Roger Bolton's Beeb Watch

Prof Cathy Johnson, a leading expert on public service media who has advised Ofcom and contributed to numerous parliamentary select committees and government investigations, discusses the implications of the ITV–Sky deal for ITV, Channel 4, ITN and Sky News, and what it means for the shrinking group of purely British public service broadcasters. We unpack the government’s green paper, “Watch This...

Jonathan Heawood, executive director of the Public Interest News Foundation and founder of Impress , discusses the rise of Manchester’s independent newsletter The Mill - widely praised for its coverage of Andy Burnham - and what it reveals about rebuilding local journalism: from new business models for independents and partnerships with the BBC, to press regulation and why strong local media is es...

Former BBC Radio 4 Controller, Deputy Director of News and BBC Trustee Mark Damazer reflects on the BBC cuts announced last week and how such decisions are really made. He examines whether the reductions are justified, the trade‑off between chasing new audiences and providing high‑quality journalism, and how far the BBC’s digital‑first strategy should apply to radio as well as television — and at...

Tom Loxley, brand and editorial director of Radio Times, discusses what hundreds of readers’ letters reveal about the BBC at a time of deep budget cuts, job losses and declining trust in news. We talk about Radio Times’ historic ties to the BBC, why its readers still feel like stakeholders in public service broadcasting, how they really view issues like trust, impartiality and the licence fee, and...

Caroline Dinenage, Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee, is chairing an inquiry into the BBC’s Royal Charter Review. We discuss the renewal timetable, possible reforms to BBC governance, alternative funding models and countering the global tech and streaming giants. We also discuss pressures on the new Director-General, cuts in BBC funding, impartiality and Ofcom’s handling of GB...

Former BBC Director of Communications (2013–2025) John Shield explains why he believes the BBC should be ready to go on GB News and other hostile platforms to make its case. He also discusses the Panorama edit, the BBC’s wider communications challenges, and his advice to incoming Director General Matt Brittin on visibility, handling criticism, engaging in public debate, and the future of publ...

After BBC Panorama’s investigation into Channel 4’s Married at First Sight raised fresh questions about reality television, Professor Helen Wood of Aston University discusses what’s really happening behind the scenes. Drawing on her three‑year ReCARE TV study and her role advising the 2019 parliamentary inquiry into reality TV, we talk about casting, consent, working conditions and duty of care in...

Rob Burley, writer and former BBC live political programming editor and Newsnight deputy editor, has recently published a long-form UnHerd article, “Inside the Capture of the BBC: How Transgenderism Killed Impartiality.” We discuss why he chose to examine the BBC’s handling of coverage related to sex and gender, how a 2013 change to the BBC style guide and subsequent diversity and inclusion polici...

Adam Boulton, former Political Editor of Sky News and now a Times Radio presenter, discusses the political turbulence surrounding Keir Starmer’s position and the state of news coverage after local election results appeared to confirm the end of our old binary politics. We explore whether the rise of multi‑party politics affects ‘due impartiality’ and the substance and depth of broadcast coverage.&...

Chris Banatvala, Ofcom’s founding Director of Standards and former executive member of its Content Board, discusses what’s in the new chair of Ofcom’s in-tray. We discuss why ‘due impartiality’ has become so contested, the blurred line between news and current affairs, and what it means when politicians front TV shows on channels they’re closely associated with. Chris reflects on Ofcom’s evolving...

Richard Tait CBE is Professor of Journalism at Cardiff University. Previously he was editor of  Newsnight, Channel 4 News , Editor-in-Chief of ITN, and a BBC governor, trustee and chair of the Trust’s editorial standards committee. In this episode we talk about the letter of advice he’s written to the incoming BBC Director General, Matt Brittin – including the key app...

Is British democracy being reshaped by money, media and neglected regulation? Liam Byrne MP, chair of the House of Commons Business and Trade Committee, thinks the threat is serious. We discuss his book  Why Populists Are Winning and How to Beat Them  and sets out how populist movements are gaining ground in the UK and around the world. We examine who is funding right‑wing media and poli...

Prof Lee Edwards, chair of the Media Reform Coalition and Professor at the LSE, discusses Lisa Nandy’s speech on a permanent BBC charter, the handling of the charter review consultation, the new Director General and wider questions about how the corporation is held to account. To support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 per month www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership &...

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 Servic...

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...

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...

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 a...

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 ne...

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...

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. W...

Phil Riley is one of commercial radio’s most experienced executives, former chief executive of Chrysalis Radio and now co‑founder and chief executive of Boom Radio, the station created for Britain’s baby boomers. We discuss current ideas for funding the BBC – including proposals around BBC Sounds and a possible “radio licence” – and what they could mean for both the BBC and commercial radio. We al...

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 me...

Lee Edwards, Professor of Strategic Communications and Public Engagement at the London School of Economics, and Chair of the Media Reform Coalition, discusses in detail the government’s green paper on the BBC’s future: the consultation process and timetable; proposed changes to BBC funding—including the possibility of a household levy; principles of universality and public service; and questions a...

Sir Max Hastings, historian and former editor of the Daily Telegraph and London Evening Standard, discusses Donald Trump’s attack on the BBC, the roots of hostility toward the broadcaster, and the impact of ongoing financial cuts—including what the BBC should prioritise. We also explore editorial challenges, leadership dilemmas, the vital role of the World Service, media coverage of the Middle Eas...

Michael Delahaye, veteran BBC journalist and author of "After the Fall: The Battle to Save Independent Media in the Post-Soviet World," joins us to share his firsthand experiences supporting independent journalism across Russia and the former Soviet republics.    We discuss the challenges faced by journalists in a country without a history of independent journalism, the impact of Putin,...