Roger Bolton's Beeb Watch

Jonathan Thompson is Chief Executive of Everyone TV , the organisation that runs free television in the UK.   In this episode Jonathan discusses the launch of the UK's newest streaming platform, Freely , which brings together live and on demand content from the UK's public service broadcasters. We explore what Freely offers, its accessibility, and its role in preserving public service broadca...

Dr. Tom Mills, Chair of the Media Reform Coalition and co-author of the report “Our Mutual Friend: The BBC in the Digital Age” , discusses a detailed proposal for the mutualisation of the BBC—an idea supported by Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy. He explains what it would mean for audiences to become active participants in the Corporation’s governance, how such a model could work in practice, and what...

Fresh from his BAFTA award, Patrick Spence, executive producer for Mr. Bates vs The Post Office discusses how the series was commissioned, why it was a success, how it was funded, the decline of certain TV drama genres, the crisis in the industry, the need of government support: levy vs tax breaks, the impact of tariffs, regional production, the streamers’ role and his upcoming project The Ha...

Rozina Breen is the CEO and Editor-in-Chief of The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) and formerly head of news at BBC Five Live and BBC North.   A speaker at the recent Sir Harry Evans Investigative Journalism Summit, Rozina discusses the event, the growing challenges facing journalism under the Trump administration, the importance of local and regional journalism, the BBC and the rol...

Jonathan Dimbleby is a veteran British broadcaster known for his long-form interviews on BBC and ITV, and as host of Radio 4’s Any Questions . In this episode, we discuss his latest book on World War II, the use of a journalistic background in writing history, challenging historical myths, the ‘special relationship’ between the US and Britain, the rise of populism and parallels between current pol...

Nick Kent is the chief executive and creative director of Oxford Films, which made this week’s BBC Two documentary "Simon Schama: The Road to Auschwitz". We discuss the challenges making an impactful 60 minute documentary which explores the Holocaust's broader historical context, the role of language and visual imagery, ethical considerations in portraying the Holocaust and the importance of publi...

James Cridland is the editor of Podnews and a radio futurologist— a writer, consultant, and public speaker on radio’s future. We discuss the BBC’s Annual Plan, its financial challenges, the impending changes to BBC Sounds' international access, the intricate challenges of rights management, potential revenue streams, and the delicate balance between public service broadcasting and commercial imper...

Kirsty Lang began her BBC career in 1986 and worked as the Central Europe correspondent for the BBC World Service and as a reporter on Newsnight . After a stint as The Sunday Times’ Paris correspondent, Kirsty went on to present Channel 4 News . Since 2002, she has been a stalwart of Radio 4, presenting Front Row , Last Word , and Round Britain Quiz . We discuss the BBC's financial squeeze, its pl...

Prof Stewart Purvis is the former content regulator at Ofcom, a former Editor of Channel 4 News and ITN Chief Executive. As the Vice President of the Royal Television Society we discuss: the RTS Awards controversy withdrawing an award for Gaza journalists, Stewart’s experience reviewing BBC Middle East coverage and the fallout from the landmark GB News vs. Ofcom legal case and the ability of...

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown describes herself as a "lefty, liberal, anti-racist feminist, Muslim" who was born in Uganda and came to the UK in 1972. She is a journalist, columnist for The i Paper, and commentator. Yasmin is a strong advocate for human rights who supports Israel's right to exist while being critically engaged with its policies. On this week’s podcast we discuss the BBC’s handling of...

Richard Ayre is the chair of the UK's independent press regulator, Impress. Before that, he spent about thirty-five years at the BBC as a former controller of editorial policy and deputy chief executive of BBC News, before becoming a member of the BBC Trust. Richard is also a former member of the OFCOM content board. In this week's episode, we discuss BBC's DG Tim Davie and Chair Samir Shah's appe...

Tony Hall was the Director-General of the BBC from 2013 to 2020, during which time the BBC's Royal Charter was last renewed. We discuss the differences between that charter renewal process and the current one, as well as the key issues surrounding the upcoming renewal: a long-term vision, a permanent charter, a new funding model, accountability, and engagement with licence fee payers. We also addr...

