Read this: 04/07/2024 Radio 4 Feedback

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts hello b1145 slot is a nowhere Time Book of the week's new latest loss on Radio 4 isn't sitting well with some listeners.

The programs commissioner Jones me to respond to the critics also we've decided to break the tradition of having racing tips every day of the year as the Today programme called time on its daily racing tips.

We hear the reaction and the world of horse racing No One takes him seriously but just a bit of fun, so I'm really glad they're dropping it can only be a good thing as far as I'm concerned and I'll be discussing what makes a good interview with the presenter of Radio 4 this cultural life John Wilson stone quite a lot of the time.

Just listening paying attention taking a genuine interest in what the guests.

One more from John later, but first back in April Radio 4 introduced a number of significant changes to the schedule alongside the Archers omnibus switching slots on a morning tweet of the day becoming tweet of the week and a number of programs including this one popping up on different days one particular change has been difficult to swallow frame number of the book of the week's shift from 9:45 to 11:45 hear the Radio 4 controller mohit bakaya, justifying that move to me just before the schedule changed wear any movie at 11:45 is still there but he gives a precious out between 9 and 10 to put on programme making a storytelling and journalism in and the only thing we are also doing is we're investing more and original writing cos I think radio 4S cultural patron one of the responsibilities.

We have in our own writing and we've got some very exciting writers that we commissioning will be mainly putting in there will have to be doing better and commissioning.

Well, Radio 4 has just announced some of those new commissions.

I'll be talking to the man responsible for book of the week in a moment first use what you've been telling us about those changes hello.

This is penny Hedge from London I would just like to say how the researching a book of the week from 9:45 to 11:45 is really in published my week.

I'm catching these two or three episodes during the week at the Old time and could obviously listen to the rest of it really caught my imagination now not only do I not hearing the episodes because I don't listen to the radio that time but with the BBC's habit of doing it standard trails only one program ahead.

I never even find out what the book of the week is Julian from Ruddington Nottinghamshire never able to listen to this time and no I'm not going to listen on BBC sounds later real-time listening is much much better.

This is Judith Williams from the forest.

I'm happy to accept the change time for this program.

So I enjoyed the Range and variety and have discovered all sorts of books some of which are subsequently red to say that the feedback studio is Hugh Levinson who is the commissioning editor responsible for book of the week? There are so many books like there's so many factual books list all the time how on Earth do you choose which books will work for book of the week? Thank you.

Very number what we call suppliers.

So there's a BBC in-house departments and independent companies in the week and they come to me several times a year and say this book is being published.

We've been in contact with publishers.

We think it's a Goa and his little summary of its.

Are you interested if we are interested then? I'll I don't read the whole book or quite a lot of it and I genuinely lot yes, I'm really lot of non-fiction and fiction.

It's a real treat as a child and then.

I'm trying to guess what the audience will like I'm looking for a clever books surprising books books that take us to different places books that have a real narrative drive to the work on the no of course book of the week has changed its lot and many listeners have written to us to say that they are very unhappy about that hello.

I'm Julian from Ruddington Nottinghamshire I think you've got the book of the week rescheduling very wrong I consider it to be a superb invaluable piece of programming even when I disagreed with the choices of book as book reading and needs promoting even more than ever in the current screen mirror my name is Beth Smith from London I am devastated that book of the week has moved we listen to it religiously at 9:45 and off sorts of things.

It's just saying are you still loved book of the week?

I haven't heard it since you moved it and then I might sound a bit of a an overstatement, but it's a genuine loss in my life, so I love it if you moved it back to god of marvellous.

Lot I'd like to say slows people who are unhappy.

I'd like to say sorry because I know how painful that is when something you're used to in your routine and it moves and it shows how much people love and on Radio 4 so I'm sorry if it's difficult for some people but I would say that we have cleared that hour from 9:10 which is a marvellous have some amazing series like you just catch a scorpion in there.

That is wonderful otherwise we couldn't have rung and a half an hour in that's laughing then also what we've been doing is we been training book of the week really heavily to people and it's on BBC sounds.

I know that everybody but it works really well.

It's really is used and is also now and books collection on BBC sounds to help people find those now, we've had.

Asking if you would consider changing the time again hello this is penny Hedge from London could you find out if this change of time was a positive move because audience surveys have said it would be more popular or a cost-cutting exercise moving towards facing the program out altogether it costs cutting exercise.

It's not a move to facing it out of the week is still there is so much love parts of the schedule.

I think we think it's really important and I think investing in the new writing shows radio foreskin fitment to really good non-fiction.

