Read this: Brexit, BBC Sounds and 'University Unchallenged'

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts hello to Sue the BBC aging fascist to game that was one listens reaction to the Radio 4 documentary university unchallenged this program.

I'm going to be exploring an issue that has been worrying me and many others for sometime the possible emergence of a culture of conformity in feedback this week.

I lost the documentaries produced.

So why he decided to grasp the nettle of viewpoint diversity in academia, as absolutely is an important issue, which is worth discussing and I think some of the Debate that is follow the program actually confirms that this was a right judgement.

Well the culture Wars me continue about another long-running war as portrayed in the drama series Homefront has come to an end.

It's goodbye to all that have been very very best of Radio 4.

Thank you to all involved in this absolute gem.

As public figures such as Sandi Toksvig and Alice Roberts call for humanists to be heard on Radio 4 start for the day we'll find out if they have support him on feedback listers and for all you battling to adapt to the new app BBC sounds don't despair the tickets are coming to offer advice.

I think there's a little bit of just getting used to it and finding out that something which was in a certain place and iPlayer radio has changed to a different place in BBC sounds good first brexit thing is the numbers Rob has resigned just repeat the brexit.

Just as we were coming on here.

We heard that Mr rees-mogg has now written to Graham Brady to say that he has no confidence in the prime minister and recording the script on Thursday afternoon so far a handful of ministers have resigned since the publication of the draught withdrawal agreement who knows what would have happened by the time you hear this on Friday Ludlow Sunday

When I repeat goes out around 10:30 on Thursday morning.

I talk to the BBC Europe editor Katya Adler about what it's like to work in the eye of the brexit storm catchy advert with talking in the middle of ministerial resignations and at your latest post for the BBC said Ashton faced European diplomats haunt the corridors of Brussels with no sleep and are you asking face this morning or I've had to come you're finally handsome asleep.

I think I had absolutely no sleep for days because I was covering armistice commemorations across Europe on Sunday nevermind all the brexit shenanigans since Monday I don't think basis rather than ashen-faced but also because as a journalist that mean this is an extremely exciting story to cover you know things changing from moment to moment and also no of course I work for the British Broadcasting Corporation and this is such an emotionally as well as politically and socially important storage for all of our viewers and

Listen to and readers online as well, so you know it is off of huge significance important to new you carry a big responsibility.

I was sleeping they remove draught agreement was finally published.

I wonder where that was The Moment of Truth for you because you had to you know get something done in a dog.

Everywhere talk to everybody but in the end.

I was a little bit of you to sort and I missed something big that suddenly will be revealed when the draught agreement is out on the document because there was an official just leaving and I could see the white bits of paper inside an envelope and then I said how many pages are there any z585 that was just like seconds before it was it was actually published online and I just thought you know this is one of these moments as a journalist where you feel like a fraud because of live reporting these days.

You're expected to be an expert.

A two-way there is no way however much across the story iron.

My other colleagues reporting a brexit Ash that we could have inhaled already 585 pages of problems do people like me or absent my old job centre Qatar Airways published his catch up now.

Tell me that you wanted you but intense pressure from at your boss's to say this is the situation where the honest thing is I haven't read the 500 pages.

I don't know I can't commit and you must have been at various points in these negotiations under a lot of pressure to guests and to say to somebody if your boss is no, I can't say that quite tough isn't it? And I actually I haven't had to say that im in.

I would never have claim to read the 585 pages before had to think that the audience completely understanding.

I think is special in these days of people are so acutely sensitive to the idea of fake news and I think one should be honest you know obviously knowing the draught.

This agreement and inner being in the lucky position after a lot of hard work as well to have extremely good contact on the inside in the EU member states and in institutions and Brussels I had a very good idea of the main issues that we're going to appear in the withdrawal agreement exact wording in the 585 page document of course I couldn't predict and I would never pretend to have done so but very soon after it was published.

I knew as my colleagues did as well wetter sonoran very fast on the air is that people would want to talk about first they are the Irish backstop the wording of the Irish backstop.

Clearly the role of the European Court of Justice the menu notazone and on certain areas and then your honest when you go on a life.

I've got to trust your sources, but you never entirely Trust what they tell you do you you always try and put it put the old caviar did you trust a politician? I mean? Yes of course we trust our sources all sources need us.

We need our sources to go and do I broadcast a but we're very aware that our sources.

I'd like to get a certain message out and realise that I as BBC Europe editor covering brexit that might be no counterpart political editor of the BBC with very useful Mouthpieces for them if you like and that's why is editor? It's a very useful role, because you don't just broadcast and Report you analyse and put things into context you criticize.

You may say my sources are telling me that the new take that step back and say it but they would say that at this time because of x y and z and we have to be very careful to do that particularly with brexit when people feel so emotionally involved so hot headed often about it.

