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we've just about got used to sing God save the king, but it's a time for a whole new national anthem well that was on Radio 4 antisocial not everyone was happy with how it was handled there are multiple specific references to the national anthem and the st.

George's Cross flag.

I was insulated when the nation they were trying to was specifically England antisocial presenter Adam Fleming is here to respond also.

We look back at some of the hottest shoes with in feedback this year from choirs 2 coronations to local radio upheaval and into losing our local radio station and we have the results of the inaugural feedback interview of the Year all will be revealed later, but first radio Force antisocial bills that sell.

Peace talks for the culture Wars it deliberately tackles controversial subjects and aims to add nuance and context to the oven febrile debate that happens online last week's episode so Adam Fleming and guests take on the national anthem to ask whether it was time for us to drop the current one in favour of something less focused on the monarchy start to say the program raise a few hackles nothing.

Why can't we have a new anthem? Why do people want to dress up old stuff that are composers there? It's way way out dates to sing the praises of individual human beings even Kings how about simply supporting our country and what better way than vow to thee my country which no Patriots object to of antisocial really is to take contentious issues and deconstruct them and she had a bit of light on and that is the nature.

But I wonder if you thought that this one was going to be as controversial as it turned out to be we know there's always going to be some heat, because there's a hot Topic what I've learnt the doing a few Siri though.

Is that you should never prejudge the level of control the sea or the level of emotion around something so for example.

You can do a subject like trans-sport sex education in school or about race or religion and actually the discussion in the studio ends up being very calm and the listeners sort ago that that was interesting that you can get subject that you think I'm going to be less controversial like traffic calming or liveable cities and the discussion in the studio.

Just almost gets gets out of control the reaction from the listeners is incredibly passionate the subject is Always Gonna Be controversial, but you just cannot predict where is going to go or how people react to it? I want to share with you.

What's up?

Martin Qatar thought of the program there are multiple specific references to the national anthem and the st.

George's Cross flag, I was somewhat infuriated when the nation they were trying to England the BBC is a British Broadcasting Corporation was at the presenter Adam Fleming Ascot from Glasgow did not make any integer to clarify the matter what you say thanks to Martin for getting in touch and it's always great to have have that feedback from from the listeners.

What is so good about Martens email? Is it there many think actually was there a different way of doing this program and so at the end of the program.

We did a little series where it looks at different song different tunes to work out what they want.

They could tell us about the process of having an anthem and so we looked at juice.

Demi looks at Australia but then the third example we looked at was a bit of a funny one who is Mr Brightside by The Killers which might seem totally random, but actually that was the subject of a petition a few years ago sing this should be the national anthem, but I'm just wondering it may be rather doing Mr Brightside The Killers song is the third item maybe we should have done Flower of Scotland and actually that would be a great opportunity to can a balance of the very English bit of Jerusalem and the English feeling of aspect of the national anthem with a very particular specific Scotland angle, England obviously has the largest population of any of the four nations in the United Kingdom but I think that a lot of the listeners felt was a lot of emphasis on England and the st.

George's flag and in fact when you were explaining the potted history of the anthem you did say we've got a journey back to the mid-1700s when.

Was it real risk of civil war and a crisp it was Britain that was a real risk of civil war because it was the the Stuart to retire wrestling crown from the Hanoverian and that was happening in Scotland so I wonder when you look like you could have been more accurate about that language.

I mean if I have just made a mistake in the introduction to the history section while then yeah, that's just that's just an hour and I'll hold my hands up to that and thank you, but that was an introduction into quite a long pre-recorded conversation with a historian ok fair enough the introduction could probably more accurate but I would like to think that we did that the subject we did the subject Justice because we went into it in quite a lot of jabs and hearing one person to another expert area and let me know that history unfolds.

I think that's that's that's a good thing Adam Fleming thank you so much for coming to talk to us on feedback and cause anti-social.

Available on BBC signs as well as on BBC Radio 4 now as this is our last program of the year.

It's time to reflect on some of the issues that have raised your passions over the past 12-months.

