Read this: 14/12/2018 Radio 4 Feedback

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts on the favourite seaside haunted Charles Dickens had a long long way from the fevered atmosphere, Westminster why I come because like the Today programme we've decided to have a guest editor for this week's edition of feedback feedforward is a teacher at the school behind me Dane Court Grammar and he had something students and colleagues will be tackling this question amongst others is the BBC spending too much time and too much money chasing younger listeners have the BBC ties itself in Knots occasionally looking for this younger listenership, which is maybe not quite ready to be the radio listeners that we on the other side of the table are.

And has Mrs May survives the most serious challenge yet to her leadership.

I'll be asking the BBC's deputy political editor John Pienaar badminton imbalance in the face of fierce debate about the BBC's impartiality when you see people come up to me and complain very well for many years of a smile on their face smile back, but there's an edge to it and maybe that's part of democracy apart a politic pienaar's politics later the first.

It's back to school for me.

I should be on the nearest verbania to do to get into the building behind tactile.

There is a complex technological process by which you are granted access to the school.

That's a past the first test very well done and I can meet us students.

Sherborne how many students are there at the school I'll be at just over 12 111 20 and I'm quite a lot 61 paper 360 17 18-year-old now.

You've got some children go to the Cambridge Theatre High achievement, but you've also got quite a range of social background 70th and it's great that it is increasingly there are problems of dragon, County gang related activity and yellow we are we are part of the area research study in Australia to be someone to the headteacher.

So that was a long time ago.

Why did you want to be a guest editor direction of the BBC in this perceived our generation gap perhaps missing from that debate is the views of people of the age of our pupils who are not that young for radio.

Someone like me it's 30 but people who have grown up with not knowing anything other than the digital ways of consuming media and consumer technology program to go because it's it's you not me.

It's kinda shops well.

I thought we would listen to some views on tickler programmes from older and younger listeners and then perhaps we could have some of the issues that you just when I sit in the head teachers study around a table and my editors on the end is going to tell me what to do.

If so, what are we going to do? Well? I have assembled some of our best and brightest Minds both staff and students feel smiling honestly.

It's absolutely very modest asking to listen to a few Radio 4 shows both the traditional window and a podcast we're gonna hear what they thought of them out letter.

Would you choose this offer starting on my left and I'm serious to various an assistant head and listening habits are listening to Radio 4.

I get annoyed if people turnover.

I'm Nicola so Terry and I

Teacher of modern foreign languages I listen to normally.

I would listen to Radio 4 French radio and radio x from 9 years old and I listen to music on Spotify as much as I can.

I'm 16.

I'm a student deincourt and I mostly listen to music and historical podcasts.

What's up with her first word of mouth Witch and wizards of modern, London I mean does it sound very foreign to you here in Broadstairs I don't think so I think that the multicultural London English that they were describing has spread far beyond London ask Josh I don't know if you found that programme interesting think it did have older audience in mind because of the way it's spoken the way it said as it's not as let's just say exciting people.

A popsocket come first day at you Sarah a what did you think of that program mate? It's really interesting as a teacher of English language.

I think that helped me to engage with it, but what I really liked that it had a texture because of so many different voices.

Did you hear him saying Man by this is I find this hilarious.

It is about a man who won't take his pocket the program and I haven't thought of it this way presented young people were young people speaker something exotic to be studied and learnt about and I think that the program is pats limited by the average age was listenership it had to explain those things however you're never gonna appeal to young people when you start by treating them as some sort of foreign specimen paps Rowan Avenue EN2 azonto by miles.

Is it to the epic of Gilgamesh edition of In Our Time Gilgamesh under?

Course at the park at the start of what we call tablets meaning chapter 8 includes dead and Gilgamesh pronounces a funeral Elegy for him and it begins as you might expect to do that.

Why did you choose this after him? Well? I think her in our time is it is quite possibly my favourite Radio 4 programme and I thought this was a particularly fascinating episode however as my colleagues students are looking at me.

I sent that that view was by no means who did the program persuade you but the subject matter to you during one of her.

I turn off after 4 1/2 minutes.

I don't think it did ask.

Did you last longer than for now as I did I did manage to get through out the 40 minute mark it was very monitoring throughout the entire thing.

We might I thought it should have been more so has ups and downs and things because we'll go Murphy's a very.

Riveting very engaging story and I think that the presentation should reflect that others struggle here.

Will you stand up for Melvin Sarah and well actually? I think that's the whole purpose of that sort of program.

