Read this: 20/12/2019 Radio 4 Feedback

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts government want a big majority.

It's his labour in disarray, and it it's a pretty good time to put the foot on the windpipe of an independent broadcasting that was the editor of the Today programme Sarah Sands responding to the government's apparent decision to boycott her program.

It's time to put on helmets and flat jackets at broadcasting house as the bloody Fallout from the general election continues and it's not just politicians who are concerned that speaks to a pro-remain metropolitan bubble in Islington not the real world represented by Wakefield and Workington in feedback this week that comes out fighting at some point sometimes things just trying to do a job and calls people make mistakes, but of course there's more to BBC

Political coverage this music for a start will be trying to take two listeners a mother and her daughter well out of their comfort zone's and quite surprised that you actually listen to George the Poet before.

I probably going to be his biggest fan from now on her mother daughters and find out later in FIFA might be over but the BBC has been feeling the heat from all sites dream campaign Boris Johnson City replacing the licence fee and it's looking at another government seriously considering decriminalizing the non-payment of the licence fee which the BBC thinks it's income further the Today programme Staniforth the flag of its election coverage conservative sources said the intended to withdraw engagement from the state program.

From Saturday's program with another tensor saying they had been a failure by senior management during the election campaign that the BBC hasn't just been facing criticism from the Conservatives and labour frontbencher Andy McDonald said the corporation had consciously played a role in the parties General Election defeat.

He pointed to a clip of BBC reporter Alex Forsyth talking about Boris winning the majority.

He so deserves as evidence that someone was in the middle of the firing line couldn't actually more central Saracens the editor of today.

Thanks so much for joining us is the government now boy got into Today programme what's happened? Is that you can see the government one of big majority.

It's his labouring and it thinks it's a pretty good time to put the foot on the windpipe of an independent broadcaster, so the strategy has been quite trumpian.

Do they do tomatoes the BBC

That supposed to last as it's short-sighted and it's pretty discourteous.

I think too hard 7 million politically engaged and intelligent business Minister's to appear and Number 10 and 700 individual ministers.

Will made it clear that they would love to come on and I think there are there around puzzles about this so I would think after Christmas break out.

Does it matter I mean if some people would say just empty chair that was interesting is that it means that we've had to then work harder it reporting and analysis and you can use so you can address and scrutinise.

It's part of the traditional format of the program that you do have an accountability interview and I think that's a pretty good thing for democracy, so I would like to see long-term.

Minister's particularly when they're trying to explain next year their policies and Direction I think interviews are a good way, but certainly been managing.

Today has been especially lively other two are accusations made on that one is conscious bias, BBC deliberately doing something and have you ever faced the situation in the news that room where the top person uses told you this is the line and we must get the government or get the opposition.

Just doesn't happen unless.

We look at the policies.

We look at the news.

We try and explain the world in the best way.

We can have lots of feedback from this and let's hear what song will have to say first up is so worth that this week's feedback with each other Today programme therefore.

I'd like to defend it upfront because I dare say there will be many criticisms.

I think it's an excellent mix of information debate 6a course culture sport betting tips.

I don't think the BBC is biased.

It's a hell of a difficult job to get everything 100-percent right give them a break.

No one's perfect.

Martin Quinn having just heard the news that the Conservative Party are threatening to boycott the Today programme, please, can you do the equivalent of empty cheering when they refused to be interviewed from Kenilworth McDonald's comment was entirely justifiable he referred to the television presenter who referred to Johnson's victory as he deserved and web dismissed that as a slip of the tongue slip of the tongue like a Freudian slip I would have thought anonymous.

I feel that this election will end any reputation the BBC has for impartiality the difference between the treatment of Conservative and labour politicians on today the world and p.m.

Has been striking since the election was called there is a cap doffing or jollyboy approach to labour politicians all of whom seem to have been given an Assurance both of them as long as they like and also they can Wonder from the subject so long as they criticize the Tories a report from a number 10 source speaks to a pro-remain metropolitan bubble in Islington not the real world represented by Wakefield and Workington please discuss this with that sounds of course.

We will are you speaking to a pro remain metropolitan Dublin Islington I know you don't live there, but I was speaking to that group during the election.

Particularly, we make sure that we went right across the country have quite a lot of coverage and basic crew and Newcastle and Wolverhampton and Wirral and Wigan and Barnsley one thing I've been really keen to do since I was to get the program out out of Westminster that was one of the things.

