The Media Show

The UK company behind programmes including Skins, Midsomer Murders and the Gadget Show has been sold to US media giants Discovery and Liberty Global. All3media group is comprised of eighteen leading production companies, which have always operated as individual businesses with creative independence. So, will a corporate buyout affect this culture? Steve Morrison, the Chairman of All3media joins Steve Hewlett to discuss.The public want and expect TV election debates to be held in in the run up to next year's general election, that's according to a new report by the Lords Communications Committee. But they want greater diversity among the moderators and for broadcasters to encourage more voter participation. Steve speaks to Lord Inglewood, Chair of the Committee, about the findings and the possible formats the debates could take.A new report from Directors UK claims there's been a decrease in employment of women directors in the last two years. It's examined over twenty eight thousand episodes of programmes, across of range of genres, and says that in some areas, such as entertainment and drama, production companies are more likely to hire men. Steve Hewlett talks to award winning director Beryl Richards about the findings. BSykB has confirmed it is in the early stages of talks over a possible deal to buy the German and Italian pay TV assets owned by Rupert Murdoch's 21st Century Fox. 21st Century Fox currently owns 57 percent of Sky Deutschland and all of Sky Italia. BskyB believe at the right value, this combination would have the potential to create a world class multinational pay TV group. Claire Enders, Enders Analysis talks about the ramifications of such a move.Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

Lord Patten has stood down from his role as chairman of the BBC Trust due to ill health. The former cabinet minister who took the job in 2011, has presided over a time which included three director generals and scandals such as excessive executive pay. Now begins the quest to find a replacement. But, with charter renewal due in 2016, and the very future of the BBC Trust being debated, finding the right candidate could prove challenging. Chair of the DCMS Select Committee John Whittingdale talks to Steve Hewlett about the kind of person required, and former Trustee Richard Tait about how this could impact on the organisation.American media group Viacom which owns Nickleodeon, MTV and Comedy Central has bought Channel 5 for £450 million. It will be the first US broadcaster to buy a UK channel with a public service remit. Why is Channel 5 so attractive to Viacom? And what are they likely to do with it? We hear from Tara Conlan, media reporter for the Guardian.Jeremy Paxman has announced he's to leave Newsnight in order to get to bed at a decent time. Famous for his acerbic interrogation of guests, he's long been the programmes most popular presenter. So, what now for a programme that's been suffering a decline in audience figures? Steve Hewlett talks to two former Newsnight editors, Richard Tait and Sian Kevell, about the direction they'd now take the programme.Scotland's Sunday Herald has become the first mainstream newspaper to support independence. Is it a cynical ploy to boost readership? The paper say it will remain balanced in it reporting but how easy is it to do when you have come out in favour of the Yes campaign. Steve speaks to Richard Walker, editor of the Sunday Herald about the decision.Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

A BBC Trust review into the corporation's news and current affairs output says t it needs to do more to make an impact. The report found that audiences looking for quality investigative journalism rated Channel 4 higher than the BBC. It also said that on and off screen diversity needs to be addressed. In his first interview for the Media Show, James Harding, head of BBC News, sets out how he's going to improve coverage. Also in the studio; Richard Sambrook former director of Global News and the BBC and Stewart Purvis, non-executive director of Channel Four and former editor in Chief at ITN, discuss how improvements might be made at a time when money needs to be saved. Lachlan Murdoch, son of Rupert, has been appointed non-executive co-chairman of both entertainment company 21st Century Fox and global newspaper company News Corp, alongside his father. He's finally been persuaded to rejoin the family business, and now looks set to be the heir to his father's empire. Richard Aedy, Presenter of The Media Report on ABC Radio National in Sydney, Australia - where Lachlan has been based - tells Steve Hewlett what's being made of the appointments back in the Murdochs' home country.Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

The Financial Times newspaper has said it will not be joining IPSO, the Independent Press Standards Organisation. It's announced it will regulate itself by setting up it's own in-house system. Some other papers, including the Independent, have still to decide whether to join. Steve Hewlett talks to the editor of the Independent, Chris Blackhurst, about whether the FT's decision to go it alone is influencing their decision to join.The latest in a series of programmes on adoption starts on ITV this week. "Wanted: A Family of My Own", is a four part series nearly two years in the making. It follows other documentaries this year on the subject, like Channel 4's, "Finding Mum and Dad" and "15,000 kids and counting". Steve Hewlett talks to its series producer Claire Lewis about the challenges they faced. Also, Roger Graef, executive producer of the Panorama' documentary, 'The Truth About Adoption', and former chair of the British Association of Social Workers, David Niven, talk about how a shift in the relationship between the media and local authorities is enabling film makers to make more programmes about this subject. The trial of ex-BBC correspondent Peter Greste and other Al-Jazeera staff continued in Cairo yesterday. It was the sixth court session underway at Tora Prison, and the trial has now been adjourned until May 3rd. The court is trying 20 people in the case, 12 in absentia including Al-Jazeera British journalist Sue Turton. Steve Hewlett talks to her about the latest developments in court. As the Royal Tour of Australia draws to a close, Sarrah Le Marquand, associate editor of the Telegraph in Australia, on a row which has erupted over a video of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge on their, 'day off'. Producer: Katy Takatsuki Editor: Andrew Smith.

