Roger Bolton's Beeb Watch

David Lloyd, broadcasting consultant, former regulator and co-founder of Boom Radio, discusses the government’s £6 million local journalism fund and the difference targeted support can make to small local projects. He also considers why further BBC local radio cuts have reignited questions about local voices and community connection, possible ways to support local audio, and Ofcom’s role in overse...

Alan Rusbridger, former editor-in-chief of The Guardian and former editor of Prospect , discusses the BBC’s funding crisis, the government’s response and why reliable information matters as a public good. We examine BBC governance: who sits on its board and editorial committees, whether journalism is properly represented, and what that means for independence, accountability and the BBC’s response...

Stephen Sackur, former presenter of BBC HARDtalk and a BBC journalist for nearly four decades, discusses his book Hard Truth , why he wrote it, and what the careers of ten very different reporters can tell us about journalism today. We explore impartiality across different political systems, and how it relates to the work of reporters like Anna Politkovskaya and Daphne Caruana Galizia. We also dis...

Jake Kanter, investigations editor at Deadline , discusses the BBC’s appointment of Rachel Jupp as director of news and the challenges facing the broadcaster, from finances and proposed cuts to its shift towards digital. He also examines the pressures facing Channel 4, and reflects on Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's comments on broadcasting as the BBC's Royal Charter renewal approaches. To...

Roger Mosey, former editor of The Today Programme , Head of BBC Television News, Director of BBC Sport and the BBC’s Director for London 2012, discusses Matt Brittin’s interview with Laura Kuenssberg, the widening cuts to BBC news and sport, and what he believes is missing from the Corporation’s case for its own future. We explore whether the BBC has a clear enough vision of what it wants to be; h...

Dr Tom Chivers, whose PhD examined the last BBC Charter Review and who now serves as Vice Chair of the Media Reform Coalition, discusses the government’s reluctance to hold meaningful public consultations on the next Charter, the growing financial crisis at the BBC, and the threat posed by hyper-concentrated media ownership and new partisan channels. We explore how public service content can remai...

Sir John Whittingdale is one of the most experienced UK parliamentarians on BBC governance, having negotiated the current BBC Charter as Culture Secretary and later steered the Media Act 2024 as Minister of State. In this episode, he explains how the current BBC Charter renewal process differs from the last one, the growing financial pressures on the corporation, and why he believes the BBC should...

Matt Deegan is a media entrepreneur, radio executive and podcast maker who’s recently written a provocative piece for Broadcast arguing that the only way to save the BBC might be to “blow it up” – by breaking it into five interdependent parts and radically rethinking how we fund public service content. We discuss why he believes the BBC faces an existential crisis, why serious public debate has be...

Iain Dale is one of Britain’s most familiar political voices – LBC presenter, publisher, columnist, and lifelong conservative – and now the author of a strikingly candid memoir, Have I Said Too Much? We discuss his journey from an Essex farm to the heart of Westminster media, his complicated relationship with the Conservative Party, and why he believes the BBC has lost its way without losing its i...

Lord Michael Grade – former controller of BBC One, chief executive of Channel 4, chairman of both the BBC and ITV, and most recently chair of Ofcom – reflects on what’s happening to Britain’s public service broadcasters as audiences splinter and the licence fee comes under strain. What funding model does he favour, what is the key question the BBC now faces, and can a channel like Channel 4 still...

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...