Findmittel 0-M
bbcms_2014
BBC Radio 4 - Media Show 2014
23.03.17
Archivnummern: AP/m_mm1/bbcms_2014_(Sendedatum)
© BBC
Datei | Datum | Inhalt | Dauer |
0101 | 01.01 | 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. | 28:13 |
0108 | 08.01 | 1) 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. 2) 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. 3) 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. | 28:31 |
0115 | 15.01 | 1) 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 negotiation. 2) Critics 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. | 28:15 |
0122 | 22.01 | 1) 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. 2) 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? 3) 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. | 28:18 |
0129 | 29.01 | 1) 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. 2) 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. 3) 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. 4) 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. | 28:16 |
0205 | 05.02 | 1) 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. 2) 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. 3) 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. 4) 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. | 28:14 |
0212 | 12.02 | 1) 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. 2) 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. 3) 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. 4) 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. | 28:21 |
0219 | 19.02 | 1) 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. 2) 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. 3) 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. | 28:29 |
0226 | 26.02 | 1) 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. 2) 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. 3) 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. | 28:14 |
0305 | 05.03 | 1) 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. 2) 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. 3) 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. | 28:18 |
0312 | 12.03 | 1) 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. 2) 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. 3) 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. | 28:25 |
0319 | 19.03 | 1) 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. 2) 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. 3) 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". | 28:31 |
0326 | 26.03 | 1) 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. 2) 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. 3) 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. | 28:27 |
0402 | 02.04 | 1) 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. 2) 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." 3) 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. | 28:21 |
0409 | 09.04 | 1) 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. 2) 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. 3) 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. | 28:27 |
0416 | 16.04 | 1) 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. 2) 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. 3) 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. | 28:13 |
0423 | 23.04 | 1) 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. 2) 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. 3) 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. 4) 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'. | 28:39 |
0430 | 30.04 | 1) 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. 2) 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. | 28:17 |
0507 | 07.05 | 1) 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. 2) 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. 3) 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. 4) 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. | 28:29 |
0514 | 14.05 | 1) 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. 2) 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. 3) 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. 4) 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. | 28:22 |
0521 | 21.05 | 1) Chief Executive of TalkTalk Dido Harding on becoming the UK's fastest growing TV business. 2) Tough at the top? Steve Hewlett speaks to three female UK newspaper editors, Rosie Boycott, Sarah Sands and Sue Douglas, about their experiences. 3) And, a landmark Press Complaints Commission negotiation that's seen six national papers apologise for, and remove, inappropriate headlines. | 28:12 |
0528 | 28.05 | 1) Sir Alan Moses, the newly appointed Chair of the new press regulator, has today announced the board members that will make up the Independent Press Standards Organisation, (IPSO). In his first interview since taking up the position, he talks to Steve Hewlett about the measures he'll put in place to make sure the body is independent, and his views on press freedom. We'll also hear from Brian Cathcart of campaign group Hacked Off, and columnist and former Editor of the Guardian Peter Preston, on what they think of the new appointments. 2) A picture of the Duchess of Cambridge, in which she is seen exposing her bare bottom, has been published by German tabloid Bild and Rupert Murdoch's Sydney Daily Telegraph. The picture, which was taken during the recent Royal tour of Australia, is yet to be published by any of the UK press although some newspapers have published a pixilated version online. Steve Hewlett talks to Sarrah Le Marquand from the Sydney Daily Telegraph about the media's reaction to the pictures - which has included TV debates and radio interviews about her underwear, and Ingrid Seward of Majesty magazine on why publishing the picture is one step too far away from taste and decency. | 28:26 |
0604 | 04.06 | 1) Google has taken the first steps to meet a European Court of Justice ruling that people can request links to information about them be taken off search results. Reports suggest Google has so far had over 40000 requests. The ruling has pleased some privacy campaigners but others argue it violates the fundamental principles of freedom of expression. Steve Hewlett is joined by Max Mosley who won a case against Google, and Padraig Reidy, a columnist for Index on Censorship. 2) Football's governing body FIFA has been engulfed in a scandal this week, with the Sunday Times newspaper publishing allegations of corruption surrounding the bidding process for the World Cup 2022 in Qatar. Coverage has spread across the world, with questions now being asked about what action, if any, FIFA will take? Investigative reporter Andrew Jennings, who has been writing about FIFA for many years, gives his take on the expose. 3) Three journalists -- including the former BBC correspondent Peter Greste -- appeared in court again in Cairo this week. The men, who all worked for Al Jazeera's English news channel, accused of airing false news, have been in prison for more than 150 days. Al-Jazeera English journalist Sue Turton, who is being tried in absentia, talks to Steve Hewlett about her hopes for a conclusion to the trial this week. 4) The first ever European edition of the current affairs magazine Newsweek is to launch this month The magazine stopped its print edition at the end of 2012, after 80 years of publication, citing declining advertising and subscription revenues. Now with new owners the print edition was re-launched in March of this year. So how viable is a European edition? Steve hears from Richard Addis, Editor in Chief of Newsweek, EMEA. | 28:16 |
