Roger Bolton's Beeb Watch

Former BBC Director General Tony Hall, who led the corporation through the last Charter review, discusses the appointment of Matt Brittin as the new Director General. We discuss the responsibilities and pressures of the role, the BBC’s use of technology and digital platforms, its approach to arts, religion and other public service content, options for future funding and World Service support, and the relationship between the Director General, the BBC Board and regulators in a changing media and political landscape.To support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 per month www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership @beebwatch.bsky.social@BeebRogerInstagram: rogerboltonsbeebwatchLinkedIn: Roger Bolton's Beeb Watchemail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.com 

Rizwana Hamid is the Director of the Centre for Media Monitoring, which has just published its report, The State of British Media 2025: Reporting on Muslims and Islam. The report concludes that coverage of Muslims and Islam in much of the UK press is marked by systematic bias, negative framing, and contextual omissions, particularly in some right‑leaning outlets.We discuss the report’s view that British media coverage of Muslims and Islam has worsened in recent years; the role of GB News, The Telegraph, The Spectator and others in shaping these portrayals; and how public service broadcasters compare. We explore how the Centre compiled its analysis, and the role of ignorance, religious illiteracy, unconscious bias, and the under‑representation and pigeonholing of minoritised journalists in newsrooms.We also look at media coverage around Israel–Palestine since October 2023, the influence of better‑resourced advocacy groups, and the report’s call for more effective regulation.Read the report: https://cfmm.org.uk/resource/the-state-of-british-media-2025-reporting-on-muslims-and-islam/ To support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 per month www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership @beebwatch.bsky.social@BeebRogerInstagram: rogerboltonsbeebwatchLinkedIn: Roger Bolton's Beeb Watchemail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.com

Colin Browne, Chair of the Voice of the Listener and Viewer (VLV), discusses what the BBC Charter review means for the future of public service broadcasting in the UK, and why it’s vital that ordinary licence fee payers respond to the government’s consultation by midnight on Tuesday 12 March. Step by step, we explore where VLV supports or challenges the BBC’s own proposals on independence, funding, public accountability and participation in BBC decision making. We also look at how well the BBC is serving “at-risk” public service genres such as religion, the arts and children’s content—especially now that Ofcom’s monitoring role has been diluted.PLEASE take part in the consultation. Links to the consultation and suggested answers below.This is the link to the government's consultation:https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/britains-story-the-next-chapter-the-bbc-royal-charter-review-green-paper-and-public-consultation/britains-story-the-next-chapter-bbc-royal-charter-review-green-paper-and-public-consultation#:~:text=The%20current%20Charter%20came%20into,the%20next%20decade%20and%20beyond.This is a list of organisations we have interviewed over the last few years and their suggested answers:VOICE OF THE LISTENER AND VIEWERhttps://vlv.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/BBC-Charter-Review-Consultation.pdfBRITISH BROADCASTING CHALLENGEhttps://britishbroadcastingchallenge.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/BBC-Charter-Consultation-Suggested-Answers.pdfTHE CHILDREN’S MEDIA FOUNDATIONhttps://www.thechildrensmediafoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CMF-bbc_charter_response-final.pdfSANDFORD ST MARTIN TRUSTThe Sandford St Martin Trust: https://sandfordawards.org.uk/religion-and-the-future-of-the-bbc-have-your-say/CAMPAIGN FOR THE ARTShttps://www.campaignforthearts.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/A-Stage-for-the-Nation.pdfBBC WAC (Written Archives Centre) CAMPAIGNhttps://drive.google.com/file/d/1n5aXNHY6D5dq9elIYUdLfh9XG_T9AMki/viewMEDIA REFORM COALITIONhttps://www.mediareform.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/The-Alternative-Green-Paper-March-2026.pdfINTERNATIONAL BROADCASTING TRUST urges the BBC to maintain its commitment to international news but to broaden the range of stories covered, and also to give its non-news content a more international flavour

Rabbi Jonathan Romain discusses how Britain’s Jewish communities are represented in UK media, particularly the BBC, against the backdrop of the current Middle East crisis. We examine the diversity of opinion among British Jews on Israel and the Netanyahu government, the meaning and use of the term "Zionism", and the distinction between criticism of Israel and antisemitism.We also explore the rising reports of antisemitic incidents in the UK, the impact of events in the Middle East on community relations, the development of interfaith work between Jews and Muslims, and the level of religious literacy within BBC newsrooms and public service broadcasting more widely.Have your say in the government's consultation by 10 March: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/britains-story-the-next-chapter-the-bbc-royal-charter-review-green-paper-and-public-consultation/britains-story-the-next-chapter-bbc-royal-charter-review-green-paper-and-public-consultationSuggested answers: British Broadcasting Challenge: https://britishbroadcastingchallenge.com/The Sandford St Martin Trust: https://sandfordawards.org.uk/religion-and-the-future-of-the-bbc-have-your-say/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 www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership @beebwatch.bsky.social@BeebRogerInstagram: rogerboltonsbeebwatchLinkedIn: Roger Bolton's Beeb Watchemail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.com

