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 Homepage of The Media Show, Radio4's weekly look at the media.. Wednesday 1.30pm. |
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Have your say |
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Andy Duncan and Channel 4 |
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BBC Local Video |
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The Financial Crisis Revisted |
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America across the channels |
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Comments on Today's Programme |
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DAB Radio:
Because I could not get good fm reception in my ground floor flat when I moved to Clacton and it drives me mad when long wave -with its good reception goes to cricket for days on end -even in the winter- I decided I would buy 2 good DAB radios but also had to have 2 airials outside to ensure good reception. Since the airials were installed in March reception had been pretty good with little of the burbbling -sounding like the radio was underwater -that sometimes occurs with DAB -happing. However the radio in the kitchen with the airial on the side of the building away from Bradfield where the signal comes from -less than 20 miles away -started 'bubbling quite badly in September and intermittently got worse until on Monday this week (19/10) -for several hours from 5-10 the signal was lost altogether-and of course I could not hear the latest reports from Robert Peston of doom and despair.It seems mad that I can get clearly umpteen stations on the TV but trying to get the best radio i.e.radio 4 -is like going on an expedition up the Amazon. The weak signal of DAB that can be affected it seems by so many variables must be a disincentive to buying DAB -after all Clacton is hardly out in the wilds!!!
Helen Rees
DAB Radio:
Your contributor was right in saying that FM can give better audio quality than the low bit-rate used for most DAB transmissions, but where DAB wins is in the environment for which it was designed, a moving receiver in a car.An FM car radio suffers pops, clicks and hisses because of multi-path reception, even where there is a strong signal, but DAB was designed to overcome this problem. (Actually, you don't realise how bad FM is in a car until you have listened to DAB.) Most cars are not suitable for hi-fi listening anyway, hence the acceptability of lower bit-rates, which permit more channels from which to choose.
C. Murray
Overexposure to USA on TV:
I absolutely agreed with your last item that the current glut of programmes about the USA is beyond boring. There cannot be anything left about this country that we do not know thanks to Theroux, Fry, Schama etc. When will we ever be exposed to history and feature programmes about our european neighbours. Russia has been going through a transformation in the past 20 years - not a peep about it on the BBC. The Scandinavian countries are only ever seen through the natural history prism and the most we've seen of Eastern Europe was Palin's tour. As ever, if the interviewees can't speak English the BBC shows no interest. Bill Brown
Coverage of the financial crisis:
Your programme was full of praise for the reporting of Robert Peston. While I am sure he knows an awful lot about the financial systems, I have to say that in my opinion he is the worst communicator on TV. His delivery is faltering, full of pauses in inappropriate places, usually followed by a high speed rush through the next part of what he wants to say. As a result he is extremely difficult to follow, and I am afraid I cannot listen to him. Sometimes an ability to communicate effectively is more useful than expertise.
Malcolm Rose
DAB Radio:
Digital radio is great! We get a strong signal here in Rugby and at least one of our five radios is on most of the day. Our most listened to stations in addition to Radio 4 are 5 Live, World Service, Planet Rock and 6 Music. This is a far easier and more portable platform than via the internet.
Roger Wilcox
Multi-platform radio receivers:
The advice given was to avoid DAB sets, instead buying one that supports FM, DAB and Internet radio.In principle, that sounds good, but as yet, stand-alone sets that support Internet radio are still expensive. Better advice is to get a DAB/FM set now, then wait a while until Internet radio set prices come down. That may cost less in total - and provide two radios.My DAB/FM sets cost about 30 quid from Aldi. They give excellent DAB, but lousy FM, reception in our house.However, only FM gives accurate time signals.
Roger Beaumont
Natalie Haynes:
Well, no I wasn't hoping for a black, female presenter for a documentary on the USA. Why would I? A competent presenter will do. What I do notice though is that historian presenters carve themselves very remarkable niches. Starkey seems to spot a huge number of gays in history, Bettany Hughes discovers periods which were run by hugely powerful wimmin and Scharma just has that irritating drawl so whatever he says is largely lost.
Petra Dye
How to listen:
I am listening right now via Internet Radio in Italy. Quality is perfect - better than when I am in London on FM.As a license payer why cannot I have access to BBCiplayer TV even if I wish to access this while abroad? Surely the technology can be used to identify me and give me access even though I use a non UK ISP?
Clive Aldenhoven
DAB Radio:
Forgetting for a moment that part of the Beeb's funding depends on persuading us to use DAB, how (with green and energy concenrs foremost) can they possibly justify forcing listeners to adopt a technology that consumes so much more power than a normal FM radio?