The Oscar Pistorius trial has grabbed TV audiences around the world. Three remote controlled cameras in the court room have provided compellingly dramatic fodder for rolling news channels right around the world. The footage is broadcast by a TV channel set up specifically for the trial - which persuaded the courts to allow cameras in for the first time. George Mazarakis, the head of the Channel, talks to Laura Kuenssberg about why he campaigned for access and the BBC's Legal Correspondent Clive Coleman explains why similar coverage couldn't be shown here. Until recently, the Sunday tabloids had been relatively unscathed by consumers' changing habits and preferences. However, the latest newspaper latest circulation figures show they're finally being hit. Last month the average weekend red top circulation fell nearly twelve percent - sliding now, far faster than the circulation of their broadsheet rivals. Douglas McCabe from Enders Analysis explains why. The BBC Trust has announced for the first time a full review of how programmes are commissioned. Some within the commercial sector are calling for programme output to be shared equally between in-house and independents, while others are calling for BBC in house programme guarantees, which currently stands at 50 per cent for TV and 80 per cent for radio, to be abolished altogether. Those against the move argue that if this was to happen then the smaller independents would lose out. So should the BBC alter or axe in house production guarantees and full open up the system open it up to competition? John McVay, Chief Executive of PACT and Pat Younge, the BBC's former Chief Creative Officer discuss. Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

Following Maria Miller's resignation, Sajid Javid is the new secretary of state for culture, media and sport. What impact did Maria Miller have on the media and how different will her replacement be? Eleanor Mills, editorial director of the Sunday Times, former Guardian editor Peter Preston and media policy adviser Tim Suter discuss.YouView was once a key part of broadcaster plans to distribute TV to our homes via broadband rather than aerials. Recently, they've cut their investment, while broadband suppliers have raised theirs. Steve asks the chief executive of YouView, Richard Halton, if he still expects to reach 10 million homes.And, last week, police served a harassment notice on a reporter on the Croydon Advertiser who had doorstepped someone convicted of fraud. The reporter, Gareth Davies, explains what happened and media lawyer Duncan Lamont looks at the implications of harassment laws.Presenter: Steve Hewlett Producer: Simon Tillotson.

Local TV's come to Norwich and London, in the shape of Mustard TV and London Live. They are two very different stations, with Mustard TV being closer to what may be available in dozens of towns and cities in the coming 18 months. They follow the launch of Humber TV at the end of last year. Mustard's MD Fiona Ryder and London Live's launch director, Jane Mote, discuss the challenges ahead.Johnston Press has increased its operating profit for the first time in 7 years, though overall losses are substantial. Chief Executive Ashley Highfield tells Steve why he believes the business "is no longer on the glide path to oblivion."And the Mail on Sunday's editor, Geordie Greig, explains how he handled the "Crystal Methodist" story that won his paper the scoop of the year at last night's Press Awards.Presenter: Steve Hewlett Producer: Simon Tillotson.

Yesterday, the BBC director general, Tony Hall, announced what he called "the greatest commitment to arts for a generation" with the launch of BBC Arts. What is the future of arts on TV and what can BBC Arts learn from Sky Arts? Joining Steve will be Sir Peter Bazalgette, chair of Arts Council England, Gillian Reynolds of The Telegraph and the BBC's new director of arts, Jonty Claypole.Turkey's prime minister Erdogan has carried out his threat to ban Twitter in his country, but what impact has this had and how are journalists getting round this? Political columnist Yavuz Baydar joins Steve from Istanbul.And, as Al Jazeera journalist Peter Greste spends another week in jail in Egypt awaiting trial, what are the prospects for his freedom - and can his colleagues Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed hope to be freed at the same time? Former C4 reporter Sue Turton, now of Al Jazeera, has also been charged, albeit in her absence and she brings Steve up to date.Presenter: Steve Hewlett Producer: Simon TillotsonImage: Jonty Claypool, BBC Director of Arts

Following his BAFTA speech on Monday, Lenny Henry talks to Steve about why there is not enough ethnic diversity in broadcasting and what can be done to improve this.Andrew Bridgen MP explains why he wants non-payment of the licence fee to be decriminalised - an idea that, according to reports, interests David Cameron.And, has the coverage of L'Wren Scott's death breached editors' guidelines on handling private grief? Joan Smith picked up on the early online and front page reporting on Monday and Tuesday and tells Steve "it's as if Leveson never happened". Presenter: Steve Hewlett Producer: Simon Tillotson.

Channel 5 has announced it has commissioned a series of new one hour live debates to tackle a range of issues including obesity, crime and debt. It follows the The Big Benefits Row: Live and The Big British Immigration Row: Live, the former brought the channel 2.6m viewers with an 8.9% share. Steve Hewlett talks to 5's Commissioning Editor for Factual Guy Davies about the planned programmes, and discusses the live debate format with former Question Time executive producer Steve Anderson and TV critic Kevin O'Sullivan.As the head of all of BskyB's content outside of sport, Sophie Turner-Laing has spent the last few years trying to boost the broadcaster's entertainment offerings. She's been the driving force behind deals with HBO, launched Sky Atlantic, and is a firm advocate of developing home grown content. But in a climate where BskyB is now having to spend more on sports programming, will this lead to more pressure on entertainment spend? Sophie Turner-Laing joins Steve Hewlett in the studio.The BBC's director of strategy and digital James Purnell has warned that plans by MPs to abolish criminal penalties for evading payment of the licence fee present a 'huge risk' that could lead to the closure of some the corporation's channels. He joins Steve Hewlett to discuss his fears about how the move would result in many more people refusing to pay, and looks at the potential loss to the organisation. And he responds to recent ideas about the the licence fee becoming a subscription model.Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

Reports say that the BBC is considering making BBC3 a wholly online channel, following a speech given by BBC director general Tony Hall last week in which he said "tough choices" would have to be made if the corporation is to make savings. We get the latest from Broadcast magazine editor Chris Curtis, on whether the move would go any way at all towards delivering Lord Hall's £100m savings target by 2016.Born twenty years a go as an indie magazine in Canada, Vice has grown into a multimedia offering which now claims a billion video views a year. This week, it launched another website dedicated to news content, which features reports from countries including Ukraine, Lebanon and Venezuela. Vice Media CEO and founder Shane Smith talks about growing the organisation and his influential backers.Netflix has agreed to pay Comcast, the largest home Internet carrier in the US, to ensure its online videos are streamed smoothly to households. The deal has raised questions among advocates of 'net neutrality' - the concept that all traffic on the internet should be treated equally. Emily Bell, Director of Tow Centre for Digital Journalism at Columbia J School, former Ofcom director Kip Meek, and Neelie Kroes Vice President of the European Commission, discuss some of the arguments for and against net neutrality.Producer: Katy Takatsuki Editor: Andrew Smith.

