Read this: 17/03/2023 Radio 4 Feedback

BBC sounds music Radio podcasts hello welcome to the program the impression is that the Lister and the music industry of being misled and the BBC's intention is to abandon, its public service role in classic musical moments in the UK response to interview with the BBC head of orchestras and choirs following that decision to axe BBC singers, so will be looking at the potential fall out and you won't be surprised to hear that we have been inundated with your views on the whole Gary Lineker BBC impartiality debacle.

Peace talks for the culture Wars Radio 4 programme antisocial sets out to be an antidote to the rudeness of social media, so how does it feel the participants were talking to each other and it became Sheltie all things social media suffers from presenter Adam Fleming and producer Lucy Proctor here to respond to your comments and what I like to hear our foreign news organization reports on war in your country.

I think so do we need to listen to a sad news because you know you can pretend nothing is happening a year after the Russian invasion refugees and re and Olga are in a Vax box to give us their take on holiday today programme is covering Ukraine

The Ferrari over proposed cuts to classical music at the BBC shows no signs of dying down last week.

We invited Simon webbe head of orchestras and choirs on to discuss plans to access the BBC singers now in its 100-year here the flavour of that exchange you say it's a consultation does that mean that this is not a donedeal does mean that you might roll back on the decision to scrap the singers.

There's no plan to roll back in every change we bring in the dinner in our business.

We can start without any of you weren't entirely happy with what Simon webbe had to say Andrew Mitchell from Highbury in North London this crisis is being approached by the BBC as a budgeting exercise and done within BBC management appears to be talking sincerely from a position of knowledge about artistic V

And cultural value not recognising the Enormous assets, they have built up during the past 100 years in their orchestras and the BBC singers Chris Wilson central, London why did you not ask Simon webbe head of orchestras and choirs the key question as to why the amount of savings from the music cuts.

It's not coming from elsewhere at the Jamie and Joker Goodwin is the chief executive of UK music it represents the country's music industry.

I put it to him that savings have to be made Rider the BBC but did he think that this was the right way to go about it? I think one of the problems has been a feeling that's going to be black of consultation.

There hasn't been an open and honest conversation with the sex about the challenge of the BBC facing what they need to do and how it should work together to go to support the ensembles as such a vital part of this country is fabric to fabric but also in a way that make sure the BBC can still do.

Used to be delivering.

I think it's really important.

Just to stay and stress this isn't a case of cutting funding or turning organisation off for a couple of years and then x a better.

You turn it back on that he's organisation.

It feels like decisions are being made now because of funny situations now that are going to be having a serious long-term impact on the whole classical music ecosystem, and it's a conversation.

It feels like we just haven't really had BBC do you feel like there's any room for manoeuvre hear well.

I hope so it's actually quite heartwarming to see how many people really really do care about this.

You've heard composers who see the BBC singers as an important part of their career who supported them throughout their career.

There's been performers to see just how important these ensembles be both of BBC singers and the BBC orchestras are to the castle Music ecosystem and save the public there were hundreds of thousands of people who signed petition to responded and actually for relatively small sums are savings taken decisions which are actively infuriated.

Flights to be players across the country.

I think there's a huge mistake by the BBC do these cuts damage the reputation of the BBC in the classical music world sadly, I wonder why should I say sadly it's because for decades the BBC has been admired across the world not just for its quality is diversity of its musical output.

We have had concerned about the future of classical music in this country and particular young people coming through training to be classical musicians and then finding that they actually can't make a career out of that because there just aren't enough outlets is that something that you are concerned mean of course you want there to be as many as many outlets as many opportunities for young musicians as possible not leave the country.

We've got incredibly proud tradition of being a musical country and lots of that's come because we got a strong Talent pipeline.

We got a strong history.

We got a strong tradition.

We've also got a strong system and structure of world class.

The singers film was 100 years has been one of those world-class Squires the BBC orchestras have been operating and working across the whole of the UK delivering all sorts of Fantastic programs also performances to I mean I can I can feel off times for the BBC Philharmonic is absolutely transformer performances by nationals of Wales I'll still never forget her thoughts of stuff to go.

It's five they didn't know that start with B for more than the day and actually the impact these orchestras and ensembles have aunt just cultural Economic and social gathering relevant to all of us across this would you like to see the BBC do from here Jamie I think is really clear the BBC has made a mistake here.

