Feedback

Presenter Josh Baker and Senior News Editor Jonathan Aspinwall join Andrea Catherwood to respond to listeners’ comments on I’m Not a Monster: The Shamima Begum Story podcast. Jeff Smith, Head of Music at Radio 2, answers audience concerns and gives an insight into the station’s music policy. And Jeremy Bowen, International Editor BBC News, discusses his report for the Today programme on the 20th a...

Andrea Catherwood and Chief Executive of UK Music Jamie Njoku-Goodwin discuss how the audience will be affected by BBC plans to axe the BBC Singers and reduce staff posts in BBC orchestras in England. Radio 4’s Antisocial presenter Adam Fleming and producer Lucy Proctor talk about the programme and respond to listeners’ comments. Refugees Andriy and Olga are in the Vox Box to give us their take on...

Andrea Catherwood is back with a new series of the programme that holds the BBC to account on behalf of the radio audience. Matt Deegan, Creative Director at Folder Media, gives the lowdown on Ken Bruce’s departure from Radio 2. And Feedback Special Correspondent Rob Crossan takes a look at how Ken’s parting shots compare with DJs of the past. Simon Webb, BBC Head of Orchestras and Choirs, respond...

Listeners get the chance to speak directly to the Radio 4 Controller, Mohit Bakaya, as he joins Andrea Catherwood to answer questions and comments from the audience. We hear about your highlights and lowlights over the past year and we get a sneak peak at Mohit's plans for Radio 4 in 2023. Presented by Andrea Catherwood
 Produced by Gill Davies 
A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

BBC News International Editor Jeremy Bowen joins Andrea Catherwood to talk about his experiences reporting in Ukraine and respond to listener comments on how the BBC is covering the conflict. Listeners give us their views on Mishal Husain’s interview with RMT leader Mick Lynch on the Today programme. We hear from Sebastian Baczkiewicz and Paul Cornell, writers of the new Radio 4 drama Splinter Cel...

Andrea Catherwood is joined by novelist Claire Allan who has been adding her voice to the protests about the proposed cuts to Radio Foyle in Northern Ireland. And Three Counties Local Radio presenter Edward Adoo shares his concerns that the reorganisation of Local Radio in England is going to affect programmes aimed at African, Caribbean and Asian audiences. As the competition in Qatar pushes towa...

The Welsh national football team has made the World Cup for the first time in 64 years. Graham Davies, Managing Editor, Sport at BBC Wales joins Andrea Catherwood to answer listeners’ comments and discuss the challenges of reporting on football and the issues surrounding it at the World Cup in Qatar. The Radio 4 drama Dear Harry Kane by writer James Fritz highlighted the plight of the migrant work...

Radio 4 series Disaster Trolls investigates how victims of the Manchester Arena bombing and other UK terror attacks have been targeted by conspiracy theorists. Andrea Catherwood puts listeners' comments to BBC Disinformation and Social Media Correspondent Marianna Spring and recovering conspiracist Brent Lee. Assistant Editor, BBC Monitoring, Olga Robinson joins Andrea to talk about her work helpi...

Fi Glover joins Andrea Catherwood for a chat about the end of the Fortunately podcast, and life at and beyond the BBC. In the week of the US mid-term elections, Jonathan Aspinwall, Senior News Editor, and Marianna Spring, the BBC's Disinformation and Social Media Correspondent join Andrea to discuss listeners views on the new series of the Americast podcast. We have more comments from the audience...

Andrea Catherwood puts listeners’ comments on the proposed BBC Local Radio cuts to Jason Horton, Acting Director BBC England. Jeremy Howe, Editor of The Archers, and actor Maddie Leslay, who plays Chelsea Horrobin, answer listeners’ comments on the big storyline in recent weeks - Chelsea’s pregnancy. We hear audience views on former leader of UKIP, Nigel Farage’s appearance on The World at One to...

Andrea Catherwood explores what it’s like to report on an unprecedented week in politics with Deputy Political Editor of BBC News, Vicki Young, who responds to audience comments on the news coverage. Alexei Sayle joins Andrea to discuss impartiality in comedy and listeners give us their views on his Imaginary Sandwich Bar, back for a fourth series on Radio 4. 
Toby Jones and his brother Rupert are...

Andrea Catherwood explores True Crime on Radio 4 in discussion with Winifred Robinson, the presenter of The Boy in The Woods, and commissioning editor Dan Clarke. As celebrations continue for the BBC's 100th anniversary, licence fee payers air their views on its future. Also, listeners react to that Miriam Margolyes moment on the Today programme and our Vox Box reviewers Cushla and Lee give their...