The Director General of the BBC, Tony Hall, has defended the use of the licence fee and dismissed calls, by some critics, for it to be shared with other broadcasters. Speaking to industry leaders at the Oxford Media Convention, he said the corporation faces tough choices in coming years as it faces competition from the likes of Google and Apple, and added that the status quo is not an option. He said efficiency savings are essential, but ruled out options like salami-slicing. So, what are the alternatives? How can the BBC modernise itself and save money? Steve Hewlett discusses ideas with Lis Howell, Director of TV and Broadcasting at City University, David Elstein, former Chief Executive of Channel 5 and now Chairman of Open Democracy and the Broadcasting Policy Group, and he talks to Patrick Barwise whose latest report for the Reuters Institute concludes that commercial broadcasters, and viewers, would be worse off if BBC TV did not exist.The Paul Foot award for investigative and campaigning journalism has been won by David Cohen of the London Evening Standard for his work on gangs, which formed part of the newspaper's Frontline London campaign. David joins Steve in the studio to discuss his work, and the present state of investigative journalism.And as the application deadline to be Chairman of the new press regulation body IPSO closes, we ask Lord Hunt, the current Chair of the Press Complaints Commission, whether he's thrown his hat into the ring.Producer: Katy Takatsuki Editor: Andrew Smith.

MPs have expressed concern about the future funding and growing commercialisation of the World Service. The BBC Trust has agreed that, subject to clearance from government, the World Service can broadcast a limited amount of advertising and sponsored content that is not news and current affairs, from 1 April, when the BBC moves to licence fee funding. Steve Hewlett asks Peter Horrocks about how the audience feels about adverts, and questions him over whether featuring commercial products would threaten the network's impartiality.Reports this week say ITV has held talks with BBC presenter Susanna Reid in a bid to revive its fortunes in the TV breakfast wars. It's understood Daybreak is set to have another presenter change, with Richard Bacon and Dermot O'Leary also reported to be in the running. It's the latest in a series of relaunches the programme has had since it began in September 2010 in a bid to pull in audiences. Steve Hewlett talks to former head of ITV Daytime Dianne Nelmes, and Liam Hamilton, launch editor and former executive producer of GMTV, about how to save flailing breakfast programmes. Reader's Digest is a 76 year old UK publication which, in its heydey, was one of the most popular magazines in the UK. Now, however, it's circulation has dropped to under 200,000. This weekend, it was bought for a nominal sum - said to be £1 - by entrepreneur Mike Luckwell. He says he wants to return the magazine to its glory days by boosting subscribers, offering direct marketing, and potentially putting the website behind a paywall. Steve Hewlett talks to him about how to reshape the magazine, at a time when circulation across the whole of the industry, is falling. Producer: Katy Takatsuki Editor: Andrew Smith.

Danny Cohen, the head of the BBC's television output, has promised viewers that the corporation will not make any more all-male comedy panel shows. Back in December, BBC producers were told that they had to address this following new sex-representation objectives set by the BBC Trust. Steve Hewlett gets the views of stand up comic Jenny Eclair who, despite having a host of TV credits under her belt, has never been invited onto a panel show. And he asks award winning producer and former BBC head of comedy Jon Plowman the insiders view on why women, historically, haven't made it onto these shows.Investigative journalist and former Panorama reporter Tom Bower has written many unauthorised no-holds-barred works of powerful people from Robert Maxwell to Conrad Black. Bernie Ecclestone called him "the undertaker", due to his talent for, "burying reputations". His latest project is a second biography of Richard Branson. Steve Hewlett talks to Tom about the challenges of undertaking this kind of investigative work, and discusses the cultural importance of the expose biography.The Egyptian authorities have charged the British Al Jazeera English correspondent Sue Turton with aiding terrorists. Sue along with her British colleague Dominic Kane face charges of spreading false news, bringing Egypt in to disrepute and conspiring with terrorists. Sue talks about her experience of working out in Egypt and her charge, in absentia.It has more than 240 million monthly active users, and is available in 35 languages, however, after announcing losses for 2013, Twitter shares tumbled last week. Steve Hewlett asks Katherine Rushton, US Business Editor of the Telegraph Media Group, whether the social networking site is too niche to grow.Producer: Katy Takatsuki Editor: Andrew Smith.

Former BBC director general Mark Thompson apologised to MPs this week for the failure of the £100m Digital Media Initiative. The project, that was meant to allow BBC staff to create, share and store content in a new digital system, was suspended in 2012. The DMI project is one of a series of controversies at the BBC that has prompted parliamentarians to grill former and current bosses. Steve Hewlett talks to the chair of the Commons Public Accounts Committee Margaret Hodge on why she hopes this is the last saga she'll have to investigate at the BBC.Long lens photographs of the Duchess of Cambridge getting off a plane en route to Mustique with Prince George have appeared on the cover of Hello! magazine. Some say the publication of the photos appears to be at odds with past objections to "private" photographs of members of the royal family taken in public places. So, under what circumstances can pictures of the Royals be published? Steve Hewlett discusses the issue with Max Cisotti, who runs the agency which sold the pictures to Hello!, royal correspondent Robert Jobson, and former palace press secretary Dickie Arbiter.Communications watchdog Ofcom should have the final say on issues of media ownership rather than the culture secretary. The House of Lords Communications Committee says the watchdog should also carry out regular reviews of the media landscape that would "set the context" for any future decisions. Lord Inglewood, the chair of the committee, joins Steve Hewlett to discuss the findings.And as protests in take place in Nairobi in support of detained Al-Jazeera correspondent Peter Greste, we speak to the broadcaster's head of newsgathering about the dangers now facing journalists in Egypt.Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

Public spending watchdog the National Audit Office has criticised the BBC for "not having a sufficient grip" on a failed IT project which wasted almost one hundred million pounds. The Digital Media Initiative was abandoned in May last year. Guardian reporter Tara Conlan joins Steve with the latest details of the story.Britain's biggest pay-TV operator BSkyB is due to report its latest results tomorrow. For the past two years, Sky has attracted fewer new television customers and its facing increasing competition; rival BT recently spent nearly £2 billion on sports rights, while competitor Netflix offers dramas and films. Steve Hewlett discusses with analyst Claire Enders whether suggestions like moving into mobile are feasible to help it compete.It's the American Super Bowl final this weekend. The NFL's biggest night is one of the most watched sporting events in the world, and it brings in advertising revenues worth millions. In the UK, the final is shown on Sky and Channel 4 and the NFL says its fan base here is growing; there are even rumours that a London based team might be created. Chris Parsons, NFL's Vice President, International talks to Steve about breaking the UK market, and the league's vision for becoming a mainstream sport.Today sees the launch by News UK of a news academy for young journalists. Rupert Murdoch's company, which owns The Sun, The Times and The Sunday Times, is increasingly releasing press releases about carol services, charity events, and the like, to promote itself. Steve Hewlett ask Director of Communications Guto Harri whether this is part of a grand plan to reshape the public's perception of an organisation plighted by accusations of phone hacking.Presenter: Steve Hewlett Producer: Katy Takatsuki Editor: Andrew Smith.

