Read this: 05/05/2023 Radio 4 Feedback

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts hello, I'm Andrea and welcome to strike action over BBC cuts to the fight to save their favourite presenters goes on what is happening to our baby saying no consideration for our local Communities and consultation to reconsider their decisions and reassess their plans for local radio BBC director of Nations is here to answer your questions and now I've lost you.

I'm sorry if I seem to have lost the line briefly to any answers.

We will try and get you back to why did any answers recently moved to Cardiff drop off and also something about the Paddington Bear sketch people see we should remember that she acted.

Space wins towards John Holmes the man behind the Radio 4 comedy skewer joins us to discuss the art of mashup satire, it's 50 minutes on air and takes us about 12345 12-hour days to a week.

So I think that was far less than minimum wage and we put two young man in the box box to explore the peculiar appeal of Woman's Hour I think it says conversations which I think a lot of men maybe don't have that will come in so it close promise you that conversation location whisky.

Yes, I'm awesome.

I've ox boxes later but no action by local BBC Radio 2 this week after the arbitration service ACAS stepped in to try and broke her a deal between journalists and BBC management the rise over big changes to local radio.

In October last year the BBC propose to shake up cutting programming by getting local stations to share content across regions and reducing programming on every station one and creasing light put online the BBC says it will help Drive New Digital services and modernise the delivery of local news, but has done little to appease listeners to see the changes as mentally undermining the BBC's public service remit of the BBC executive committee when we know the audience behaviour is changing but we also know that an England we Focus to put all our investment and energy on television and radio Services but in the end.

This is about reaching out to more people in more Communities more often ok, reaching out to more people just explain to us.

What does that mean? What is this digital-first on?

Offering that you're going to give people that they don't already in 43 different local areas across England we will deliver a consistent high-quality daily online you serve the polls on all our journalistic resources across England but gives audience is a tailor-made service.

So this is what going to be a page.

I just want to get a sensible it looks like you're going to click on to onto BBC on the website and then you going to look for local news is that it's going to work so in future from summer when you go onto the BBC News app, you'll find your big UK and global stories and then immediately below that you'll find an index of local storage relevant to where you live.

What about all those people though who listen to local news all the time for how many scimitar lifeline who don't have an app.

You don't have a smart phone.

You don't even have broadband for Herbs surely the whole point of local radio.

Is it communicates in a way that people want in their home? Hello feedback this is

Weather in Wiltshire proposed cuts, I'm sure we say Woodside changes to local radio Services in all this is local portions of programs that program has made in Bristol going to be for listeners in Wiltshire and beyond as a public service broadcaster BBC should be enhancing what it does locally not downgrading it.

There is an obsession with digital first everywhere and I have to say is excluding A significant proportion of the local radio audience.

It's not a free service you need an internet service provider to get your internet connection shades of Jamie Mitchell in all this we certainly won't know what we've got till.

It's gone but radio in your kitchen.

That's giving you local news from radio, Wiltshire or BBC Radio that's a friend.

That's something completely different.

It's not an app.

You can't compete with well.

Let's be clear BBC local radio Romania incredibly central critical service that we deliver.

Across 39 local areas will continue to provide fully local programming from 6 a.m.

To 14 on every weekday for all the local news bulletins will remain all our local live sport will remain is not about trying to diminish local radio is incredibly vital ingredient in what we deliver diminishing a service local radio a service you will not provide is a really good justification for the licence fee cornerstone a Public Service Broadcasting is that kind of support to local Communities that they can't get else.

I think local radio is an essential ingredient in what we're doing what you put your finger on his there is a trade-off.

There is no doubt.

There is a compromise here that we have to make some reduction target functions in what we doing in our broadcast services in order to put appropriate resource in an energy and many local presenters are currently reapplying for their jobs and at least.

Goodnight the next so far and many of our listeners are frankly distraught to lose people that they've come to know and think of a friend that tenner Hull East Yorkshire express my disappointment and frustration of the recent decision to sack going around most of the presenters on Radio Humberside David burns burns a true man of the people with a community is heart many others think of me as a friend doesn't necessarily knows personally just listening to the show brings a sense of belonging to many of us along with many others in Hull and the Radio Humberside area feel it just does not reflect the true value of this presenter brings to the community.

What is happening to our baby saying no consideration for our local Communities and no consultation as the BBC to reconsider their decisions and reassess their plans for local radio so in answer proposals back in October we listen very hard to the feedback.

We got was that people didn't want it.

I mean honestly that was all the feedback that we got so you who asked local radio listeners.

