Roger Bolton's Beeb Watch

Olivia O’Leary has been a television and radio broadcaster on both the BBC, ITV and RTÉ – the Irish public service broadcaster in her native Ireland. In 1985, Olivia became the first female presenter on BBC’s Newsnight. She later returned to Ireland, presenting once again ‘Today Tonight’ – RTÉ’s flagship current affairs programme. She has also presented BBC Radio 4’s ‘Between Ourselves’ and delivered a regular column on RTÉ Radio 1’s drive time.This week, we get an Irish perspective on the UK election, discuss the complex relationships between Ireland and the UK, and examine how RTÉ, the Irish public service broadcaster, is faring after a series of scandals and the challenges they are facing with funding. Also, as a former presenter, Olivia shares her views on the changes to Newsnight and the future of journalism.“The government has refused to make a decision on the future funding of public service media, and particularly RTÉ. They've kept putting it off, putting it off, putting it off. Our old licence fee system, because of the scandals last year, is now under enormous pressure. One fifth of people never paid it anyway. And even a bigger percentage don't pay it now.”To support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 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.com

Veteran journalist Adam Boulton spent more than thirty years at Sky News, twenty-five of those as political editor. He has been host for General and US elections coverage, invigilated the first leaders’ debate in 2010 and has the distinction of having interviewed every UK Prime Minister since Sir Alec Douglas-Home. He continues to write for Sky but is also now broadcasting on Times Radio, where he co-hosts the weekend flagship politics show Sunday Morning.This week we discussed general election coverage, how coverage has changed over the years, Nigel Farage’s media manipulation, impartiality and Adam’s colourful career.“I do think we collectively in broadcast and I think the BBC in particular, do have a case to answer over Nigel Farage. The truth is that he played the media, like a fiddle didn't he?”To support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 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.com

Peter Snow is a former BBC Newsnight presenter (1980–1997), ITN Diplomatic and Defence Correspondent (1966–1979), documentary maker, and historian. Known for his iconic "swingometer" on election night, we discuss the drama of election night, the current election campaign, Newsnight, and being called a 'traitor'. “I think this election campaign is the worst I've ever seen for sort of fake bribery. Honestly, it's a disgrace the way it's going on."  To support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 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.com

Catherine Johnson is the professor of Media and Communications at the University of Leeds, author of the book Online TV, and a member of the Department of Culture, Media and Sports College of experts. With parliament now dissolved, we discuss what happened to the Media Bill and in what form did it survive - what was left in and out? Also, we examine Ofcom’s role in regulating media and resource allocation, what a Labour government might entail for public service media, BBC Charter renewal and funding review and the big issues that are coming down the line for public service broadcasters. “I suspect what we'll see is the device manufacturers and the public service broadcasters effectively marking their own homework. ‘This is what we said we do. This is what we've done, here's the evidence’. And then we will have to take that on trust.” To support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 per month: www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership Or if you'd rather make a one off payment 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.com

Jane Martinson, author of ‘You May Never See Us Again: The Barclay Dynasty: A Story of Survival, Secrecy and Succession’ is the former media editor at the Guardian and now Marjorie Deane Professor of Financial Journalism at City University. In the week the general election is called we discussed the potential takeover of The Telegraph by Sir Paul Marshall and its implications for the Conservative Party, his beliefs, media impartiality, the influence that media owners wield, the dominance of right wing media outlets and the future of journalism. “What I can see in reading, what Paul Marsh has written himself and also actually watching GB News's content is, if you fetishize almost, the freedom of speech, and at one's own belief, over the notion of science and experts. Isn't that at the heart of this? And isn't that where it also meets some of the biggest problems in media at the moment?” To support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 per month: www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership Or if you'd rather make a one off payment 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.com

Matt Deegan is the co-founder of the award-winning Fun Kids, a digital radio station for families and children, which has just won the bronze award in the Radio Academy’s UK Station of the Year category. Given that the gold award went to BBC Asian Network and the silver to Talksport, this is a considerable achievement for a small independent network. Matt is also the co-founder of Folder Media and the British Podcast Awards and is one of the most respected commentators on all things audio.In this episode, we discuss the lack of BBC radio content for children, the BBC’s podcast advertising plans and their impact on the commercial industry, the latest radio listening figures, and the future of BBC radio and podcast growth.“The BBC already gets £5.7 billion of income from a variety of sources. It does not need £1 million a year out of the podcast business.  I could go in and find seven managers to fire, and I could save a million pounds.”To support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 per month: www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership Or if you'd rather make a one off payment 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.com

Jamie Angus is the former director of the BBC World Service and the former editor of 'Today' and 'Newsnight' who now works in the Middle East. We discuss Ofcom's oversight of broadcasters, the consequences of previous World Service cuts, and the impact of new ones. We also explore long-term solutions to the issue of its funding, which is under review by a parliamentary committee. “I think it's clear that GB News are operating under a slightly different model to public broadcasters.” “Al Arabiya ourselves have launched our own FM radio services. And we've additionally picked up some of the BBC’s medium wave hours, which they no longer use, so our radio services are broadcast regionally. We've also hired a number of ex BBC Arabic radio staff.”To support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 per month: www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership Or if you'd rather make a one off payment 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.com

Stewart Purvis, former content regulator at Ofcom and former Editor of Channel 4 News and ITN Chief Executive, discusses Ofcom’s guidance on general election coverage published last week. Stewart delves into the research on which Ofcom based its guidelines, spells out what the guidance means in practice, and reflects on Ofcom as an organisation.“Ofcom was pretty much claiming that what the audience had told it justified the position it had taken. But then when you got down into the detail, it didn't really say that at all.”To support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 per month: www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership Or if you'd rather make a one off payment please use our crowdfunding page: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/roger-boltons-beeb-watch-podcast @BeebRogeremail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.com 

Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis took their bow from BBC Radio 4’s satirical news programme ‘The Now Show’ last Friday after 25 years. Steve Punt discusses the last programme, the development and success of this long-running radio comedy show, the impact of our changing news consumption, political bias, radio comedy’s evolution and the new podcast format and his plans for the future.“There was a little BBC drinks do afterwards. And as Hugh pointed out, it was literally just crisps. Someone had gone to Marks and Spencers and they bought one of every flavour of crisps. So, he made a little speech thanking the BBC for the magnificent spread.”To support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 per month: www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership Or if you'd rather make a one off payment please use our crowdfunding page:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/roger-boltons-beeb-watch-podcast @BeebRogeremail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.com