The Media Show

Have TV's Red Button and HD channels struck gold at the Olympics? Plus where are we with DAB and the digital radio switchover. Presenter Steve Hewlett Producer Beverley Purcell.

ITV's Chief Executive talks to Steve Hewlett about the company's latest results and what the future holds for Britain's biggest free to air commercial broadcaster. Plus what impact is new media - particularly Twitter having on the Olympics? Producer Beverley Purcell.

Will a digital first strategy mean the end for some newspapers. Lord Leveson begins writing his report - what will it mean for the future of the press ? We road test the TV of the future - Super Hi-Vision. And as one Olympic sponsor prepares to make its first move into funding a TV music programme broadcast during the games - we ask is ad-funded programming the way forward.Presenter: Anne McElvoy Producer: Beverley PurcellSuper Hi-Vision screenings are taking place in London, Bradford and Glasgow until 12 August:http://www.bbc.co.uk/showsandtours/events/ http://www.nationalmediamuseum.org.uk/Events/OlympicGamesLondon2012SuperHiVision.aspx.

This week with Steve Hewlett: MPs have been grilling the BBC over the way it contracts its presenters, leading to allegations such as that on the front of the Daily Mail this week: "148 BBC stars avoiding tax". Conservative MP Steve Barclay was one of those questioning the BBC and he tells Steve where his concerns lie. Bal Samra, the BBC's director of business affairs, responds. And, in a week when the BBC and its commercial arm BBC Worldwide have published their reports, analyst Theresa Wise asks whether Worldwide could be doing more to contribute to the BBC's income for the benefit of licence fee payers.The British Olympic Association has had to reject thousands of applications for press passes. One of those surprised to find themselves among the reject pile was The Voice, "Britain's favourite black newspaper", which believed it had assurances from Seb Coe that it would be allowed in to cover the events. Now, after some lobbying and a pass becoming available today, it has a permit to cover track and field. Elizabeth Pears of The Voice tells the story and Ashling O'Connor, who helped distribute the passes, explains how they decided who to include in the shortlist.And Yahoo has a new chief executive, Marissa Mayer, straight from Google. Can she help turn the company around? Theresa Wise and the Guardian's technology editor Charles Arthur discuss her prospects.The producer is Simon Tillotson.

In today's programme with Steve Hewlett: Radio 1 controller Ben Cooper on plans after Chris Moyles, who's announced today he's standing down in September. How far does this help Radio 1 reach the younger audience it needs to attract? A year after its final edition, former News of the World deputy editor Neil Wallis gives his views on the impact of the closure and the subsequent Leveson Inquiry on journalism in the UK.And YouView's chief executive Richard Halton explains what he believes the service will offer once available in the shop. Steve asks Emma Barnett, the Telegraph's digital media editor, if YouView will really be as revolutionary as claimed.The producer is Simon Tillotson.

In today's programme with Steve Hewlett: Jeremy Hunt MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, gives his first interview since appearing at the Leveson Inquiry; Maggie Brown of the Guardian and Mathew Horsman of analysts Mediatique discuss the prospects for new BBC DG George Entwistle; and Ben Fenton of the FT comments on a new twist in Operation Elveden, the police investigation into allegations of corrupt payments to public officials.The producer is Simon Tillotson.

On today's programme with Steve Hewlett: How well did the BBC cover the Arab Spring? The BBC Trust commissioned a report from Middle East expert and former UN director of communications Edward Mortimer who found much to praise but also had some constructive criticism, detecting the absence of a central strategic brain overseeing the coverage. He explains what he thought the BBC could have done better and Stephen Mitchell, BBC deputy director of news, responds.With the news this week of plans to split the NewsCorp business into entertainment and publishing companies, what's the view of the UK papers from NewsCorp's home in New York? Sarah Ellison's been following the Murdoch family interests since her time at the Wall Street Journal and extensively since with Vanity Fair and gives her reaction to the latest developments.And the rights to show the 2016 Olympics are up for auction this week, with sealed bids being opened on Friday. The IOC president Jacques Rogge has said "anything is possible" with the rights, raising the possibility that they will not be shown to their fullest extent on free to air tv. The Guardian's Olympics editor, Owen Gibson, reports from the Olympic Park. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

On today's programme with Steve Hewlett:Why was BT prepared to pay so much for the rights to show Premiership football? Marc Watson is chief executive of BT Vision and he explains the strategy, while analyst Mathew Horsman of Mediatique looks at the implications for consumers and for rivals BSkyB.The Leveson Inquiry has raised concerns over a story in the Mail on Sunday this weekend which alleged Lord Justice Leveson threatened to quit over comments from Michael Gove - a claim he strongly denies. Anne McElvoy of The Economist and Professor Brian Cathcart from the Hacked Off campaign discuss whether the inquiry really does have the "chilling effect" on the media which some claim and whether the inquiry's response to the Mail on Sunday's story is proportionate. And Steve talks to Mark Damazer of St Peter's College, Oxford, about the variety of voices on the BBC. A report from Ofcom this week said there's a potential risk that people who consume the BBC's services don't get a wide enough range of voices and suggests the BBC Trust should monitor this. Mark Damazer is a former controller of Radio 4. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