I was criticized for of not been through enough to Westminster coverage, but trying to say reflect people's lies in a state of deep away.

I think elitist thing is different.

I think we could be really careful how we define this you know I think that we do the opposite rhyming quality journalism to the biggest audience that we can all sources is you know that somehow you shouldn't be doing programmes on universal.

You shouldn't be doing things from the Arts and it seems me fantastically patronising if you're saying that somehow working class voters aren't interested in in aspiration in education in people who know things and you know that is one thing that I do miss very much actually about John

Early morning conversations often about trees and books that had read but that he was a very very severe man autodidact working class who believe that you know acquiring knowledge was the great gift of life and let you know his memory of his parents was one of the first things.

They bought was a set of encyclopaedias, and I always you know hold that very very close that that thing about trying to get all of us to be better informed is a really basic first principle mission of the program the Roger Mosey who used to be the editor of BBC News and certainly on the top BBC management board now miles to a college said it's true.

There's been a great deal of reporting from outside London in the course of the election campaign but he didn't really nothing what was actually going on there was no comprehension that what report has witnessed might have been game-changing anger of exploration of the possibility that the labour vote in working-class communities could collapse I think his point is if you live at the centre and go out and then come back however much you try.

Problem is some of the underlying feelings and what is argues for is more reporters more editors being outside of London and living in the community is upon which they report get all that we used a lot local reporters.

I think we were the first to talk about working man.

I think that we were talking about the red wall before others let's just remember that it was the tourism sells who were briefing up until the last few days.

It was going to be very tight and they were it so there's a brilliant about that was partly saw this coming that this was a huge victory said staring people in the face.

I don't think it's our job to predict victorious.

You know where they're to try and see if I look back and I have done that some of the election coverage.

Lot of those voices we did around the country were very telling you know you could see that record company so I think it was there absolutely take the point.

We should use local reporters and we did during the election, but we should continue to do so let us know James strong has a related point I think to this.

How can the Today programme came to uphold diversity if the vast majority of its presenters of public school educated in this respect.

They are representative of only 7% of the UK population.

What's 0 x 3 of your for presents presents when do Oxbridge IV went to the LSE is that the right balance you want in your presenters that range of experience? What is one way of defining them? I think they're all really good journey.

Yes, that's fine thing.

We do not supplement that rotor with some of our best editors etc Smith and Jon Sopel and Katya Adler so if you want to go through the entire list of who's at school, but I think of course we should always be looking for diverse experiences and backgrounds, but I think they don't underestimate how hard that job is and that those people doing them.

I really really good journey.

Undermine them by saying that you know that they don't count because we talk about the questions social media because a lot of people thought the broadcasters were coming a little redundant or less important than this would be a social media election and therefore politicians would say we can communicate directly with all photos now.

We don't need to have interrogate is getting in the way to think social media did play a very big part in the selection and that was absolutely policy from the start certainly amongst the Conservatives and Number 10 was that they wanted basically they want a video clip or television clip that they can then play so it's Boris Johnson with the nurses children or teachers or so that was strategy with all that and a cause.

They have to come on to you now, they can I can't subpoena them to be the case a few years ago that he wants to get to the audience.

They of course they still do the soft interview on this morning.

In the end, they would after face of the robin day whether it is now.

They probably see why bother we can go directly social media week in home the message that we want in your pesky interviewers make is this making your job more difficult in different ways and also means you can have other public figures you can use them yourself.

Just make it hard.

I do think that there it is a problem for democracy.

Not just for us so that avoidance perfectly able to do and have been doing I do think the problem when I do respect the many politicians who are keen to come on one of the ways of dealing with maybe to call the broadcaster out which is 100 nil did when Boris Johnson refused in the end of the interview by him to the monologue about a question of trust will you do something like that if Minister's or prime minister has consistently refused to appear.

Will you call an empty chair then? What will you do?

I think that we have to be careful with it doesn't come about the broadcasters.

I think that's a distraction.

My point is it's about the listeners that you know that we have a very large number of variants gauge.

This is an executive discourteous and short-sighted to ignore them.

I do think that we should make clear is that we are doing everything we can to scrutinize and hold to account everyone and public life is talk to an email to staff in which is talked about the stress the pressure up on demand and the 100 Mark and it picked up and indeed professor readers you heard earlier picked up the point by reporters comment of Boris Johnson's victory.

He so deserves Justin Webb said it was a slip of the tongue.