In the first programme of a new series, Andrea Catherwood discusses BBC coverage of the Queen’s funeral with Royal Correspondent Jonny Dymond and the BBC’s Director of Journalism, Jonathan Munro. Kate Bush’s musical renaissance featured in a recent Archive on 4. We put two young listeners in our Vox Box to review Kate Bush: The Power of Strange Things. And a panel of listeners from across the UK g...

There are 1.4 billion people in China, and one BBC correspondent in Feedback this week, Stephen McDonell, explains how he tries to find out what is really going on in that vast country. Lewis MacLeod of Radio 4’s Dead Ringers explains how he manages to morph seamlessly from Boris Johnson to Donald Trump mid-sentence. And, as he presents the programme for the last time, a listener puts questions fr...

A BBC correspondent recently returned from Afghanistan, Yogita Limaye, tells Roger Bolton what it's like to report from the country, and what restrictions are placed on her by the Taliban. The former government minister Rory Stewart explains what he is hoping to achieve in his Radio 4 series The History of Argument. And two listeners are up with the lark to listen to Farming Today on Radio 4. Was...

Radio 4 Drama Commissioner Alison Hindell answers comments from listeners, discusses the changing nature of audio drama and responds to criticism of a drama about David Cameron written by his former director of communications. There has been strong reaction to comments made on the Today programme about the Hillsborough disaster, which were not robustly challenged by the presenter. And a husband an...

Can you believe BBC weather forecasters when they link extreme temperatures with climate change? BBC Meteorologist Tomasz Schafernaker discusses reporting of the recent heatwave and the linking of it to climate change, as well as answering comments from a listener comparing it to the summer of ‘76. The BBC Scotland Editor James Cook explains how he manages to remain impartial, as the independence...

Do the Culture wars have to be fought to the death? Can either side be persuaded to listen calmly to the other’s point of view? That's what Radio 4 is trying to achieve through its new series AntiSocial. The Editor Emma Rippon explains why, and how. Is lunchtime an appropriate time to discuss menstruation on Radio 4? The Presenter of 28ish Days Later, India Rakusen, tells Roger Bolton why she thin...

The BBC’s Environment Analyst tells Roger Bolton he is scared about what is happening to the climate. Roger Harrabin, who is shortly to leave the Corporation, gives Feedback a frank and revealing interview about climate change, the way politicians are dealing with it, and the way the BBC covers it. Adam Fleming talks about his new eight part podcast and series on Radio 4 about the origins and down...

Are BBC journalists enjoying the Conservative party leadership crisis a little too much? Even delighting in the demise of Boris Johnson? That is the suspicion of some Feedback listeners. Roger Bolton puts this accusation to the Today Programme’s Justin Webb, who also discusses impartiality and what it is like to be in the middle of a political maelstrom. Roger Mosey the former Editorial Director o...

Why did Emily Maitlis, the former Newsnight presenter, want to make eight programmes about an American official who died 50 years ago? Roger Bolton asks her about her Radio 4 series which recounted the career of J Edgar Hoover, the man who made presidents tremble and became probably the most powerful non-elected official in the USA. Was he the ‘deep state’ personified? Also, Dr Michael Moseley of...

What is it like being the BBC’s Defence Correspondent during the Russian Ukrainian conflict? How does he work out what is fact and what is propaganda? Jonathan Beale answers listeners’ questions. Listeners also give their views on where inevitable cuts are to be made at the Corporation. And do young farmers find the Archers storylines credible? Presenter: Roger Bolton Producer: Kate Dixon Executiv...

Should music that accompanies video games be played at the BBC Proms? On Feedback this week the man in charge of the Proms, Radio 3 Controller Alan Davey, will explain why that sort of music forms part of this year’s programme. Also, whether any Russian music or musicians will be taking part. He also responds to listeners’ questions and explains how he plans to get more young people listening to h...

Are there some words which should never be broadcast, even if they are used by Bob Dylan in one of his songs? BBC Radio 6 Music has edited the use of the n-word from his 1976 anti-racist song Hurricane, about the imprisonment of boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter. In Feedback this week, Sir Trevor Phillips and Marverine Cole give contrasting views about the use of this most offensive of words, particu...

What is going on in the mind of Vladimir Putin? A new Radio 4 series has been trying to answer that question. Roger Bolton asks the Presenter of ‘Putin’, Jonny Dymond, if he thinks he knows, and puts listener reaction to him Neil MacGregor discusses his latest Radio 4 series The Museums that Make us. What does he think museums are for? And two non-radio listeners are exposed to a French and Saunde...