I think these proposals have been missguided, but I recognise that the BBC is facing pressure.

I think they really are is it we have a conversation and there needs to be a clear conversation between the BBC and the sector about how to take these are the things forward so I know the musicians' Union be working closely with the BBC and I'd like that conversation to be as

Possible anything is very important at the BBC causes these proposals have a border and wider consultation with the sector and try to work out a much more sensible way forward.

Thanks music Jamie and Joker Goodwin the Gary Lineker Saga started with a tweet and eventually morphed into a full-blown crisis for the BBC Two dissecting the affair taking in half the issues like impartiality BBC independence and whether he's really that good at his job and loved him or low them listeners.

Won't shy in living their feelings be known hello.

I'm truly.

I'm calling BBC should stop him he's done this before now and he's there's a sports commentator if you can't manage to just do that you must

This man is a loose cannon.

My name is John calling from Cornwall was disgusted by the BBC treatment of Gary Lineker suggesting.

What is about seriously speaking truth to power not being carried into submission of Silence by those in power regardless of whether a restaurant in datastage ironing Claire's and pundits in refusing to take part in match of the day after the BBC suspended Gary Lineker will be speaking to former BBC

Eventually of course Match of the Day round with no theme tune no Gary and no commentary but continue to pop up All Over BBC Radio on Sunday mornings, Broadcasting House it was The Turn of former Radio 4 controller Mark don't think that there could be and a proper consultation in which various different stakeholders very much including Gary and other freelance presenters stars presenters Paddy to senior BBC editors and various other stakeholders licence absolutely the public and I think at the end you produce some kind of report now because the next day the BBC DG announced that was exactly what it was going to do what we've agreed and I've spent time talking to Gary and we have lots of discussion is that between now and when the review?

Reports Gary will abide by the editorial guidelines and the end of the story anything but the issues of importance pendants talent management and wages are fundamental to the Future of the BBC in the run-up to charter renewal and this week's Media show was a one-hour special which to unpick it or are you saying to the public care about impartiality is that your understanding? They care about trust and accuracy in television Jonathan Wallace from Newcastle upon Tyne several contributors to the programme insisted that the suspension was a purely internal decision and that no one was on but I think that Mrs the point.

I think the reason impartiality is important.

It is because the tablet should be able to trust information it gets from the BBC as honest accurate and complete.

Gary Lineker's Sports presenter and I don't think that anyone truly believes that his political using somewhere undermine trust in Match Of The Day from impartiality is important, but the word that needs and four sizing is due due impartiality that not every it needs to be entirely balanced, but I think it is important that the BBC does in all this seeks to explain and analyse from Abergavenny enough seriously and I only person who finds that reporting on story about the BBC Rover represented.

It feels like it reflects the interests of the organisation rather than the listeners you can listen to the media show on Radio 4 and BBC signs of course listeners should sit right at the heart of this debate.

No senior BBC manager was available today to directly answer your questions have no fear that will be returning to these issues soon.

So please do let us know your thoughts email to feedback a bbc.co.uk you can leave a voice message on 0330 for 54 you can tweets at BBC R4 or write to us at PO Box number 67234 London se1p 4ax hello it's Adam Fleming every week will take one thing that's been shared a lot on social media and it said at making you feel like the angry emoji you'll be more like that.

Well informed angel one Fleming there on antisocial and indeed here on feedback alongside producer Lucy Proctor each week the program delves into a hot Topic that's generating console.

Social media the aim is to bring context and to calmly dissect the arguments to shed more light less heat from the initial bright idea came from know the controller of radio 4 Who last spring said I want to do a show on Radio 4 this also podcast on BBC sounds called and I said about social media not quite I wanted to be the kind of the bag that you don't get on social media so in other words what you see on online is quite argumentative often quite superficial the algorithms pick out the Most Extreme takes and there's a sort of incentive for everyone to just get louder and louder and angry and and more and more superficial and he said can you make a show that is the opposite of that that measured calm fair nuanced and full of evidence.

Lots of people and how easy has it been to achieve that Adam because you've obviously got to find contributors who disagree but you're happy to disagree in perhaps more of a thoughtful way.

It's easy balance will first of all there's just working at how to actually deliver a show like this.

What's the what's the format that you do and we experimented with a few versions before we actually start broadcasting last and we found we think we should put on quite a good format which is this idea of it's an hour long.

