Read this: 27/10/2023 Radio 4 Feedback

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts hello and welcome as we enter week 3 of the Israel have some listeners are telling us that the unremitting coverage of the conflict is giving them news fatigue.

I'm an avid radio and BBC World Service phone.

I used to listen to the news Tuesday every day until recently no, I'm tired of listening to a morning dose of world is asses and the terrible Wars going on at the University London talk to me about the reasons behind news avoidance is the Ukraine over.

Oh, no, it's just not been reported on on BBC TV BBC Radio has BBC News taken its eye of the war in Ukraine and as the latest radio listening figures alright.

How's the BBC doing it seems?

Has forsaken is loyal audience in favour of the ceiling and I'm certain and untested past we've got analysis from the head of audiences for BBC radio and music Alice in winter no, it's 3 weeks since we heard that breaking news of multiple attacks on Israel by hammers Fighters headlines this morning Palestinian militants have launched a large rocket attack from the gods and men have open fire in parts of Southern Israel will have a latest run on the grass much of the news coming from the region has been harrowing and heartbreaking same here inside the on the Rocks about 210 housing more than 3000 families is chaotic executive and current professor emerita of broadcasting at the school of journalism at City of London University Liz Howell Liz welcome to feedback.

As well as so much else up present it seems like this might be rather a device of topic as I know there are many listeners.

Who are extremely engaged in what's happening in the current conflict is possible repercussions around the region and they might be a pulled actually.

I think that others are just switching off the news, but this isn't a new phenomenon.

Is it I mean we've seen a growing used for some time from the war in Syria climate change and of course the war in Ukraine as well.

Well.

I'd make the point that it's not news 40 gets war fatigue.

It's quite interesting it's these incessant relentless Wars which seems to be that the turn off for example in the pandemic.

I think you'll find that viewers and listeners were absolutely glued news media because it was very relevant to it was changing the story with changing all the time.

What is difficult to deal with them.

I feel this myself is the Relentless misery the case study after case study of death and disaster which goes on night after night.

It's almost no news for tea, because things don't change it's the same thing night after night as I can quite understand why people just feel I can't bear anymore of this.

It's not that they don't have sympathy or empathy that they have too much it's too too painful will interestingly one of our listeners Adrian Tudor actually picks up on this the term news fatigue suggest that the news is not important on the country.

It's vital that we do know about Ukraine and Gaza and storms and fires but on BBC 5 live it can be the same story morning noon and night and repetition of the same interviews in the same reports and this repetition.

Can I have the effect of darling my senses I can come fatigued little an empathetic even by the end of the day and seek refuge elsewhere like Adrian it is reflecting some of your own.

When innocence but I don't think he should be beating himself up.

It is really really horrible watching this endless human misery in a sense.

I think I've been part of the problem with a journalism educator because we always told us students start with the human and extrapolate from that, but when there is only the human and it goes on and on it can be very very difficult to deal with I say the day during his pants too empathetic.

It's very hard to cope with all of this miserable all the time one of the things.

I feel is lacking is an overview as strategic overview of what's going on.

I feel the BBC has got a great attachment of Fantastic experts out there.

I'm not seeing you can talk to me about the main powers and why they having like they're behaving for example.

Why why is here and which is a sheer state and not in Arabic state either Thomas which is sunny in Arabic what is going on? Why are they behaving in this way and I find that I'm looking for my analysis to broadsheet newspapers and magazines, but they're not objective by their nature.

Publications the BBC could be doing the such a service here with a little bit more depth a little bit higher in the bulletin.

I know we need to see people suffering because we need to understand but suffering and empathy isn't of active sing we don't get more sympathetic the more we see so I really do feel more analysis.

I don't mean explain us.

I'm not interested in explain as we just one step ahead of me on Google I want this is from experts who can explain to me why the powers that be are behaving as they're behaving that I know some listeners feel the graphic nature of the coverage is just too much to bare my name is Elizabeth Frost I'm 69 years old and I live partly in Kenya and partly in Twickenham in the UK I'm an avid radio and BBC World Service fan.

Are you listen to the news and news day every day until recently now.

I'm tired of listening to a morning dose of world is asses and the terrible Wars going on the wall in the moment with her.

The starving children was horrific then came the Syrian war and that was also brutal the unprovoked Russian attack on Ukraine game next and now Hamas attacking Israel and having to cope with the consequences of Israel attacking back One news broadcast a few days ago was too much for me with the journalist describing in detail the dead bodies lying around in the smell of rotting flesh and those dead bodies were all innocent unarmed men women children and babies.

I recently had a 2-week break start listening to any news and mentally cleanse and distressed after a few days listening to it again.