We have to take that cool.

Step back and put things into context well.

I told you at 10:30 on Thursday morning.

You've had little sleep as you've told his for a number of days, but I don't know if you got to get much sleep over the next 24 hours with you because every source in the BBC broadcaster.

Virtually will want to get hold of you to comment so how you gonna get through this.

I love my job.

I love being in the middle of a big story so now I'm in this is this is no problem for me.

I'm quite happy to go and adrenaline and and very good cups of coffee as long as they're very good.

Cups of coffee.

This is one that personally touches the lives of our viewers and listeners and and and reader so much that you're really aware of that and I think is Europe editor.

I feel this even stronger because this is something that people have such strong views about the sometimes you become the focus of Ararat you know either Katya Adler brexit, Broadcasting Corporation or a no Katya Adler Brussels Broadcasting Corporation did you really feel that that's stinging emotion and when you're as Europe editor? It is my job to tell you how Europe is thinking and sometimes those who are consuming than you'd think that's my opinion.

You know catalyst you know just taking the EU point of you will know I'm trying to explain to you why the EU is coming from but it's it's been a real journalistic intellectual personal.

Because I am British this is the BBC and this is a truly UK story the BBC's you're a better took catchy advert talking to me from Brussels now all opinions however critical are welcome on feedback, but is that true of university campuses or to put it differently and I quote do universities have enough diversity of political opinion.

That's the question that politics professor Matthew flinders Aston University unchallenged on BBC Radio 4 this week.

Well.

It's certainly through diverse responses from listeners universities are supposed to be places of intellectual challenge where a range of viewpoints can be openly presented and discussed play Levi a poorly produced piece No challenge to the controversial academics who spoke since when has the white male academic had problems with being heard?

Activities have a responsibility to interrogate is prevailing attitudes and I thought that came across very strong me a very much appreciated the questions that the show was asking and it definitely left me with a lot to Honda afterwards.

There is our younger generation of historians For Whom moderate.

Morally ambiguous few such as mine are simply that do not simply academically wrong there almost morally corrupt and I live in the Black Mountains near Abergavenny in South Wales well.

I really love the programme.

It was refreshing to hear something so diverse in that it was away from the usual stuff it had much fun you and it will write down my street.

I wanted to talk somebody's academics with strong reviews for this program, but they refused saying that the whole programme was legitimising a false premise eogb good to see the BBC

Ring fascist again.

I do not understand how insane someone has to be to think there aren't enough vocal racists in universities and I joined by Martin Rosenbaum the producer of university unchallenged.

Why did you want to make this program? Do you think it really is an important issue at the moment.

I think it is absolutely is an important issue, which is worth discussing and I think some of the Debate that is follow the program actually confirms that this was a right judgement and the program in the way was sparked off by a couple of things one of which was the institution of the heterodox academy in the United States which promotes intellectual diversity constructive disagreement and that was one of the things that we looked at in the program, but I think seeing this in a broader context a lot of people talk about at the moment that Society of tribalism a society of Echo Chambers the filter affect a society in which people are reluctant to talk about and disagree with people who got different views with.

We've had there been Twitter example here's one from Gavin Rand who said the controversy at stake here isn't Alec infected.

Are you just saying is wrong with actually that tweet from Gavin round was sent before the programme was broadcast in other words before he could have heard it.

So I don't really take it as a comment on the program itself.

No not the printer on the issuer doing with well out.

There really is as is implied or rather stated in your program a greater difficulty in expressing views outside a sort of left-wing shall we say consensus so what I would say is we presented evidence in the program to to that effect and there was evidence presented about the balance of views within the world of academia.

Are there are certainly some people who disagree and we also included in the program the viewpoint of some people who disagree say that perspective was actually in the programme on over there are some people as you made clear refused to absolutely did they do so do you think because of whom presented it professor mouth?

Offenders are well.

That's not what they said to me what they said the people who didn't want to take part in the programme said things to the effect that this was for example legitimising of a false premise we did try to get their point of view represented in the program and I'm disappointed that we weren't able to do that in their own words but I wonder if an element of this was because the program wasn't like it's like seeing analysis or another current affairs programme on BBC Radio in which you look at both sides and the presenter.

It doesn't have a position if you like at least not until the end.

Here you decide to make what you called a personal view on a very controversial subject was that why do you think I think it's absolutely was wise and what we wanted with this was to do a program which was presented by somebody who was For Whom these debates when the saints personally relevant.

There's obviously not the only way to approach this topic, but it requesting balance.

Doesn't it? Because if I'm a matter of controversy you have a personal view and that person takes a particular.

Those who disagree with him would say where's that? Where's my personal view absolutely and that is why we did have in the programme people who strongly disagreed with him, but the difference between those people and some of the other people were talking about earlier is those people would people who are willing to engage and debate with him.