Ed Vaizey, minister for UK Culture, Communications and Creative Industries is today asking senior figures in TV, film and arts to explain the lack of diversity in their industries. We talk to two people attending that meeting; playwright and actor Kwame Kwei Armah and senior TV executive Pat Younge, and ask the founder of the Cultural Diversity Network, Clive Jones, why he thinks black, asian and minority ethnic representation in the creative world is low and is actually going down.Tony Gallagher, editor of The Daily Telegraph, left the newspaper yesterday as part of an editorial restructure. The Telegraph Media Group said that Mr Gallagher was leaving the company as the business "moves to the next phase of its digital transformation". The newspaper has introduced new apps and subscription packages, and last year began using a metered model for access to its internet edition, which gives readers a numbers of articles for free. So, what further changes does it want to make to remain viable?With Birds of a Feather, writers Laurence Marks and Maurice Gran bucked the trend and found a formula to create a much-loved ratings smash. The British sitcom placed as its heart the adventures of a group of female lead characters; and now Dorian, Sharon and Tracy are back on our screens. The new series, being shown on ITV, has been the highest rating comedy launch on ITV in over a decade, with every episode drawing audiences way above the slot average. Laurence Marks joins Steve to discuss the success of the new series, the public's enduring love of the original Essex girls, and his views on why the biggest barrier to successful comedy is fear.Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

The Culture, Media and Sport Committee has begun an inquiry into the Future of the BBC, ahead of the corporations current Royal Charter ending in December 2016. It will look at the role of the organisation, how it's funded, and discuss alternatives to the present licence fee. Steve Hewlett speaks to the Chairman of the Committee, Conservative MP John Whittingdale about the scope of the inquiry and what he's hoping to achieve. Also in the studio is John Tate who, as a former Head of Strategy of the organisation, was instrumental in the last licence fee settlement. He tells Steve why the independence of the BBC needs even greater safeguarding in the course of Charter renewal and licence fee negotiationCritics of Benefits Street have called it, 'poverty porn' that reinforces harmful stereotypes; Channel 4 describes it as a, 'series that reveals the reality of life on benefits'. Since it's airing last week, the programme about residents of James Turner Street has induced an online petition, protests outside the production office, and a question in parliament. So, what did Channel 4 have in mind when it commissioned the series? And is the programme really representing benefit claimants? Steve Hewlett discusses with Ralph Lee, Head of Factual at Channel 4, Executive Producer of Benefits Street Keiran Smith, and Katharine Sacks-Jones from the Who Benefits? campaign.Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

A leading lawyer and the editor of The Times have joined the panel that will appoint the members of the new press regulatory board. Lord Browne of Eaton-under-Heywood and journalist John Witherow are joined on the panel by the former editor-in-chief of the Manchester Evening News, Paul Horrocks, and the former chairwoman of the Commission for Social Care Inspection Dame Denise Platt. However, the Hacked Off campaign group says the appointments have failed to meet independence criteria set out by Lord Justice Leveson. Steve Hewlett asks Sir Hayden Phillips, the chairman of the appointment panel, about the measures in place to ensure the process is independent.There have been reports this week that Richard Desmond, chairman of Northern and Shell, may be looking to sell Channel 5. Having bought the TV station for £103.5?million in 2010, he subsequently secured deals with shows like Big Brother which have helped the channel turn a profit. Steve Hewlett talks to chairman of DCD Media David Elstein, who launched Channel 5 as its Chief Executive in 1997, about the impact Mr Desmond has made, and about which players might be interested in buying the terrestrial broadcaster.A new natural history series starts on the BBC next week. Described as 'Pixar meets Life', Hidden Kingdoms is, 'the untold story of the natural world's most fascinating diminutive characters'. Filming techniques include using blue screens to superimpose animals into scenes, and mocking up natural habitats. Steve Hewlett talks to the head of the BBC's Natural History Unit Wendy Darke, about why natural history producers now feel the need to use artifice to draw in audiences.Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

It's an all-important catchword in TV circles - "chemistry". Get the mix right between presenters, and the audience will welcome them in. Get it wrong, and shows can easily flop. But how do TV executives decide whether a combination will work? Is it pure chance, or are there ways to determine whether sparks will fly for the camera? In this special programme, Steve Hewlett talks to agent Michael Foster, TV executive Lorraine Heggesey, TV critic Kevin O'Sullivan, and famous successful duo Richard and Judy about how to create that very special something between hosts.Producer: Katy Takatsuki Editor: Andrew Smith.

Today the BBC Trust published a report by PwC into the BBC's failed Digital Media Initiative (DMI) technology project. Serious weaknesses were found in the management of the programme. Also, this week the Public Accounts Committee criticised a 'culture of cronyism' at the BBC for allowing excessive payouts to be made to some of its top departing executives. The journalist Simon Jenkins and Jean Seaton, Professor of Media History at the University of Westminster, discuss the culture and future governance of the BBC.The social sharing news and entertainment site BuzzFeed attracted more than 10 million unique UK users in November. The site is best known for its light-hearted collection of lists such as 'The 24 most important selfies' or 'The 12 most tenuous newspaper headlines about Kate Middleton in 2013'. Luke Lewis, UK Editor talks about BuzzFeed becoming a serious news player.The Danish public service broadcaster, DR, has enjoyed considerable success with The Killing and Borgen. Danish academic Dr Eva Novrup Redvall, author of a new book 'Writing and Producing Television Drama in Denmark', has spent time observing the writers' room for Borgen. She argues its success is due to the position of writers within the production culture. TV scriptwriter and author Anthony Horowitz, who is currently in production with a new series of Foyles War, talks about the writing process here in the UK.Producer: Dianne McGregor.