Would they like to keep the services exactly as they are of course they would want to retain program that we currently make in a perfect world.

It will be lovely just to be able to invest in online and leave your broadcast services in tap.

That's not the real world is not the real world for any organise a frozen licence fee for two years that produced a funding Talent about 3 to 400 million lb what we've done here is protect our investment in local content so yes, we are making some reductions in the number of presenters.

We have but we have around 2200 editorial staff in England at the end of this change will be at the same level so this is not about an investment or reduction of priority.

It is about a rebalancing between broadcast and online services another of Alistair's Keith Hackett talks about his local radio station.

The Radio Merseyside has given his small community run riding school a lot of support BBC Radio Merseyside is a partnership between a radio station and a range of of local Communities community organizations local authorities right across the areas of city region.

There are no decide I would really like to understand the BBC management, how they think that regionalisation these services is going to be a better option for local Communities and community organisations like ours Radio Merseyside remain entirely local from 6 a.m.

Till 6 p.m.

Every day.

It will also retain all its live sport so the vast majority of output on Radio Merseyside focus on that area will remain entirely local wheelchairs and programming in the afternoon.

We still have 8 hours of dedicated live programming every single weekday.

There's plenty.

Plenty of space essentially if you could serve local community best you would do so by keeping all local radio that you have at the moment and adding online but that's just simply too expensive and you don't have enough money to do that the trade of here is that is increasingly large proportion of the audience that doesn't use local radio but still want valuable local services even if you take the age group 865 to 75 more of the mouse the online use as the most important source of daily news coverage on radio the world is movie Nadia new job has called this decision and attack on the very essence of Public Service Broadcasting but I want to ask you about senior management within the B&B because I get a sense that there is a lot of sympathy and support for local radio and that this decision which we know is unpopular with local radio listeners is also one popular.

Did your colleagues at a senior level? I'm not I'm not aware about and I think we all recognise at a senior level.

He's a difficult Changes but I think the BBC has a very clear strategy at the moment which is to deliver the maximum amount of value to every single licence be paying every household in the UK and by investing more in online and keeping pace with the changing way that people can see the meteor that is the best way to maintain the relevance and value of the BBC in the years to come now.

I know the you're also looking after Northern Ireland regional radio as well BBC Radio Foyle in Northern Ireland broadcast to the people in the northwest and it was set up in the height of The Troubles and a lot of people has been a lifeline in the local Communities there on both sides of the political divide have been United and calls for the service to be saved and there has been a huge.

I cry and indeed.

I know that when Rishi Sunak mats.

The director-general Tim Davie and Jan

He brought up Radio Foyle that decision when you've clearly seen the degree of anger and distress that it's caused to people in the area.

We looked harder that we've listened hard and unlike with local radio.

We have made some adaptations to the plan to a retaining 3-day x strands on radio file breakfast going now.

That's a big one now running from 8:30 till 9 to 2/2 our dedicated local program on radio file.

We've also increase the amount of production that BBC News as coming from the file base and we also work very hard with a unions to minimise the overall impact on rolls to Corsley listen hard it is true of local as well.

I just last week.

We confirm that we were increasing the number of programs that we're delivering on local radio at breakfast time at the weekend so the process of listening.

We want to get this right when can people expect to hear all these changes in their local areas very very very large task involves a lot of ground both in local radio and in our news teams.

We need to appoint 130 additional journalist for the major investment in our news at teams across the country the first regions will see this rollout are the east of England and in the south around Southampton those all go live in in the next couple of months and then will complete the process of change and fully is the plans by the end of the year you said so far that you're aware that it's not perfect and that you're keep listening listened as haven't really heard the changes yet.

Then maybe some people aren't aware of the cats and they won't realise until I turn the radio on and find it that presenter isn't there anymore and they're listening to something that's being broadcasted from different parts of the country flexible.

Would you be once this change?

What we always do is listen to the feedback and if we got things wrong.

We think the amendments we need to make we will make but it's not purely about looking at the world through a local radio lens.

We also need to look at how Communities are responding to our online investment are there responding to our increase in investigative news reporter.

It's about looking at the whole portfolio of what we deliver locally and making for that feels pinch-off across television radio and online before I let you go you have your on the executive committee at the BBC damaging you think they hold Richard Sharp tobacco has been to the listeners perception of BBC impartiality.

I think the chairman Richard recognise himself of distraction and this could cause eventually by he's recognised any and he's made a decision to stand down it in light of that.

I think anything that you have deflect.