Is that it is quite specialist you listen to the detail you listening to the insight in the analysis and I can understand why it would be considered perhaps try but again that is the purpose of the BBC not to be dry but to educate inform of course but it did entertain as well, but before you do that.

Tell me what your first starts are about the life lessons the brexit Divide podcast only it was nice to hear it because articulated completely the stories.

I my personal experience and stories.

I've heard from Friends students are like my family like so many others was divided down the middle my parents my brother and

I voted to remain and my grandparents are my uncle voted to leave here when the results came in and I was astounded by how many students were flabbergasted and a lot of them had really spot on views as to what this meant and they were shocked when they heard help setting members of their family had voted or is definitely something that has affected young people I think what fastening on.

I thought it was actually very interesting did about and the young people who voted to stay in to remain Barclay majority.

I think it was 6040.

They were angry and they spoke about how the old people have voted for something that they were going to have to live and that's what I thought came through the program.

So it was confirming that also it took the argument further.

I thought I saw Josh

Did tell you something you didn't know it annoys me because I didn't realise that breaks her that she is factors a relationship with two people in anyway, because I didn't realise people like cared about was passionate enough for it to actually be able to a fact two people have a strong relationship before to make him almost not talk at all after how about to have at us, the majority of my family is stored Fraser tears in including myself so listening to someone whose entire family has been split down the middle one remain and leave it definitely gave me a new view on the whole brexit topic and how much it really has divided I can't refuel through talking to us and pubs.

I'm talk to my editor now and where is he surprised by anything that came out of the discussion because it's pretty bad news out of sort this for the BBC's attempts to communicate with the other people I'm interested, but they have very strong for you tonight and I think that it's not necessarily a Bad Sign that they were not hugely taken.

Too many of our program.

I think perhaps the BBC ties itself in Notts occasionally looking for this younger listenership, which is maybe not quite ready to be the radio listeners that we on the other side of the table are what's a very intriguing points.

There are some of which will doubtless disturb broadcasters if you've got any points you want to make you know how to write to it actually got through the details that should want to before and is no fee you can email feedback at bbc.co.uk tweto.

Set up BBC R4 feedback or you can leave a phone message for Rodger 0333344 for 5/4 standard line charges apply, but it could cost more and some mobile networks or you can write to feedback PO Box 67234 London se1p 4ax all those details are on the feedback pages of the radio for website.

Thanks Ash

Wednesday's tumultuous events back in Westminster trying to furnish listeners with the facts in that mellow wild duck in accusations of Brussels Broadcasting Corporation vs.

Brexit Broadcasting Corporation is all in a day's work for the BBC deputy political editor John Pienaar on the morning after I caught up with him on College Green outside the Houses of Parliament

College Green in what has become immediate tempted City looking directly across the House of Parliament and this morning lots of politicians of wandering around waiting to be interviewed and basically they say I suppose that they don't know what's going to happen with me is a man who always knows what's going to happen which is John Pienaar the BBC deputy political editor for some questions from listeners were just before I Hatch them.

I mean have you slept did you sleep last night? How many hours on a little bit sore, but I don't remember how many hours I woke up occasionally got to my phone and read some tweets and some American newspapers and then went back to sleep again and they're just office today.

What are you doing at the moment? I don't know if my wife and shemale feedback feedback to say I'm really concerned the BBC's helping the governor off the hook pushing other stories in second place after we hear insufficient report on austerity social care the NHS

Patient transport new welfare reforms and wash and the BBC has said transferred from brexit there colluding with it all Jodie you aware that so much is off the agenda while you're dealing with brexit and you'll regret that I am aware.

The brexit has pushed certainly in the political sphere almost everything else Italy most of the time off the agenda of the bulletins off the what would be the normal radar of political journalism which is a product of the important something undeniable importance of brexit and it's really quite difficult as I was saying to to overstate their listeners of complaint to us in the past.

They don't really understand what's going on in when you used inevitable shorthand.

You got 90 seconds to days say this day.

They sort of get lost one of those whose concerned about the condensing of complicated information is Trevor but he contacted as they have listened to as nails report some news about the EU and I cannot ever record the BBC explaining in clear concise language the complete content of anything was supposed to know about if we're about to be there.

400 general public of a free country sometimes when you use interns, do you think he is the majority of my listeners won't understand them.

I'm very conscious that it's very very easy to discuss the story of brexit and find out a great deal about your your setting is sailing over the head and pass the other people were watching and listening the Lexicon of this story backstops a hard brexit soft brexit, then.