0611 | 11.06 | 1) The BBC is to cut 65 jobs in its radio division, the director of BBC Radio Helen Boaden told staff yesterday. BBC Radio needs to save £38m by 2016/17 as part of the £800m cost-cutting measures required by the BBC savings programme Delivering Quality First (DQF). It's hoped the changes, which focus on re-organising staff, will have minimal impact on audiences. However, the BBC admits that the savings target is so big, on air changes are inevitable. Steve Hewlett discusses the details with radio critic Gillian Reynolds, former controller of Radio 4 Mark Damazer, and CEO of the Radio Academy and former head of BBC Radio Strategy, Paul Robinson. 2) Free copies of the Sun will be sent out to millions of home tomorrow to coincide with the start of the World Cup. The promotional issues will be distributed throughout England, with the exception of Liverpool, where the paper remains controversial over its coverage of the Hillsborough tragedy. However, postal workers in some surrounding areas are now also refusing to deliver the publication. In addition, some residents say they don't want it delivered to them. Steve Hewlett talks to Labour MP for West Lancashire Rosie Cooper about the feelings of locals towards the paper, and Stig Abell, Managing Editor of the Sun, about whether they've failed to read the public mood in deciding to distribute in the North West. 3) And the recently departed editor of The Oldie, Richard Ingrams, talks to Steve Hewlett about what happens to the publication now he's left, his views on the newly appointed editor, and his reasons behind an ever declining magazine industry. | 28:41 |
0618 | 18.06 | 1) The BBC has received 445 complaints from viewers about Phil Neville's BBC One commentary on England's World Cup match against Italy. The former Manchester United and Everton player was criticised for his lack of emotion and "monotone" style. So, what makes great sports commentary? Steve Hewlett discusses with veteran commentator Barry Davies, who believes there is too much talk in football these days, sports writer Alyson Rudd on the importance of casting, and former footballer and 5 Live co-commentator Pat Nevin on what the audiences want. 2) It's often said that the internet is responsible for the decline of print. However, a new study by Professor of Economics Matthew Gentzkow at the University of Chicago has found that this assumption is wrong. He's found that popularity of newspapers was already diminishing way before the internet age. Steve Hewlett talks to him about the findings. 3) After seven months, the jury's finally out on the trial of seven people charged in connection with alleged phone hacking at the News of the World. For all that time, writer Peter Jukes has been live tweeting everything he's allowed to report, whilst sat in court at the Old Bailey. As the jury continues its deliberations, we talk to Peter about how crowd-source funding has allowed him to remain at the trial, and how his fingers are feeling after tens of thousands of tweets! 4) The public service broadcaster ABC is facing government funding cuts and has had its contract to run the international broadcasting service - Australia Network - terminated. Steve Hewlett talks to ABC's Managing Director Mark Scott about remaining independent of government influence, and the aggressive stance of News Corporation. | 28:30 |
0625 | 25.06 | Hacking trial special: The former News of the World editor Andy Coulson has been found guilty of conspiracy to hack phones. His predecessor Rebekah Brooks has been cleared of all charges, in a trial which has been one of the most lengthy and expensive in criminal history. Steve Hewlett discusses what the trial has revealed about the culture of an industry competing to break the biggest stories; the relationship of the press with politicians and public bodies, and asks what damage the scandal has done to Rupert Murdoch's empire. A panel of media insiders also consider how the fallout from the hacking story, namely the Leveson inquiry and new press regulations, has impacted on journalism. Joining Steve is Nick Davies, the Guardian journalist who exposed the phone hacking scandal; Neil Wallis, former Deputy Editor of the News of the World; Lord Norman Fowler, former chairman of the House of Lords select committee on communications; journalist and Executive Director of Hacked Off, Joan Smith; Harriet Harman, Labour's Deputy Leader on her calls for tough regulation, and Peter Preston, former editor of the Guardian. | 28:32 |
0702 | 02.07 | 1) Radio 5 Live has announced that three of their main presenters - Richard Bacon, Victoria Derbyshire and Shelagh Fogarty - are to leave the station in the autumn. Adrian Chiles and Tony Livesey are to get expanded roles. Although there will be no shortage of female co-presenters on the station, Eleanor Oldroyd's one-hour Friday afternoon show will be the only programme fronted solely by a woman. Steve hears from Jonathan Wall, Controller 5 Live about the changes. 2) Act For Change, a project designed to address the lack of diversity in British television was launched this week with both ITV and the BBC in attendance. It comes after the BBC Director General announced plans to increase representation of Black, Asian or ethnic minority groups (BAME) on and off screen. Proposals include a new top level leadership programme, a £2.1 million Diversity Creative Talent Fund and, for around one in six people on air to be from BAME backgrounds within three years - an increase of nearly five percent. Steve hears from Simon Albury, Chair of the Campaign for Broadcasting Equality, who is concerned about the amount of money invested in the Talent Fund and Avril Russell, a black writer who says Tony Hall's plans won't help her. They are joined by Alan Yentob, the BBC's Creative Director. 3) Facebook has revealed that it manipulated the news feeds of nearly 700,000 unknowing, randomly selected users in a psychological study, to determine how positive and negative emotions can spread on social media. The study, which has just come to light, has sparked outrage from some people and the Information Commissioner's Office is looking into it. Steve Hewlett is joined by the web psychologist Nathalie Nahai. | 24:55 |