In this week's programme with Steve Hewlett: As the situation in Syria deteriorates, the BBC's Paul Wood and CBS's Clarissa Ward discuss the risks of reporting undercover from the conflict zone. Both received the David Bloom prize this weekend at the annual Radio Television Correspondents' Association awards in Washington for their reporting in Syria. Have attitudes towards foreign journalists changed to the extent that some suggest where, to attract media attention, activists appear to have set journalists up to be shot by the government forces? Two months after its relaunch from Salford, former BBC Director General Greg Dyke gives his view on BBC Breakfast. What impact might last week's Jubilee pageant coverage have on the prospects of some of the candidates to replace Mark Thompson?And how straightforward would it really be to control media ownership in the way floated this week at the Leveson inquiry? Labour leader Ed Miliband said yesterday that he didn't believe one person should control 34% of the newspaper market, but how much influence is too much could anyone agree on the best way to measure it? Former Ofcom partner Stewart Purvis and media analyst Claire Enders discuss this.The producer is Simon Tillotson.

At its peak the BBC attracted almost 17 million viewers for its Diamond Jubilee coverage but some have described parts of it as 'lamentable,' 'tedious' and 'inane'. Alan Yentob the BBC's Creative Director responds to those criticisms. Ian Hyland TV critic for the Mail on Sunday shares his view, and Michael Lumley an executive producer for the coverage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer's wedding, reveals some of the challenges inherent in covering such large scale events on TV.YouView is officially in launch phase. The internet television service - backed by the BBC, Channel 4, 5 and BT, amongst others - promised a new way of watching TV. But have a serious of delays left it trailing its competitors. BBC Media Correspondent Torin Douglas outlines the history and Theresa Wise of Accenture considers its future. And the battle to become the next Director General of the BBC is gathering pace. One candidate in particular - Ed Richards - is attracting attention because of his links to the Labour Party. Anne McElvoy speaks to The Guardian's Dan Sabbagh. Presenter: Anne McElvoy Producer: Joe Kent.

In today's programme with Steve Hewlett:The editors of the Mirror and Sunday Mirror lost their jobs this morning, ahead of the papers' move to a seven day operation. Ben Fenton of the Financial Times looks looks at why Trinity Mirror has made this decision and why now.Former Paralympic swimmer Giles Long tells Steve how he came up with the new graphics for Channel 4's Paralympics coverage, which aim to demystify the system for classifying athletes.Yesterday the CPS explained why it would not prosecute Guardian journalist Amelia Hill over allegations her stories about the phone hacking investigation came from confidential police sources. Lawyer Susan Aslan of Aslan Charles Kousetta LLP talks through the implications of that decision for working journalists.And Mary Ann Sieghart of The Independent and former Guardian editor Peter Preston discuss Tony Blair's appearance at the Leveson Inquiry this week. Can news and comment be separated in the way he suggested and, if it can, should it be?The producer is Simon Tillotson.

On The Media Show with Steve Hewlett:The organisers of the Eurovision song contest have been criticised by human rights campaigners for allowing the event to be held in Azerbaijan, despite concerns about lack of press freedom. The director general of the European Broadcasting Union, Ingrid Deltenre, defends the EBU against these criticisms and explains what it is doing to support public service broadcasting.Tessa Jowell MP has been giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry this week. She tells Steve how she felt when she was first told her phone had been hacked - and why she accepted the claim at the time that this was the work of one rogue reporter. And David Elstein and Claire Enders discuss today's announcement that Sky faces no action over its strong position in the TV film market, despite the complaints of rivals. They also look ahead to tomorrow's Leveson evidence from Adam Smith, the special adviser to media secretary of state Jeremy Hunt.The producer is Simon Tillotson.

Channel 4's chief executive David Abraham discusses the channel's ratings and revenues. Does the channel still need to find a replacement for Big Brother, does it need horse racing and how does the pay of C4's chief executive compare to that of the next BBC director general? Tim Bradshaw, digital media correspondent of the Financial Times, discusses the potential pitfalls of the Facebook IPO on Friday.And Lorraine Heggessey and Colin Robertson discuss what, if anything, needs to be done to turn around The Voice after its ratings slide. Lorraine Heggessey is former controller of BBC1 and chief executive of Talkback Thames which makes The Voice's rivals X Factor and Britain's Got Talent, while Colin Robertson is the TV editor of the Sun.The producer is Simon Tillotson.

BSkyB chief executive Jeremy Darroch gives Steve Hewlett a rare interview on his strategy for Sky, including investment in programmes and importance of Premiership football rights - and addresses some of the stories surrounding Sky including its relationship with Rupert Murdoch and rivalry with the BBC. For further context, there was a discussion of BSkyB's recent strong financial report in last week's programme.Film director Michael Apted has been closely connected to the "Up" series on ITV since working on World in Action's "7 Up" in 1964. From Los Angeles, he tells Steve and the Guardian media writer Maggie Brown what he has learnt in the making of "56 Up" which is being shown next Monday - and why it would be much harder to attempt this kind of documentary series today. And Maggie Brown and Steve discuss what politicians might expect from the evidence of Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson at the Leveson Inquiry tomorrow and on Friday.The producer is Simon Tillotson.