I'm going to take another break.

I've heard that the percentage of people going off listening to and reading the news is rising make very difficult listening, but I wondered to what extent it's fair to say that the

Please read the values or to educate and to inform their not to make palatable or frankly to sugarcoat these horrific atrocities and the human suffering and if people don't want to listen to that then perhaps.

That's their choice that BBC News does have a public service duty to report it well as a producer reviews programmes over many years mainly reason you're interesting to be very careful how you present news because if you're turning people off then you're not educating them.

Are you by definition so I think you've got to ask about.

How much is he not because in every story and all storytelling you make a point and you move on to the narrative and what is happening at the moment is the same point is being made time and again.

It's a terribly important point and it's desperately sad desperately difficult but you have got to recognise that sometimes you can overdo it and therefore it becomes counterproductive.

Hello.

This is Jean Prince and I live in South Cambs I'm

Please feeling news 14-hour days.

It's the wars accelerating climate change biodiversity crisis and closer to home the degradation of public services is Grimm out there and I find there's only so much I can take right now.

There are a lot of BBC news reporters on the ground in the region and wear hearing witness sometimes very moving heartbreaking accounts from survivors, and we've got interviews with experts and politicians in the studio, but they're also BBC podcast looking at the broader historical and geopolitical implications and I wondered if that kind of analysis that you would like to see brought into mainstream news rather than perhaps solicitors having to find BBC signs absolutely I absolutely think this is the case that the viewers on stupid and they want to know they're not going to be bored.

I mean what could be less boring than wondering if you're going to face World War II

So what I would do is put the analysis further up the program reduce the amount of places to eat in case studies because I say numbers don't make you any more sympathetic and actually look at what's happening so I understand it in terms of ourselves life is like that.

We want to be late ourselves to what might affect us and the idea that there could be a major conflict which could affect this is what we want to know about we also need to sympathise, but I think we've done that this has gone on for a long long time believe me.

I'm not saying don't run cases, please don't tell the stories of the terrible things that have happened to the people need them to be more contextualized.

We need to see the more in the context of how they going to affect us.

That's Human Nature a really comprehensive analysis of news consumption by The Institute for the study of journalism at Oxford University and that's been going on for some time.

I've mentioned it before on feedback, but I did think it's worth coming back to because this.

Global survey that does give us a lot of information on high interest in use continues to decline and it shows that Britain actually has a particular problem, but I wonder if you've got any thoughts on why they ok more than other countries is suffering from this lack of Engagement in use I think it's because it's international news and therefore.

It's quite difficult to take on board.

I wasn't because we have excellent news bites, so we do get bombarded with a great deal of news which is in many ways a good thing but it can lead to this feeling of oh my goodness.

I've had too much.

What is interesting about the reuters report is that it doesn't look at the store the tiny people on and off it.

Just looks at numerically how many people are interested in 2015 and how many people are interested now, but it can go up and down the gin 2020 in news was amazingly strong because we were in the middle of a pandemic which affected us because we were absolutely grip and order the story kept moving is there going to be a vaccine before going to be a cure? What are the regulations?

I don't think that's the right as report represents a clear trajectory is whole emeritus professor at the school of journalism at City of London University thank you very much for joining us for in Ukraine has been raging since February 20-22 with much of the news Focus now on Israel and Gaza have been asking us why Ukraine has fallen off the new gender from Spain what's going on in Ukraine why don't you report on it anymore report on Israel show but not to the exclusion of all the other news from Great Chart in Kent said hello feedback.

I want to show you that I'm really cross that suits the Israel conflict explained the Ukraine this time.

I haven't seen any live updates and reports on the ground or reports on.

BBC platform, I think everyone understands the Desperate catastrophic situation in Israel and Gaza but this doesn't mean that we have therefore less interested in I feel equal measure sympathy and fear the both complex and believe he should be kept abreast of important developments in both these Arenas extremely fighting in different ways extrasensory and should be treated as such when it comes to broadcast by the BBC my name is Helen can I live in Bognor Regis on the south coast when I fully accept her dreadful hamster actions were against his room and the humanitarian distress which is being experienced by both countries.

I do realise how important it is for us to be kept fully informed of the tragic situation, but I do not understand why it has absorbed all news program.

radio and TV to the extent that since the start of the Israel Palestinian disaster we have heard absolutely nothing on any news programme about the equally disastrous the Ukraine where people are suffering dreadfully surely BBC should be keeping us informed of both situations from articles about Bobby the longest living dog footballers two drivers singing and Israeli Gaza War I fully agree that the Israeli gods of War is quite awful and should be reported on but can't BBC there is other news out there and what is Marina are Ukrainian refugee living in Glasgow that's all media agencies including the BBC have responsibility to provide coverage of the invasion of Ukraine

Also maintaining a balanced approach to reporting on our global Events this includes presenting accurate and unbiased information about various events to ensure people can form their own opinion and make informed decision.