0709 | 09.07 | 1) A viral video of public sex acts filmed in a Magaluf nightclub recently emerged in the mainstream media. The coverage has prompted some commentators to cry misogyny and exploitation by the media and others to lambast the girl in question, not only for promiscuity but naivety in the digital age. To discuss public interest versus prurience by Eleanor Mills, Sunday Times Editorial Director and Chair of Women in Journalism campaign group, and Neil Wallis, former Deputy Editor of the News of the World. 2) Channel 4's documentary series 'Benefits Street' prompted a storm of protest when it first aired six months ago. Over nine hundred people complained to OFCOM accusing the channel of 'broadcasting poverty porn', demonising the poor and the unemployed, stigmatising children and showing people how to shoplift. Channel 4 has been cleared by OFCOM of breaching broadcasting guidelines. The central character of the series White Dee (Deidre Kelly) is now a household name - and never out of the tabloid newspapers. Steve talks to her about whether she regrets taking part in the series and reflects on her own experience of the media. 3) The Home Secretary, Theresa May has appointed the head of the NSPCC, Peter Wanless, to lead an investigation into the handling of documents relating to child abuse allegations around Westminster in the 1980s. She also announced a panel inquiry into whether public bodies and other important institutions have failed in their duty of care to protect children from sexual abuse. Mark Watts, Editor-in-Chief of the online investigation site Exaro joins Steve to talk about their reporting of the issue and whether the two new investigations will get to the truth. | 25:06 |
0716 | 16.07 | 1) The Director General of the BBC, Tony Hall, has announced plans that have been described as a, "historical moment", for BBC production. He wants to scrap quotas, which currently guarantee 50 per cent of TV programmes are made in-house. Whilst still to be approved by the BBC Trust, it's a move which has been largely welcomed by the independent sector, and rival broadcasters. Steve Hewlett talks to Natalie Humphreys, Controller of BBC Factual & Daytime Production about the proposals, and how it could impact the BBC, and Cat Lewis, Vice Chair of PACT and CEO of Nine Lives Media, a small independent production company. 2) The team behind the television show Benefits Street has confirmed it will film a follow-up series on immigration in Southampton. The Channel 4 show, with the working title "Immigration Street", will be shown next year. The six-part series is being filmed on Derby Road in the Bevois area of the city. Channel 4 called it "an ethnically diverse street where the majority of residents were not born in the UK". However, local residents are concerned the programme will bring unwanted attention to the area. We hear from local councillor and resident Satvir Kaur about why she doesn't want a documentary on such an emotive issue being made in her area. 3) The press regulator IMPRESS has today announced plans for an arbitration service, which it says will reduce legal costs for the press and public alike. A service like this, offering affordable access to justice, was one of Sir Brian Leveson's central recommendations for press regulators in November 2012. Steve Hewlett talks to Jonathan Heawood, Founding Director of the IMPRESS Project, about whether they can offer a viable alternative to the other press regulator IPSO. | 24:48 |
0723 | 23.07 | 1) For rolling news services, there are tough choices to make in the newsroom over how to cover the MH17 disaster and the conflict in Gaza - which story to prioritise, how to deploy, and which angles to cover. Whilst, for reporters, there are the challenges of verifying stories and working in hostile environments. Steve Hewlett discusses how the news makes it onto our screens, and issues of taste and decency with two heads of newsgathering, Jonathan Munro from the BBC, and Jonathan Levy from Sky News. 2) Al Jazeera English journalists Peter Greste, Mohamed Fahmy and Baher Mohamed have been in prison in Egypt for six months. Last month, they were convicted of spreading false news and supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, and sentenced to between seven and 10 years in prison each. During that same trial, Sue Turton was sentenced to 10 years in absentia. Steve talks to Sue about the guilt she feels as her colleagues serve time in jail, and whether there is any hope of the convictions being overturned. 3) 21st Century Fox, which Rupert Murdoch owns, has tried to buy Time Warner, which controls the likes of cable giants HBO and CNN. The offer of 46.6 billion pounds was rejected. It comes at a time when the sale of Sky Italia, owned by 21st Century Fox, and Sky Deutschland, 57 per cent of which is owned by 21st Century Fox, is believed to be imminent, leading to speculation that Rupert Murdoch will use the proceeds of the sale to boost his bid for Time Warner. Claire Enders from Enders Analysis discusses what this could mean for Rupert Murdoch's empire. | 24:50 |
0730 | 30.07 | 1) A House of Lords report says that The European Court of Justice's demand for internet search engines to respect individuals', "right to be forgotten" is unworkable. The ECJ ruled in May that links to data should be erased on request, which has led to Google receiving more than 70,000 applications. Emma Barnett talks to Lord John Sharkey who sits on the committee which authored the report, and asks UK Information Commissioner Christopher Graham, who would adjudicate on requests rejected by search engines, how he will assess whether individuals will have a, 'right to be forgotten'. 2) The BBC wants to close BBC Three as a broadcast TV channel in autumn 2015 and move it online. It comes at a time when the BBC is being urged to tackle its declining reach among young viewers and black, Asian and minority ethnic audiences. Whilst the plans still have to be approved by the BBC Trust, viewer Jono Read is so concerned he has started a petition to Save BBC3. Emma Barnett talks to him, and Natt Tapley, a comedy writer and performer who has written for the channel. 3) Regional TV station London Live has applied to Ofcom to reduce its commitment to local programming. It wants to air just one hour of local programming during the prime time evening slot, compared to the current three. London Live says it's because it's not pulling in as much advertising revenue as it had hoped. Nigel Dacre, the Chair of the Local TV Network, explains why some stations may want to revisit their programming commitments, whilst columnist Roy Greenslade says London Live's application proves that local TV isn't working. | 24:49 |
