Andrea Catherwood presents the programme that hears your views on BBC audio.

This week, the first ever Feedback Forum brings together groups of keen listeners who enjoy all kinds of speech content. Radio 4 loyalists, together with younger listeners who don't own radios, and who get all their content "on-demand", share what they like and dislike from BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds.

There's a lot of enthusiasm for some of the network's long running favourites. In Our Time has been devoured by young and old listeners, who admire the 85 year old presenter, Melvyn Bragg, for his "sassiness" and authority.

The Archers, with it's new timeslots, and podcast, generates strong emotions, with the sentencing of George Grundy gripping the group.

The arrival of Emma Barnett on the Today programme brings praise for a more informal and youthful approach, but also some irritation with what one person says is too much ongoing enthusiasm for her new job.

Marianna Spring's library of content on conspiracies leads some in the group to consider their own listening, and there is a lively debate about whether a diet of pure "on-demand" content means algorithms pulling listeners into echo chambers.

2024 was a year of high audiences across all radio with Radio 4 attracting approaching 10 million listeners a week. But persuading the next generation to tune in is crucial to its long term future, so the production team ask some of the keen podcasters to try out some radio content. Find out if minds are changed in this special edition of Feedback.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Marie Helly Assistant Producer: Rebecca Guthrie Executive Producer: David Prest

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

Andrea Catherwood announces the results of Feedback's Interview of The Year.

"It’s been a long process, beginning right back in January," says Andrea. "We've been asking you all year to tell us about exceptional interviews anywhere on BBC Radio or podcasts that have really stopped you in your tracks, made you think again about something or showed off the exceptional skill of an interviewer."

From listener suggestions and comments, the Feedback team compiled a short list of ten interviews, which was then handed to a jury made up of Feedback listeners to decide on the winners. They were asked to base their scores on insight, impact and interviewer skill.

In this programme, we'll hear extracts from all ten shortlisted interviews, speak to the top three finalists, and at the end of the programme, Andrea will reveal the listeners choice of the overall winner of The Feedback Interview of the Year.

Producers: Rebecca Guthrie and David Prest Judging panel co-ordinator: Mike Hally A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

Comedy on BBC Radio 4 generates a lot of discussion in the Feedback inbox, and this year's been no different, especially after the introduction of a new raft of comedy commissions over the last twelve months. Andrea Catherwood talks to to Julia McKenzie, Commissioning Editor for Comedy and Entertainment, and Jon Holmes, comedian and creator of one of those new commissions, The Naked Week - and they respond to listener comments and critiques.

And as Christmas approaches, we go behind the scenes in King's College Chapel as preparations take place for Radio 4's annual Christmas Eve broadcast of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Assistant Producer: Rebecca Guthrie Executive Producer: David Prest

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

Andrea Catherwood presents the programme that hears your views on BBC audio.

A new series of The Reith Lectures is underway, presented by forensic psychologist Dr Gwen Adshead. She poses four questions about violence and the prison system - and so two listeners who work in prison services and have lived experience of being in prison visited our VoxBox to give their thoughts on the broadcasts. Paula Harriott, Chief Executive of the charity Unlock, and Marc Conway, CEO of Fair Justice, give their assessment on how Gwen answered her own questions.

And following last week's episode of Feedback many listeners jumped to the defence of a recent Archers storyline featuring a holiday lets scam. But why did some say that it was getting them in the Christmas spirit?

We also heard from more listeners on the end of Short Cuts, the programme that highlights short and experimental audio documentaries by makers from around the world.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Executive Producer: David Prest

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

A raft of scam-themed programming went out across BBC channels last week, with the aim of raising awareness about the hoaxes often found hidden in plain sight. Long running drama The Archers fulfilled the brief wholeheartedly as visitors to Ambridge found themselves hoodwinked into buying fake holiday lets online, with unpleasant consequences. But did listeners think it was believable?

Short Cuts, Radio 4's experimental programme showcasing short documentaries is being taken off the airwaves after the end of the current series. There's been an outcry from the audio production community as it is how many programme makers get their Radio 4 debut. Andrea talks to Talia Augustidis, one of the audio makers behind a petition pushing back on the changes, and Charlotte Petts, a listener and freelance audio producer.

The Naked Week, the new Friday evening comedy, has been launched, and presenter Andrew Hunter Murray joked about Feedback listeners getting in touch about the programme's debut. That's exactly what they did, and here's what they said.