In today's programme with Steve Hewlett:Just a day after MPs say Rupert Murdoch is not fit to run a major international company, satellite broadcaster BSkyB posts big profits. It won't have escaped NewsCorp's attention that, if all had gone according to plan last summer, it would now own all of BSkyB and would now have all those profits to itself. In the current political climate, what are the prospects of NewsCorp launching a new bid for the 61% it does not already own? Mathew Horsman of Medatique and Theresa Wise discuss the future of BSkyB and whether NewsCorp will sell if buying all the shares becomes too problematic.Ashley Highfield is the chief executive of Johnston Press and tells Steve how he sees local paper surviving in the digital age. Later this month, some of Johnston's long-standing daily papers are going weekly.And Mihir Bose looks at the treatment the new England manager Roy Hodgson can expect from some newspapers simply because he is not the papers' favourite, Harry Redknapp.The producer is Simon Tillotson.

Steve Hewlett canvasses reaction to today's evidence from Rupert Murdoch with Ben Fenton of the Financial Times and Sarah Ellison, formerly of the Wall Street Journal and now contributing editor of Vanity Fair. Steve traces the rise of the Murdochs - and politicians' interest in them - from Margaret Thatcher onwards, with former cabinet member Lord Fowler, former Guardian editor Peter Preston and Claire Enders of Enders Analysis. Moving on to the BSkyB takeover that dominated yesterday's coverage of James Murdoch's evidence, the panel are joined by Steward Purvis, formerly of OFCOM. Are the controls on media ownership, which the Murdochs have challenged over the decades, as relevant now as they were before the rise of the internet? Should politicians be taken out of decisions about media ownership? The producer is Simon Tillotson.

Steve Hewlett questions Keir Starmer DPP on his new public interest defence guidelines. How much reassurance can journalists draw from them in their day to day work. Do they make it more or less likely that a jury would support investigative journalists even if they break the law?How significant are this week's changes at the Johnston Press papers and the closure of Manchester's Channel M tv station? Some of the Johnston papers are going from daily to weekly and Channel M stopped work this week. Prof Tim Luckhurst is a former editor of the Johnston Press's paper The Scotsman and Ruth Spratt is former MD of Channel M and the Manchester Evening News and they discuss whether these are milestones on the way to a more secure future for local news - or not.The Times leader on Monday called for this weekend's Formula 1 race in Bahrain to be cancelled. Ed Gorman, the paper's deputy news editor and former F1 correspondent looks at the PR drive behind the event and at calls on the media to boycott coverage.And how does Simon Cowell come out of this week's serialisation of Tom Bower's unauthorised biography? Celebrity agent Jonathan Shalit gives his view. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

Paul Staines ("Guido Fawkes") has been praised and criticised for publishing the leaked Motorman files relating to News International this week. These files appear to show the names of journalists who asked private investigator Steve Whittamore for information on hundreds of people, most of them not public names, along with the names of those people. Qualified praise comes from campaigners such as Hacked Off who say the files should be published but with the names of the public concealed, while unqualified criticism comes from the Information Commissioner Christopher Graham. Steve Hewlett talks to all three - Staines, Graham and Hacked Off's Brian Cathcart.Facebook's to buy photo sharing programme Instagram for $1billion. a little more than a year since it started up. The Telegraph's Emma Barnett looks at the reaction and at what the next steps will be.The BBC Trust has just published the job specification for the next Director General which, among other details, says that editorial background and commercial acumen would be "nice to have" but not "must have". Former BBC trustee and news editor Professor Richard Tait asks what kind of candidate the headhunters are looking for.The producer is Simon Tillotson.

How much will BSkyB and Sky News miss James Murdoch after his resignation yesterday and what is the bigger picture for the Murdoch family's NewsCorp? Are the interests of the family and the shareholders diverging? That's the discussion between media analyst Mathew Horsman of Mediatique, US National Public Radio media correspondent David Folkenflik and former Guardian editor Peter Preston.The Leveson Inquiry reaches the end of its second stage today, focussing on whether the relationship between the press and police acts in the public interest. It comes after concerns that some former Met Police officers became too close to staff at the News of the World. Sean O'Neill of The Times and Anne Pickles of The Cumberland News discuss how working relations with police have changed since the News of the World closed last July. Peter Preston looks ahead the next stage of the Leveson Inquiry later this month, when news proprietors and politicians will be cross examined.And what is riding on the success of Britain's Got Talent and The Voice? Should Simon Cowell be concerned if The Voice becomes the most talked about singing talent show while The X Factor is off air? Colin Robertson, The Sun's TV editor, gives his views.The producer is Simon Tillotson.

Almost a year after the furore over superinjunctions, there is a joint Lords and Commons report on what should be done to safeguard privacy. Among the recommendations is a call for search engines such as Google to do more to limit potential breach of court orders, with legislation to back that up if needed. Max Mosley has been calling for tighter control and he discusses this with John Kampfner, the outgoing director of Index on Censorship. John Whittingdale MP chaired the committee behind the report and Steve questions him over the findings on privacy and press regulation.BBC Panorama has been reporting on claims that a NewsCorp business, NDS, hacked into rivals' software in the pay-TV business in the UK and Italy and the front page story in the Financial Times today widens this to Australia. NDS denies any wrongdoing. Stewart Purvis, formerly of ITN and Ofcom, gives his view of where, if anywhere, the story is going.And there's a legal threat to The Only Way is Essex, ITV's "dramality" show, from the people behind a pilot programme, Totally Essex, which they say TOWIE's makers lifted from them. TOWIE's producers, Lime Pictures, say it's entirely their own work. Lawyer Rebecca Swindells outlines the issues when trying to protect any rights in a TV format. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

The Controller of BBC 1, Danny Cohen speaks to Steve Hewlett about The Voice UK. As headhunters draw up the job spec for the Director General vacancy, what issues can the next DG expect to face? The Times has won a libel ruling from the Supreme Court, what are the ramifications for the press generally? And we hear from editors at this years Press Awards.The producer is Simon Tillotson.