0806 | 06.08 | 1) Public council meetings in England can now be filmed and tweeted about, following the introduction of new legislation. Local government secretary Eric Pickles today signed a Parliamentary order allowing press and public to film and digitally report from all public meetings of local government bodies. It follows a spate of cases where journalists and bloggers have been asked to stop filming or recording proceedings at meetings, despite the, 'open government' doctrine. Steve Hewlett talks to one blogger, ejected for reporting proceedings, and Ian Murray, Southern Daily Echo editor-in-chief and President of the Society of Editors about the opportunities this ruling could yield for local news. 2) Jon Snow has stepped out from behind the neutrality of his newsreader's desk to present a piece to camera on his recent trip to Gaza, where he described being haunted by the horrific injuries inflicted on innocent children caught up in the conflict. The video has reopened a debate questioning where an appropropriate line lies between impartiality and so called, 'attachment journalism' for reporters. Steve is joined by David Loyn, the BBC's Afghanistan correspondent who says that, 'emotion is the stuff of propaganda', and Newsweek correspondent Alex Perry, on how they navigate the emotional turmoil of covering conflicts. 3) A well-respected radio industry executive says he's concerned that some presenters in commercial radio are working for free. John Myers says he's been contacted by a number of people including some who work for national services at profitable major media organisations. He talks to Steve Hewlett about his calls for an industry review into pay. | 25:08 |
0813 | 13.08 | 1) The company which was awarded the licence to run Local TV for Birmingham has gone into administration. City TV, trading as BLTV, was awarded the licence in November 2012 and was supposed to be on air by November this year. Its head, Debra Davis, told the Media Show that it's failed to find enough investment. Administrators say they now hope to find another operator. Steve McCabe Labour MP for Selly Oak tells Steve Hewlett why he thinks the licensing system set up by OFCOM isn't robust enough; Jamie Conway, CEO of Made TV, who lost out on original bid for Birmingham, explains why he still thinks local TV in the city is workable, and Bobby Hain, Director of Channels at STV Glasgow, tells Steve how they've made a go of it there. 2) A law student in Austria, Max Schrems, has filed a class action lawsuit against Facebook. The action claims the social network has violated the privacy rights of users. More than 25.000 people from more than 100 countries have now joined the privacy law suit. Max received a stack of 1,222 pages after he was the first European to request that Facebook disclose all the information it had about him. He tells Steve his concerns. 3) Following the death of Robin Williams, some newspapers have been criticised for publishing too much information about the incident. Joan Smith, Executive Director Hacked Off argues that much of the coverage has been sensational and a breach of the Editor's Code. Also joining Steve Hewlett is Paul Farmer, Chief Executive of the mental health charity Mind, who says he will be taking concerns to the Press Complaints Commission, and Bob Satchwell, Executive Director of the Society of Editors', a defender of the press' coverage. | 28:24 |
0820 | 20.08 | 1) The BBC has come under criticism for the way it covered a police raid on Sir Cliff Richard's home. BBC News decided to film and broadcast a search of the singer's home last week, using a helicopter flying over his home in Berkshire. Since then, the organisation has been accused of breaking editorial guidelines, and will now face questions by the Home Affairs Select Committee. Steve Hewlett talks to Professor Stewart Purvis, former Editor-in-Chief of ITN, about the decision making taken in newsrooms, and crime correspondent for the Times, Fiona Hamilton, about the relationship between crime reporters and the police, especially in a post-Leveson age. 2) Sky TV has announced plans to improve the representation of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people across its entertainment channels, including Sky1 and drama-focused Sky Atlantic. It's pledged that by the end of 2015, all new shows on Sky entertainment channels will have people from BAME backgrounds in at least 20% of significant on-screen roles, while all original programming will have someone with a BAME background in at least one senior production role. Steve talks to Stuart Murphy, Sky's director of entertainment, about how they'll go about sourcing the talent, and to Simone Pennant who is the founder of the TV Collective, a membership organisation which works to improve diversity on and off screen. 3) A press freedom group says journalists attempting to report on the protests in Ferguson in Missouri are being restricted by police. We speak to Gregg Leslie from The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press in the US, and Channel 4 reporter Kylie Morris, on her experience of having an officer pointing a gun at her whilst reporting from the protests. | 28:00 |
0827 | 27.08 | 1) Social media companies have tried to stop the distribution of the video of James Foley's execution by blocking the accounts of those who shared it. The clip, posted by the group IS, sparked a debate about the ethics of sharing the content. To try and stifle the message, hashtags like #ISISmediaBlackout emerged to starve IS of coverage, and it quickly gained traction. Steve Hewlett talks to Hend Amry, the Syrian activist who instigated the hashtag, and Professor Peter Neumann, the director of the International Center for the Study of Radicalisation at King's College London, about the role social media is playing in the spread of jihadist activity. 2) A report has found how at least 1,400 children were subjected to appalling sexual exploitation in Rotherham between 1997 and 2013. In September 2012, Andrew Norfolk, a journalist on The Times newspaper, published an investigation which revealed a confidential 2010 police report had warned thousands of such crimes were being committed in South Yorkshire each year by networks of Asian men. We speak to Andrew about the challenges he faced in covering the story. 3) Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond and Better Together leader Alistair Darling went head-to-head in their second televised referendum debate this week on the BBC. It's been been criticised by some for descending in to a slanging match, with poor moderation and too much audience response. Steve Hewlett talks to John Curtice, Professor of Politics at Strathclyde about whether such debates influences voting behaviour. And he discusses challenges of staging events with John Mullin, the BBC's referendum editor, and John McAndrew, who was in charge of the first ever live Sky News Leaders' debate in 2010. | 28:22 |
0903 | 03.09 | 1) Rona Fairhead, the former FT Group chief executive, has been announced as the Government's preferred choice as BBC Trust chair. Her nomination comes at a challenging time for the BBC, in the run up to Charter renewal and concerns over governance. Steve hears from John Gapper, former colleague, and Associate Editor of the Financial Times, about what she could bring to the role; former Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell MP, who introduced the BBC Trust as a system of governance, and Phil Harding, former BBC news editor and Controller of Editorial Policy, about what her appointment may mean for the Trust, and the BBC. 2) The BBC and South Yorkshire Police appeared before MPs yesterday, regarding the search of Sir Cliff Richard's home in Berkshire. The police and the BBC cooperated with each other, which ended in the BBC having cameras and a helicopter at the singer's home when the police turned up to raid it. Hundreds of people complained about the footage. However, Chairman of the Commons Home Affairs Committee, Keith Vaz said the BBC had behaved, 'perfectly properly'. Steve Hewlett is joined by the BBC's head of newsgathering, Jonathan Munro, to discuss the operational decisions the organisation made. 3) The Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO) will replace the Press Complaints Commission next week. The majority of the UK's national press has elected to be subject to its regulation. The Press Gazette is the latest to sign up, and it's understood that a decision will be made by the Guardian shortly. However, there's still concern that ISPO is not independent enough. Executive Director of Hacked Off Joan Smith, Press Gazette editor Dominic Ponsford, and former Guardian editor and Observer columnist Peter Preston, join Steve. | 28:21 |