It's live for that our you have two people in the studio who come at the argument from Canada sides, and then you listen to other people who are they provide a bit of evidence a bit of context some statistics some history may be a source of from the Frontline of the story to can have just do a bit of fact-checking and then you get reactions from the two sides of the argument during the week and that's quite a good way of covering lots of bases.

Keeping the conversation quite common, my name is Jane and I live in Suffolk I want to say that I think antisocial is a great program.

Well presented searched and I really appreciate a program designed to allow proper discussion and some respect for those with use other than one's own however I feel that the program on the 17th February 15-minutes cities and Freedom Phil short ignored that point to talk about the I know that the participants were talking over each other and it became all things social media suffers from Jane thank you very much for your feedback about the excellent presenting.

I'll take that I'll print that one off and save it.

Yes, so what I say.

To the people in the studio or quite often go down the line and not in the studio will come onto that as is that we're not here to generate a big row that you might see on some debate equally were not there to pretend everyone's friends and by the end of the hour to people who disagree with each other at the start will end up being friends with you.

So we're not trying to make conflict or generate more complex and not trying to create fake consensus.

Hi there, so I say that to the guest who there for the halara before they start but we do want the conversation to be natural and say to them look if you disagree with something that you just tired feel free to Chipping and explain why you disagree don't wait for me to be sort of classic chairperson presenter going Andrea Andrea what do you want it to be quite natural 99% of the time the conversation has been quite good natured.

That's 15 minutes.

Episode is a real exception and yes it did get very heated and it was annoying for me as a presenter when the guest started talking over each other when each other finish on a try to intervene not helped by the fact that one of the guests was down the line and one of the gases in the studio, which always makes things or difficult but that was an honest reflection of how those two people felt about that issue.

How they were choosing to discuss it and I can see why listeners might have felt that was a little bit annoying.

I mean as a presenter is a little bit annoying that would be much easier for me if we haven't been talking for each other, but that's how that conversation ended up.

I'm totally in golf in Gourock I wish to object to the selection of the experts featured on the BBC Radio 4 programme antisocial for shade on the 24th of February 2023, how did you become a migration policy expert in the first place? I've been working in the charity sector supporting refugees.

Prince for materialised and that's why is shoes relating to immigration and Asylum a very heated at the moment and they're becoming quite up into the both of the expert so we had to say and it came from left wing pro illegal immigrants standpoints.

Why was no one selected to provide an alternative point of view the BBC supposed to be fair and impartial and provide a balanced discussion to Lucy has the producer.

How do you respond to Ian's comments? Yes, I thinking in that case actually thanks.

Ian for the comment.

We had one panelist.

He was very pro open borders analyst actually.

I think there may be a little bit of misunderstanding about his position there from listening to the sho he Vicky Pattison is very much in favour of very controlled immigration and certainly wouldn't characterise himself as being pro illegal immigration.

What ever we might take that to me so the guests on that program we made sure and we do for each program.

What were trying to do is get guessed that all different sides of the argument that people are having on social media, but they're not at the extremes of the argument.

So we're trying to get people who represent quite a lot of listeners that will be listening but they aren't taking any kind of Fringe position so wiki would certainly have fallen into that category.

I think my name is the next time I'm calling about anti-social discuss the fact that there are some people who are not interested at all in the royal family law in the Harry and Meghan story of the 9th or against to give an object seem to be it's like giving an hour on some celebrity nobody who is on the front of the newspapers and help sell newspapers.

Everyone has seen a speculation who said there's two said that you'll be think it might with this person and so it has allowed to roll on longer than that she needed to and media since the majority of the public are interested.

We are it's just a media store looking at this book was a little bit different from the programs that you have normally done and I wonder what you are behind that was it clearly was a massive story that week was it the tricky decision to decide to do the Harry and Meghan story and it's not quite at the same as most of the kind of antisocial well.

I think when we decided to do that story and I understand that Harry and Meghan has a very divisive subject of the some people it just seems very fluffy and they're not too interested in it, but then turn off people it is really important and that's because of these issues around sexism and racism that particularly Meghan Markle brings up and that Harry support so in so what we were trying to do in that.

Not talk so much about the celebrity nature of things all of the bits and bobs around the book that we've seen in the mainstream Media but address some of these quite cultural issues of sexism and racism so that was the plan we were trying to take her slightly sideways.