In his first broadcast interview since becoming Chief Executive of News UK, Mike Darcey shares his thoughts on the success of Sun digital subscriptions, competing with the Daily Mail, press reform and page 3.An aspiring press self-regulator has emerged; the Impress Project says it wants to be independent, affordable, and accountable to the public. But will a regulator that's in support of the recent Royal Charter - when all the main national papers are opposed to it - really be able to get any of them on board? We speak to its founder.Declining budgets are forcing traditional media to reach out to different types of content funding; more are working with commercial companies and brands for help with finance. However, there's a view that "paid for programming" compromises editorially decisions, and this view underpins much of the present regulatory framework. In a new report, former Newsnight Editor and Director of BBC World News Sian Kevill asks audiences what they think of ad-funded content and determines that they are more tolerant than we think. We speak to her and former Ofcom Director Chris Banatvala about his concern with relaxing the rules.Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

As David Cameron concludes a trip to China in which the country's love of Downton Abbey has become clear, we discuss the opportunities for exporting British TV programmes. Eleanor Mills, editorial director of The Sunday Times, and new Chair of Women in Journalism, on the action that's needed to tackle what she believes is a macho culture on the news desks of some national newspapers.Why the commercial radio sector will be listening carefully to BBC Radio 2 next week as it features Gary Barlow during the day, before a concert in the evening.And the first edition of a newspaper designed to be largely made up of user-generated content has been published by Johnston Press. We discuss whether making groups and schools content producers will kill local Lincolnshire journalism. Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

The first of a new network of up to 30 local TV stations proposed by the government in areas including Belfast, Edinburgh, Cardiff and London, launched this week in Grimsby. Estuary TV will be available to 350,000 homes in East Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire. It's hoped other services will open over the next year. Steve Hewlett asks Lia Nici, Executive Producer at Estuary TV, about what's on offer and questions the Chair of the Local TV Network Nigel Dacre on whether the stations present viable business opportunities.Also in the programme, Ian Jones, the Chief Executive of the welsh language channel S4C, talks about the success of its new drama series 'Hinterland', and the importance of having a service despite falling numbers of welsh speakers. And freelance journalist Peter Jukes on how he is being crowdfunded to live tweet from the hacking trial.Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

In this week's Media Show from Salford, Steve speaks to the Scottish minister for culture Fiona Hyslop on her vision for broadcasting in an independent Scotland. It's been suggested that Scotland would have its own public service broadcaster based on the existing staff and assets of BBC Scotland, should it gain independence, so could this work? And Steve questions how the government could ensure people could get access to popular programmes, like Eastenders, should the BBC cease to exist in the country. It's been 18 months since the controversial BBC move to Salford was completed. A wide range of programmes including Match of the Day, Blue Peter, and BBC Sport are now produced there. However, questions have been raised about the cost of the move and the scale of the allowances paid to some staff to relocate. Steve talks to Peter Salmon, Director of BBC North, about whether the move has met it's key objectives to better serve audiences in the north, and improve the quality of content. And a young journalist from the developing world will be announced as the winner of a new award being sponsored by the Thomson Foundation. The finalists are all under 30, working in countries with a GDP per capital of less than $20,000. They are Judy Kosgei, a former childrens radio presenter from Kenya; investigative journalist Neha Dixit from India, and award-winning science writer Toyosi Ogunseye from Nigeria. Steve speaks to the winner about how the award will better their career in journalism. Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

BT TV's chief executive Marc Watson on his long term view for BT Sport, now it's won the rights to show Champions League football.President of Condé Nast International Nicholas Coleridge on the history, and the future, of magazines, as the trade body for the industry, the PPA, celebrates its centenary.And why small local commercial radio stations fear they won't survive the digital switchover.Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

The Sunday People, one of Britain's oldest Sunday newspapers, has finally developed an online presence. Under the stewardship of Trinity Mirror executive Sue Douglas, People.co.uk is being described as 'news without the boring bits'. Steve Hewlett asks Sue Douglas why she was so keen to take the helm of the digital offering, and discusses how she can turn a weekly newspaper into a 24 hour website.Meanwhile, the Independent newspaper has had yet another re-design. It's the fifth one in as many years. The red masthead brought in by then editor Chris Blackhurst in 2011 will now run vertically down the front page. It's the brain child of new editor Amol Rajan who says he wants to capture the essence of the paper's first editions from 1986. As he describes it, the style is, 'classic with a twist'. But can reverting back to a vintage style recapture a lost audience? The paper has a circulation of just 70,000. Steve talks to Chris Blackhurst, who is now the Group Content Editor of The Independent, i, The Independent on Sunday and Evening Standard, about whether a re-design is really the answers to the papers problems.Bidding is now underway for rights to cover Champions League football games. The question on analysts' lips is whether BT Sport will decide to go head to head against Sky Sports and try and win the right to cover these games. It comes as BT announces record broadband subscriber numbers, due in part to it offering it's sports channel free of charge. It's already paid £246m per season to broadcast 38 Premier League games, so will it seek to further challenge the dominance of Sky?Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

Newspaper publishers have lost a High Court battle to stop Government ministers going to the Privy Council to seek the Queen's approval for a new royal charter to regulate the press. We discuss what the next chapter in the story of press reform might be.Steve Hewlett visits the offices of JacksGap, where he meets Jack and Finn Harries, the brains and talent behind the new media phenomenon. Now with 3 million subscribers, he talks to the twins about the online community they've created, and asks what's next for the business.A new 4 part series called Bedlam on Channel 4 challenges the myths and taboos about mental illness, through access to the patients and staff of the South London and Maudsley - the world's oldest psychiatric institution. Dave Nath, series director, explains the challenges for the programme makers and how they worked with patients who lacked the capacity to consent.Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