0910 | 10.09 | 1) It's been revealed how police investigating 'Plebgate' obtained the telephone records of Tom Newton Dunn, the Political Editor of the Sun, without his consent. The law generally requires the police to go to a judge to argue for the disclosure of journalistic sources. However, it transpires the Met police used the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) to obtain data which revealed his source. Matthew Ryder, QC, explains the law and how it's being used, and Stig Abell, Managing Editor of the Sun on his concerns for what this could mean for journalism. 2) The media mogul Rupert Murdoch has tweeted that Page 3 is, 'old fashioned'. This week, the Sun has gone for four days without publishing a topless Page 3 girl. So, does this signal the end of Page 3 at the paper? Steve hears from Stephanie Davies-Arai from the No More Page 3 campaign on why she hopes the message from the man at the top might signal change. 3) One of the world's largest news organisations, Associated Press, is using technology to generate thousands of financial reports without the need of reporters. AP argues it will free journalists to spend more time on reporting. Steve speaks to Lou Ferrara, Managing Editor of AP, about 'robotic journalism' overtaking the human touch. 4) Radioplayer, the online listening platform run by the BBC and commercial radio has unveiled a prototype hybrid car adaptor which scans DAB, FM and internet sources to get the best signal. Twenty-seven million vehicles still don't have DAB radio. Michael Hill, Managing Director of the Radioplayer explains why he thinks this technology will transform the move towards digital. | 28:26 |
0917 | 17.09 | 1) The media regulator Ofcom has rejected London Live's request to reduce programming commitments. After just four months on air, the local TV station asked to produce just one hour of London content during the prime time evening slot, compared to the current three. It also wanted to scrap its commitment to 10 hours of repeats every day. Steve Hewlett hears from Peter Davies, Director of Content Policy at OFCOM about why they rejected the request, and asks him what it means for the future of London Live and local TV. 2) News UK, publishers of The Times, The Sunday Times and The Sun, has moved from its iconic home in Wapping to a new building across the Thames. It marks a new start for Rupert Murdoch's organisation, which has been plighted by controversy in recent months with the conclusion of the trial into hacking. But with more trials on the way, can staff really put the past behind them? Steve Hewlett gets a tour of the building from Chief Executive Mike Darcey on the day of the opening, and talks to him about how the business is doing, and why he's got no plans to make changes to Page 3. 3) The Sunday Herald is still the only newspaper in Scotland to back a 'yes' vote in the referendum with the rest either sitting on the fence or backing a 'no'. With just one day to go, with both sides of the independence debate pushing for votes, we look at the role and the impact the press has played in Scotland's big decision. Steve hears from Ruth Wishart, broadcaster and columnist for the 'Herald' and 'Guardian'; Allan Rennie, Managing Editor in Chief of Media Scotland, publishers of the Daily Record and Sunday Mail, amonst others, and Greg Philo, Professor of Communications and Social Change at Glasgow University. | 28:17 |
0924 | 24.09 | 1) Whilst the No Vote has halted plans for a full-blown Scottish Broadcasting Corporation, with Charter Renewal on the horizon, the pan-UK public broadcaster is unlikely to escape political pressures to decentralise more power from London. To discuss the ramifications for funding, commissioning and regulation are Tim Suter - former Ofcom and BBC executive, Glyn Mathias - Ofcom content board member for Wales and Alex Bell - a former BBC presenter and one time Head of Policy to Alex Salmond. 2) A new Channel 4 documentary series about Luton Police Station's custody suite shows viewers how crimes like murder, child sex abuse and domestic violence are dealt with in the first few hours by police. Filmed by 60 fixed-rig cameras and 5 crews, the series provides an insight into the challenges faced by the staff and the criminal justice process. Steve Hewlett talks to Colette Paul, Chief Constable of Bedfordshire police, about the difficult decision she made to allow cameras in, and how staff reacted. Also joining Steve is Executive Producer Simon Ford about how issues of consent and legal considerations led this to be one of his toughest projects. 3) Trinity Mirror has admitted liability and agreed to pay compensation to four individuals who sued the group for alleged hacking of voicemails. A further six claims have already been settled out of court. What this will mean for Trinity Mirror? Steve is joined by Mark Lewis, the solicitor who acted for the Dowler family and Sven Goran Eriksson. | 28:23 |
1001 | 01.10 | 1) An online investigation published by the Sunday Mirror has led to the resignation of Conservative minister, Brooks Newmark, complaints lodged with press regulator IPSO and The Metropolitan Police and an apology issued from Editor-in-Chief Lloyd Embley to the women whose images were used without consent. Alex Wickham, a reporter for the political blog Guido Fawkes, has been revealed to be the freelancer who posed on Twitter as 'Sophie Wittams,' a fictional female Tory activist. Louise Mensch, the journalist and former Tory MP, who served on the Commons Culture Committee, and Simon Sapper, former PCC Commissioner join Steve to examine the public interest arguments behind the probe, the journalistic ethics and the implications for press regulation. 2) Evan Davis's debut as 'lead anchor' at BBC2's Newsnight began with an interview with the Prime Minister. Unlike his predecessor, Jeremy Paxman, who was widely known for his adversarial, sceptical tone, Evan adopted a more relaxed and conversational style. Is a more affable approach likely to draw more spontaneous conversation out of political figures, or will it play in to politician's hands? To discuss the political interview and how to make it work for the presenter, politician and audience Steve hears from Adam Boulton, Sky's former Political Editor and Sian Kevill, a former Editor of Newsnight. 3) The dangers of reporting from Syria have been highlighted by the beheading of freelance journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff as well as the release of a third video this week of British hostage and photojournalist John Cantile by Islamic State militants. Steve hears from the Middle East Correspondent, Ruth Sherlock who has been covering events in Syria for The Telegraph. | 28:04 |