It's been dominated by conflict, but there has been space for some good news stories in 2023 or back in March the BBC and it was scrapping the globally famous BBC singers the news provoked Furious reaction from the world of classical music and from feedback listeners of the brilliant and renowned BBC singers in the funding cuts to the BBC orchestras further attacks on musical.ly Finn this country with the BBC used to do so much to promote hiring freelance quiet as and when however good.

They are is no substitute for the shoe.

And quality represented by the singers, but I'm afraid I don't believe excellence is the BBC priority anymore Simon webbe the BBC's head of orchestras and choirs came on feedback face the music on to explain how the corporation was consulting with the unions open with the Union about this tear rolling.

This is very important of course remember important to have that consultation where they have a chance to challenge what we doing and how we doing it and I welcome you say it's a consultation.

This is not a donedeal does that mean that you might roll back on the decision to scrap the singers.

There's no plan to roll back with me in every change.

We bring in our business.

We can help with a union to represent our employees.

That's a very important part of the process.

And that's where I certainly the Union can challenge our approach well the Union was clearly very effective in challenging the BBC's approach because two weeks later the decision fast.

In May listeners were treated to wall-to-wall coverage of the Coronation I think it's fair to say the listeners with mixed congratulations on the live radio broadcast to the coronation.

This was very interesting and informative for was in my view in October events in Israel and Gaza and the BBC self under the microscope for its coverage of the conflict and disgusted by the way the BBC have covered the news in the Gaza in Palestine the BBC have clearly sided with his really not of particularly devices and completely neglected the past any inside every time.

I turn the radio on it's with an interview with somebody from Gaza and there is very little.

With the Jewish people what they've been suffering Jeremy Bowen the BBC's international as a turd join me on feedback and make clear that he's all too aware the coverage of divisive issue is never going to please everyone this conflict first of all has over many many Decker it's had the has the capacity to make people angry all over the world.

I think that people are interested in having their own hopes and beliefs confirmed.

I think they want to have their victims of knowledge.

I think they want to have their side supported.

I think it's thought they would quite like it if we were cheerleaders the problem is that when not that means that sometimes when people hear what I would say very strong as the truth that can hurt no a recurring theme throughout the year has been the changes to BBC local radio stations began replacing some of their local I put with regional.

It's been wonderful absolutely wonderful and yeah, I'm going to go now.

Thanks for back in July Jason Horton director of production for BBC local gave us his Defence of these changes powered by the corporations move to digital still have the bedrock of a really really strong local radio service in linear and regional television news service not as strong as it is today, but changes that we're putting forward apps and me do get us to a place where we will be stronger and more consistent in our overall digital offer but is underpinned by a fantastic and really strong local radio and recent news offer aren't convinced.

I'm fed up of everything then just access online and now interaction with voices or local news.

We being railroaded homework for kids and fold into losing our local radio stations and our favourite programmes know earlier this year.

We launched the search for the feedback interview of the Year the nominations have been pouring in for the most dramatic political emotional revealing shopping interview that you've had over the past 12-months and I'd like to thank all of you who sent in your choices and your reasons for them.

We have read them all carefully they threw up a long list that went to a judging panel of listeners who then decided on the top five and the overall winner, so this truly is your award finalists at number 50 really memorable encounter where the guest turn the tables and after a few questions of their own.

I've got half an hour and your show there's any emergency.

Well, I want to talk about is you because you haven't you have an interview programming interview me because that's how social change work and I live in East Sussex and Nick Robinson interview with Roger Hallam the environmental activist broadcast on the 7th of October as part of the political thinking what you're saying is not important.

This is what's important on the British establishment has completely failed to protect the people of this country right to the heart of what he's doing campaigning for people to truly face and take on the vital issue of climate change in the process is really not interested in the night objectives is to try and shake up the listener and indeed BMW your next finalist is from the BBC signs and Canadian broadcasting produced.

Bloodlines if followed the search for a missing child called up in the wreckage of the so-called Islamic state the reporter was BBC Asian Network spoon and Tunisia nothing.

I just wanted to leave a message regarding interview on episode 6 of bloodlines the whole program was amazing but episode 22 talking to a young guy who was stuck in one of the confinement in Syria and I felt so powerful your mum.