The Voice launches on BBC1 next week, a few weeks ahead of the usual launch date of ITV's Britain's Got Talent. This year, though, BGT's been brought forward and the two programmes will clash. Neil Midgley has been looking into how this happened and what's at stake for the broadcasters.James Murdoch's written to the Commons committee investigating phone hacking at the News of the World, reasserting that he has not misled Parliament while sharing responsibility for not uncovering wrongdoing earlier. Why has he written this now, without being asked and what hangs on the committee's delayed report? Channel 4's political editor Gary Gibbon and Guardian media editor Dan Sabbagh discuss.Lord Hunt is the chair of the Press Complaints Commission which, he announced last week, is closing down to reform. He says he has the encouragement of Lord Leveson to develop a new model for self regulation - which Lord Leveson has clarified is not the same as endorsement. Lord Hunt tells Steve how he thinks a new PCC could work.And Emma Barnett, the Telegraph's digital media editor, looks at Mashable, the technology and social media news site which CNN is said to be thinking of buying for $200 million, just a few years after a Scottish teenager started it up in his bedroom in Aberdeen.The producer is Simon Tillotson.

This week Dame Elizabeth Filkin's been telling the Leveson Inquiry about claims of improper relations between police and the press, including suggestions that some senior officers exchanged information to keep their private lives out of the papers. What impact could her recent report on police/press relations have on this and, based on what we've heard from the Inquiry this week, does she see senior officers as a greater problem than the junior ones? Lord Birt was BBC Director General from 1992 to 2000. As the search continues for a successor to the current DG, Mark Thompson, what qualities does he think the candidates need and what are the main problems that she or he will face? You can hear Greg Dyke's thoughts on this on The Media Show on 1st February.And, following this programme's coverage of the debate about women on TV, what are the prospects for the latest campaign? Broadcast magazine's calling for women to make up at least 30% of the experts used on news programmes and, so far, Sky News and Channel 4 News have pledged their support. The BBC's head of diversity, Amanda Rice, discusses this with Broadcast's editor Lisa Campbell.

As James Murdoch steps down from News International to expand the international TV side of the business and as the police claim there was a "culture of illegal payments" at the Sun, what next for the Sun and the newborn Sun on Sunday? Ben Fenton, media correspondent of the Financial Times and Sarah Ellison of Vanity Fair discuss the latest news and what this means for News Corp. They are joined by Nick Davies who has just won the Paul Foot Award for campaigning journalism for his breaking stories on phone hacking.Last autumn the BBC invited radio executive John Myers to review the planned changes to local radio which, broadly, would cut output rather than management. He tells Steve why it should be the other way round.Media analyst Theresa Wise looks at ITV's figures, out today. The broadcaster wants to move away from its reliance on advertising to pay for programmes. What signs are there that this is happening? The producer is Simon Tillotson.

John Witherow, editor of the Sunday Times and Lindsey Hilsum, Channel 4 News international editor, talk about the renowned war correspondent Marie Colvin who was killed this morning in Syria. The Sun on Sunday is to launch this weekend. Sun associate editor Trevor Kavanagh, media commentator Roy Greenslade and analyst Claire Enders discuss its prospects and its impact on the newspaper market.And, following last week's discussion on women in the media, Rowan Atkinson contacted the programme to question whether anti-discrimination laws had any place in the creative industries. Lorraine Heggessey has been invited back to see how far she supports his view. The full text of his email is on The Media Show's web page.The producer is Simon Tillotson.

Following the arrests of more journalists at the Sun over the weekend, Geoffrey Robertson QC explains why handing over the details of journalists' e-mails to the police may violate a moral and legal duty to protect sources.After more journalists at the Sun were arrested over the weekend, the Sun's associate editor Trevor Kavanagh accused police of a "witch-hunt". But has the police investigation gone too far? Prof Brian Cathcart and Peter Preston discuss the latest developments. Last week the BBC's director general Mark Thompson admitted that there aren't enough older women on television and radio. But is anything being done to address the problem? Former controller of BBC 1 Lorraine Heggessey and journalist and broadcaster Joan Smith discuss women on screen. Following the news of the death of veteran Royal correspondent James Whitaker, we hear from Ingrid Seward of Majesty Magazine and photographer Arthur Edwards who both knew and worked with him. The producer is Olivia Skinner.

When Facebook filed for an initial public offering last week, there were suggestions it could be valued at around $100 billion. Since then, more questions have been raised about the challenges it faces in justifying that value. Olivia Solon, associate editor at Wired magazine and James Ball, data journalist at the Guardian, discuss the prospects.The BBC was thrust into Scottish politics at the weekend, when it was reported that it cancelled an invitation to First Minister Alex Salmond to take part in coverage of the Calcutta Cup rugby match at Murrayfield. The BBC adviser who vetoed the appearance, Ric Bailey, responds to claims he was bowing to political pressure. Broadcaster Lesley Riddoch and former BBC editor Phil Harding discuss why the BBC could face further problems when covering Scottish politics, ahead of a possible referendum on independence.And, as many of the victims of phone hacking settle their claims today, Duncan Lamont of Charles Russell solicitors explains what impact this could have on the several investigations into what went wrong at the News of the World.