Graham Allen
Overkill on America:
Haven't heard Natalie Haynes' piece yet because I'm listening to the show now. But the trail said she's surprised the presenters in the States didn't bump into each other. She, or you, should listen to Front Row. Stephen Fry told Mark Lawson that he did, indeed, bump into Simon Schama while they were both filming. If my memory is correct it was in Washington DC... Arlington cemetery perhaps. Too late, I suppose for her to redo her piece, but why doesn't she ask the presenters concerned before pontificating?Like the show.
Tim Knight
Tri-ophony:
Tri-ophony suggestion to the B.B.C. The idea was to use the Radio 4 F.M., channel for the front, and the Radio 4 Longwave for the rear. They just sent a standard reply ( from memory ). It is, of course, possible to make the rear signal more sophisticated, but the mixed rear signal could provide enjoyment for many listeners. They use the Longwave for sport, why not for tri-ophony also ? Hold it though, what about , " The Archers " in surround sound ? ' I think I'd better think it out again '.
Colin Milne
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The Media Show |
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Listen again |
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Previous Programmes |
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1 October 2008
Andy Burnham on public service broadcasting
8 October 2008
Michael Grade on ITV
15 October 2008
Future of DAB Radio
22 October 2008
Andy Duncan and Channel 4
29 October 2008
Reporting Poverty
5 November 2008
Stephen Carter
12 November 2008
Lionel Barber and the FT
19 November 2008
Dr Tanya Byron on Kids TV
26 November 2008
Manchester and the Media
3 December 2008
Twitter's role in Mumbai Attacks
10 December 2008
Shannon Matthews and media coverage
17 December 2008
BBC Partnerships and media access to family courts
24 December 2008
Bush and the press and 1968 Apollo broadcast
31 December 2008
The Moralising Media
7 January 2009
Jeremy Hunt, Gaza Reporting and New Talent
14 January 2009
Prince Harry, Gaza, Persian TV and iPlayer
21 January 2009
Ofcom's PSB Review, Ross' return and British News
28 January 2009
Sir Michael Lyons, Hutton Report and New Nation
4 February 2009
Sky, Children and Reality TV and Financial Reporting
11 February 2009
BBC Children's Services, Jade Goody and Journalists' Conscience Clause
18 February 2009
Reporting Trauma, Subeditors and Teletext
25 February 2009
Dawn Airey, Disability on TV and Facebook
4 March 2009
Media and The Miners' Strike and ITV
11 March 2009
The Editors' Codebook, "Crown Jewels" of British Sport and Viviane Reding
18 March 2009
Christopher Meyer, Metro at Ten, Phorn and Impartial Drama
25 March 2009
Future of Journalism, Obama, Radio Caroline | |
Steve Hewlett |
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Steve Hewlett is a Guardian Columnist and broadcasting consultant. He is visiting Professor of Journalism and Broadcast policy at Salford University and a fellow of the Royal Television Society.
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Don't miss We want to hear your experiences |
Channel 4 is cutting back on staff and issuing dire warnings about its future as a public service broadcaster. Like other commercial broadcasters they are wrestling with a worsening advertising recession and, they claim, longer term structural changes that are undermining their business model. Without a major injection of public money – as much as £150 million pounds - to supplement their commercial revenues Channel 4 says it will become a shadow of its former self. Now you probably won’t be surprised to hear that in spite of broad support from industry regulator Ofcom, elsewhere in the industry at least, almost everything Channel 4 says is disputed by someone. 
BBC management proposals for BBC Local Video are currently under review by the BBC Trust. Regional newspaper groups are deeply worried about the proposals, fearing that their commercially financed online local news and information businesses will be undermined. The Trust’s conclusions are due to be published around the end of November but comments from the Chairman of the BBC Trust, Sir Michael Lyons, have inflamed the regional press. Tim Bowlder, chief executive of Johnstons Press and Tina Stowell, head of communications for the BBC Trust join Steve to debate the issues.
As the prospect of imminent global financial meltdown recedes - albeit to be replaced with rather more imminent economic slowdown – it is at last possible to buy a newspaper or watch the TV without seeing serried ranks of city traders – heads in hands. 
If you turn on your TV on Sunday night, you can see The American Future: A History by Simon Schama at seven o’clock on BBC2, Jon Snow's American Journeys at ten past Seven on Channel 4 and to round off your evening’s viewing - Stephen Fry in America on BBC 1 at 9pm. Comedian and writer Natalie Haynes thinks she’s detected a pattern.