What do you think it was and you think I did respect for people with thinking not my understanding is that?

Sometimes make mistakes and I think you know thank you very much.

Do you listening earlier who talk to you in a bit of slack that you know we are human.

We will make mistakes when will be coming back to Sam's again shortly but first let us know what you think about that interview so far and anything else to do with BBC Radio this is how you can get in touch you can send an email to feedback bbc.co.uk or write a letter the address is feedback PO Box 67234 London se1p 4ax you can follow activity on Twitter by using at BBC R4 feedback or you can call us and leave a phone message on 03345 44 standard landline charges apply, but it could cost more on some mobile networks of those details are on our website.

Each week asking to BBC Radio listeners to step out of their comfort zone's and solicitor programme.

They wouldn't normally have on their radar this week.

We have mother and daughter said you and I mean when from Fareham in Hampshire Mum first Sally what would the autopsy programs if you were stranded on a desert island.

Just give a sense of what you normally like to listen to OK Our Time melvyn, Bragg dead ringers and also from our own correspondent usually presented by Kate Adie average Radio 4 listening to my granddaughter Desert Island Discs on a Friday and also any questions with you to listen to in addition of have you heard George's podcast which is now broadcast on Radio 4 that all the episodes are available on BBC sounds and we chose the first did his second series.

Sabrina's boy how would you describe the program explain what about the program is essentially George the Poet narrating about some extremely complex issue the theme of this weekend getaways patient history of black art and black trauma George George at the beginning.

There was inside me where you spy by is inside world.

Yes, I mean I found him totally inspirational and he reminded me very much of a modern day Shakespeare or a modern-day Chaucer looking within himself, but then also projecting outwards and captivating that every man figure of his culture.

They talked about the the idea of the beginning of This podcast you saw the need for a deeper conversation about his community is that what you think you?

Jamie I got that in this episode Katie kind of America but if we look at what's going on now.

He talks about being from North London the topics that he grapples with are really can't we talk about blaxploitation he brings in reaganomics he brings in the cold war ideology of capitalism vs.

Communism.

It's really Complex in Hollywood before the 17th African Americans were basically accessories and who knows how long they stay the same if not for the way that came and changed the game genre that put african-americans on the screen for longer, they did this by focusing on stereotypes define violent and hypersexualised contextual and struggles of the black working classes with heroic figures for NES and the circumstances.

About this to think ok.

He is also from the head of a look at North London surrounded by drug dealing gang violence and if we like in that then the kind of story of boo boo hoo relate find out is Curtis Jackson say 50 Cent you can kind of see all those alignments you know with the story of Harlem how Society is kind of fail these black people in these Communities and I think for that reason you can kind of see how this idea of black doormat you know within North London that corresponds to the kind of bringing that led to Curtis Jackson becoming 50 Cent drug dealing from a young age on the streets be easy with them because I'm as a little older than your daughter had a thought you know she might know about grime, but I didn't know you would be an expert so how do you respond to that ok? I wouldn't say that I was an ex.

Crime but also we have a 21-year old son who has an interest in many different kinds of music and I would say that it was him who really introduce me to wrapping and to grime and two stormzy so yeah, they're on my radar.

I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about this when I listen to it, but I was just blown away by this the use of language and everything about the sounds good though, because it's not unusual to find a podcast which has such a sophisticated and I think very very effective at music.

Can you call it in a background to get some first got a background soundscape anyway, did that really appeals to you with me? It really really resonated with me.

I would think it kind of Trance due to each of the various stages of what he's talking about 110th Street Bobby Womack you are instantly transported to the 1970s and you think of the streets of Harlem and

Integrating 50 Cent at the end is just like the perfect eclectic mix and I think ending on many men was just like the penny dropped you like boo boo is 50 Cent all kind of clicks and it's so clever.

So sorry then sounds if you weren't out of your comfort zone with you.

I thought that it would be something that I probably wouldn't get to grips with and he kept on saying where we going to go deeper we're going to go deeper and it's like something that you need to listen to again and again and again because there is so many because every word counts in your comfort zone.

Does this mean that you will go and listen to more episodes of the podcast I think that's great.

I'm quite surprised.

I have no I have actually isn't ti George the Poet before I am probably going to be his biggest fan from now on and I will go back and listen to the entire series and continue to listen.

Recommended to everyone thanks very much and do let us know if you would like to take part in that feature and go outside your comfort zone.