Last week the Chairman of the BBC Trust, Lord Patten, announced he's started looking for a successor for the current Director General, Mark Thompson. The following day Thompson reportedly confirmed he'll step down after the Olympics. Is he going voluntarily or is he being pushed? And what qualities will his replacement need to have? Steve discusses BBC Director General succession with former DG Greg Dyke.The Sunday Times magazine is celebrating its 50th anniversary this weekend. Steve looks back on half a century of iconic photojournalism with the current editor Sarah Baxter and photographers Stuart Franklin and Chris Floyd.Lord Hunt of Wirral, the new chairman of the Press Complaint Commission, took the stand at the Leveson Inquiry on Tuesday. He used the opportunity to set out his plans for a reformed 'PCC 2'. But are they any good, and will they satisfy victims of press misbehaviour? Charlotte Harris is a lawyer who's represented several victims of phone hacking and had her phone hacked herself. She joins Steve and Media Editor at The Guardian, Dan Sabbagh, to discuss Lord Hunt's proposals. And in a week which has seen four people from The Sun arrested as part of an ongoing police investigation into corruption, Dan stays on to discuss the prospects for the launch of a Sun on Sunday. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

Last Autumn BBC management proposed a wide-ranging series of cuts which would see the Corporation's local radio services cut by 20%. As the BBC Trust prepares to publish the results of its consultation on the plan, Steve talks to Lord Patten, Chair of the Trust. Will the cuts go ahead? And if not, what can the BBC do instead to make the savings?Plus, Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture, Communications and Creative Industries, on the Government's plans for the communications sector, to be laid out for consultation early this year. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

Steve Hewlett talks to James Harding, editor of The Times and Alan Rusbridger, editor of The Guardian. Harding reflects on his evidence to the Leveson inquiry this week, Rusbridger on the falling sales which have forced The Guardian to reduce "pagination." Supplements have been folded into the paper and the sport has returned to the back page instead of being in a separate mini-paper. We also hear why Associated Press has opened up a bureau in North Korea and we discuss the growing controversy over intellectual property on the internet. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

Steve Hewlett presents a topical programme about the fast-changing media world including, today, Netflix and the future of TV. Netflix, the video streaming service which enables customers to watch films and selected TV programmes over the internet, launched in the UK on Monday. Reed Hastings, the company's founder, claims that 'on demand' services like Netflix represent the future of TV. For the past 70 years or so, TV viewing habits have been dominated by schedules set by TV networks. With the rise of catchup and on demand services like the BBC iPlayer, ITV Player and Channel 4's 4OD, viewers have been able to take more control over what they watch and when they watch it. So is Netflix really the beginning of the end for traditional TV? Or will it struggle to make an impact in the UK market, where several catchup and on demand services are already well established? Reed Hastings makes his case to Steve, who discusses the issues with Tess Alps from the TV marketing organisation Thinkbox and Geoff Slaughter from comparison website SimplifyDigital. Steve is also joined by broadcast consultant Stephen Price for an overview of the last year's viewing figures. Who's going up, who's going down and what does that tell us about longer term viewing trends? The Leveson Inquiry into the culture, ethics and practices of the press has resumed after the Christmas break. This week it's been the turn of the newspaper editors to have their say, from Dominic Mohan of The Sun to Lionel Barber of the Financial Times.The Financial Times' chief media correspondent Ben Fenton has been following developments. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

The Daily Mail carries the Stephen Lawrence case over 21 pages today, a mark of the significance the story had for the paper and, according to many including the Mail, the significance the paper had to the story. Brian Cathcart has been following the Lawrence case from the start and written on it extensively and, through Hacked Off, is a campaigner for media reform. When the media are under such scrutiny in the Leveson inquiry, could awareness of the Mail's long campaign be ideally timed, showing the difference newspapers can make when they break the rules? Meanwhile, a report by Dame Elizabeth Filkin into the Metropolitan police and the media has warned officers over links with journalists. Sean O'Neill is the Crime Editor for The Times, and as such he deals with the police on a day-to-day basis. What will Filkin's recommendations mean for his work? Rupert Murdoch joined Twitter on New Year's Eve, closely followed by somebody claiming to be his wife, Wendi Deng. Both accounts were verified by Twitter, but the Deng account has since been revealed as a fake. So what happened? And does Murdoch's interest in the site mean he's thinking about investing in it? Emma Barnett, Digital Media Editor at the Daily Telegraph, has been following developments.And the editor of the Financial Times, Lionel Barber, gives his views on the reporting of the economy. What, if anything, went wrong before and what role do newspapers have in warning of financial hazards ahead? The producer is Simon Tillotson.

The media like stories claiming to link TV with harm to children, but is the picture so clear? Focussing on two recent pieces of research by Prof Dimitri Christakis and Prof Angeline Lillard, Steve discusses the extent to which media reports of the link can be justified. Joining him are David Buckingham who is Professor of Education at the Institute of Education at London University and Director of the Centre for the study of Children, Youth and Media, Baroness Susan Greenfield, a neuroscientist and Professor of Synaptic Pharmacology at Oxford University and Hannah Devlin, Science Correspondent for the Times with a PhD in brain imaging from Oxford University.The producer is Luke Mulhall.