Strawberry creative work happening across the BBC is unwelcome, but I think Richard to recognise that in a Richard what is it was a huge be proud and positive advocate for the BBC but I think he recognises his decision that the noise around the store in the concern around this story was proving a distraction.

I think that drove his decision a lot earlier before some of this damage.

I'm not going to get into that.

I think Richard is made his decision.

I think everybody has seen the report the findings of the report and Richard made a very clear and very needed decision in light of that report well would like to hear it what you think about the BBC's local radio cuts in your area.

Do you show your thoughts on that or indeed anything to do with BBC audio as ever you can email us back at bbc.co.uk you can leave us a voice message 0345 on BBC R4 feedback.

PO Box 672 34 London se1p 4ax no it's no secret that woman Zara has a lot of listeners box box this week or friends and housemates Jacob and Zack we hear hard listening to the program has shaped the conversations they have with each other and with the women in their lives.

My name is Jacob you and I go to the University of Strathclyde and study architecture 23 years older than originally from Sheffield and ski originate from Poland and 20 years olds and I'm student of architecture at the University of Strathclyde I live with Jacob good afternoon.

I'm cool body and welcome to weekend.

This is the programme each Saturday where we bring you the radio four winds like it.

Just always having a background in my house.

It is something I can't University I kind of just didn't.

Stop listening to it equals spy introduction to Radio 4.

I don't usually listen to the radio at all.

So it's mostly Jake on Sunday mornings putting it on in the in the kitchen and me being a second-hand listener comfort thing in that quite light listening to the current perspectives that you get a woman's hour which I didn't really kind of having my settee time yeah exactly I think it's about speaking to this two perspectives.

We're it.

So easy for us to meet in a matter who they got on and what kind of speciality and what colour Fielder in it all got these got a different stories, which I may be on her door have been covering heard in the past and I think that's what I really enjoyed accidental diary liked about the programmer listen to big Mama Thornton a black lesbian woman talking about and I really like towel as soon as our yes, but it kind of it also spreads into you no talk about the experiences of people.

Text news of lgbtq people so it becomes is kind of umbrella for the perspectives of people that have not listened to before she closed down the show every single night and they didn't even give her a microphone because she was so powerful and they call her big Mama thought that was previously which I thought was really interested in a whole section on the womb and just had an organ like how crazy are Two-Face cables are fat.

Yeah.

It's amazing is the only organ in our body that has the power to create a new organ within itself the presenter and also a new girl and her partner.

They won't have children yeah.

Yeah, yeah, I feel less conversation.

I've had with my partner but that would be a big thing for me if my partner said to me that she didn't want to have kids.

I would add a note.

Castlerea evaluate where we are in a relationship advice, would you give to couples battle that have a completely different opinion on reality will be like when I think it's not a disaster because it means you're both bringing something different to the conversation.

So you're going to think it was a counsellor or therapist who came in and she was saying it's more about the conversation you have I think she was going to say that it didn't really matter what the outcome was it's kind of how do you then navigate it? And how do you actually talk with your partner and meaningful conversation and rather than saying you want children may be converted so much.

Why do you want children? Why do you not want children and I think it says conversations which I guess? I think a lot of men may have because maybe it out for you understand it or they don't want to feel like they're saying something wrong.

I feel like we've been so it can promise you that conversation location.

Definitely you know just as I was fortunate enough to have my story and to share with the world there are so many other guys who stole I feel like a lot of it is maybe content that is going about their on social media for a lot of people but it's formatted differently.

I think maybe like a 1-hour on the radio is completely going to how a lot of Media is for younger people you're getting a few look alike tiktok.

It's got a short B where's the colour radios.

Maybe more than edited version a bit more but I guess what's dangerous about that is the social media is almost unfiltered and it's not regulated you don't know what's fact and what's fiction.

Where is something? It's quite nice at the moment ours tonight guests on there are professionals in the field or at the time of writing academically so you can feel like what you're the knowledge are getting.

Rich and a bit more than the traditional radio format which comes with your old its advantages and disadvantages, that's all is well and Raj next time.

Would you have that same appeal with talking about of man? We already living I can Mail orange it and I think there's a woman that I like listen to men's are probably have enough of it.

Yeah.

Well.

Thank you very much to Jacob and Zach I spoke to Colin Patterson the head of BBC audio for Wales and the West Country about the Rational behind moving some Radio 4 programmes to Cardiff what are the programs to make the movies any and last week's this happened a teacher and lecturer somebody verify ID just simple points.

No, I've lost you hello.