1008 | 08.10 | 1) Facebook has apologised to drag queens, and those with transgender status, after it closed some accounts following reports they were fake because they weren't using their legal names. However, a coalition met with Facebook at its headquarters in San Francisco, and they can now use their pseudonyms. Steve Hewlett talks to Lil Miss Hot Mess, who organised a rally in San Francisco against the policy, and to Misty Chance a drag queen in Manchester, who changed his name legally, rather than having his online profile removed. Also joining Steve is Emma Carr from Big Brother Watch, and tech journalist Rupert Goodwins about some of the wider issues the story has uncovered. 2) Another story this week which has raised questions about our online identity is that of Brenda Leyland, who was found dead after being challenged by Sky News over accusations of 'trolling' the McCanns. Steve is joined by Emily Bell, Director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University in the US, to discuss whether anonymity should be allowed on social websites, or are the benefits of remaining anonymous outweighed by the costs? 3) And a parliamentary committee is to ask every police force in the UK how many times they have obtained the telephone and email records of journalists without their consent. Keith Vaz has called for a detailed breakdown of police use of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), which forces telephone companies to hand over phone records. It was recently revealed how police investigating 'Plebgate' obtained the telephone records of Tom Newton Dunn, the Political Editor of the Sun, in this way. Steve Hewlett talks to Keith Vaz, chairman of the home affairs select committee about the scope of the inquiry. | 28:19 |
1015 | 15.10 | 1) The BBC, ITV, Sky and Channel 4 have announced a joint plan to hold three debates ahead of next year's general election. If politicians agree to take part, one debate would see Nigel Farage appearing alongside David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband. The broadcasters have written to the parties with their proposal. However, the plan has been criticised, with suggestions that negotiations will be long and tricky, and there's the possibility of legal challenges from parties who find themselves excluded. Steve Hewlett is joined by Jonathan Levy, Head of Newsgathering at Sky, who has been involved in the process; Jenni Russell, political columnist for The Times, about why the leaders' may well choose to avoid debates this time round, and Chris Birkett, from The Digital Debate, whose idea for an online-only platform is also being considered. 2) A new report from the Reuters Institute of Journalism argues that the British media's coverage of the EU is falling short. In spite of increased column inches and headlines since the Eurozone crisis hit, the study claims mainstream papers and broadcasters still struggle to distil and dramatise the complexities of EU policy and process. Steve Hewlett hears from John Lloyd, FT columnist and co-author of the report, and discusses the challenge of enlivening EU reporting with BBC Europe Correspondent Chris Morris, and former Sun editor Kelvin Mackenzie - author of the famous 1990 headline, 'Up Your Delors!'. | 28:15 |
1022 | 22.10 | 1) Two of the founding members of the BBC Trust leave their position this week. David Liddiment and Alison Hastings have seen the governing body through some tough times over the last few years, dealing with upsets like Savile, executive pay and the collapse of the Digital Media Initiative. Steve Hewlett talks to them about the challenges, dilemmas, and their views on the future of what some have described as a discredited arm of the organisation. 2) The House of Lords heard evidence this week about the representation of women in news and current affairs broadcasting both on and off screen. A number of recent studies have indicated concern about of women in terms of employment, casting and participation. Steve Hewlett hears from two experts who gave evidence to the Inquiry - Suzanne Franks, Professor of Journalism at City University London and author of 'Women and Journalism' and Jane Martinson, Head of Media at the Guardian. Steve also hears from Dorothy Byrne, Head of News and Current Affairs at Channel 4. 3) The Independent Press Standards Organisation (Ipso) says it's considering whether to continue with a full investigation into the Sunday Mirror for the sex sting carried out against MP Brooks Newmark, despite the complaint against the newspaper being dropped. It would be the first time that a press regulator has continued to investigate a complaint in the absence of a complainant, and could be a significant precedent. Steve talks to Jane Martinson, Head of Media at the Guardian, who has been following the story. | 28:06 |
1029 | 29.10 | 1) The Guardian newspaper is launching a new website for its US readers today. It's the latest step in a global digital expansion, which has seen it move into the Australian and American markets. But with a strategy that focuses on being 'open' - not behind a pay wall - and with annual losses of upwards of £30 million a year, how can the group afford to keep content free? Andrew Miller the CEO of Guardian Media Group joins Steve Hewlett to discuss his strategy. 2) Filmmakers have gained access to high security psychiatric hospital Broadmoor - home to some of the country's most violent men, including Peter Sutcliffe and Kenneth Erskine. The documentary, to be broadcast on ITV, offers a window into the lives of patients and support staff. Steve speaks to the Producer and Director Olivia Lichtenstein about the ethical issues of recording inside one of the country's most dangerous places. 3) Facebook and Twitter both reported strong revenues this week. However, figures showed that Twitter has struggled to get new users, and Facebook is saying its spending will increase next year. Steve Hewlett talks to Katherine Rushton, The Telegraph's US business editor, about the results and what this could mean for the two social networking giants. 4) Russia Today is to launch a dedicated UK TV channel. It's been criticised in the past as a propaganda mouthpiece for the Russian government and has faced complaints over its stance on the Ukraine crisis. Steve hears from Afshin Rattansi, presenter and journalist, about what the new dedicated UK service has to offer. | 28:16 |