Well, I'm pleased Sarah sounds better today is still with me and walked up and no end to Charing required.

We've had several emails in on the other car news reports from Antarctica Christopher dot when the BBC is constantly reporting on the negative effects of climate change and global warming.

Why does the Today programme see fit to send Martha and the production team to Antarctica this is for radio so we are unable to see the images which journey case could be described.

Just as well by one of the many scientists based Mira link to the studio.

So what should we learn that couldn't have been done remotely via interviews with the residents scientist the one that we should ask ourselves all the time and are doing about how people should travel.

We're invited there by the Antarctic survey because they thought that the work.

They were doing was very important.

They wanted us to be able to relate it.

There is something about Radio 2.

I would say just because you can't see it can be very very bothered if I think her but Martha snuggling up in her sleeping bag in the 10th know something without the radio tells me that the other thing about radio is that you can discuss ideas in a way that you can't quite on television and I think that it's absolute of a medium for arguments and discussions and explanations.

I suppose the question is how many people went with her and the comment that resulted so how many people went to the pictures of very small team? It was three getting much smaller than if you had television and they worked all day and night for a week so that they wasn't just a suit of dashing in a night out of the question of racing tips which are an integral part of the day schedule some listeners contacted us about them John Durham both my wife and I listen to Radio 4 every morning and really enjoyed the service you provide great well done however when your team offer the racing tips.

Please let us know how the previous day selection fed one or last week, so I've been astonished at the hiphoprisy demonstrated by the program such as you and yours vilify organisations involved in the gambling industry is on Radio 4 in this day and age is the BBC involved in generating and broadcasting gambling tips.

It is truly absurd so Sarah Sands why are you promoting gambling by giving gambling tips on races flat on the horses if you're talking about racing that does come up, but I would say in defence that are gambling tips are known is there a laughingstock.

You know they're terrible so you asked about why we don't publish the day before it's such a shame.

She probably on there so wrong.

Within the program so if anything it would put you off gambling.

I hope Durham presumably is just assume they've lost and I assume from that as well that you do yourself tip those two Mr Greta thunberg Turner prize-winning artist Grayson Perry Supreme Court president Baroness Hale of Richmond Charles Moore and noted critic of the BBC and George the Poet of it just heard out of your comfort zone feature maxweb has this to say to see the list of guest editors for the Today programme over the holiday period the three people from the Arts and no stem people sending science technology engineering and mathematics.

I would have thought of the influence some people have on.

Ciety to innovation and technology and in the interest of balance at least one should have been included service and is not a valid point.

I agree with that Sciences credibly important and I have put on very many more scientists onto the program.

We've done a Christmas edit boot space last year we did artificial intelligence at the Greta thunberg on climate science is clearly scientifically based and we do actually have science and some of the other and programs to that George the Poet and has a big feature on Euro size, but still it's true on the hill that most people like you and I are parts educated at that's our background.

You don't mean many channels to have a very distinguished if you like science technology engineering backwards, so you could argue that putting a guest editor in there who has that background eps10 background be a very good corrective next year.

We'll make sure that happens.

You speak to someone who put onto the programme maths puzzle which drives the presenters on that you know just to say this matter as mathematics science matters, so we do a lot of Science and actually straight after and the guest edits.

We're doing something big on biodiversity and Engineering I absolutely agree.

I think yeah, we can't have enough of it.

Are you ready to go to prison for not quite sweet as I'm getting tired.

Do you want to change or do you think she's getting started? It's daily fact that changes every day.

So no, I'm still finding it interesting and accelerating the presenters.

Don't change everyday, but occasionally they do with you now got the presenting team you want and I'm happy with the very good balanced Emits of evolved now that they've all got their own to do an interesting in a way.

It's a bit more to evenly balanced than it was when Don was there and as I said the supplementary editors that we use just bring a richness to it, so

So we should expect no changes and next year of the presenting team and no changes planned for the present and he was a big year next year.

We've got you know the American election so you'll probably get a bit more of people like Jon Sopel just will be fired up about that.

So I think the fact that people have their first rank so I think what I'd like to do retain political independence next year and I would also like to the moment.

You'd still be doing a first draught of history.

We doing our very best.

I would like to just get to a secondary office Today programme.

Thank you very much.

I think you were in your shoes to Christmas break and she lying in for once for this week next week.

I'll be talking to the controller of radio 3 and Davey in our last program until then have a happy goodbye.