I'm sorry if I seem to have lost the line briefly to any answers.

We will try and get you back to them.

Just as soon as we possibly can we have all been there thinking moment when you realise the program has simply dropped off air but what really happened to you and was that recent move to Cardiff in anyway claim well no according to the BBC Saturdays any answers came off are towards the end of the program for a few because of technical difficulties and his head programme trailer what we will do everything we can to minimise any issues occasionally these things happen during live broadcast and it's a circle of life.

Everyone's taste Radio 4 satirical mashup comedy the skewer is a hit with the Awards judges earlier this week to show one a coveted audio and radio industrial for best comedy for an episode which secured press coverage of the death of Queen Elizabeth II the programs creator and producer is John Holmes initial it came about because I knew there were people in the let's call it the digital space.

We were making satire and comedy but not the traditional route of writing jokes down.

They were making it with audio and in some cases video from all walks of life and hold diverse range of Voices and I thought what the BBC be doing is is channelling some of this Talent rather than as well as traditional comedy writer listening to us that sounds like a must be just a huge amount of.

Your hair is so many different clips and signs in s.

How do you do a b starting to make the programme every week? Just give us an insight into how it works.

It's newsletter topical comedy Saturday so we have to follow the news agenda.

What that means you get a sense of what the stories are going to be over the weekend Friday broadcast as tradition goes on a Wednesday so on the Friday and Saturday we start collecting ideas and people pictures cos you're important thing about it is it's an open door so anybody can contribute are we are we are open to ideas and as I say a lot of people on traditional copywriters.

They are people working teaching and nursing and all kinds of water like and they'll have an idea and I'll get in touch with xdy.

Don't know how to make it don't have to write it down, but it's a good idea will pay and credit these people so it's a continual process with a team so really the weekend is ideas.

And then we myself and sound is on it's only chirnside.

We then start making the tapestry of sound that it becomes and weaving it's a really it's that I mean in terms of how it works.

It's 50 minutes on here and takes us about 12345 12-hour days to a week.

So I think that puts all are far less than minimum wage just won a radio comedy award and area for the episode where you secure the coverage of the Queen's death and funeral.

I wonder whether sensitivities in particularly around that kind of content or will you given to free Komedia can autistic rain we have covered? What will call Saad events? You know we are able to do that sensitively so I think there was trust there in the audience knows what the skewer can do it a grown up show you know it's not we don't take these things lightly and we knew as you rightly said in your question.

There was no question of satirizing.

The death of the Queen the target was indeed the media Theory surrounding it and the 24/7 coverage, so that was what we learnt in on and used in a lot of clips and lots of sources including BBC News to talk to say listen to all of this noise and and here's a way through it and by that time because this was broadcast after the funeral and by that time we've been water will cover it everybody wanted a bit of release so we were able to do jokes about what has been going on not the queen, but everything's alright.

No, I just mentioned that you want to go to Ward for that for a car.

It's also worth noting actually that you want a silver for the special award following the death of the Queen and you came second only to BBC Radio news coverage at self-referential programs.

I mean that's quite unusual.

Is it not for a comedy program to actually win that category or come second rather than that?

It's the first I've never had a special category for the death of the Queen so that doesn't happen often.

Yeah, obviously you no listen to all of the end.

Maybe the same thing happened, but then had a lot of all the what you would call referential coverage and then just wanted a little bit of a vowel to be able to laugh at some of that referential cover it but it said you'd like to get into a grown-up news category with a comedy know you could new comedy commissioner at Radio 4 Julia McKenzie we had on the program a few weeks ago, so there's already a new series of the school coming at the end of June do you know if Julia McKenzie like said is she likely to be commissioning more I think she would definitely so if you hear that her favourite programme ever been knighted Andrew that's definitely what you said.

She'd been very good with Julie as you said you so she should have inherited the program, but she's been instrumental in shaping and how we move forward.

So, I don't think I'm speaking out of turn to say we're here.

We've got a summer series and then we're back again in the autumn, so is a confidence in it.

I would like to think great well.

I'm sure a lot of our listeners who enjoy listening to the skills pleased to hear that and John Holmes thank you so much for coming on feedback and of course you can listen to all episodes of The Cure on BBC signs well.

That's it's for this week.

Thank you very much for listening and for giving us your feedback.

I'm Andrea catherwood the producer is Jill Davies and feedback is a whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4 I hear something and I absolutely knew that nobody else in the house is back on duty.

Flight Lieutenant came in white as a sheet and he said it's back.

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