Feedback

Radio 4's forum for comments, queries, criticisms and congratulations

  • 28 minutes 36 seconds
    BBC Radio 3 Unwind, and farmers' inheritance tax.

    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

    21 November 2024, 4:00 pm
  • 28 minutes 22 seconds
    BBC news service cuts. Johnny Marr's Great British Groups. In Our Time

    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

    14 November 2024, 3:58 pm
  • 28 minutes 30 seconds
    The US election, and the end of Open Book

    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

    7 November 2024, 4:00 pm
  • 28 minutes 1 second
    Surviving Politics with Michael Gove. A Point of View. The Food Programme.

    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

    31 October 2024, 4:00 pm
  • 27 minutes 57 seconds
    Last Word selection criteria, how BBC presenters handle Middle East interviews, and Archers Podcast launch

    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

    24 October 2024, 3:00 pm
  • 28 minutes 6 seconds
    What is the BBC's plan for younger listeners?

    The future of the BBC depends on renewing its listener base - but younger people are switching off linear radio and focusing on personally tailored forms of media. So how does the BBC compete, and what are its strategies for winning over younger listeners?

    Andrea Catherwood speaks to Matt Walsh from the University of Cardiff, hears a panel of students discuss their listening habits, and quizzes BBC Sounds commissioning editor Dylan Haskins and Head of Radio 1 Aled Haydn Jones on what they're doing to try and attract new generations of listeners. She also asks whether the BBC's focus on newer listeners could risk alienating existing, loyal audiences.

    And reporter John Rogers goes behind the scenes at youth oriented news podcast Reliable Sauce.

    Producer: Leeanne Coyle

    A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

    15 August 2024, 3:00 pm
  • 28 minutes 42 seconds
    Archers Special

    Andrea Catherwood brings listener questions and comments to the most controversial place in the Feedback inbox - Ambridge.

    The Archers has been running since 1951, and its distinctive theme tune is one of the sounds the nation most associates with Radio 4. Andrea goes behind the scenes to hear more about how it is recorded, how actors develop characters over their real time lifetimes, and puts your questions to the Editor on the balance between high drama and the maintaining the values of the Archers as an "everyday story of country folk".

    Presented by Andrea Catherwood Produced by Leeanne Coyle A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

    8 August 2024, 3:00 pm
  • 28 minutes 39 seconds
    God Next Door. Justin Webb on American Election Coverage. Petroc Trelawny R3 Breakfast Road Trip

    Andrea Catherwood brings listeners questions to the broadcaster and journalist Darryl Morris and Executive Producer Jo Meek - makers of Radio 4’s documentary God Next Door. Darryl has spent a considerable amount of time talking to James from Manchester, a landscape Gardner who believes himself to be God and has a number of followers in the local community who share his belief.

    There’s been a sensational cycle of breaking stories in the U.S. presidential campaign during the month of July. Many Feedback listeners have been concerned that this has dominated much of our news. Andrea puts these points to Justin Webb - Today presenter, co-host of Americast and Former North America Editor.

    Imagine taking a week long Summer break, discovering new places, experiencing a wide range of culture and music with moving from your radio. The Feedback inbox has been overflowing with praise for Petroc Trelawny’s Breakfast Road Trip to the North East of England which was broadcast live every morning last week. Taking a break from preparations for the The Prom at the Royal Albert Hall, Petroc came on Feedback to give some insight into how a week out and about works.

    Presented by Andrea Catherwood Produced by Pauline Moore A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

    1 August 2024, 3:00 pm
  • 28 minutes 22 seconds
    Behind the Crime, World Service and Any Answers

    Andrea Catherwood gets under the skin of Radio 4's Behind the Crime, putting listeners' views to Dr Sally Tilt and Dr Kerensa Hocken, the forensic psychologists who devote each programme to interviewing one former criminal in depth, to unpick how their life experiences contributed to their decisions to offend.

    The Director of the World Service recently resigned from her post. Liliane Landor talks about the challenges of budget cuts and her concerns for the station's future, while World Service listeners say what the World Service means to them.

    Feedback is always keen to hear listeners' nominations for the programme's Interview of the Year - anything that made you stop in your tracks, cry, laugh-out-loud, or completely change your thinking on a subject. The latest nomination comes for a chat between Alex Hartley, Kate Cross and Olivia Thomas - all members of the Lancashire Thunder Cricket team - on the No Balls Podcast on BBC Sounds.

    And listeners have been in touch about the unflappable Any Answers presenter Anita Anand and the technical issues she dealt with on last weekend's programme. It was every live broadcasters' nightmare - a phone in with no phones!

    Presented by Andrea Catherwood Produced by Pauline Moore A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

    25 July 2024, 3:00 pm
  • 28 minutes 15 seconds
    BBC News Podcasts, Alex Forsyth, Geoff Norcott's Working Mens Club

    Andrea Catherwood brings Feedback listeners' thoughts and views on news and politics podcasts to the BBC's Senior News Editor Sam Bonham and Political Correspondent Alex Forsyth - and asks if this was the first real podcast election.

    Two listeners enter the Feedback Vox Box to talk about the new Radio 4 comedy series, Geoff Norcott's Working Mens Club. And the comedian himself joins Andrea to respond to the review and talk about the role of the right leaning comic on Radio 4.

    Presented by Andrea Catherwood Produced by Pauline Moore A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

    18 July 2024, 3:00 pm
  • 27 minutes 28 seconds
    Election Coverage on Audio, Dotun Adebayo - Up All Night, Simon Boas interview on Today

    Andrea Catherwood puts listeners' views on the cut and thrust of the six week election coverage to Jonathan Munro, the BBC's Director of Journalism.

    The ability to fill time is a key skill for any live broadcaster. Things don't always run smoothly - so what does it take to fill successfully. Dotun Adebayo, presenter of Radio 5 Live's Up All Night is an acknowledged master of the art and shares some of his secrets.

    Feedback's Interview of the Year has been attracting nominations. This week, many listeners picked Emma Barnett's interview with Simon Boas on the Today programme on Thursday 4th July. Simon and Emma talked about his terminal illness and how he is facing the final days of his life. Listeners found his optimism and sense of happiness a real inspiration.

    And Feedback still wants to hear your suggestions for the Interview that stopped you in your tracks. It could be a thought-provoking or emotive personal story, the moment an evasive politician gets nailed to the wall, or just something that made you laugh out loud.

    Next week Feedback is digging into the increasingly central role podcasts seem to be playing, not just during the UK Election but in its news and politics coverage in general. Are you a fan? Do get in touch with your views on BBC news podcasts. Presented by Andrea Catherwood Produced by Pauline Moore A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

    11 July 2024, 4:36 pm
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