Dan Thomas is the Global Media Editor at the Financial Times who broke the story on Sky News’ strategy and newsroom overhaul.  We discuss the strategic decisions facing all the major news organisations as they adapt to changing audience behaviours, regulation of social media, the future of all the public service broadcasters, BBC charter renewal, the BBC’s news operations in the US and d...

Rob Crilly is the Chief US Political Correspondent for The Daily Mail who has covered Donald Trump since his bid for the presidency in 2015. Part of the White House press corp and regularly travelling with the president, Rob offers unique insights into Trump’s personality, communication style, and the impact Trump has had on American politics and journalism. We discuss the challenges of cover...

Peter Kosminsky, the renowned British film and television director who recently directed the much-acclaimed Wolf Hall , discusses his career journey—from being sacked by the BBC Plays department to finally becoming a successful documentary-maker and filmmaker. He describes the creative process behind Wolf Hall , the challenges British filmmakers face in securing funding from streaming services for...

Adjoa Andoh is one of Britain's most celebrated actors, with an extensive career spanning stage, screen, and radio. She has appeared in iconic TV series like Doctor Who and Netflix’s Bridgerton , as well as making her Hollywood debut in Clint Eastwood's Invictus .   In this episode we discuss the importance of radio drama, concerns about the significant cuts to radio drama production, the pot...

This week we’ll be hearing from some of our nation’s greatest actors Bill Nighy and Adjoa Andoh on why they think the BBC should reverse the proposed cut to BBC Radio 3's sole drama slot and why they are seeking reassurances that there will be no reduction in the amount of drama on Radio 4. Make sure you don’t miss out on this episode which will be published later this week.   Listen to...

David Lloyd is a veteran of the local radio industry, with over 40 years of experience in roles at LBC, Virgin Radio, and the BBC. He also brings regulatory expertise from his time at the UK Radio Authority, now part of Ofcom. Today, he's a broadcaster and co-founder of Boom Radio, a relatively new UK station catering to baby boomers. In this episode, we discuss the state of BBC local radio, inclu...

David Elstein was the head of programming at BskyB, the director of programmes at Thames Television, before launching Channel 5 as its chief executive in 1997. Since then, he has chaired innumerable boards and organisations including the British Screen Advisory Council and Open Democracy . David was part of the last Conservative government's inquiry into the BBC’s future funding model, w...

Sir Richard Eyre, the renowned theatre and film director, who has served as a BBC Governor, shares his concerns over the cuts to radio drama programming, the broader challenges facing the BBC's cultural remit, the tensions between the BBC's public service mission and commercial pressures, and role of the BBC in nurturing and sustaining the UK's cultural landscape.   "I would say the BBC is th...

Conservative MP, Dame Caroline Dinenage is the Chair of the House of Commons Culture, Media and Sport Committee. We discuss the upcoming debates around the renewal of the BBC's charter, the crucial issues of the corporation's funding, impartiality, and role in public service broadcasting, as well as the future of the BBC World Service and the Greg Wallace revelations.   “We're entering a wint...

Peter York is a cultural commentator, author, and former Style Editor of Harper's & Queen magazine. He is best known for co-authoring the iconic Official Sloane Ranger Handbook in the 1980s. More recently, Peter has shifted his focus to more serious topics, including co-authoring The War Against the BBC with Professor Patrick Barwise.   This week, we discuss Peter’s latest book, A Dead Ca...

Andrew Greystone, writer and broadcaster, has played a pivotal role in exposing the abuse committed by John Smythe within the Church of England. In this discussion, he addresses the ongoing debate around the assisted dying bill, the media's approach to religion in ethical discussions, and the decline of religious literacy among journalists. He also shares the story behind uncovering Smythe’s abuse...

Roger Mosey, a former Editorial Director of the BBC, Head of TV News, and Director of Sport, discusses his lecture to the Commonwealth Journalists Association on the challenges facing public service media, the mainstream media's lack of understanding of political landscapes in the UK and US, clickbait, interactivity and audience connections, as well as cuts and talent drain at the BBC.   "The...

Professor Catherine Johnson from the University of Leeds discusses her role on the recently announced DCMS committee, which is examining the future of TV distribution. New research indicates that some viewers could be excluded from the general shift towards online viewership. We also explore the rise of YouTube, ways to ensure access to public service content, and how a household tax might work. &...