Have you got the first of the new original writing pieces coming next week which is nearly Aldermans third information prices which is fabulous and really really good start we got some other wonderful right lined up a lie Andrew Hagan and Kyle on the race.

I'm really delighted with the lineup for the BBC sponsors an awful.

Lot of writing and including probably had.

Is this your tanks on point of you alone here from America family and it's meant to be topical is on point for this week.

Where's these longer more considered pieces, they might take more abstract very different issues and deal with the great lengths.

I heard some time ago someone from the BBC saying they had changed the time because listeners wanted the serious stuff earlier in the morning it now feels like we get serious or more is the class example where you want to educate inform and entertain to do all free and you want to find a book that has the magic combination of all.

It's got a wonderful narrative drives.

You suck too long but I know.

Radio 4 audience I love hearing you stuff.

I love learning new stuff that curious there intelligent.

They don't want to book the tools and things.

I already know there is trying to find that magic combination of all three and the books I think it's just a shared joy to listen to when I was talking to him.

He talked about the importance of linear listing of having book of the week on Radio 4 because it means that people bump into things that they wouldn't find an actually that is not something that they seek ID on BBC signs which might become a little bit of an echo chamber, so they can hear something new something that they wouldn't have stuck with bookshelf or download a dozen audiobook.

Is that something that's very important for you when you're choosing book of the week.

That is one of the really important things sometimes we know there's a book was going to be really important and is going to talking point national talking point and so will want that but like for example Salman rushdie's but knife you want to have that moment represented.

I think the radio as well as those surprising books that nobody.

Very few people will have heard of but I think they find you know mind expanding and enjoyable.

What does it mean for authors to be included in book of the week? I imagine that something that they're on the very excited about there's one I can think I'm in particular.

It was so delighted.

He was really really pleased and also have about 10000 places in the online book charts.

So it's still I think really matters missing you going to book shops are quite off will have a sticker on it saying it's Radio 4 book of the week Hugh Levinson Radio 4 book of the week.

Thank you and of course.

Please do get in touch to let us know your thoughts on that and indeed anything to do with BBC audio here's a well-known Radio 4 voice tell you how this is Danny robins host of uncanny on BBC Radio 4 and BBC sounds, so what do you think of the BBC's audio output feedback is really keen to hear your take.

What you been listening to a very easy way to get in touch with to send a WhatsApp voice note 20 334544 ring that number and leave a voice message or you can send an email to feedback at bbc.co.uk and it's at BBC R4 feedback on social media Danny robins host of uncanny on Radio 4 and BBC signs with Danny was on last week's feedback and you can hear that interview and the thoughts on his new series from to super fans on PC signs now.

It's time to mark the end of a radio for institution know the chips Yarmouth 3:00 number 3 Market Hill Farm Welford 4306 and mouth eBay for the past 47 years the sports bulletins on the Today programme have ended with the racing tips the quality of the racing Intel being imported was variable to say the least.

Too many they were part of the furniture like the shipping forecast the recently departed tweet of the day or for those with a longer memory the Radio 4 theme and just as to become tweet of the week the daily racing tips may be no more, but they will come back for bigger races like the Grand National the Cheltenham Gold Cup or the Derby in a statement the BBC after careful consideration we decided to focus racing tips on the big races across the year did a program remains committed to covering racing news and this will continue programme sports bulletins as is often the case feedback listeners reaction to the news has been mixed.

All selection for the Gold Cup is number 8 Boban earlier at 3:45 look out for number 13 Margaret Logan Cornwall Street of days gone now.

He learnt it today racing tips how to be accessed because we've decided to break the tradition of having racing tips every day of the year instead.

We're going to reserve the tips for the biggest days in the racing calendar make some seriously but just a bit of fun and a notoriously unreliable get over yourselves Radio 4 the news is Grimm enough.

I am from Sheffield it seems to me like a holy good gambling and especially the gambling industry.

Just as such a pernicious effect on society avoid just bought it really hard with the Today programme how a 3-hour programme in the morning.

That's about 6-in current affairs also includes gambling tips Alastair Windsor dropping it and can only be good.

As I'm concerned my name is Bob and I'm from Birmingham upset by the north of the racing tips from the Today programme.

They are an institution.

Just like with the television newspaper review the BBC must why do like teachers allowed to gamble when for some it really isn't I am pleased to finally gone not before time will joining me to discuss this is Tom Carroll who is the editor of The Racing Post Tom how were the daily racing tips on the day.

I'm seen by the horse racing world the tips being on the Today programme what kind of part of that rich tapestry that represents racings position in Britain

Social and sporting fabric so the perception not universal but the perception is 1 quarters has been at sort of disappointment and sadness this connection from sensors fraying all the time has had another thread broken some listeners.