I can't say I have noticed any significant decrease in the amount of coverage BBC has been given to the venue in the past few weeks at least on the programs.

I'm listening to a usually listen to BBC in the morning and they consistently provide reports about the situation in Ukraine but of course this escalation of Israel Palestine conflict is receiving more coverage and more attention this war has just dropped it and you developments to usually draw Focus the BBC for an interview nobody was available, but they did provide this statement the conflict in Israel and Gaza is a huge interest or audiences across the UK and

The world and we are working extensively to provide up-to-the-minute news interviews and analysis to help people understand.

What is going on in a fast-moving and highly complex conflict the BBC remain committed to covering the ongoing situation in Ukraine and their teams and Ukraine Russia and the surrounding region continue to provide coverage across radio or news channel online and other BBC programmes platforms, do you keep your daughter coming in on what you're hearing or not hearing on BBC audio will pass your feedback on to the people in charge know next week on the program.

We got a special episode on 5 years of BBC signs and we've been asking you but your thoughts on the platform heels, what Carol Williams from London has to say I think that is completely once the clearest and easiest thing to use in a world of impossible to navigate websites.

Listen in the car, it's all I listen to you now.

So what about you have anything else that you've had on BBC audio? We'd love to hear from you you can send us an email to feedback at bbc.co.uk leave us a voice message on 0333 444 5440 you can message us on social media.

It's at BBC R4 feedback last 3 months have just been released the pretty comprehensive covering not just how many people listen to various BBC and commercial stations but also how long they listen for so what do they reveal another true indicator of what were actually listening to on Radio and signs these days well, I'm delighted to say that joining me to discuss this is Alice in winter head of audience.

Radio and music at the BBC Alison welcome to feedback, hello, can I just say first of all as well? I'm absolutely delighted to be here as head of audiences for BBC Radio myself and all my colleagues in the BBC audiences team absolutely love feedback.

It's a must listen for us our role in the BBC is to bring the voice of the listener into all the strategic and creative decision-making conversations that occur because it is a hugely complex and large survey.

It's probably the biggest media server.

I think outside North America it's trying to every also reflects accurately The Listening across over 300 BBC and commercial radio stations and speak to a huge range of audiences to ensure they represent all of the UK that start with a good news first.

We've got plenty of sports on Radio 5 Extra women's football World Cup their ashes this summer.

How much special clearly pulling in the listeners also huge uptick for Radio 3 listening figures there are up 17% compared to the last quarter and of course we have the prom but they're also up 17% from the same period last year was also included the problems caused so what's going on with Radio 3.

It is seeing some fantastic results in there for BBC Radio especially driven by that live summer that we've seen this year of events.

We've had the fantastic problems which has he said he lifted the Reacher Radio 3 and then the sporting events at the BBC's unique position of being able to put the listener at the heart of those events really paid off in the figures that we saw and I just think there was a really compelling live events mix from the BBC it wasn't just the Proms it wasn't just bought it was at home mix of Radio 2 Party in the Park in Leicester it was Radio 1 in Ibiza it was the Proms it was the Ashes it was.

Is World Cup which was fantastic listening and sporting events if you're trying to do them on TV and then perhaps behind a payable radio becomes even more important Alison looking at the local radio figure is there is a headline in the Independent newspaper that says listenership is down 20% from 2021 and I wondered that's no vindicate the BBC decision to scale back local radio programming or does it show that local audiences are actually turned off by the changes we really can't tell what's going on there yet in response to the place which I know you've discussed on feedback.

I've listened to that over the last few weeks.

We've been very interested to hear that because those changes have not come into effect yet.

So I think what was singing with local radio.

I mentioned while 5 live sports extra have done really well this course on big international sport.

We haven't had a local support through the summer and that's what really drives the loss of local radio listening.

Will see that pick up as a local sport comes back onto the airwaves challenging the audio landscape applies to all of us whether where uk-wide services or local services.

There is so much more to listen to them and we've got to constantly.

I would say this is head of audience as we got to constantly listen to Our audiences hear what it is.

They want an evolved to try and meet that challenge ok well talking about the listening to our audiences Radio 2 has come in for a bit of a battering from our listeners recently many didn't like the changes that have been made to the lineup Mark Edwards as a devoted listen to Radio 2 for over 25 years.

