Feedback

It's the first of a new series, and one of the big stories over the summer was the Olympic Games in Rio. But are Radio 4 news bulletins the place for sports coverage - and did the BBC go too far in championing Team GB? Feedback listeners have their say, and Roger Bolton puts their thoughts to Editor of Radio 4's Six O'clock News, Dominic Ball. The long-awaited trial of Helen for attempted murder h...

Roger Bolton hears the questions and concerns of BBC radio listeners. This series, one issue has been top of the Feedback agenda - impartiality. The surge in questions and comments from listeners was initially sparked by the EU Referendum coverage, with concerns that striving for impartiality meant the BBC did not sufficiently scrutinise the campaigns and determine which conflicting claims were ri...

Is it right to refer to a politician using just their first name? It's a question posed by some Feedback listeners after reporters referred to the new Foreign Secretary as simply "Boris". They are asking why he appears to be an exception to the rule and, more pertinently, if this note of familiarity softens the tone of interviews. And are this year's Proms getting a shake-up? Having celebrated its...

The unpredictable and fast-moving political landscape post-Brexit continues to dominate the headlines and listeners remain divided over whether the BBC's coverage has been as "duly impartial" as its Charter requires. The "political earthquake" caused by last month's vote has presented special challenges to BBC Radio News - not just in terms of balance but also because of the sheer speed with which...

Following the confirmation that the UK had voted to leave the European Union, BBC Radio 5Live cancelled their planned schedules and extended their phone-ins after being contacted by thousands of listeners. But some Feedback correspondents question whether the result merited the such comprehensive coverage and why some sports coverage was shelved. Other listeners have also queried the benefit of he...

The long-awaited decision day has finally arrived. Votes have been cast and campaigns have come to an end. But that hasn't halted your questions, comments and queries on how the BBC has reported on and covered the EU Referendum. In this special edition of Feedback, listeners put forward their views on whether BBC news as a whole has been an aid in your decision making. Throughout the campaign, the...

Radio 4's Today Programme on Monday morning focused largely on the shooting at a gay club in Orlando. Unfolding details were assessed by a variety of interviewees, but some listeners felt the discussions failed to explore questions around homophobia. They called for Radio 4 aficionado Luke Howard tells Roger Bolton why he felt particularly let down and calls for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgen...

Roger Bolton explores listener reaction to BBC radio. The death of boxing legend Muhammad Ali blazed across BBC output in the last week - but did this coverage fail to portray the two sides of his character? Listeners questioned whether the reporting focused too heavily on his success and iconic image and neglected his more controversial moments. Controller of daily news programmes Gavin Allen exp...

With one of the biggest national decisions inching closer, listeners give their verdict on the BBC's referendum coverage so far. Some feel that the network is giving more attention to one side of the campaign - particularly in its headline reporting - others are concerned that the BBC is only reflecting a limited set of views. Most pertinently, those following the coverage ask whether the corporat...

Roger Bolton discusses listener reaction to programmes on BBC radio. This week, sports journalists have been kept particularly busy with speculation over Jose Mourinho's arrival as the new manager of Manchester United. But should the story have been headline news on BBC Radio 4? The Editor of the BBC Radio Newsroom, Richard Clark, responds to listeners' complaints. Radio 4's School Drama has earne...

Roger Bolton hears listener concerns about the timing of Radio 4's World on the Move day during the EU Referendum, Soul Music brings back childhood memories and there's discussion about the end of What the Papers Say. On Monday, Radio 4 and BBC News dedicated a day to the topic of migration - World on the Move. Plenty of listeners welcomed the focus and admired the ambitious programming, including...

This week the government released its long-anticipated white paper setting out its views on how the BBC's charter should be reformed and implemented over the next eleven years. Listener discuss their questions and concerns with Roger Bolton and Colin Browne from the Voice of the Listener and Viewer - from how the 'distinctiveness' of the BBC will be measured to a welcome note from the government a...