Greg Childs, director of the Children’s Media Foundation, discusses the decline of traditional children’s television in the UK, the rise of YouTube and TikTok as children’s primary viewing platforms, and what this shift could mean for public service broadcasting.We explore how changes to advertising rules and algorithms are transforming the economics and nature of children’s content, the BBC’s new deal with YouTube, and the growing debate over whether regulation should aim to “build better” online spaces or restrict children’s access to social media.Have your say in the government's consultation by 10 March: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/britains-story-the-next-chapter-the-bbc-royal-charter-review-green-paper-and-public-consultation/britains-story-the-next-chapter-bbc-royal-charter-review-green-paper-and-public-consultationSuggested answers: British Broadcasting Challenge: https://britishbroadcastingchallenge.com/The Sandford St Martin Trust: https://sandfordawards.org.uk/religion-and-the-future-of-the-bbc-have-your-say/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 www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership @beebwatch.bsky.social@BeebRogerInstagram: rogerboltonsbeebwatchLinkedIn: Roger Bolton's Beeb Watchemail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.com

Jamie Angus, former Director of the BBC World Service, discusses the ethical and editorial dilemmas of BBC reporting from Iran under strict conditions and the funding crisis facing the World Service. We also explore his new Henry Jackson Society report to the Public Accounts Committee, setting out a future for the BBC World Service focused on shifting audience priorities, digital distribution, and new revenue ideas from AI licensing to commercialising BBC Monitoring.Have your say in the government's consultation by 10 March: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/britains-story-the-next-chapter-the-bbc-royal-charter-review-green-paper-and-public-consultation/britains-story-the-next-chapter-bbc-royal-charter-review-green-paper-and-public-consultationSuggested answers: British Broadcasting Challenge: https://britishbroadcastingchallenge.com/The Sandford St Martin Trust: https://sandfordawards.org.uk/religion-and-the-future-of-the-bbc-have-your-say/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 www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership @beebwatch.bsky.social@BeebRogerInstagram: rogerboltonsbeebwatchLinkedIn: Roger Bolton's Beeb Watchemail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.com

Elizabeth Anderson, CEO of the Digital Poverty Alliance, discusses how the UK’s move towards a digital‑first media landscape could affect viewers and listeners. We explore what is meant by digital poverty in the UK today, the startling numbers affected, and what the impact could be if traditional broadcast TV (including Freeview) is switched off around 2034 – and how that might affect radio too. What could this mean for access to news, information and entertainment?We examine the relationship between internet connectivity, affordability and basic digital skills – and how that shapes the debate on different options for funding the BBC, and its claim to be a universal public service broadcaster in an online‑only world. We also consider the role of MPs, government and industry in developing a serious digital inclusion strategy and ensuring people are not left behind.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 www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership @beebwatch.bsky.social@BeebRogerInstagram: rogerboltonsbeebwatchLinkedIn: Roger Bolton's Beeb Watchemail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.com

Rob Crilly, former Chief US Correspondent for the Daily Telegraph and Daily Mail Online, now author of the “Washington Secrets” newsletter at the Washington Examiner, joins us again one year on to assess Donald Trump’s first year in office. We talk about covering a president who sets the agenda via late-night tweets, how the White House manages access and mixes up the briefing room, and what it means for organisations such as the BBC to face a billion‑dollar lawsuit and accusations of “fake news”.We explore Trump’s impact on legacy and public service media (from the BBC to NPR, PBS and Voice of America), the strategy of aggressive denial and attack, the use of leaks and loyalty tests inside the administration, and the growing business and political pressures on newsrooms from CBS to the Washington Post. We also examine Trump’s personal enrichment and conflicts of interest, whether American democracy and its institutions are strong enough to withstand him, and why Rob believes last weekend’s events in Minnesota could prove a pivotal moment in his presidency.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 www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership @beebwatch.bsky.social@BeebRogerInstagram: rogerboltonsbeebwatchLinkedIn: Roger Bolton's Beeb Watchemail: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.com