1105 | 05.11 | 1) The BBC Trust has approved a new service for Radio 1 and 1Xtra, which will see it having its own TV channel on the BBC iPlayer from next week. It's hoped the channel will lead to an incremental 310,000 hours of viewing per month, and help the BBC establish a relationship with its younger viewers. But whilst it can offer the services, can the BBC offer the content that young people want? Steve Hewlett talks to former Radio 1 Managing Editor Paul Robinson. 2) It's a tough time for international news broadcasters; competition is fierce, and many networks are laying off staff. Not so for Al Jazeera English, which has been recruiting in a bid to boost the channel's "core strength" of eyewitness reporting. Managing Director Al Anstey joins Steve Hewlett to discuss why they're putting this at the centre of their news strategy; and nearly a year since the arrest of Peter Greste and others, Steve asks him how the imprisonment and trial of fellow colleagues has impacted on staff morale. 3) A new online platform called Blendle is allowing readers in Holland to buy newspaper articles individually, or their money back. It has 140,000 users and has just received financial backing from the New York Times and German publisher Axel Springer. Steve asks one of the founders Alexander Klopping how it can boost readership, and whether it can work elsewhere. 4) The fierce competition between BT Sport and Sky Sports continued week. The CEO of BT Gavin Patterson claimed Sky is bribing customers by giving away free broadband; Sky hit back saying that was on the day BT ran full page adverts enticing customers with free broadband and sports. Claire Enders from Enders Analysis gives Steve the inside track on how this ties in with sports rights. | 28:21 |
1112 | 12.11 | 1) BBC One is the UK's most watched channel, with more than 40 million viewers tuning in each week. A BBC Trust review published earlier this year found the channel consistently produced high quality programmes but many viewers felt that the channel appeared to play it safe in programming and scheduling - particularly during peak time. In her first radio interview, since taking up the position, Charlotte Moore, Controller BBC One talks to Steve about her strategy for the channel, taking more risks in programming, balancing populism with public service as well as engaging the hard to reach audiences. 2) Serial, the new podcast from the creators of 'This American Life' is using a combination of innovative storytelling and investigative journalism to top the podcast charts in both the US and the UK. Steve is joined by Observer radio critic Miranda Sawyer, who has founded her own Facebook Serial 'addicts' group, to explore what makes it such a compelling use of the audio medium and what example it sets for traditional radio networks, 10 years after the birth of the podcast. 3) Patrick Collins, one of the most widely read of British sports journalists, has just announced his retirement. His career began in newspapers fifty years ago, and includes over thirty years at the Mail on Sunday. He's covered 10 football World Cups and every summer Olympic Games since 1972, bar one. Steve speaks to him about his career and the changing nature of sports journalism. | 28:18 |
1119 | 19.11 | 1) Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen is leading a move to scrap the licence fee. He's sent a letter to the Culture Secretary Sajid Javid, urging him to review how the BBC is funded. In the letter, he says the corporation should be planning for a future without the licence fee and investigating subscription-based payment instead. So, how feasible are his suggestions? And why has the man who led the debate into decriminalising licence fee evasion now stepped up his campaign? Steve Hewlett asks him. 2) Ed Richards has been with Ofcom, the independent media regulator for the UK, since it was established in 2004. In his role as Chief Executive, he was credited with saving Ofcom from David Cameron's so called, 'bonfire of the quangos' and been at the helm during great shifts in the media landscape. Steve Hewlett asks him what he's achieved, what the priorities for the regulator should be in the future, and what it was like being interviewed for the BBC's Director General job. 3) A fifteen year old has won a prestigious award for her blog about her experiences of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Ellen White was praised by mental health charity MIND for her candid posts about the condition, and for providing support to other young people. Steve talks to Ellen about how the medium of blogging has been the best way for her to connect with others. 4) Trinity Mirror is closing seven regional newspapers in the Berkshire and Surrey regions. The group say it's part of a, 'bold digital-only publishing transformation', to move journalism online. Steve talks to former editor of the Birmingham Mail Steve Dyson, which is part of the group, about the strategy to move online and how this may impact on local communities. | 28:06 |
1126 | 26.11 | 1) Shadow Minister Emily Thornberry resigned last week after posting a picture on Twitter showing a house in Rochester draped in the St. George's flag, and a white van outside. The homeowner Dan Ware, in an exclusive interview with The Sun, branded her 'a snob', and had his own manifesto published in the paper. Steve hears from Lauren Fruen, the graduate trainee who secured the story for the Sun, and editor David Dinsmore about what this story, and the latest expose of David Mellor's exchange with a cab driver, tell us about the newspaper's wider strategy. 2) Kaleidoscope TV has been awarded the licence to broadcast a new local TV channel for Birmingham. It was originally given to City TV, but the company failed to get it off the ground, and subsequently went into administration. Kaleidoscope TV now has just three months to get the channel to air. Chris Perry, Director of Kaleidoscope explains why he thinks they can make the channel work, when others have failed. 3) A new daily paper that "supports an independent Scotland" has launched this week. The National, published by Newsquest - which also publishes the Sunday Herald, has already had its print run increased from 60,000 to 100,000 copies. But does it have a long term future as a daily newspaper in Scotland? Steve speaks to its editor Richard Walker. 4) Kenyan journalist Maurice Oniang'o last night won the Thomson Foundation Young Journalist from the Developing World Award. His winning entry included a story about two child soldiers who provide security for their village from Ethiopian raiders. Steve Hewlett talks to him about sourcing stories from some of the most remote areas of the world. | 28:28 |
