Read this: 07/05/2021 Radio 4 Feedback

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts woman's are is almost 75 years old and it's been extended from 45 but at a cost although I'm pleased Woman's Hour will get an extra 15 minutes.

I'll be sorry to lose the mid-morning drama, which I really enjoyed.

What will the program do with the extra time I've been talking to it editor Karan Deol about her plans and whether she still wants men to listen to Woman's Hour this is a programme for women mostly by women but there is room to listen to and here contributions from then that's a relief and just as we seem to be exiting from are covered nightmare India is in the middle of a much worse one how difficult is it for BBC journalists to find out how bad the situation really is and how do they respond to claims that there any interested in bad news we hear from Delhi even though them City

I can hear an ambulance passing by and there is not an hour in the entire 24-hours circle when you can't hear an ambulance, so you have to report even if it looks negative will hear from one of the BBC Indian editors about the high-priced surgeon disappear to bring us the new and it's only rock and roll, but out of your comfort zone like it listens to fearful times and it still wasn't sure what was going on.

What are they talking about? It's an interview with a 63 year old pop star whose children are called Persia raven and Echo and his real name is Gary Webb know why I wasn't you will be later in feedback.

The first woman Zara 75 in October and as you must know it's on her presenting teams have completely changed out of the room request have gone Radio 4 Legends Jenni Murray Jane Garvey in that place.

I've gone the rather younger Emma Barnett who's presenting 4 days a week and Anita Rani who presents on Fridays and Saturdays and the duration of the program is changing as well from the 17th of May it will give up from 45 minutes to an hour props to make way for the extended program is the 15-Minute drama slot at the end of the hour is that a price paying? This is how some of you reacted k Evans

Please investigate why and who has decided to act the 10:45 cereal slot on Woman's Hour this news was casually giving out on This Morning's edition as if it was no significance.

I'm sure I'm not alone in looking forward each day to the unfolding story at the end of Woman's Hour it off as a bit of light relief after a program which is informative, but yes we need to stay informed, but we also need to be entertained Imogen although.

I'm please come and they will get an extra 15 minutes.

I'll be sorry to lift the mid-morning drama, which I really enjoyed certainly with Jane Garvey and Jenni Murray they sometimes listen to long as well, which was a nice feeling at the common to the program which was sometimes difficult and distressing issues this opportunity for female Focus dramas for example of small town murder and I hope that's another place will be found for these well, I'm delighted.

Giant bike and ell the woman's are welcome to feedback and I take it it was not your decision to drop the drama.

It was the controllers but you're welcome that decision really exciting time for 10.

We've got two brand new presenters.

Who are first class at the top of their game and now we've got another 15 minutes to talk about the issues that really matter to women and Women's Lives well, listen at Kevin's and Imogen at so the drama start is a compos towards the end of the program.

Do you need to be doing extra items or just extending the items you already do and would have consciously try to as it work can't things down towards the end of the hour intensive number writing.

It is totally on merit is what an item deserves is how much continent is we already do some programs that have two items maybe one item as a whole special programme looking at something great depth but generally I think one of the attractions of woman's out is that we do have this magazine format and so

Have a little music you can have some politics a bit of Science and some history all in that one package the ideas not now to cram it full of more and more more things and just skim across the surface be really is to give us more flexibility to sometimes.

Maybe do a short time on something that's What It's Worth but give us more opportunity to dig deep into really demanding dry gala that you won't be getting extra money because I guess the cutting of the drama by the controller is essentially to save money is not transferred a significant amount of money to you and increase your budget, but in order to make a slightly longer program.

We need slightly more resources and so that's something we able to do you have got some money from the contrary.

We will have some more stuff.

No to make the program process of time to stick around for a long time.

They have to be the best in the business, so when you have to choose to new presenters in nerve-racking because if you get it wrong Karen you're in real trouble.

Because there are some fantastic women presenters out there and so really it's just wondering to choose from but did you make it also possible to get younger women and I think at the time appointment the presenters someone said which one was 3543 was that important? Do you think there is a danger if the presenters get well significantly older.

They lose touch with direct experience is a lot of your listeners.

I think there's sometimes a misconception between the age of a presenter and the content of a program.

I mean I think also it's worth saying that it was the same age as Jenny but I think that what we've got his two presenters who were very connected to live you know different guys have lot of different life experiences themselves, so they understand the process of women and I'll call listeners are slightly older than the presenters, but I've got a production team with members in their 20s 30s 40s 50s and 60s can bring ideas to the program.