Saw it as a kind of a stalwart of radio for a bit like tweet of the day or the shipping forecast is the way you feel about it.

Do you get the sense? That's the way many people in the racing world felt about listening to it as part of their have daily racing knowledge, but rather they appreciated the traditional that the resonance and I think the comparison to the shipping forecast is it quickly episode because just as the hidden forecast has his wonderfully resonant names so to the daily tips introduced into our daily conversation place names that you wouldn't mess so it otherwise here of Musselburgh Pontefract Ffos Las

Every corner of the country being represented and glimpses into had two different type of Britain than the one that we normally hear from on the radio racing is the second biggest sport in Britain it's something that millions of people enjoy on it on it on a daily basis and many millions go in attend every single year so it's a rating guys.

Have a very significant in the British sporting firmament and of course as well as an industry as a sport.

It says one of the rear examples of something that we are legitimately at world leaders in and I think something within the racing world would say you know it would be better if the BBC took more pride in that as they do themselves tomka editor of the Racing Post that we ran our inaugural feedback interview of the Year the winner.

I'm just to remind you was Justin Webbs interview on the Today programme with Andrew malkinson, who spent 17 years in jail for rape.

He didn't commit what interview of the year is back again.

So pleased to get in touch it can be any interview that stop you in your tracks.

I thought provoking or emotive personal or even simply something that really made you laugh out loud as part of that process.

I'll be talking to some of the leading practitioners of the art of interviewing first up is John Wilson presenter of Radio 4 this cultural life who has in-depth and often revealing conversations with some of the world's leading artists and creatives for that.

Let's just you at some listeners think of the series welcome to this cultural life the series in which leading artistic figures choose the most important influences and expenses the people places and works that inspired their own creative lives.

I'm John Wilson hello.

This is calling in from Santa Rosa California

So much for this cultural I've the intelligence and death of John Wilson start Falling Inside for questioning make me so inspired and interested in what interview is have to say and I always end up feeling well educated and just just about their work on Simon Metro from the poetic Brighton and Hove John Wilson has to be the most compelling broadcaster on Radio 4 especially on this cultural life which is why it was such a delight to witness in Toyland and testing with Werner Herzog last year struggling to internalise hurts of persistent contention.

He was a poet who made films the best bit was Wilson praising the veracity of dragging a real 330 ton steamboat over a mountain for the film fitzcarraldo only for Herzog to contradict him yet.

The strange thing is veracity.

I would not hurt on the term veracity also because when you see it on the screen and it's filmed in a way that it like a mirage B looks like a big operatic event.

It doesn't look like reality anymore.

It looks like poetry and that's the point it was typical though of John Wilson's consummate professionalism to broadcast hurts.

I post recording complaint terrific.

Thank you so much.

Are you happy? Are you ok? I'm not happy to us honest impossible to wean you from from the film.

I'm sorry.

I'm sorry but ok, but it's your problem now from Putney I thoroughly enjoyed John Wilson's interview with Anthony pappano music.

The Royal Opera House the immigrant work ethic is I think I think of wonder if there's anything that defines me.

It's that I consider Tony to be a very private person and you nothing about John spoke to him about his childhood family and musical background with very few interruptions certainly in the case of my father he worked himself to death.

I mean he never had less than two jobs or it was trying to earn more money English people came from nothing my mother.

I appreciate to learning more about the man.

I've seen on the podium at the Royal Opera House for the past 22 years following phrase from listeners there.

So John can you tell us what's the basic premise of this cultural life? What are you trying to get out of your guests? We asked them to 45 key moments the influence of the experiences people the places and we leave a very much up to them sometimes.

You have to get back to them and say no you haven't quite crust of the broken properly.

These are moments which really have a tangible effect of the work and have a bearing on on the artistic life that the lead in in the years since that moment and in a way.

It means that the guests are invested in the interview before we even start rolling because they've had to do some thinking and they've got a big back into their own memories and sometimes I think for the missus instinctive.

They know those moments creative edition is that made in the artist that they are but I think sometimes and guess have said this to us.

There's been a real an emotional journey to go back through and realise that those are the things that made them who they are and have led them to the work that so many people love I mean that's what we're trying to do with trying to explore how it is these people can do things that we can't do and I think there is there's a real magic and without wanting to can a pulled out you know The Wizard of Oz curtain entirely and reveal the workings out.

I think it's really fast and it's always fascinated me to to get a sense of what is the dry.

People on creative I always get the impression that the person being interviewed is Wild by your understanding of their work and insights yeah, she said that first of all that it is the usual researchers the reading is the watching is the digging back through the archives.