I'm surprised by the vehemence of some of the tweets that we've been looking at Dr Gemma angel University unchallenged is basically an opportunity for white male right-wing politically motivated researchers to wine on about how unpopular there a poem ideas are disgusting does have turned surprising well at the time does surprise me slightly but there's more that surprises me about that to eat in that for example the women in the programme who were saying this the will left wing people in the programme who were expressing their views that she objected to Soho tweet days.

No relationship to what was actually in the programme Annie maybe.

You know some of the criticism of it was actually based on what people thought was going to be in the program rather than what was actually in the programme in the light of the controversy which is clearly resulted does this make you feel I must go and make another program because after all yours was only 28 minutes long.

It was only one do you think you should go back and revisit be very happy to revisit this issue, as always when you make a programme of 28 minutes and you're cutting out the stuff that you need to cut out in order to hit that 28 minute duration as a program a cat you always think it would just love to have been able to get the other material into a it's only seems to have sparked off very interesting debate within the academic world and outside.

It's absolutely these are topics that should be Revisited and you know I personally would be happy to do so nice.

Hope Radio 4 generally would Rosenbaum producer of university unchallenged BBC sounds the new audio app which will eventually replace iPlayer radio brings together?

On Demand radio music and podcast 21 personalised app sounds so simple except it isn't calling to say they're not all of our Correspondents I recently downloaded the app which has been so far really exciting there's just so much stuff on there including music which is brilliant because I kind of usually listen to podcasts on my phone the thing that sticks like you can choose me was there is a category that says podcasts which I could have tried to click through until find more podcast the only saw sound like a select few and then it took me a minute to realise that like to keep everything is good.

Go so I did find that a little confusing initially my name is Roger holdom and I live in Kew I like to listen to crime dramas on my computer in the past one simply search for drama then crime and he were presented with what is available now.

You sent all round the houses before you can track down what you want the biggest software.

Issue whether it be banks are the BBC's to kiss properly before rolling out new stuff.

I was about to say it's not rocket science but of course it is you don't fall off a rocket until you're pretty sure it will work Sonia Delaunay in Australia I am a rusted on BBC4 and for a listener.

Why is the news BBC Sounds app not available in any of the stores in Australia please BBC could you enlighten me and my friends as to what is happening by Leon Smith and I'm from Norwich after hearing a feedback about the BBC Sounds app last week on Radio 4 wasn't that confident I did enjoy it, but having downloaded it.

I actually think it's fantastic.

I find it to be really user-friendly and great to have everything all in one place surprise then but some criticism as well and the BBC has admitted that sounds is after all a work-in-progress.

We've been hearing your thoughts since the app launched and we took them to Chris Kimber the exact.

Product manager BBC sounds first he told me why he believes sounds is an improvement on iPlayer Radio iPlayer radio was very much a kind of radio product and it really actually Focus mainly on live radio.

Where is BBC sounds is what we internally you calling a three in one product so it's radio but it's also music and it's podcast so it's not just a radio product ultimately you've said that BBC sounds will replace the iPlayer have you got a date in mind for that we don't have an exact date in mind reading exact date or rough on the web at the moment iPlayer radio has already been replaced by BBC sounds so wonderweb BBC sounds is the product in terms of apps for mobile phones and tablets on an iOS and Android then we don't have a date but we would be looking at probably the first half of 2019 and the reason why we don't have a date is because we are still building out BBC sounds and there are a number of features which your listeners have told you about which I'm not yet available in sounds which are still available in iPlayer

Radio so so so within a year.

I don't expect I played with Don and BBC sounds to be the only thing yes certainly within a year.

I would go further and say probably at in the first half of 2019 is our plan well.

Let's look at some of those concerns that listeners have a Roger hold until does he likes to listen to crime dramas on his computer and found them relatively easy to find in the past but now it says you are said all around the houses before you can track down what you want to accept that we have made some changes to the way the site is structured and the way that pages and the app is laid out for example in this case is actually fairly easy to find those subjects within for example drama, but it is in a different place on the page that it was in an iPlayer radio so I think there's a little bit of just getting used to it and finding out that something which was in a certain place on iPlayer radio has changed to a different place in BBC sounds not on here in Australia so she's restricted.

She can't access the app and asthma.

Wire in the Republic of Ireland Road to us with similar frustration he says he is there a plan to open up the BBC Sounds app to Regent outside the UK what BBC sounds is already available via the web throughout the world so hooked on your could could get it by the way either way, but the native app on iOS and Android is currently UK only and we really really focused on getting it right for UK audiences at the moment.

We would love to make the Sounds app available, but there are some legal and some policy issues, which we have to tackle before we can do that another was able to use Apple products want to have told us at the app doesn't work if your device lacks certain software Liz West tilda's this iPad is 4 years old and didn't have that so if you say that the radio iPlayer and I can't use this app.