I could go on and on and on invites a lack of comprehension for people who don't believe me we agonize about this every day.

I think an individual to be organising bet it was we do what we do on Radio 4 on television, so when we mention the issue of the border.

It's their necessary to give some sort of context the meaning to that which is very easy and to go over the heads of people I can go home with that you understand what the problem with this a courses in a News Bulletin or a new sequence program when it happens to me.

There is limited space and so the time you spend explaining the basics.

Taken away from your time you you have to move the story on and tell the story it's up that to dinner but and what we have to do when you try to you everyday of our lives now does she don't forget to in the house, two people come up to you and MPs and said that was a distressful broadcast or is it a bit of a game? Do you think that's going on this blame in the BBC for being biased tried calling again? I think we come to the BBC as the country's principal news outlet, please into the Business of politics.

Are we have a certain influence lovely.

We might use it away a certain newspaper here or there.

May use its influence to try to engage in and and and sway the direction of the baby tell a story but the way we make our judgements will of course across certain lines world with Robson people up the wrong way.

That's absolutely inevitable when you say to people come up to me complain because I've been around this place 35 years.

They've got people have known very well for many years and they do it with a bit of a smile on their faces smile.

Go back, but there's an age to it and maybe that's part of democracy apart of politics and most people are in waste industry word for the country, but the awful thing is it's great fun to cover isn't it? You must be having the time of your life.

I wouldn't put it that way it is it must be one of the most exciting times of your life exciting fantastic privilege to be watching this story up close and personal ringside in real-time that is incredibly credit very much for a privilege and it's enthralling.

I would use I take synthroid in is it fun? No, it's not fun.

This is my country.

my children's future and my future and you want me to talk to about this story and where it sending are we heading into water while before it gets better if it ever return to normality to say that I was enjoying a sense of having fun fun and entertaining I think I'd need to be attached to the point of being sociopathic and I am not I hope sociopathic the non-objective when I address these things in a balance responsible way on the part of the audience John Pienaar thank you very much now from the Tenterden Campion Westminster we returned to the relative calm of Dane Court Grammar Estate school in Kent the school has its own radio station run by 16-year-old will and friends who give radio for a run for its money with their own versions of just a minute and a series of radio drama Productions teacher bent forward to meet Will

Here we are just coming into the young banker radius you day which is broadcasting as we speak as you can say I do not match their space so we will not enough to be admitted.

I think hello will you just been doing a text because I do understand how people will be listing of eneid Amazon music called you ever having today when were talking.

There's a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister as leader of the Conservative Party is that something that you would think that I would people want to listen to I mean we were we will incorporate into part of our music program and dedicate more time to talking about something that interests as well.

That's

Guinness World Record a talk about them, but we won't be doing company including your own just a minute with teachers.

I want another talk about talk about social media forms of social media Instagram Snapchat Facebook solicitors endless radio drama, do you write your own stuff or do you adapt stuff what you did to take lessons and we've done a radio drama workshop during activities week and last year.

We got a 20 people to fight radio dramas for 3 days.

About 5 minutes and then we recorded and edited together I glanced to the next Street we're just as they should everyone else is wearing white and paste into the station and almost thunderous sound is created at every step from everyone is synchronised together at a frequency of 2.4 cases per second most people get involved with you.

Hope one day to work in the media or is this just interesting things to do at school that he is still interested in the media even if you want to find item in our guest editors program is a debate about the BBC and it's relationship with younger listeners, we return.

The headteacher's office to me to 50 something listeners and 3 students aged between 16 and 18 with me is William as we know his head of deincourt radio also with this is student Ash who's in the previous discussion and also served as an assistant head that there are two new people.

Ok.

My name is he in Barker I've had three children Country Down CT1 still here and my wife works here as well.

My name is Antonio and I'm a student at Fawsley I don't wanna radio show that I can claim to do but I'm telling you what do you listen to I am a huge fan of podcast mainly about science bolso to do with football sports.

I love that kind of stuff.

I have tried the radio and there are some shows that I like have I think that podcast make certain subjects much for attainable for a shorter attention spans SOAS your podcast listener.

Historical podcasts really good to expand your Horizons on different periods of time of the tradition that works really want to say I like to listen to gummy DiMaggio for and also said like the world tonight to help keep up with current affairs that when I'm not doing that I do like to listen to at the bits of radio two bits of other agencies by saving mostly.