How do you feel about the fact that you were brought here too serious?

well, that's a

I don't know my mum.

She every time she speaks to me.

She was apologises to me now.

She's like.

I'm sorry.

I ruined your life.

I got here to see it and now the top three interviews of the year.

This is Gordon Spence I'm calling from South Woodford in London I would like to nominate the edition of desert island Adrian Edmondson as interview of the Year as I couldn't use of whole it was really unmatched this year.

It was funny moving informative it really had all actor Adrian Edmondson talked moving Lee to Lauren Laverne about his comedy partner of many years Rik Mayall Rik obviously died way before it's time.

You were 56 and 2014 and Europe pallbearer more times than anywhere else and I remember just laughing like drains.

Is his mum OPM lovely letter?

Rotator after he died and she wrote back saying she could remember what you can.

See you in the garden laughing laughing laughing so funny honest and open funny and inspiring in equal measure and I'm delighted to say that Adrian Edmondson joins Us Now can I ask you Adrian did you expect to talk about Rik Mayall when you were asked to be on that Island Discs the great thing about this is he is a level of research.

They do both Sarah Taylor the producer and and Lauren really know what they're doing and they it's a long exhausted going to tell her to our research chat so I knew from the can of big chat had and buy my choice of Records

The doubt that was going to talk about Rick I didn't know I was going to blob so it it did rather take me by surprise it can be like that sometimes can't it sneaks up on you response and a very moving response from our listeners and I wonder what kind of response you had to it from friends and indeed from fans, when they had you on Desert Island Discs particularly talking so moving the about your friend.

It's been surprising the people of come out of the woodwork people haven't heard from 4 years and they've all that.

They will be moved and every kind of related to their losses and that program given the permission to kind of 22 kind of let themselves feel something know your choice for the runner.

Of feedbacks interview of the year and he is Roland Maloney from beer in Devon interview of the year for me occurred on the 4th of September on the Today programme Mills mother of Martha who died 2 years ago because Hospital Staff would not listen to the concerns of the parents and will not respond to the deterioration of their condition when she came round she lay on the bed and she said to me it feels like it's unfixable and the many things that went wrong but it was too late for them to do anything and a day later she was dead.

And there was an external report written by two adults at a different hospital who looked everything in spoke to all the doctor's involved and they said they never even gave her a chance this was an articulate passionate grief Aidan account.

I've just had his mother lost her rupees campaigning for a new law Master's law, which will give muscle to parents to ask for a third-party opinion and who want DoubleDown Assurance treatment is appropriate interviewing merope Mills on the Today programme was Michelle Hussain and Michelle Jones last night.

Can you tell us Michelle a little bit about the interview came about red account of that summer and Martha's death in the Guardian and I read it.

Huge impact on my tweeted about it last because I I couldn't believe this extraordinary change a vented culminated in the death of this child, but I didn't think about it at that time of something beyond on-air interview because the key part for me of Marcus story and her dad was that it was avoidable and I thought unless we tell all the bits of this the listener is not going to these times when someone all the system should have intervene to stop it.

How many listeners who nominated this interview have talked about high calm and precise and brave merope Mills was she was extremely articulate I think listen Peter Deegan speaks from any he said I had to stop and listen to The Loving way tomorrow pay spoke about her late daughter.

Martha Mills the emotion the bravery the concentration that meropa had to put into this interview because of what it meant to her and once you know the story.

Means to asshole, it was so compelling I had to play Over Again a brilliant interview you did allowed to talk and to tell her own story that I think is a real skill in itself knowing when to interrupt and when not to is really keen it is what made this such a powerful interview that they would be times when I might have to it's not a very nice where to use in this context but to move merapi on because I also knew that that I didn't want to record so much that we would even 20-minutes have to cut elements out of it.

It is one of the most memorable interviews and certainly most impactful interviews I've ever done because that sense of something needs to change and indeed the announcement almost immediately afterwards that they would be a master's rule in the NHS in England as not a huge amount to me, but I won't forget the sensation of listening to merapi even knowing.