Look a story that was massive everywhere else and do it in an antisocial is a massive deal in an atom in a highway actually deal with social media.

How we deal with the culture Wars are you hoping that by creating this program? You're actually contributing to a slightly Kinder social media environment strong stay humble journalist trying to do my job as a public service broadcaster and somebody who cares you onsen getting to the truth.

It's not like I'm on some kind of crusade to make the world a better place antisocial is no different from any of the journalism.

I've done any point in my career.

Westminster or in Brussels or on news cast of podcast I do is just using the privileged position.

I've got to be able to phone People up chat to people but in a way that means the people listening just know more about what's going on and have a bit more nuanced about what's happening so in that sense antisocial is just what I've done the whole time is just happening in this context of a slightly Cannock crazy our conversation.

Thank you to Adam Fleming and his producer Lucy Proctor you can listen to antisocial on BBC sounds most Ukrainian refugees living in the UK get their news from home, but we thought it would be interesting to see what they make of the way the BBC covers their story in a box box today or and re and Olga friends from the visit in Ukraine who be living in Glasgow Central from last year both have fun.

We asked them to listen to the Today programme on the one-year anniversary of Russia's Invasion on the morning of 24th of the cold my sister.

She said it started the missile start I can give good morning from Keith the capital of Ukraine City a country Under Fire and we were in the floods of Explosions and site of 150000 Russian troops crossing the border Mark the moment that Ukraine and the world changed forever.

I think most play rely on social media intern people that I trust them and a lot of information.

I get from my friends what the front line.

They are not.

But from the remote from somewhere to can understand what's going on with irregular call was my brother and my parents and it triggers you complete when you something that happened on the front line and you know that you will help us here you cannot do anything around half a dozen Russian armoured personnel carriers dead layer and the Exploding burning vehicles and I came to my base.

I was crying because I was thinking that I did things which I know that and never been done before but I think this is very good material.

I hear it and it brings me in for someone who is interested to know what is happening in Ukraine and what is the altitude of ukrainians? It is very good bikaner to the to the man that was.

To the state the Ukrainian soldier, I think this is the exact attitude that we sometimes when I hear some other programs.

I just think the day you there is an operation there and they do not show the station as it is rather putting some narratives which to my surprise something is just a narrative that are provided by the Russian proper and that is not a good thing.

It's 8 months ago.

I was trying to find some sinking like I don't know normally in my Facebook and they've all seen your feet covered ways of my colleagues browser of my classmates father of my colleagues husband saver all on the front line drama.

This year has been very challenging.

My soul is traumatised the pain is constant my heart aches and the moment comes.

I wish I didn't have that night.

You need to put yourself some hot this is my case.

I don't know how the people do that, but you need to do some the mechanism some barrier not to laugh all the information to be smashed Aldi smashed life completely that's why it is hard to give comments on this this problem.

And I do it like from time to time to feel that the war is on and we need to do something we need to fight even if we are here, but if you had this for a longer period can just completely destroy you so you need to at least in my suggestion it to be very careful with that because you can pretend that nothing is happening you can like pretend it.

You know and I need to stay in touch and I need to understand what's going on and I think the word needs to understand what's going on, but I want I want to say thank you to BBC is that you are producing your news in this way because you know I think it was telling who said that as a fun person is a strategy is a does of millions is just a statistic and you are trying to.

Breaks at school because when you allowed people to speak from themself politics is described in more human way was thanks to older and Andrew and we wish them well till next week for me.

Thank you for listening and giving us your feedback goodbye.

Hello, I'm glad Jenna and the host of you're dead to me BBC Radio 4 comedy podcast it takes history seriously and I'm delighted to say that we are back the series 6 once again.

I'll be joined by fantastic cast of experts and top-notch comedians to talk about a wonderful fascinating surprising array of historical subjects from all over the world will be popping on a biography to look at the lines of Cleopatra Sarah Bernhardt Dudley Vinci and Simon Bolivar will be exploring weird and wonderful subjects including the history of vital electricity the Jacobites and the Columbian exchange by know what that is my listing in the series will be launching with a Valentine's Day special about dating and courtship in eighteenth-century Britain of your dead to me make sure to subscribe on BBC sounds, so you never miss an episode.