It's comedies on my beautiful and you are there for an exceptional rather than you need person in the school of 1200.

I mean how many not that many things like this intervention here comes from Peter Gordon who's in London and he says I younger listeners likely to migrate to Radio as they get older that's the Assumption in the lot of people.

Do you know you probably didn't listen much for new younger, but you might have children here at home.

You're driving.

Are you get the Habit is that how you got your habit and do you think that younger people will now get the same habit when I was growing.

Not there such things as podcast let alone apple music Spotify and things like that so I would always be the one on a Sunday night listen to radio with the tape player boys ready to take my favourite song now my routine is pretty much Radio 2 on the way to work radio 5000 sport and then Radio 4 to catch the news on the way home.

I believe that younger people will migrate to Radio as they get older because it's more there are now more relevant and it's happening lives and I think that's a real interest when you get older what have to quite optimistic Sarah because a lot of the higher ups in the BBC are scared to do for that will not happen.

Do you think it will actually I think that idea of them being able to pick and choose your selecting your own programs to listen with when you want to when it's convenient linear radios a little bit inconvenient.

I think somebody said that word I am worried.

They will naturally progress to the networks as we now see them on auto do you think actually unless the network do something already does something different you simply ignore it and turn it from what I've heard from my friends people still tend to like to use them the radio as a source of news, but increasingly now you can use your phone more and more too kind of Taylor your news for you specifically and what you're interested in any loyalty to any particular network or is it entirely based on the program and you don't actually care where the program comes from there is an element of loyalty especially I think if you look at how the news is done in America when certain programs are largely based around opinions people tend to buy into those cut back almost tribal mentality of being fed by the same agenda.

So and so forth and I guess that's in echo chamber which people just listen to be entirely agree with the new never here.

I think the BBC straight away from that.

I don't think that the BBC should.

Introduce sacrificing their kind of lack of an agenda in order to attract a wider audience it encourages people to read up that sense of searching for knowledge and theology being strained.

Are you more attracted by it with your programs and their source think it's more about being attracted to particular broadcasters Chris Evans is leaving soon and he will no doubt take a lot listeners with him and I think in regards to BBC that a particular kind of presenter or Seymour star representing.

I think that's probably what people are attracted to and I think where the BBC wins hands down over probably every broadcaster is the ability to connect with local Communities sorry was optimistic as someone says no, I'm not so optimistic.

I think with your generation.

I think I think you've got into that habitat selection and that might mean you remain with doing that and perhaps not access.

I'm the radio in the same way whether the final question to younger listeners, show is the organisation of this program should the BBC make bigger efforts spend more money on you or should we just accept it with belt tightening do Broly what is doing the moment and you will probably come to it.

What about you? As I think it needs to focus on the groups of people who do listen in to BBC I think they do need to focus on those people find a way to bring the mint bars to the others.

I know for a fact that when I'm older and more than likely going to be listening to BBC since.

He just because it's always there.

It's a constant and because of that.

It's always going to be appealing at to some extent and I think that this is some other things that are more appealing right now to the younger generation to write you a cheque.

Just spend money on programmes of content I should probably say that would.

Reach.

You are your friends what you going to spend it on the value of radio is changing and we don't entirely know what it's changing to yet.

When we do it, which will hopefully be very soon at which would be a lot easier to look what's going on and say what exactly the younger generation.

What what am I to know if you want? I don't think we know what we want at the moment.

I think it would look the best way between the money is spent it on a variety of different things.

They didn't choose which one is the most popular and then when she wanted discovered that then do more of it basically william.ash Antonio Sarah's various.

Thanks, Austrian Barker I'm certain the buses in broadcasting house would have been listening well.

That's all we've got time for that.

I'm going for the last time now by Our Guest editor teacher at the school then forward just to review our discussions, then thank you very much for what you've organised and for the people you've brought in but it is surprised you ordered it all goes to plan.

No, I think as ever I was surprised and impressed by the views of our pupils.

I think the way that they look at the world and insights they brought into this issue were extremely impressive and certainly made me think differently about the ongoing Debate and did you feel the BBC bosses or listen to that should heard anything significant that they should take notice of Arc and they just sit back and wait for the audience to come to them.

I think it's very difficult on to predict.

I think A Reckoning of some sort is coming the nature of changing Media makes that inevitable.

Thank you very much indeed well next week's feedback is the last in the present series and who knows what would have happened back in Westminster by then well.

That's almost all we got time for this school bell is just sounded and the students are like all students are rushing to get home.