Ideas and content they want us to talk about so that feeds into the editorial to buy some of our list and think about your two new presenter.

Jill Homewood are completely changed my mind about Emma who in all the programs.

I've heard has been fabulous to listen to real warmth and Intelligence kind to the guests and asking searching questions how to write after hearing her interview with Maureen Lipman this week about her experience of being widowed twice.

There was a point at which Maureen choked up slightly and Emma handled.

It was such a light touch in humanity such honest kind interviewing without any sentimentality the epitome of great radio moving and lovely to listen to Leslie George sounds nice.

It was to listen to this morning.

She has such a pleasant voice and gives interviews the chance to speak without seeming to Foster an agenda.

What's a contrast to Emma it seems to want to make it like the Today programme, please?

It's fair to say I think candy elder Emma Barnehurst slightly bumpy stars as little bit of controversy and some people were worried that she was going to if you like change woman's are the Newsnight the weather was a danger of your program becoming too much if you like to political.

I don't think I think one of our has always had an established reputation for strong journalism and weed authority interviews with women in high positions and yes politicians people who are leading big organisations and Emma is a fantastic journalist.

She's got a Firenze mine chippings grey clarity too complicated issues, but also she's got emotional intelligence and the softness to do really really heartwarming into his I mean did think she was rather tough perhaps little bit abrasive and they say they've noticed a significant melanin and you heard that prayers for the interview.

She did with Maureen Lipman did you have to

She melody little was a little softer in the Wishaw Press one or two interviews.

I think the Emma brings a different dimension tenancy different interviews something to use require robustness some require more enter I think sometimes the listeners perception is sometimes because they're listen to a voice is unfamiliar and they're very used to Jenny and Jane and the styles and I think something to take to get used to a different style Caroline from Hertfordshire I think it's a good idea to drop the 10:45 drama bookslut I enjoy much of the content at the 45-minute times, but we could do with more time is the swimming issues in-depth, which of course affect many adult relationships and the children resulting from them.

I would hope that many topics would not need to still be discussed this sadly same old problems is still ongoing lack of representation in politics and cabinet an equal pay for same or similar jobs sexual harassment abuse and domestic violence.

Do sometimes feel that you're actually did in with the same as you again and again and again inevitably there are some issues that do come up regularly and I think Caroline you know she makes a point really only issues that do come up regularly.

Just to highlight the newest part and take the audience with us and some their issues that are covered by the mainstream news agenda.

That maybe we won't cover that day because the broad-brush details are covered Elsewhere and we've already covered Shirley Bailey from Preston on the tin and address only issues as a person to women but who could possibly decide what they might be rather than plucking issues out of lies in a society where women men's lives now have overlap.

What about an hour actually spend documentary style particularly looking at the lives of women women in history following and looking at Women's Lives another.

What is a programme about individual women what their lived experience it is by comparison to the listener zone is that possible just to have a female focused agenda will it's interesting isn't that because we do have a female focused agenda, and we look at the world through the female prison will talk to about the issues important in their lives but of course we don't live in relation and it is sometimes important to talk about what men feel about issues of a mental listen to understand women feel about issues.

We do an item last week about female orgasm and this research given to women to give some sort of top tips to reach an orgasm and many men were listening to that and were quite thankful to himself again them some information.

I didn't have before I think men and women's lives do overlap.

I think on paper there's quite a lot of quality between men and women's life could actually lived experience is very very different and I think we will explore.

On Woman's Hour and men's perspective is very welcome good and next week will be discussing listings concerns about Radio 4 and in particular about the loss of that 10:45 slot so do right in and let us know your thoughts about that or anything else to do with BBC Radio this is how you can get in touch you can send an email to feedback at bbc.co.uk alright a letter the address is feedback PO Box 67234 London ec1p 4ax.

You can follow activity on Twitter by using at BBC R4 feedback or you can call us and leave a phone message 03333440524 standard landline charges apply, but it could cost more on some mobile networks all those details are on our website.

Each week, we're asking to BBC Radio listeners to step out of their comfort zones and listen to a program that wouldn't be on their radar this week.

We have Jackie Erskine from East Lothian has got bad from Paisley now Jackie you're listening.

What would be your top 3 programmes if you were stranded on a desert island my top 3 would be pm also love last word and dinner time.