Steve discusses the changes to tabloids and the wider media since David Cameron announced the Leveson Inquiry in July, following the closure of the News of the World, with Simon Jenkins, George Brock, Claire Enders and Trevor Kavanagh. Simon Jenkins is a Guardian columnist and former Times and Evening Standard editor, Claire Enders is the founder of media consultants Enders Analysis, Prof George Brock is Head of Journalism at City University and Trevor Kavanagh is a Sun columnist and former political editor.The producer is Simon Tillotson.

Harriet Harman MP is the new shadow secretary of state for culture, media and sport, replacing Ivan Lewis MP. So what are Labour's policies on the media generally and, specifically, on the BBC and on cross-media ownership? Neville Thurlbeck was chief news reporter at the News of the World when it closed in July, where he had worked for twenty years. He was the reporter on the Max Mosley story and, separately, his name came up in reports of the Gordon Taylor phone hacking scandal when the phrase "for Neville" appeared on an emailed transcript of hacked voicemails. He denies involvement in phone hacking and tells Steve how he tried to clear his name when his connection with it was first suggested. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

Anne McElvoy presents the programme this week.Jonathan Miller is back from Syria, where he's been reporting for ITN and working on a documentary for Channel 4, "Syria's Torture Machine". Following on from his experience in the making of "Sri Lanka's Killing Fields", the new documentary includes images taken from mobile phone videos, allegedly showing abuse and torture. He tells Anne what it is like to work openly as a foreign reporter in Syria and what happened when he tried to talk to people who had not been approved by his minders. The documentary will be shown on Channel 4 on Monday 19th December at 11.10pm.Attorney General Dominic Grieve MP has been flagging up his intention to prosecute journalists who threaten to prejudice or impede trials, with a handful of convictions already since he took office 18 months ago. He is trying to stem the flow of stories about people who have been arrested with new emphasis on the risk of discouraging witnesses from coming forward if the suspect's name has been tarnished. Will he fine journalists in future, or go further and jail them? And The Independent's had two front page stories this week which have made the news more widely, on lobbyists Bell Pottinger, based on secret filming of their staff when bidding for new business. Bell Pottinger say they are complaining to the PCC and have instructed lawyers. Iain Overton worked on the story for the Bureau of Investigation - is this story really in the public interest, when it arguably shows little more than lobbyists boasting to attract new clients? And how does The Times' Danny Finkelstein respond to the lobbyists claims that he is worth targeting to place ideas in his columns? The producer is Simon Tillotson.

With tabloid newspapers under sustained attack at the Leveson Inquiry, The Sun's managing editor Richard Caseby talks about his paper's future.The front pages of the upmarket newspapers yesterday carried the story told by Charlotte Church in Monday's Leveson session: that, when she was 13, she turned down £100,000 to sing Pie Jesu at Rupert Murdoch's wedding to Wendi Deng in exchange for favourable coverage. Jonathan Shalit was her agent at the time and he tells Steve what he remembers of the deal - business as usual or a "Faustian pact"?And paparazzo Max Cisotti responds to the series of claims made against press and celebrity photographers in the Leveson sessions so far - in his view, are celebrities and people in the news really responsible for the way they are treated? The producer is Simon Tillotson.

As the Leveson Inquiry takes evidence from alleged victims of phone hacking and other intrusions of privacy, one of the first witnesses, Joan Smith, tells Steve how she and other participants found common ground and why she believes it was important for her to give evidence. As the inquiry's broad remit become increasingly clear, two former editors discuss the potential impact on tabloid practices and press freedom: Jules Stenson, the features editor at the News of the World when it closed in July and Peter Preston, former Guardian editor.And, not much more than a year after they joined from BBC1's The One Show, there are reports that Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley are to leave ITV's Daybreak in the new year. Liam Hamilton used to edit its predecessor at GMTV and Sue Ayton is an agent who has helped cast the presenters on several breakfast tv programmes - what future do they see for this slot on ITV and for the presenters once they've gone their separate ways? The producer is Simon Tillotson.

The Leveson Inquiry into the culture, ethics and practices of the media has started this week, with opening statements from lawyers for the inquiry, newspapers and 'victims' and, today, from journalists' union the NUJ. General Secretary Michelle Stanistreet tells the Media Show that a culture of fear kept most journalists from speaking out when they saw unethical practices over the last ten years. Can she suggest a viable solution? Meanwhile, on Monday, print editors gathered in a hotel in Surrey to discuss how they could address the perceived problems of self-regulation, at the Society of Editors conference. Mirror editor Richard Wallace, Graham Dudman of News International and the Mail's executive managing editor, Robin Esser, offer their views of what if anything should replace the Press Complaints Commission. The new chair of the PCC, Lord Hunt, responds and Stewart Purvis, formerly of Ofcom, discusses the options.