I should say I mean really there's a team of 2 people on this country.

It's me the producer Edwina Pitman and we work very closely together.

We know who we want to talk to you know we have a wish list of several hundred artist big flying out across the world and you once we managed to persuade people to come on the program.

Then we have to know them intimately we have to know about their work and their life and so we go into each interview with an understanding not only of shape the creativity of each guess what the result has been in terms of the work and I have to have to know what they've done.

You know it's usual gymnastic research.

Skype me when I listen to this cultural life as someone who is very good at listening yourself.

You know you're listening to what the guest has to say and your reacting to that.

Do you say the questions that you prepared out the window and just go down a slightly different line.

Yeah all the time but I have to see that the interview was very tightly structured we scripted in terms of the areas.

I mean in a way that are chapters because that's defined by those moments those people that place as those events the Choices That the guests have come up with which usually means the result of 430 for turning points in the program and within that obviously there a jumping off point to explore the work that relates to but then of course throughout the interview the guests will say something interesting and kissing and it's all about listening.

I think you know in this program more than anything.

I've ever done.

I think it's about staying quite a lot of the time just listening paying attention.

Taking a genuine interest in what the guest is saying people are coming to this cultural life because they want to hear the guest do we have lined up that hill near me you know if I'm if I'm there.

It's to listening to Brompton to encourage that exploration with sometimes.

It's quite difficult for the guest.

You know that it sometimes takes me to quite difficult territory so soft Touch interview, but it's just having a sensitivity of empathy for what makes a creative person.

What makes them.

I was going to ask you about those difficult to navigate moments were the interview.

He is finding it painful to talk about something for example of Nick Cave it was really memorable radio when he was talking about the loss of a little boy to have our life dragged into the limelight in that kind of way because I had a different approach to the grieving process.

I think she probably found difficult to some degree, but she also.

Saw its benefits, I think because you never said you I don't want you to be talking about the death in song no no, she didn't she I think she found it helpful and I think she also founded the GAA understood it was helpful to others that was an astonishing moment.

He had touched down in interviews, but of course what we were doing the king that moment with the work that resulted and you know he was visibly moved on he was talking about that that was a difficult thing to see but I mean obviously fascinating because it is again it to the creative process for him.

Yeah.

You've just got to listen really and just responded sensitivity as you no answer is just it's about reading the moons and it's better reading the mood in the room.

Do you know you don't want to push somebody to the point where they really uncomfortable but actually because we're opening up as love and emotional space in this program as well as I think sometimes people feel quite comfortable talking about those difficulties Tracey Emin other guests to talk.

Incredibly moving me about working away through and I hate working in a creating work through the experience after a diagnosis and treatment for cancer and her new found the other side of that treatment than that recovery occasionally.

There's some really beautiful moments.

I'd say one wild moment came for a lift now at chill in your interview with Boy George John Wilson has Boy George I was doggies.

What was the lowest point that made me laugh, but Boy George said at the end.

That was a great interview and there and it was Boy George George O'Dowd thank you for sharing your culture as we going to thank you.

No, it was very typical boy charge for sponsored thing.

I didn't I didn't worry about it, but I knew it was going well interview, but it was lovely for him to say that at the end George doesn't handout prayers lightly so it was it was very nice to hear that from anyone who does interviews is always trying to improve to evolve over the years.

I wonder what you think that you've learnt from all your experience along the way I've learnt to stop showing off so much.

I think if I listen to interview other programs in the past and I think there was probably nervousness on my part as there is often you hear many interview with one to show the knowledge that you about the guest and I mean very often when I'm doing an interview with this cultural life gets pretty much kind of know where it's going to lead and sometimes questions are asked which

Know what the answer is going to be but I think the trick is not to Telegraph that and to ask the questions that are listening would ask obviously there archive clips and their music and we have our things are music composed by peel which were used throughout the program, but it's very much about the interview itself and it's about conversation and a connection and if it's not connecting is not going to work so I mean the job is really know has Ian Foster said Only Connect John Wilson presenter of this cultural life.

Thank you.

Do if there's an interview that you would like to nominate for the annual feedback interview of the year.

Do that or maybe you just like to get something off your chest about anything on BBC audio next week.

I'm going to be looking back at the BBC's coverage of the election and I'd love to hear from you.

So please get in touch.

That's it for this week for me and the team.

Thanks for listening and giving us your feedback by.

Preparing for a fight a big part of his isolation this preparation to get ready for battle as a victorious to tell you about the very special cat away the world heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua Anthony Joshua on Desert Island Discs listen on BBC sounds.