What about you? I would say when does Question Time just a minute and Woman's Hour we asked you to listen to an episode of Legends in around lunchtime presented by Liz Kershaw on Radio 6 Music Jackie how would you describe the program tell me what it's about Liz Kershaw interviews key musical characters and in this case it was Gary Numan

Also interestingly his wife Gemma so it's a program brings.

You here a bit of them music and you here quite a lot about their life for you Gary Numan 87d listen to when you going well.

He was there I am 9 years older than me so yeah, he was definitely on Top of the Pops when I was watching it Scott Gary Numan would not be somebody you listen to when growing up because you still in your third.

I'm afraid not beyond cars Gary Numan limited and if I'm honest even listen to show it but I don't think it was easy to follow.

You see the problem.

Is that if they're going to give you 60 minutes to the time and not being paid then anything to do it really if they can sell some unfortunately that's the truth and the problem of the test for an interview is accepting that can you entitled to reveal things about them that perhaps they wouldn't normally do so where we learn that.

Has Aspergers Syndrome and we was quite reflective admitted the lot of his music in his own beer was pretty awful.

Did you think she did a good job? I did like I felt very informal.

I felt like she knew them.

I don't know if that was actually explicitly said in the interview, but I felt like she knew them from previously so I felt that I report a warmth that was there if you got that that you really knew by the end of the program who Gary Numan was I'm afraid no there is some stories.

They were telling me Alison two three or 4 times and I still wasn't sure what was Jackie I didn't get that.

I felt like I was eavesdropping on their afternoon tea or cocktails or something quite a lot out of it.

Presenter Nina was ending on Radio 1 at the time that Gary Numan was having some success but also I think she it was she wanted his wife there intriguing because you don't often get do you and how can I put this gently Gary Newman's wife certainly an equal partner in the discussion? I don't mean to be here but I think it would have been better.

If it was just a guardian Gemma I think you just conversation we want you to have the most interesting that's for me, but it was allowed to talk and it was quite few and far between a big personality that you really remember her and she's fun and so on but the suggestion is that you felt she wants to be an equal partner and perhaps not serve the interview in the way she should have done will I feel all three of the motor vehicle Partners and I just don't feel there is enough time for the mall to get the lion's share of the stories.

It was right after the break.

They were talking about.

To hospital after having their children for your four times and I still don't know what the story is.

I don't know if it's funny or what it was supposed to be it was difficult to learn talking over each other and it was to get to the hospital 6:30.

I think that was the story but I wasn't really trying to see there is a lot of shenanigans to do with the IVF and there is a wee bit of tongue-in-cheek there.

Yes few minutes.

Which was outside and running with the doors open to try to get and then the hospital trying to find a parking space 3 business Oliver Hardy journalist, you would have settled on in the 1980s who was not spoken support of Mrs Thatcher which was unusual for the pop world is made statements about he doesn't see why should give his money away is emigrate to the US not least because he said they thought at once there's a rather Thugs in this country initially when he was starting on his musical career.

You almost develop this of solis a humanized element you could have gone into all of these things you didn't did you miss that you got a very enjoyable anyway conversation, but you didn't get questions like that.

Did you miss that? I didn't know anything I think you should have done the interview.

No idea that lately change my picture of it Gemma for example was kind of enabling.

Has Aspergers so I thought she really was helping the conversation to flow along? I didn't feel any kind of conflict or anything so I think I'm gonna have to go back to listen to it again again not to become a lot less to challenge on because towards into the program is talking about his two most recent albums and he's talking about humans impact on the planet bike subjects and all the stuff and almost the same breath in stock in a revised transatlantic several times a year challenge judgement time where you out of your comfort zone if I'm honest completely if it wasn't for this program.

If you would have probably done that was 4 minutes.

Composite router bit me the three of the men that discussion really work well, and I liked all that human story.

Thank you.

Thank you and do let us know if you would like to be put out of your comfort zone.

Now in a few months ago India seem to have covered under control today the situation is catastrophic with the country in danger of drowning under a second wave.

It's government is there are no more than 20 million of its citizens who have the virus.

This is likely to be a gross underestimate funeral pile seem to be burning everywhere and it's latest what the world Health Organisation said that India accounted for nearly half the coronavirus cases reported last week and a quarter of deaths a fragile underfunded Health Service is being overwhelmed this desperately short of oxygen suppliers and how many other things this is a highly dangerous situation for journalists to have to operate in a considerable personal risk in a moment.