What do you suggest? It's true that species.

Does require iOS 11 so the first thing to say is that that users could use BBC sounds via the web so it is available, but the nature of product development and operating systems on mobiles means that it's extremely expensive to maintain support for what are now really quite old versions of the operating system that that software and one question it in this area some people don't like the way in which when a program ends another seemingly random.

What is sometimes offered up? Why doesn't apparently strange program be offered up after and one to which it doesn't appear to be related.

This is a feature that we're trying on just on the web not not in the app at the moment and it's called AutoPlay so when our user chooses to listen to a program or a piece of audio on demand.

We will effectively lineup IQ of items that will continue to play through and we're working on the logic to improve at logic to make it more relevant in the meantime.

There is a simple button on the page which allows you to turn it off.

It's called AutoPlay you just took it off but

The aim here is that we would actually encourage you to listen to you know the next item in a series of the next item for that program or a related item to actually encourage you to listen to More Chris Kimber the executive product manager of BBC sounds well.

We know that today is John Humphrys does nothing too much of thought for the day at least according to comments.

He made last year others welcome the opportunity that often provides for reflection, but does it always have to be presented by a religious contributor why not let humanists contribute well Sandi Toksvig Alice Roberts head burn and a number of other public figures believe that they should be able to do so this week.

They were among the signatories to an open letter published by The Guardian calling on the BBC to include humanist in the morning slot.

It's not a new debate, but it remains a passionate one Bishop Richard Harris good morning.

Good morning Mother Siddiqui who is professor of Islamic studies at new college at the University of Adam morning.

Good morning back and Adidas servation of Hindu teacher and theologian good morning Michelle hi.

This is Libby from Potters Bar and I listen to Radio 4 everyday.

I listen to thought for the day and I think it's a bit of a shame but in this day and age that we don't have more views from an atheist or humanist or even a scientific perspective for the day sometimes has some very useful points.

I think it can be very profound, but everyday it comes to Religious voice and I think it would be more inclusive and representative if we had people that did not have anything to say that came from a religious perspective.

This is Patricia Reid from Chester I'm a member of the humanist Society in the UK weekly.

Observations and experiences on life based on evidence and science rather than the supernatural and Superstition this is not to discard religious views just to be more inclusive and I do feel that the BBC in ignoring or request is guilty of discrimination Andrew Graystone from Manchester not every part of every program has to represent every group The Sports News doesn't need to make space for people like me who aren't interested in sport any more than Top Gear should have items the people who don't like cars broadcasting isn't a democracy.

There's no need to add humanist voices just thought for the day because Radio 4 already has a humanist slot it's called a point of you and that's fine.

Nobody is saying that humans can't think or that religious people don't have a point of view the practice should just label the strands more honest.

Religious thought for the day and a secular point of view The Corporation gave us this statement in response thought for the day features speakers from the world's major Faith traditions reflecting on topical events and issues, we considered its remit as part of last year's religion review and concluded that in the context of the BBC's overall output.

It's as a distinct purpose and does not need changing.

What would love to give you a primetime morning slot on Radio 4 but you can contribute to this program.

You can email feedback bbc.co.uk or write a letter the address is feedback PO Box 67234 London se1p 4ax.

You could follow us on Twitter using at BBC R4 feedback or call us and leave a message on 0333 444 5440 sanded landline charges applied, but it could cost more on.

Mobile networks office details are on our website.

It's over 4 years since we first got an email about Homefront the Radio 4 drama series set in Britain during World War 1 fusing fiction with fact it's been Richard social history and strong characters from the Wilson's to the Lumley's the grounds to the macknades each episode with set a century before the day to broadcast and it all I did with a Homefront special set in 1919 on the Eva Britain's first Remembrance Day you've been saying your goodbyes Harris English Homefront has been so very very best of radio for beautifully written with superb acting it has kept me emotionally in fraud for the last 4 years.

So thank you to all involved in this absolute jam.

Yes, washer Peter Ramsey on the Stockport high Peak boundary Homefront has been a real eye-opener in relation to social attitudes attitudes towards servants my room again some Belgian man between people with different sexualities are Germans were treated in this country will happen to find themselves in the wrong country.

It was something I needed to stick with those so many characters world in into the story fictitious characters based upon real events that I really would like the BBC to commission a book lodges for home from for the sister programme Thomas so BBC please the book The Good shed pass Custom House passed the swing Bridge at the Harbour station.

I just had to contact because I just enjoy.

Homefront so much and I followed the series from beginning to end didn't miss an episode and I loved every minute.

It was an enjoyable way to find out more about life at home during WWI we shared those endless 4 years with the Wilson's in the Grahams the Marshalls I was very sad when it finished so fond farewell to Homefront but we're still here.

Please join us again at the same time next week, goodbye.