1203 | 03.12 | 1) Retired teacher Christopher Jefferies was wrongly named in the press as the suspect accused of the murder of his neighbour Joanna Yeates in December 2010. His life was turned upside down. He later sued several newspapers for libel, received an apology from the police, and gave evidence to the Leveson inquiry. A new ITV two part drama 'The Lost Honour of Christopher Jefferies' is to be aired next week. Steve talks to Christopher about his involvement in the production process and what it's like being the star of a factual crime drama. 2) Times Newspapers, which owns both The Times and The Sunday Times, has delivered a profit for the first time in more than a decade. The News Corp-owned company posted an operating profit of £1.7 million for the year; just 5 years ago, it suffered losses of £72 million. So what's driven such a big turnaround? Steve Hewlett asks Douglas McCabe from Enders Analysis whether this is proof the paywall subscription model is working, or are there other forces at play? 3) Following a decision by two of the UK's leading supermarkets to change the way they display newspapers, after concerns were raised about children being exposed to sexual images, Steve Hewlett discusses the nature of front page tabloid content and whether it should be toned down. Claire Fox, director of the Institute of Ideas, and Stephanie Arai Davies from No More Page 3, join him to talk about whether the message being sent by Tesco and Waitrose - that tabloid front pages are not 'family friendly', is a welcome step towards more respectful representation of women in the media, or a step away from press freedom. | 28:23 |
1210 | 10.12 | 1) The BBC's plans to close BBC Three as a broadcast channel and re-invent it as online service in Autumn 2015 have been submitted to the BBC Trust. The proposals will generate savings of £50 million. Eighty percent of the new budget will be spent on long form programmes like 'Murdered by My Boyfriend' and twenty percent will go on non traditional content such as micro videos and listicles. Traditional genres like dramas and comedy will be replaced by the strands 'Make Me Think' and 'Make Me Laugh'. Alongside this, the BBC Executive also proposes launching a BBC One+1 channel, extending the hours for CBBC and enhancing BBC iPlayer. Danny Cohen, BBC Director of Television, explains the thinking behind BBC 3's new incarnation and Lis Howell, Director of Broadcasting at City University, gives her verdict on the proposals. 2) The Press Recognition Panel, created by the Royal Charter on self-regulation of the Press, came in to being last month. As recommended by the Leveson report, the recognition panel will decide whether or not any new system of press regulation measures up to the Royal Charter. However, the regulator IPSO,(the Independent Press Standards Organisation) to which the majority of newspaper and magazine publishers have signed up, has decided not to seek recognition. Following the Panel's first board meeting, where does it go from here? The panel's chair, barrister David Wolfe QC, joins Steve. 3) Alan Rusbridger, editor-in-chief of The Guardian, has announced he will stand down from his current role at Guardian Media Group in the summer. Steve hears from the former editor of the Guardian Peter Preston. | 28:20 |
1217 | 17.12 | 1) Telecoms group BT has entered exclusive talks over a £12.5 billion deal to buy Britain's biggest mobile phone operator EE. It signals BT''s ambitions to dominate the UK's mobile market, twelve years since it left the sector. BT will be hoping to persuade a growing number of homes to purchase all four of its services - home phone, mobile, broadband and pay TV. Steve Hewlett talks to analyst Claire Enders about how the move would affect consumer choice, and how the deal could impact on the forthcoming bidding for Premier League football rights. 2) The media regulator OFCOM has raised concerns about the decline of Channel 4's audience. In a review of the broadcaster, which said that broadly it was performing well, it found limited provision of content made for older children and highlighted the continued decline in reach and share for Channel 4 News. It also published initial findings into its third Public Service Broadcasters review. Media commentator Maggie Brown and analyst Claire Enders join Steve Hewlett to discuss the details. 3) Sir Ray Tindle has launched 4 new weekly London papers, at a time when others are closing down. Steve talks to editor Philip Evans about why the group is bucking the trend. 4) A new book from the Reuters Institute claims PR no longer needs journalism as much as journalism needs PR. It considers the changing relationship between what it calls 'two trades at once antagonistic and mutually dependent.' Steve hears from journalist and co-author John Lloyd, and Robert Phillips, former UK CEO of Edelman, the world's biggest PR firm. | 28:30 |
1224 | 24.12 | 1) US entertainment group ABC has brought such classics as Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy to TV. As president since 2010, Paul Lee is responsible for all development, programming and scheduling. He joins Steve to discuss the enduring popularity of Modern Family, the importance of diversity in the commissioning process, and how research into the Great Depression, of all things, has influenced recent dramas on ABC. 2) BBC2's natural history offering this Christmas, The Snow Wolf Family and Me, is promising an intimate portrait of Arctic wolves. The presenter wildlife filmmaker Gordon Buchanan explains how with a small crew he got up close and personal with a pack of wild wolves in the Arctic. With them, Caroline Hawkins, filmmaker and creative director at Oxford Scientific Films. They discuss whether Gordon's back to basics, hands-on approach is a turning point in a genre that has become increasingly reliant on high-tech gadgetry. 3) John Lewis' Monty the Penguin Christmas advert has made the humble penguin the surprise media sensation of the year. The two-minute tale of a boy and his imaginary feathered friend has driven up sales of penguin toys and all-important John Lewis brand awareness. Ewen Brown, the producer of Monty the Penguin explains what is involved in making an ad with viral potential and why the penguin stole the public's hearts. 4) The journalist, diplomat and Labour MP John Freeman has died at the age of 99. He was perhaps best known for his interviews with public figures like Martin Luther King and Tony Hancock for BBC television series Face to Face. He was renowned for his persistence and direct approach as an interviewer. Former political editor and correspondent John Sergeant talks about his style and legacy. | 28:11 |
1231 | 31.12 | The changing nature of the chat show: Chat shows have been the staple of TV schedules for decades. The Bee Gees storming off Clive Anderson's show, David Icke claiming to be the 'son of God' on Wogan, Victoria Beckham's 'Golden Balls' confession, and Grace Jones slapping Russell Harty, are considered some of the best of British chat show moments. However, some have lamented the demise of the 'traditional' talk show, where hosts do one-on-one in-depth interviews with celebrities. Instead, networks favour comedy entertainment shows, like Alan Carr and Graham Norton. So, why the change in style, and what are the ingredients for chat show success? Graham Norton joins Steve Hewlett to discuss chat show gold and explains how age, experience, and celebrity demands have influenced his style. Also in the studio; Elaine Bedell, Director of Entertainment and Comedy at ITV; Jonathan Shalit, Chair of talent management agency Roar Global, and the Guardian TV critic Julia Raeside. Together, they discuss how the changing nature of celebrity has had an impact on talk show styles, and ask where next for the genre. | 28:05 |