and prosper? Evan Davis and guests discuss.The guests this week are: John Ridding, Chief Executive of the Financial Times; Ashley Highfield, Chief Executive of the Johnson Press and Andrew Miller, out-going Chief Executive of the Guardian Media Group.Producer: Jim Frank.

The British love fast food. Each year we munch our way through thirty billion pounds worth. On The Bottom Line this week Evan Davis and guests discuss the burgeoning burger market. There are new challengers to the traditional big boys, like Five Guys, who claim to offer better quality burgers and a "casual dining experience." Whilst one old famous brand from the 1970s, Wimpy, is attempting to make a come-back with re-branded restaurants and menu. But what's the recipe for success in this already over-crowded market?Guests: John Eckbert, Managing Director of Five Guys; Bruce Layzell, Managing Executive of International Markets at Famous Brands (the South African company who own Wimpy and Steers) And Martin Breeden, Regional Director of Intu, who own some of Britain's biggest shopping centres.Producer: Jim Frank.

How to spot the next Google, Paypal or LinkedIn? Three successful entrepreneurs tell Evan Davis how they use their own money to back promising start-ups.Guests: Sherry Coutu, founder, Cambridge Business Angels Fiona Cruickshank, founder, Gabriel Investors Suzanne Biegel, founder, Clearly Social AngelsProducer: Sally Abrahams.