Max Mosley has won damages in Paris from the publishers of the News of the World for invasion of privacy. Is this the end of his actions against the News of the World or does he now have new targets?Last week the Arab League secured an agreement with Syria to stop violence against protesters and to allow journalists to monitor the situation in the country. It is not the first time Syrian authorities have said journalists can work in the country without fear, even if the reality is very different. A Syrian dissident who's fled the country tells Steve why she tries to help foreign journalists, despite the danger to them and to the people they interview. Sue Lloyd Roberts has recently returned from Syria where she reported undercover for BBC2's Newsnight and she talks about the precautions she has to take to protect her sources from arrest and punishment.Tomorrow, James Murdoch returns to give evidence on what he did and did not know about phone hacking at the News of the World. The evidence he gave in July has been contradicted by the newspaper's editor Colin Myler and lawyer Tom Crone and so the Commons Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee has asked for clarification. Sarah Ellison has written extensively for Vanity Fair on the impact of the phone hacking claims on the Murdoch family and, from New York, she comments on where the latest claims leave James Murdoch while Damian Collins MP outlines the questions he will be putting in tomorrow's crucial session. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

Peter Salmon, the director of BBC North and the driving force behind the BBC's move to MediaCity, explains his vision for a global base for the media in Salford. Several BBC departments are already broadcasting from Salford, with more set to move in early 2012, but will the move make a noticeable difference to BBC programmes?This year's Radio Festival comes from Salford where the radio industry has been discussing the "death of local radio." Dee Ford is the director of Bauer Media, which is one of the major players in commercial radio and owns stations including Magic, Heart and Kiss. She explains why local radio stations are doing well for Bauer and discusses whether BBC cut backs to local radio services could present commercial opportunities. It has been promised that the BBC's move north will regenerate Salford and benefit the entire region. But how do independent TV producers based in the north west see the move? Cat Lewis, who runs Manchester based production company Nine Lives, and Alex Connock of Pretend discuss the future for production in the area. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

WikiLeaks has said that it may have to close after payment companies, including Visa, Mastercard and Paypal, blocked payments to the site, cutting off its funding. So why are these companies targeting WikiLeaks and what does the move mean for freedom of speech? Journalist and former WikLeaks employee James Ball and Jean-Francois Julliard of Reporters Without Borders ask whether WikiLeaks can survive.It's a year since The Independent launched its compact sister paper, the i. The move, which was seen as a risky tactic at a time of declining newspaper sales, seems to have paid off and the i is now outselling The Independent. To discuss what i's success could mean for the future of the Independent, Steve Hewlett is joined by Andrew Mullins, the managing director of both newspapers as well as the London Evening Standard.ITV's hit entertainment show The X-Factor has seen a drop in ratings compared to last year's series, as bigger audiences for Strictly Come Dancing close the gap between the rival shows. Has the X-Factor lost appeal without Simon Cowell? Or could this be a sign that its format needs refreshing? Showbiz journalist Dan Wootton and former ITV director of programmes Simon Shaps discuss how producers can maintain the appeal of long running formats. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

The Press Complaints Commission has appointed Lord Hunt as its new chairman, after Baroness Buscombe resigned following criticisms of the PCC's handling of the phone hacking scandal. To hear about the challenges facing Lord Hunt and how the PCC might change, Steve Hewlett is joined by former PCC chairman Sir Christopher Meyer. James Murdoch is back under the spotlight as a House of Commons Media Select Committee hears more about his alleged involvement in negotiating a pay off with phone hacking victim Graham Taylor. Lawyer Mark Lewis, who gave evidence to the committee, discusses the most recent revelations. As BSkyB announces its first quarter results, there are also suggestions that some shareholders are unhappy with James Murdoch's role on the board. Financial Times Media correspondent Ben Fenton discusses BSkyB's results and whether the call for Murdoch's resignation will be answered. The US public broadcaster PBS is set to launch a subscription channel in the UK which it hopes will find a wider audience for its news, current affairs and documentary programmes. Paula Kerger, the CEO of PBS, explains what the brand, which is highly regarded in the US, can bring to UK viewers more used to watching US comedy and drama. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

The BBC has announced its proposals for "Delivering Quality First", a strategy to cut twenty percent of the BBC's spending over the next five years. No BBC channels will be scrapped but there are concerns that the savings could overstretch resources and erode the quality of BBC programmes. Steve Hewlett hears about the decisions from the BBC's director of policy and strategy, John Tate. The BBC's proposals include big cuts to local radio and reductions in budgets for network radio although Radio 4 will be protected more than others. Radio critic Gillian Reynolds explains why she fears the cuts to BBC radio are worse than they seem. The Daily Mail's editor in chief Paul Dacre has addressed the Leveson Inquiry into phone hacking, calling for continued self regulation of a press which he said is "vastly better behaved" now than it was when he started working in journalism. The Guardian's media correspondent Dan Sabbagh, who was at the seminar, picks out some of Paul Dacre's main suggestions. According to a report commissioned by the BBC executive, the corporation pays fees of about £10 million a year to Sky to carry BBC channels. The report says this is an unusual set-up as, in many countries, the opposite is true and satellite broadcasters pay terrestrial channels for their programmes. In the light of the recent budget cuts, John Tate tells Steve Hewlett the BBC should stop the payments to Sky and spend the money on local radio and BBC Four instead. Sky says the payments are a fair and proportionate contribution towards its running costs.The producer is Simon Tillotson.

Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito were freed from prison in Perugia on Monday, having had their convictions for murdering British student Meredith Kercher overturned. But, as the verdict was being read out, parts of the British media wrongly reported that Knox and Sollecito had lost their appeal. Steve Hewlett asks how the mistake came about and why the misinformation spread so rapidly. The coverage of the trial has been described as a media circus, driven by the press and public's fascination with Amanda Knox. American journalist Nina Burleigh has argued that there is a serious problem with Italian reporters who failed to properly investigate the case or ask the right questions. Nina Burleigh and Marco Colombo ask whether there is really a problem with Italian investigative journalism.A British landlady won her fight against the Premier League and Sky this week after the European Court ruled that she should be able to show Premiership football matches in her pub without buying a Sky box. To discuss what the ruling means for Sky and other broadcasters, Steve is joined by Ashling O'Connor, sports correspondent for The Times, and sports rights lawyer Morris Bentata. The BBC is due to announce its Delivery Quality First proposals tomorrow, a new strategy designed to make savings for licence fee payers. Media commentator Maggie Brown explains which areas are likely to see cuts and what this may mean for BBC audiences. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

Chris Blackhurst, the editor of the Independent, joins Steve Hewlett to discuss Ivan Lewis's suggestion that journalists guilty of malpractice should be "struck off", his plans for the Independent and the decision to suspend, but not dismiss, Johann Hari after he admitted to plagiarism. Facebook has unveiled major changes, including a revamped timeline page that encourages you to share information to "tell your story on the web" and partnerships with organisations such as The Guardian, Huffington Post and The Independent. But some users have raised concerns about privacy and what Facebook will do with their data. Meg Pickard of The Guardian explains how the new social apps will work and Christian Hernandez, Facebook's director of platform partnerships, discusses what the changes mean for Facebook users. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

Veteran newspaper editor Sir Harold Evans discusses News International's payment to the Dowler family and whether the British press is in danger of statutory regulation. Professor Roy Greenslade and Baroness Jay discuss how the press might be regulated in future and whether newspapers would be able to break stories like the MPs' expenses scandal if there were tighter regulation of the press. A new documentary, Page One, follows the fortunes of the New York Times's media desk as the paper faces new challenges in a digital world. Steve is joined by New York Times media reporter and star of the film, David Carr, to discuss how newspapers can survive.There has been criticism of the X-Factor after Ceri Rees, a contestant on the programme, performed and was rejected for the fourth time. Steve Hewlett hears from her singing coach, Amanda Richards, who believes the programme makers have exploited Ceri - something the X Factor team denies. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

Simon Heffer, the long standing associate editor of The Telegraph, has moved to the Daily Mail to edit RightMinds, the paper's new comment and blogs website. Simon Heffer outlines his vision for RightMinds and how he plans to make it distinctive in an already crowded market. The Australian government has decided to investigate the media following suggestions that Rupert Murdoch owns too large a share of the country's press. Emma Alberici, ABC's Europe correspondent, explains that the UK's worries about media plurality are nothing compared to Australia's, where two newspaper owners dominate. The culture secretary Jeremy Hunt is going to approach Ofcom, the media regulator, to ask for new rules on the way media ownership is measured. The guidelines aim to identify situations where one media group has too much of a share of the UK media. David Elstein explains how media ownership might be measured and why there's a sting in the tail for the BBC.This week information about the boundary review of MPs' constituencies, which had been given to the mainstream media under embargo, was published on the Guido Fawkes political blog before the embargo was lifted. To discuss whether embargoes still make sense in a digital age, Steve Hewlett is joined by political blogger Paul Staines, of the Guido Fawkes blog, and the Guardian's Michael White. The producer is Simon Tillotson.

Celebrity Big Brother has been a ratings smash for Channel 5, sometimes pulling in bigger audiences than Channel 4 and ITV in the prime time spot. But will this success continue with the 12th series of Big Brother, which features members of the public? Channel 5's director of programmes Jeff Ford joins Steve Hewlett to discuss what's next for Channel 5.Channel 4 dropped Ortis Deley as the main presenter of the World Athletics Championships after he struggled with the live format and forgot athletes' names. But why did Channel 4 choose a presenter with little relevant specialist sports knowledge or live experience to host the high profile event? Veteran sports presenter Des Lynam explains why he thinks Deley was the wrong choice, while Channel 4's director of creative diversity Stuart Cosgrove explains the channel's approach to presenting sport. The Leveson Inquiry, which reconvened yesterday, has been set up to investigate the practices and ethics of the media following the phone hacking scandal. The inquiry will look at journalists' relationships with politicians and the police. But is there a danger that more regulation could result in draconian restrictions for journalists? Sean O'Neil, crime and security editor at The Times and Andrew Gowers, former editor of the Financial Times discuss what the panel should be asking.

WikiLeaks has released thousands of new diplomatic cables but the latest leak has failed to make such an impact in the UK media and there are suggestions that unredacted documents have been published, putting sources at risk. Can WikiLeaks continue to influence the headlines now that its partnerships with traditional media outlets have fallen apart? Heather Brooke and Emily Bell discuss WikiLeaks' future. Google's Eric Schmidt gave the MacTaggart lecture at the Edinburgh Television Festival over the weekend, the first person from a non broadcast background to do so. But was his speech an olive branch to an industry which has described Google as a "parasite" in the past? To discuss how Google and TV might work together, and who stands to gain, Steve Hewlett is joined by Anthony Lilley. Ivan Lewis, the Shadow Culture Secretary, has called for stricter rules on media takeovers, following the controversy around News Corp's bid for BSkyB and fears News Corp could renew their bid. Ivan Lewis explains why he feels the current laws are not good enough and why parliament should "act urgently to close the loopholes" on media ownership.