The Archers' plot of Rob abusing Helen has been a source of constant discussion among the Ambridge faithful. Is it too painful to continue? Is it too important to lose? And, is the depiction of domestic abuse true to life? Polly Neate, CEO of Women's Aid, a charity that advised the programme makers on the reality of abuse, joins Roger Bolton to explain whether she feels that the storyline provides...

Roger Bolton asks if Desert Island Discs allowed itself to become too political when it invited nuclear scientist Dame Sue Ion to be a castaway. Dame Sue Ion has long been a campaigner for nuclear energy, and some listeners felt that the much loved Radio 4 stalwart Desert Island Discs was the wrong platform for her to talk about that political belief. Editor Rebecca Stratford joins Roger to discus...

Roger Bolton asks if the BBC has had too much coverage of the US Presidential election - and if it is anti Donald Trump. The long process of selecting the next President of the United States is well underway, and some listeners are already bored stiff, while others are concerned that BBC reporters have lost their objectivity when it comes to unlikely Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. Roger Bolt...

Roger Bolton discusses audience comments about The Bottom Line with Evan Davis, finds out about Radio 4's new comedy commissions, and hears listener reactions to an explicit drama. It's been ten years since Evan Davis started presenting The Bottom Line, Radio 4's business chat show which aimed to bring senior and expert voices from the City to a broader audience. Evan reflects on the programme wit...

Roger Bolton with listener questions and comments on the EU referendum coverage, BBC diversity, stultifying sport and the continued furore over Rob and Helen in The Archers. With the EU referendum date set and the battle between 'leave' and 'remain' set to dominate the headlines until June, the BBC's Chief Political Adviser Ric Bailey joins Feedback to address listeners' questions about how the re...

Feedback returns with the BBC Radio issues that matter most to you - from the coverage of Junior Doctors' debate and David Bowie's death, to a tough listen in The Archers and a documentary that invites you to see with your ears. When David Bowie died, Radio 4's news programmes dedicated much of the day's coverage to the star. Many listeners felt the coverage was disproportionate. Jamie Angus, edit...

On Wednesday James Naughtie made an emotional sign off on the Today programme as he left the presenter seat after 21 years. What were listeners' favourite Naughtie moments? We hear highlights from two decades of broadcasting, from discussion of Auberon Waugh's nipples to the famous Jeremy Hunt gaff. In the aftermath of the Scottish referendum, and the SNP's success in the general election, BBC Sco...

Radio 4's forum for listener comment.

The British Government has just allocated £289 million to the World Service for the next five years, in a bid to promote UK soft power. But where will this money go, and what does this mean for the BBC's independence? Roger Bolton talks to the Director of the BBC World Service Group Francesca Unsworth. With the arrival of Advent came a Radio 3 Carol Service, performed by the Choir of St John's Col...

Roger Bolton airs audience views on BBC radio output, including a controversy in local radio, new funding for the World Service, and the fresh comedy duo The Pin. Earlier this month, presenter Iain Lee hosted a controversial discussion about Christianity and LGBT rights on his BBC Three Counties radio breakfast show. The heated interviews divided listeners and Iain Lee has now left the station. Ca...

On Friday 13th November, Paris became the site of Western Europe's deadliest terrorist attack in over ten years. From the immediate aftermath of the attacks through to the end of the weekend and into this week, the story received heavy coverage across all BBC Radio networks, with BBC Radio 5 Live dedicating a whole day to rolling news about Paris on Saturday. It was a major story, but was BBC Radi...

High level scrutiny and the need for further savings shines a light on every corner of BBC. This week Roger Bolton is in Sheffield to find out what listeners think about their BBC local radio stations. He speaks to Sheffield listeners and hears how holding local figures to account, local knowledge, companionship and reflecting the local community are key to keeping listeners engaged. But across En...

Roger Bolton hears listeners' views on Vanessa Feltz's interview with a gay man awarded £7,500 by a judge in a landmark case. The man was said to have been a victim of discrimination that was purely non-verbal after he claimed he had been abused by a member of shop staff who used homophobic gestures at him over several months. Some listeners felt that the exchange went too far and forced the man i...