Finally, veteran broadcaster Mishal Husain announced that she will be leaving the Today Programme this month. Listeners contacted us to wish Mishal well, after almost 25 years at the BBC.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Executive Producer: David Prest

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

This year there's been no shortage of material for the latest series of Dead Ringers. Andrea Catherwood is joined by cast member Jan Ravens and Richard Morris, Creative Director of Comedy and Entertainment for BBC Studios, and asks if it's still possible to make light of serious matters.

In a previous episode of Feedback we heard from John McAndrew, Director of Programmes for BBC News, who defended the recent cuts to BBC News including the axing of HARDtalk and Radio 4's 5.30am News Briefing, among others. Following that interview, listeners have had more to say about the decision. We hear their responses on what will be missed, and whether or not the changes are justified.

And as submissions for Feedback's Interview of the Year close, we hear one more pick - from listener Calum, who had high praise for an episode of Desert Island Discs in which Lauren Laverne interviewed Shirine Khoury-Haq, the first woman CEO of the Co-Op.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Executive Producer: David Prest

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 3 has unveiled a new online-only stream - Unwind. It's dedicated to calming classical music and broadcasts 24/7 on BBC Sounds. For some listeners it's unlocked the mystery of a good night's sleep, but for others the playlists are more mindless than mindful. Andrea Catherwood puts your comments to Radio 3 Controller Sam Jackson.

In a week where farmers shot to the top of the news agenda following changes to their inheritance tax exemptions in the 2024 Budget, Andrea talks to Dimitri Houtart - who was until recently the Executive Editor of Rural Affairs, and Rural Affairs Champion at the BBC. Has Radio 4's reporting managed to cut through the sound of tractors roaring down Whitehall? And how do you push for fair coverage of rural communities inside the BBC?

And with only a few weeks to go before Feedback unveils the Interview of the Year 2024, one listener nominates John Wilson's conversation with writer Hanif Kureishi, for This Cultural Life.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Executive Producer: David Prest

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

Andrea Catherwood sits down with Director of BBC News Programmes John McAndrew to get answers on listeners' comments following the announcement of cuts - including the axing of long running World Service programme Hard Talk, with Stephen Sackur, the closure of the Asian Network's news team, a reshuffle for overnight bulletins on Radio 2 and 5Live and cutting R4's News Briefing at 0530.

Two music obsessives drop into our VoxBox to give their views on Johnny Marr's Great British Groups, a recent series on Radio 2. But did the legendary guitarist manage to settle the debate on the UK's best band once and for all?

And following a week of US election news, listeners got in touch about something that might seem unlikely - the discussion of the life and works of 17th century poet George Herbert on In Our Time. A reading of "the most beautiful poem in the world" in which Love welcomes us like a pub landlord, some singing, and the expertise of three Herbert-ologists made for, in some listeners' views, an uplifting audio experience.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Executive Producer: David Prest

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

As the dust settles on the American election, we hear from Ric Bailey, Chief Adviser for Politics in BBC Editorial Policy, about how the corporation has tackled its coverage of an eventful campaigning period, and a momentous result.

After we heard from listeners on what seemed like an abrupt end to long-running literature programme Open Book, Andrea talks to former presenter Mariella Frostrup, and Arts Commissioner for Radio 4 Matthew Dodd about its legacy and what the station's future literary offerings look like.

And one listener nominates George Clarke's interview about the Grenfell Inquiry on the Today Programme for Interview of the Year.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Executive Producer: David Prest

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

In this week's episode of Feedback, former Labour Cabinet Minister Alan Johnson adds his voice to the listener comments on Radio 4's short podcast series Surviving Politics with Michael Gove.

Radio 2 listeners share their tributes and memories of Johnnie Walker who signed off Sounds of the Seventies last weekend ,after 58 years of broadcasting.

A Point of View's American election opinions has listeners offering their views.

And Andrea talks to a Feedback listener who drove around in his car to hear the end of the The Food Programme's Eating on the Spectrum episode - which he says was broadcasting at it's best.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Executive Producer: David Prest

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

In the first episode of the new series, former producer Neil George explains the selection criteria behind Radio 4's obit show Last Word. Suzanne Franks, professor of journalism at City St George's, University of London, helps navigate issues of impartiality when interviewing representatives of opposing sides in the Middle East conflict. And as a new Archers podcast is launched, listeners react to an on-air slip from presenter Emma Freud.

Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Executive Producer: David Prest

A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4