I had remained loyal throughout various changes in programming however the abrupt acting as Steve Wright show subsequent departure of Ken Bruce with a breaking point for many of us gone are the days when the BBC prioritised its core audience and value their preferences it seems that the broadcast.

Has forsaken is loyal audience in favour of pursuing an uncertain and untested path Chrysler trucker on his way to Coatbridge I doff my cap and it's a great privilege for me the first message.

I read out is from a lorry driver because it's blue boys and girls that keep this country moving in case morning slot is still the most popular radio show in the United Kingdom of course replaced Ken Bruce compared to the time last year Radio 2 audience.

Overall is down 7% is this an overall trend that you're worried about it.

I think Radio 2 and a very interesting position and there's a knocking on Radio 2 that goes on and it's probably impart down to the fact that it is still so successful.

It is still by far the number one station in the UK 13.

Commercial radio groups may well think that is already too big one in four people in the UK are listening to it every week so changes in evitable on radio stations as you think about the needs of your current very loyal listeners and new listeners to the station as well when we look at what's happened with that change as I said this is the first Corsa that we can see a full set of the burning and he is held stable with the previous quarter the biggest show in the UK at just under 7 million hours a week Radio 4 from ashill, Norfolk in my opinion reason for the drop-in Radio 4 listen ship is in part to many repeats a consequence of the licence fee being frozen allowing no opportunity to fund new programs radio for an audience figures actually slightly up on last quote down 5% I can come the same period last year.

I'm interested though in The Listening hours both on Radio 2 on Radio 4.

The number of hours that listeners are actually tuning in for seem to have fallen and quite considerably it's 15% and 10% respectively.

I wonder if Tim does have a point light repeat and that's why people are listening for as long what is there something else going on there repeat something that we look at quite a lot and we certainly always want to balance the interests of listeners like him.

Who is spend we see this in the data are relatively large amount of time through the week listening to Radio 4 and also how I have to say a lot of people do tend to listen to the radio which is dipping in and out for radio listening windows when they wake up in the morning or they're in the car commuting and we hear a lot from those people that they often miss content that they would have loved on Radio 4.

It's the job myself and my colleagues in the emergency department to look at how people are listening and we get that data is a very granular level from major.

So we can see a people listening at certain times.

When might baby listening Elsa and when I want a listening and we try and balance that when we thinking about where we put repeats now for a loyalist bands, they might find that they hear some of that content again, but we hope it's content that might be a real listening to I'm in the average.

Hours is really interesting because we are seeing some declines going on there and I think when you've got these hugely successful, long-standing brands BBC as an entity has been around 400 years now Radio 2 since 1967.

We had a plethora of new entrants into the audio market lots of smaller very nice very focus focus commercial radio stations and also cause audio on demand when that listening occurs to those new entrance.

That's got to come from somewhere and I think it's unrealistic to expect us to have some huge figures be enjoyed in the days of old but again we still enjoy huge audiences Radio 4 is still the biggest by far speech radio station in the UK

Did it take a hit last quarter it's figures are a very slightly up at this quarter compared to the previous 3 months, but it has lost listeners compared to this time last year.

It is still the biggest speech Radio breakfast show in the country.

It has the in the night uplift which was really interesting to see it because over the summer we don't necessarily expect to see an uplift anything.

It's News avoidance of such but I think people do want to control when where how they hear the news for some people some of the time they might feel they don't want to wake up with the news and BBC Radio as a whole or revolving to offer listeners podcast such as newscast which is pretty well always the top BBC UK news podcast News cast from the BBC

Not really knowing what buries buttons in front of his I'm really interested to know about high the World podcast and signs is working.

I know that the Archers for example is going to be a strong line at the moment and Archers downloads on signs are up considerably because I presume I wonder is signs actually attracting more listeners new listeners, or is it just the current listeners find it more convenient to hear programs they want when they want it sounds of doing two things it's offering choice and control to people who want listen to a fantastic linear output the example.

I mentioned about the Today programme if you want to listen to that later, because it's not how you want to wake up you can now through the Day podcast or listening back to the program The Archers again is always one of the top of on-demand lessons on on the sound platform, but also it is speaking to new audiences and that was the chief reason why we need sounds in audio Port

Interesting data on the number of people who consuming audio content on demand and in the latest quarter we can see that as many as 900000 people podcasts in a week, but don't listen to live radio and that figure is growing and the same will be true for under my music so those on demand format are starting to substitute for some people live radio.

Thanks to Alison winter the head of audiences for BBC radio and music and that's all from feedback for this week from me and all the team.

Thank you so much for listening giving us your feedback to buy what do you see when you look at the numbers on a graph help you reveal the Guilt of a serial killer prove that global climate change is not a hoax.

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