What she was going to say because I've read her written account what the family have done will make a difference with almost immediately have made a difference with or without Masters rule to the kind of questions people ask in hospital to give patients agency to in some cases make doctors and nurses who might not otherwise involved patients and their families as much as they might have ordinary think differently and that is a testament to that family and that's part of Mother's Legacy to us all congratulations to you and to my emails on an interview that really made a lasting impact on many of our listeners.

Thank you.

Thanks Andrea so let's end our year with the big announcement with a huge number of your nominations and the residing in Dortmund of are judging panel of listeners.

It's an interview from the Today programme back in July

Hyphy back, my name is Jenny Linford I caught the tender request friend in the broadcast that stop you in your tracks Andrew Marr interview with Justin open today find Specsaver Palfrey thoughtfully I simply maintaining Innocence I wish I can do this and of course it once you've been convicted your processed like meeting an abattoir.

They just treat you as though you are never believe you in prison because I mean people obviously say there anything in prison for the give up on it after a bit you're seeing you never gave up on it.

No no no the truth the truth is the mental thing getting out involved and taking part in group therapy discussing with other people rapists murderers and

Paedophiles you all sit in a group and discuss what you've done and so the very idea of sitting there and pretending I've done something as a ripper cos that I couldn't even contemplate my name is Caroline Miles and I live in Southampton Hampshire I thought it was a very sensitive and poignant interview and really go voice to huge and horrific Ms Justice it also highlighted the fact that convicted people can have to then pay jail costs which is another terrible miscarriage of Justice but thank you very much to Justin wear them to Andrew malkinson feeling and I'm delighted to announce that the listeners interview the Year goes to Andrew malkinson interviewed by Justin Webb in July on the Today programme and Justin is here with me now Justin wonderful.

I'm really I'm so pleased for him.

Obviously because it seems to be such a nice man and my goodness is had a hard time.

Just give me a little bit of background Justin on high this interview came B perfectly ordinary day for me in which I expected to interview.

I don't know the junior minister for Fisheries or something at 8:10 and they said you know what we got any interesting fascinating an awful story of a terrible miscarriage of Justice and then at 8 it became increasingly obvious that he is going to turn up on time so we have to revert to plan a and then suddenly really at the last minute.

I'm like it see him through the bits of glass that I could see him in a room arriving as the news was ending and how to make kind of split-second decision do we do this slightly ugly and make it plain that is very much see the pan stuff or do we do it more?

What was wonderful was that he was up for it? You know when it comes to preparation etc? I don't know the taxi is that bring people in their balls ability to get up on time things that change in the morning and suddenly you need to do things differently so it's very much thrown together.

Just a program.

That's it all the best auditions of the Today programme are the most thrown together because they put everyone on the on the metal this is listener Kevin Watson he says what made the standout for me was the acknowledgement at the start of the interview that he slept in and was late to studio so as you say Justin then what followed was heartbreaking but the interviewer was gracious to love Andrew tell his story at his own pace with minimal interruptions and I think it was beautifully Justin you tell his story sometimes and I don't worry.

I don't mean to say that the last letter is more here, but perhaps not in.

This is exactly what I listeners 10 absolutely 100% I mean we do sometimes have to interrupt politicians otherwise.

I just take over and talk nonsense and there's no question that I'm not a never interrupt person, but there are moments where the last thing you want to do is is interrupt he comes into that category of someone who has had the most thing to cope with the could make you angry bitter desperate but in his case didn't and I think that's that it became obvious as we were talking that he had so much to say that was much more interesting than getting is an awful things happen to me and you're all if you're all to blame etc, and then when he talked about the extraordinary fact that I don't think any of us really knew I certainly didn't know that you you get charged for your board and lodging if your left had a present you realise that this is going to have an impact that isn't just an impact.

Emotions it is going to have a political impact as well Justin Webb thank you and thanks to all of you who took the time to nominate your interview of the year for 2023 and indeed for listening this year and giving us your feedback.

I hope you have a very merry Christmas and I'll be back with you for a new series in 2024 from fire-breathing Dragons to helpful Hobbs the mountaintop Giants to look around kelpies mythical creatures are all around if you know where.

Johnny Rhianna Pratchett on a quest to discover mythical creatures across the British Isles and find out what they were a series from BBC Radio 4 on BBC sounds.