Yesterday, the BBC DG Lord Hall was asked what the BBC was doing to improve programmes for black audiences - he said he wasn't satisfied the BBC appeals enough. Steve asks Pat Younge, the BBC's most senior black executive, how big a problem there is for black viewers. Journalist Bim Adewunmi and Simone Pennant of The TV Collective, a former TV producer, discuss whether the main channels need to change.A recent ruling in the European Court of Human Rights has given cause for concern to publishers of online comments. It suggests that publishers have editorial control over comments and should prevent clearly unlawful ones from appearing. The current practice is to take down comments once notified of a complaint, though the extent to which complaints are investigated first differs from one publisher to another. Law consultant David Banks looks at the laws and Justine Roberts, founder of Mumsnet, considers the implications.And Chris Tarrant is to retire from Who Wants To Be A Millionaire, 15 years after its launch. ITV confirms that it has no plans to make further special programmes, beyond those already in the pipeline. David Liddiment, who commissioned the show for ITV, looks back at the launch and why its initial success was far from guaranteed. Producer: Simon Tillotson Editor: Fiona Couper.

Steve Hewlett talks to Janice Hadlow, the controller of BBC Two and Four about losing The Great British Bake Off to BBC1 and her priorities for the channels. How can BBC2 and BBC4 be distinctive in a multi-channel world?Sir Ray Tindle joins Steve to explain how his local newspapers have remained profitable when many around him are losing money - and what he thinks of plans to regulate local news. Martin Moore, director of the Media Standards Trust, picks up on issues affecting local papers and discusses the findings of the MST's recent poll which appears to show support for the Royal Charter. Earlier today, The Sun published its poll appearing to show the opposite. Producer: Katy Takatsuki Editor: Andy Smith.

The Privy Council - an ancient body which advises the Queen, and mostly made up of senior politicians - has rejected press proposals for a royal charter. Alternative plans proposed by the government after cross-party talks will now be re-examined, with ministers saying they might consider some of the industry's ideas. Some publications, like the Guardian, say the differences between the two charters are bridgeable. Others, like The Spectator, say it amounts to a 'politicians charter' that they won't be signing up to. Steve Hewlett speaks to The Times editor John Witherow, one of the central characters in the debate, about what happens next, now the newspapers' proposals for regulation have been rejected.The BBC Director General Tony Hall has set out his big plans for the future of the BBC. They include the launch of a BBC One + 1 service, and a revamped, personalised iPlayer, offering a 30-day catch-up period. In his first major interview since his appointment in February, Steve Hewlett speaks to James Purnell - former Labour politician - now the BBC's Director of Strategy and Digital, about how the BBC's future vision can become a reality.Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

The Mail has been caught up in a storm of criticism over its Ralph Miliband stories and how it responded to Ed Miliband's demand to reply, but is there anything the current press regulator could do with complaints over cases like this? Would the situation differ under any of the systems being considered following the Leveson report? Is there a clear enough distinction between fact and opinion? That's to be discussed by Brian Cathcart, director of Hacked Off and Peter Preston, former editor of The Guardian. Following TV's digital switchover, an announcement's expected for the switchover of network radio from FM to digital. Culture minister Ed Vaizey's said we'll hear by the end of this year. Will a date be set? Ford Ennals, CEO of the Digital Radio UK, is in charge of making the change happen and is confident there'll be progress. Gillian Reynolds, the Telegraph's radio critic, is not convinced. And how concerned should TV networks be about the viewing figures for soaps? There's been a marked decline over the last ten years but figures appear to be stabilising at a lower level - in the case of Eastenders, occasionally lower than Emmerdale. Stephen Price, broadcast consultant, looks at the competition that's grown up since the soaps' heyday. David Liddiment, former executive producer of Coronation Street and Lisa Holdsworth, who wrote for Emmerdale, look at what, if anything, is going wrong.Presenter: Steve Hewlett Producer: Simon Tillotson Editor: Andy Smith.

The BBC has published its review of children's services at the corporation, revealing how viewing trends amongst youngsters is changing. It says children want more content online so they can access it from their mobile phones and tables. Steve Hewlett speaks to Helen Bullough, head of in-house production for CBBC about the challenges posed by creating apps and on-demand content for children. Also joining him is Greg Childs, who launched the first internet services for Children's BBC and is now Director of the Children's Media Foundation, and asks him why he thinks the BBC needs to do more to move children's entertainment from TV to online. A new season on Channel 4 starts next week which claims to examine how pornograph is affecting people's lives. One show, Sex Box, will feature couples having sex in a solid, sound-proofed box and then discussing their experience with a panel of experts. We talk to host Mariella Frostrup about why she decided to get involved, and what can be gained from a programme like this. And Ralph Lee, head of factual programmes at the channel, discusses whether programming like this fulfills a public service remit, or is simply a gimmick to attract a dwindling youth audience. The Radio Times celebrates its 90th birthday this week. Launched in a fit of pique in 1923, after an announcement from the Newpaper Proprietors' Association that it would be charging the BBC for publishing radio listings, it's since become one of the best known magazines of its kind. Steve Hewlett talks to its editor Ben Preston about how it's keeping pace by providing online guides, and keeping circulation going by brokering exclusives with big names like Naomi Campbell and Jamie Oliver. Producer: Katy Takatsuki

On today's programme, Steve Hewlett discusses the influence of media agencies on broadcast networks. It follows comments by Channel 5 owner Richard Desmond, who has hit out at the power of Sir Martin Sorrell's UK media buying operation, Group M - the biggest player in the market. Joining Steve is chairman of Walker Media, Phil Georgiadis, and John McVay of Pact, the producer's alliance for cinema and television. And Steve asks Martin Bowley, the former chief executive of Carlton Media Sales, how the balance of power has shifted in the media buying world in recent years.In the week that's seen Twitter announce its intention to float, we ask how the model might have to change when under the scrutiny of investors. Keen tweeter and technology and digital media correspondent at the Telegraph Emma Barnett discusses how its coming-of-age may mark the start of some fundemental changes for the social networking site. And NPR media correspondent David Folkenflik talks about it's impact on global news. And we look at the language used by newspapers and TV reporters alike; 'journalese'. Robert Hutton, UK political correspondent for Bloomberg News has written a book, 'Romps, Tots and Boffins - The Strange Language of News'. He joins Steve to discuss his favourite examples. Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

