Roger Bolton's Beeb Watch

Sir Richard Eyre, the renowned theatre and film director, who has served as a BBC Governor, shares his concerns over the cuts to radio drama programming, the broader challenges facing the BBC's cultural remit, the tensions between the BBC's public service mission and commercial pressures, and role of the BBC in nurturing and sustaining the UK's cultural landscape. "I would say the BBC is the most important cultural organisation in the world, and the Director-General of the BBC should be standing up, saying that, and putting his heart and soul and practical application into making sure that the BBC lived up to that proclamation. Well, they don’t, and they’ve pitifully ignored the arts. They've cut the arts department in television, and now, they're cutting drama on in radio." Listen to all our episodes here: https://podfollow.com/beebwatch/view 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 

Conservative MP, Dame Caroline Dinenage is the Chair of the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee. We discuss the upcoming debates around the renewal of the BBC's charter, the crucial issues of the corporation's funding, impartiality, and role in public service broadcasting, as well as the future of the BBC World Service and the Greg Wallace revelations. “We're entering a winter period when there's a number of pensioners who've just had their winter fuel tax removed, when energy prices are rising because the energy fuel cap has come to end, and to suddenly find that you've your licence fee’s going up as well. I just thought the timing was unfortunate.” Listen to all our episodes here: https://podfollow.com/beebwatch/view 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

Peter York is a cultural commentator, author, and former Style Editor of Harper's & Queen magazine. He is best known for co-authoring the iconic Official Sloane Ranger Handbook in the 1980s. More recently, Peter has shifted his focus to more serious topics, including co-authoring The War Against the BBC with Professor Patrick Barwise. This week, we discuss Peter’s latest book, A Dead Cat on Your Table, which delves into the world of "culture wars," the role of media personalities, influencers, and think tanks. We also explore Elon Musk's potential $100 million donation to Nigel Farage and the Reform Party and assess the extent to which the BBC is constrained in addressing "culture war" issues due to government pressure and funding concerns. “It's the one structural fault that dates from the 20s. The government has too much power over the BBC’s funding and too much power over the BBC in other ways too. And you look at the manipulations of the last decade, and you can absolutely see that.” Listen to all our episodes here: https://podfollow.com/beebwatch/view 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.comwww.goodeggproductions.uk 

Andrew Greystone, writer and broadcaster, has played a pivotal role in exposing the abuse committed by John Smythe within the Church of England. In this discussion, he addresses the ongoing debate around the assisted dying bill, the media's approach to religion in ethical discussions, and the decline of religious literacy among journalists. He also shares the story behind uncovering Smythe’s abuse, the Church of England’s response, and discloses further revelations are set to break next year. “I know that there are at least three major church abuse stories affecting the Anglican Church that will break in 2025. Now Lambeth Palace knows that as well; the Church of England knows that as well. Why do they want to wait for everything to be dragged out of them, rather than putting it on the table?" Listen to all our episodes here: https://podfollow.com/beebwatch/view 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.comwww.goodeggproductions.uk

Roger Mosey, a former Editorial Director of the BBC, Head of TV News, and Director of Sport, discusses his lecture to the Commonwealth Journalists Association on the challenges facing public service media, the mainstream media's lack of understanding of political landscapes in the UK and US, clickbait, interactivity and audience connections, as well as cuts and talent drain at the BBC. "The BBC’s Charter says it must engage the public to a very high standard with the issues of the day and inform our democracy. And that's non-negotiable. It's got to do it, and it does many times do that. It doesn't do it enough, and I think its political coverage is particularly weak. Why? Because the Westminster bubble dominates the political coverage, and there's too much about who's up, who's down, and there's too much about short-term headlines." Listen to all our episodes here: https://podfollow.com/beebwatch/view 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.comwww.goodeggproductions.uk

Professor Catherine Johnson from the University of Leeds discusses her role on the recently announced DCMS committee, which is examining the future of TV distribution. New research indicates that some viewers could be excluded from the general shift towards online viewership. We also explore the rise of YouTube, ways to ensure access to public service content, and how a household tax might work. “There is a ticking time bomb here, to be honest, in relation to digital terrestrial. So most other countries have upgraded their digital terrestrial infrastructure, or committed to upgrading their digital terrestrial infrastructure.” Listen to all our episodes here: https://podfollow.com/beebwatch/view 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.comwww.goodeggproductions.uk  

Steven Barnett, Professor of Communications at the University of Westminster, discusses BBC Chair Samir Shah's inaugural speech. We explore what devolving, democratising, and depoliticising means, loosening regulation, re-evaluating the roles and remits of other public service broadcasters, and alternative funding models. “I'm not sure a permanent charter is the way to go, but I think some kind of independent body to whom the responsibility is devolved for making funding decisions and for appointing the BBC chair, I would incidentally add the Ofcom chair, which is accountable to Parliament but is out of the control of government. I think those are really important changes that are necessary.” Listen to all our episodes here: https://podfollow.com/beebwatch/view 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.comwww.goodeggproductions.uk

Richard Sambrook, former Director of BBC News and the World Service, and now an Emeritus Professor of journalism at Cardiff University discusses the challenges the BBC faces in dealing with the rise of disinformation, the balance between free speech and responsibility, the BBC's 'follow the sun' strategy, World Service funding and the impact of budget cuts on BBC News. "I do have the concern that what sometimes gets lost in the mix is the depth and significance of BBC journalism, as opposed to simply competing with what everyone else is doing. I'm sure if I were to talk to Deborah Turness or anyone else, they would come up with a whole list of examples that would illustrate how they are maintaining depth and significance. But I think, to the public, when they look at some of these cuts, that’s what worries people." Listen to all our episodes here: https://podfollow.com/beebwatch/view 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.comwww.goodeggproductions.uk