I'll be talking to the Editors from the BBC Delhi Bureau bandana.

Vijay but first here's a typical response to the coverage.

I'm done more from Garstang the radio news coverage of India has.

Considered and seems balanced commentators of Sean how overwhelming the crisis can be and how much we have to be thankful for in Europe bandana.

Vijay thank you very much for join now.

We've herbs that are over 20 million cases in India can we believe these figures or do you think there are serious underestimate? It's very difficult at the moment to unit put an exact figure because there are people who are either recovering at home or their people actually wear in home isolation and they're not making it and they are being straight away taken to the material.

So it's really difficult to put and it was only the cities now.

It's spreading to the villagers from where the reporting is comparatively lesser.

So I think it will take a while before we actually scenario from the villages and how difficult is it to report with heard of a lot of journalist dying from covid in India so can your journey?

Two villages the situation in the last specially last few weeks or 10 days has been really bad specially if you see the scenario in Delhi where people are actually dying just gasping for breath.

It is really dangerous right now to go out in these and a lot of deployments have been cut back and the ones were going there is a higher risk of getting the virus.

It's really difficult at the moment to go out to the zones and report from there.

So have your journalists and their families actually had covered themselves lord of her colleagues have her and also the families and it's been really heartbreaking because some of them actually lost family members one of my colleagues.

Just messaged me that they have lost Lake 627 extended family.

So yes the pain is really too much to bed specially the second wave has taken its toll.

Are you personally you must be personally scared?

Not going anywhere as a professional as a journalist, it is not just our job at a duty to report and show the world what is happening.

So yes you have to go about have a video job, but yes if one is true to oneself one is now worse the big thing is what is because if you see around that there is no bad.

There is no oxygen.

Yes, there is that what if is always there the back of your mind at the same time you have to continue to do your job as well as you can but it seems invidious of me to ask you about limitations of criticisms of your coverage given the face and indeed.

We had a lot of complementary emails about it, but there are some concerns only put one or two of them to you Elizabeth noise.

You're covering middle Indians what about the poor and those who live on the streets to think that's a valid criticism Galway spares.

No one so BBC has been going to the nooks and corners of the country and reporting.

40 the story of a mother in the city of varanasi village near Wareham Dorset constituency of the Indian prime minister, she was getting the dead body of a sun and chip shop because she couldn't ambulance so BBC has been reporting the crisis.

Wherever it is the north India is it City Village remote towns everywhere there is a desert central state of jharkhand Richard of tribal area then it's difficult but BBC has been reporting that how the state machinery has not been doing what they should be so yes, we haven't covering all over it so difficult country-by-country the size is huge Deepak the BBC is selectively showing only the negative side of a pandemic in India and the BBC is totally failed to report the cause of the second wave where it started why and how in general BBC Reporting on issues on India has a leftward lean with selectively interviewing liberal.

Reporting liberal point of view is there a positive side to report in this pandemic I suppose by that Deepak means either individual head always in real successes by the authorities in dealing with some of the problems have there been such things and do you report them? This is we have to understand that this is an absolutely unprecedented situation.

I mean not seen something like this.

So you have to report what you are seeing all around and even I'm sitting here I can hear an ambulance passing by and is not an entire 24-hours.

Ok when you can't hear an ambulance, so you have to report even if it looks negative but at the same time BBC has been showcasing stories of India ends of heroism the people have put themselves at the back and you know the benefit of others at the front for example this Auto from the Indian city of Lucknow after she lost her child.

She has been taking go with patients who have died.

You know dead bodies free of charge because it is like of ambulances to transport so BBC has been showing his wonderful stories of Endurance and heroism as well.

So yes, there are both sides of the Queen and BBC has been trying to show things as it is Sandra the India coverage is overkill and totally repetitive and anecdotal a bit more on the political implications or was that too much of a hot potato.

Do you get criticised significantly by the national indeed by the regional governments.

I'm into the attack the messenger.

It's a huge country and state has its own state government and reactions vary from state to state but that is not the role of as broadcaster BBC road to is to report what it is irrespective of whether there is a decision from the government or not.

Thank you very much indeed for taking time to talk to us, please also pass on the grateful.

Thanks.

I know all our listeners for the work you doing thank you very much.

Thank you so much for having me on the show wait was over 40 degrees in Brandon at home when we spoke and she had to switch off all the fans.

So they could not interfere with that recording and then she went back to work and that's it for this week safe and help keep other people safe to goodbye.