In a week where the future of the BBC Trust has been called into question, we ask what alternative structures of governance might look like? BBC Trustee Richard Ayre joins Steve Hewlett to defend the Trust's performance, and a panel including former BBC and OFCOM executive Tim Suter, and former trustee and Newsnight editor Professor Richard Tait, discuss what a new governing body might look like and whether it would do a better job. And, a new report says earnings for top TV writers have risen by more than 30 per cent in the last 5 years. We ask what impact this has on commissioning budgets, and find out how a reliance on one or two star writers is making it harder to export programmes to the US.Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

As a report from the National Audit Office today concludes that severance pay at the BBC provided poor value for money and put public trust at risk, we ask what measures are being put in place to restore confidence.With just over a year to go before Scotland votes on independence, Steve Hewlett discusses how papers and broadcasters will decide agendas, stimulate interest on both sides of the border, and in the BBC's case, ensure impartiality.And following the death of Sir David Frost, we ask whether his interview style would work today, in an age of spin, 24 hour news coverage and news pools. Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

The BBC's director general has said he would like to see more women hosting or co-hosting breakfast shows on the corporation's English local radio stations. He has set a new target of 50 per cent by the end of 2014; currently, just 2 breakfast programmes out of 41 have sole female presenters. Steve Hewlett speaks to the BBC's creative director Alan Yentob about the decision and asks former managing editor of BBC local radio John Ryan about the practicalities of getting more women on air. Also joining him in the discussion is media and communications consultant Lisa Kerr who considers whether quotas are the best way to achieve this. Also on today's programme; as the Co-op supermarket prepares to pull a number of lads' mags from its shelves, we ask the launch editor of Front magazine what this might mean for an already struggling magazine sector. And Stewart Purvis will be in the studio discussing his new book, which examines the lengths reporters on the front line of war and famine go to in order to get a story. Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

As the story over the detention of David Miranda continues to unfold, Steve Hewlett gets the latest from the editor of the Guardian, Alan Rusbridger, and discusses how the Guardian, and other publications, have covered the story. In the year of its centenary, we ask the editor of the New Statesman how it's adapting in the digital world. And, as the International Herald Tribune embarks on a rebranding, we ask, what's really in a name change?Producer: Katy Takatsuki.

In this week's programme, Steve Hewlett talks to Nick Pollard, whose review into the BBC has led, amongst other things, to the appointment of James Harding to BBC News. In his first interview since it was published in December last year, Steve asks him about his findings, the culture at the BBC and what improvements James Harding could bring to the newsroom now he's joined the corporation. Media writer Maggie Brown outlines who James Harding is, and offers her thougts on the challenges he faces, and former BBC executive Phil Harding gives us the inside track on what life as a BBC editor is like. Producer: Katy Takatsuki Editor:Andrew Smith.

The government's media plurality review, the front line in the battle for press freedom in Turkey, and the latest twist in the Leveson saga. Presenter; Steve Hewlett Producer: Beverley Purcell Editor:Andrew SmithGUEST; Chris Blackhurst GUEST; David Elstein GUEST; Des Freedman GUEST; Emri Kizilkaya.

David Dinsmore the Editor of The Sun talks to Steve Hewlett about the launch of Sun+. BT Vision's Chief Executive Marc Watson on BT Sport; Will it really be a "game changer"? And how can Twitter prevent online trolling against women.Presenter; Steve Hewlett. Producer; Beverley PurcellGUEST; David Dinsmore. GUEST; Marc Watson GUEST; Emily Bell.

With the full coverage so far, spare a thought for those working on Sunday papers and on rolling news who have to come up with fresh ways of covering the royal baby story. Eleanor Mills, editorial director of the Sunday Times, Jonathan Levy, head of newsgathering at Sky news and Kevin Maguire of the (seven days a week) Mirror share their experiences and their plans for pacing the story over the coming days and weeks.Channel 5 has overtaken Channel 4's weekly share of viewing for the first time in its history. Is this a blip or a symptom of an underlying issue for Channel 4? Mark Sweney, of the Guardian, gives his view.And how practical might it be to impose the kind of effective filters on internet porn that David Cameron has announced this week? Dr Paul Bernal, lecturer in IT and law at the University of East Anglia talks through some of the issues, joined by Eleanor Mills, who has long campaigned to protect children from online pornography.Presenter: Steve Hewlett Producer: Simon Tillotson Editor: Andy Smith.

Mishal Husain is to join the Today programme as presenter. The BBC's head of news programmes, Ceri Thomas and the Observer's Miranda Sawyer, also of Sound Women, discuss the significance and whether we can expect announcements of further changes. Meanwhile, David Penn, MD of research company Conquest, looks at whether the BBC has regained trust that was lost over the Savile revelations.Ofcom's considering complaints that ITV, C4 and the BBC were wrong to broadcast interviews with radical Islamist cleric Anjem Choudary following the killing of Drummer Lee Rigby in Woolwich. Former Ofcom partner for content and standards, Stewart Purvis, looks at whether the broadcasters can justify their decision.Until last month, Chris Blackhurst was editor of The Independent. He now has the role of group content director for that paper as well as the Independent on Sunday, the i and London Evening Standard. What's the future for the papers, with falling circulation and increased cover price for the Independent while the free Standard and 20p i appear to thrive?Presenter: Steve Hewlett Producer: Simon Tillotson Editor: Ruth Gardiner.

