Roger Bolton's Beeb Watch

James Cridland is the editor of Podnews and a radio futurologist— a writer, consultant, and public speaker on radio’s future. We discuss the BBC’s Annual Plan, its financial challenges, the impending changes to BBC Sounds' international access, the intricate challenges of rights management, potential revenue streams, and the delicate balance between public service broadcasting and commercial imperatives. “The only change going on here is that we're getting rid of the BBC Sounds app, and you have to use the not-very-good-as-a-replacement bbc.com/audio. So, if you're using a smart speaker or TuneIn, then, reading that paragraph, you would expect that you will still be able to have a listen, which is brilliant. But they've kind of hidden that under a bushel. They only put that on the website last week, but that's a significant thing, if that's what that means.” Listen to all our episodes here: https://podfollow.com/beebwatch  To support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 per month (NB we only charge for one creation per month): www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership Or if you'd rather make a one-off payment (which doesn’t entitle you to the blog) please use our crowdfunding page:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/roger-boltons-beeb-watch-podcast @BeebRogerInstagram: rogerboltonsbeebwatchLinkedIn: Roger Bolton's Beeb Watchemail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.comwww.goodeggproductions.uk

Kirsty Lang began her BBC career in 1986 and worked as the Central Europe correspondent for the BBC World Service and as a reporter on Newsnight. After a stint as The Sunday Times’ Paris correspondent, Kirsty went on to present Channel 4 News. Since 2002, she has been a stalwart of Radio 4, presenting Front Row, Last Word, and Round Britain Quiz.We discuss the BBC's financial squeeze, its plans to restrict international access to domestic radio services, the importance of BBC programming as a form of soft power, the broader implications of budget cuts on public service broadcasting, and what it's like to be the quizmaster on Round Britain Quiz. “Democracy is under threat. It has never been so under threat in my entire lifetime."  Listen to all our episodes here: https://podfollow.com/beebwatch  To support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 per month (NB we only charge for one creation per month): www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership Or if you'd rather make a one-off payment (which doesn’t entitle you to the blog) please use our crowdfunding page:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/roger-boltons-beeb-watch-podcast @BeebRogerInstagram: rogerboltonsbeebwatchLinkedIn: Roger Bolton's Beeb Watchemail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.comwww.goodeggproductions.uk

Prof Stewart Purvis is the former content regulator at Ofcom, a former Editor of Channel 4 News and ITN Chief Executive. As the Vice President of the Royal Television Society we discuss: the RTS Awards controversy withdrawing an award for Gaza journalists, Stewart’s experience reviewing BBC Middle East coverage and the fallout from the landmark GB News vs. Ofcom legal case and the ability of foreign governments to influence British broadcasting. "What's at stake is the future of broadcast journalism. The system is creaking, and we need to decide whether we're going to resolve some of the issues which have arisen."RTS Awards:“What I would hope would come out of this was, as soon as we've got some clarity about whether there is any connection at all between what happened at the BBC documentary and the entrance for the RTS awards, and particularly the rightful winners of this special award that those Gaza journalists should get an award.”Listen to all our episodes here: https://podfollow.com/beebwatch To support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 per month (NB we only charge for one creation per month): www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership Or if you'd rather make a one-off payment (which doesn’t entitle you to the blog) please use our crowdfunding page:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/roger-boltons-beeb-watch-podcast @BeebRogerInstagram: rogerboltonsbeebwatchLinkedIn: Roger Bolton's Beeb Watchemail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.comwww.goodeggproductions.uk

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown describes herself as a "lefty, liberal, anti-racist feminist, Muslim" who was born in Uganda and came to the UK in 1972. She is a journalist, columnist for The i Paper, and commentator. Yasmin is a strong advocate for human rights who supports Israel's right to exist while being critically engaged with its policies. On this week’s podcast we discuss the BBC’s handling of its withdrawn Gaza documentary, the challenges facing independent journalists in Gaza, the lack of critical journalism in the UK compared to Israel, the influence of pro-Israeli groups in the British media and the role of public service broadcasting and its responsibilities. “Balance is used as a way of not doing its journalism properly. And I love the BBC, but …. I think we need the BBC to become what it says it is: the most trusted outlet. It is no longer that trusted outlet.” Listen to all our episodes here: https://podfollow.com/beebwatch  To support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 per month (NB we only charge for one creation per month): www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership Or if you'd rather make a one-off payment (which doesn’t entitle you to the blog) please use our crowdfunding page:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/roger-boltons-beeb-watch-podcast @BeebRogerInstagram: rogerboltonsbeebwatchLinkedIn: Roger Bolton's Beeb Watchemail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.comwww.goodeggproductions.uk

Richard Ayre is the chair of the UK's independent press regulator, Impress. Before that, he spent about thirty-five years at the BBC as a former controller of editorial policy and deputy chief executive of BBC News, before becoming a member of the BBC Trust. Richard is also a former member of the OFCOM content board. In this week's episode, we discuss BBC's DG Tim Davie and Chair Samir Shah's appearance in front of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport's select committee: the fallout from the Gaza documentary which was pulled after it was discovered the 13-year-old narrator had a family connection to Hamas, future funding models, the World Service, and the possibility of a generational charter.“There was a meeting between BBC executives and executives of the production company—a face-to-face meeting—to comply this film before it went out, and the BBC didn't press for an answer or didn't get an answer to the question about the connection of the kid's. That's very worrying, and that, I imagine, is where the BBC’s inquiry is now going to unearth some bodies—or people likely to be bodies.” Listen to all our episodes here: https://podfollow.com/beebwatch To support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 per month (NB we only charge for one creation per month): www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership Or if you'd rather make a one-off payment (which doesn’t entitle you to the blog) please use our crowdfunding page:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/roger-boltons-beeb-watch-podcast @BeebRogerInstagram: rogerboltonsbeebwatchLinkedIn: Roger Bolton's Beeb Watchemail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.comwww.goodeggproductions.uk

Tony Hall was the Director-General of the BBC from 2013 to 2020, during which time the BBC's Royal Charter was last renewed. We discuss the differences between that charter renewal process and the current one, as well as the key issues surrounding the upcoming renewal: a long-term vision, a permanent charter, a new funding model, accountability, and engagement with licence fee payers. We also address the allegations of anti-Semitism within the BBC."I have never seen fundamental anti-Semitism in the time I was at the BBC. It's not how people work. Yes, there can be errors. Yes, there can be misjudgements, but fundamental anti-Semitism, or any other fundamental take on life that comes out in the BBC journalism I've never seen, and I don't believe it's there."Listen to all our episodes here: https://podfollow.com/beebwatch To support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 per month (NB we only charge for one creation per month): www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership Or if you'd rather make a one-off payment (which doesn’t entitle you to the blog) please use our crowdfunding page:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/roger-boltons-beeb-watch-podcast @BeebRogerInstagram: rogerboltonsbeebwatchLinkedIn: Roger Bolton's Beeb Watchemail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.comwww.goodeggproductions.uk