This afternoon, the BBC's Chairman and Director General are before the MPs on the Public Accounts Committee. Lord Patten and Lord Hall are answering questions about the size of compensation payments made to senior executives who left the BBC in the last few years, some of them greater than contractually allowed. Tara Conlan reports from the hearing - she is a long term BBC watcher in her role at the Guardian. One of the questions raised by the National Audit Office report into the payments relates to the BBC Trust and whether it can adequately supervise or inspect the BBC board decisions. Tim Suter, a founding partner of Ofcom and Claire Enders of Enders Analysis discuss what changes need to be made to the way the BBC is governed, if any, in the interests of licence payers.Brian Cathcart is a founder of the Hacked Off campaign. He responds to the announcement this week of plans for a replacement to the Press Complaints Commission, proposed by the industry. These plans are linked to the so-called Rival Royal Charter which the industry has put forward and is being considered by the Privy Council today.And what impact might the secret recording of his meeting at The Sun have on Rupert Murdoch? The Commons Media Select Committee has invited him to return to explain his comments, which relate to a range of controversial subjects including the extent to which Fleet Street paid police for information. Claire Enders and Brian Cathcart are joined by Peter Preston, former Guardian editor.Presenter: Steve Hewlett Producer: Simon TillotsonEditor: Andy Smith.

The BBC Trust came in for strong criticism this week in a National Audit Office report on severance payments for senior BBC managers. Following this, Public Accounts Committee chairman Margaret Hodge MP said "There are real issues for the Trust - what are they there for but to protect licence-fee payers interests?" She added the Digital Media Initiative project, recently shut down at a cost of £100m, as another case where the governance structure appeared not to be working properly. Steve puts the case for reform to BBC Trustee David Liddiment.Channel 4 is to broadcast a film of a murder trial next week, the first UK case to be shown in almost 20 years. It comes as the government confirms that Appeal Court hearings may be televised from October, subject to restrictions. The director of C4's "The Murder Trial", Nick Holt, discusses the programme and the issues with Simon Bucks, associate editor, Sky News and Frances Gibb, legal correspondent of The Times. The programme will be shown on C4 on 9th July at 9pm.And Nick Robinson, BBC political editor, updates Steve on developments in the press regulation process. This follows confirmation that the industry's alternative Royal Charter will be considered next week by the Privy Council, some three months before the possible date for considering the charter approved by Parliament.Presenter: Steve Hewlett Producer: Simon Tillotson Editor: Andy Smith.

Andrew Knight, chairman of Times Newspapers, on this week's split of NewsCorp into separate entertainment and publishing arms; Henry Porter of The Observer and Stephen Glover of The Mail discuss whether rival news media under-reported the Guardian's spying scoops; Lisa Campbell, editor of Broadcast, on Charlotte Moore who today takes over at BBC1.Presenter: Steve Hewlett Producer: Simon Tillotson Editor: Andy Smith.

C4's Jon Snow was one of the few foreign reporters in Tehran for the recent election and the only UK broadcaster. What conditions was he working under, how did he handle the Iranian authorities and what keeps drawing him back to the country?The Guardian's PRISM story has given it a boost in the USA, which reportedly already provides a third of the traffic to its website. Has this increased the viability of its free digital news strategy? Prof Emily Bell of Columbia University is the former director of digital at the Guardian and now on the Scott Trust board and she joins Steve from New York while, in London, Douglas McCabe of Enders Analysis gives his opinion. Also, as NewsCorp splits into 21st Century Fox and a smaller NewsCorp, what is the future of Rupert Murdoch's printed newspapers in the UK?And how does the BBC respond to claims that the TV licence fee is anachronistic and increasingly avoided by people only watching catch up? Do the figures back that up and how would enforcement work if more people claim they don't need a licence yet watch online or on mobiles? Steve puts this to John Tate, the BBC's director of policy and strategy.Presenter: Steve Hewlett Producer: Simon Tillotson Editor: Andy Smith.

In today's programme with Emma Barnett:We hear from Greece about the sudden closure of the public service broadcaster, ERT, which was taken off air last night. Anita Paschalinou speaks to Emma from her desk in the newsroom where, as editor on duty, she is trying to keep the ERT news website going; from Switzerland, Ingrid Deltenre, director general of the European Broadcasting Union, relays the talks she's been having to try to get ERT back on air; and, in Athens, freelance journalist Maria Kagkelidou explains the role ERT has in Greece and gives an update on changes during the day.Margaret Hodge MP, chair of the Public Accounts Committee, is looking into the BBC's loss of £100m over a technology project - she explains why she wants the BBC's former DG Mark Thompson to return to the UK to answer questions. George Bevir, technology editor at Broadcast magazine, first explains what the DMI project was meant to achieve.And music industry analyst Mark Mulligan takes a look at Apple's new iTunes Radio and suggests it could challenge commercial radio in the UK; Tony Moorey, Absolute Radio's director of content, responds. Presenter: Emma Barnett Producer: Simon TillotsonEditor: Andy SmithSteve Hewlett returns to the programme next week.

UKIP leader Nigel Farage says he expects to be included in leader debates at the 2015 general election and may go to court if needed. Behind the scenes, broadcasters are exploring ways of staging debates both in 2015 and potentially next year before the Euro elections. So what might happen? Do all the leaders want to take part? Who has a veto? Isabel Oakeshott, political editor of the Sunday Times and Stewart Purvis, former ITN editor in chief and OFCOM partner, discuss. Netflix has attracted publicity with its strategy of commissioning new programmes and releasing them all at once, like an online boxed set. Last week, it was the US sitcom Arrested Development and before that a remake of House of Cards. Is the new programme strategy paying off? Joris Evers, from Netflix, joins Steve from California while, in the studio, Paul Lee looks at the bigger picture for on demand services and rivalry with TV and DVDs. Paul is director of TMT research at Deloitte (tech, media and telecoms). And why regeneration in Dr Who is such effective marketing - that's with Lorraine Heggessey who, as controller of BBC1, brought the programme back with Russell T Davies after its long break.Presenter: Steve HewlettProducer: Simon TillotsonEditor: Andy Smith.

How the media covered the Woolwich attack with Fran Unsworth Acting Director BBC News Group, Peter Preston a columnist on the Guardian and Observer and documentary maker Peter Taylor and long time reporter on terrorism. As News Corp prepares to split in the business into two - we look at how it's being rebranded and what it'll mean for the business in the future with Andrew Neil former Editor of The Sunday Times and branding expert Allyson Stewart-Allen. And as Peter Bennett-Jones prepares to stand down as Chair of Trustees at Comic Relief he talks to Steve Hewlett about what it's really like doing something funny for money. Presenter Steve Hewlett Producer: Beverley Purcell.