The Bottom Line - podcast cover

The Bottom Line

BBC Radio 4www.bbc.co.uk

The definitive business podcast from the BBC.

Each week, the BBC's Evan Davis is joined by bosses, entrepreneurs and industry experts, to lift the lid on how their businesses work, and what it’s like to be in charge. 

They discuss a big issue, a big challenge, or a big question facing their industry.

From managing AI to managing millennials, from supermarkets to supercharging a new product.

And our guests will share their stories of success and failure along the way.  

Podcasts are published every Thursday. And as well as being a podcast, we are also available every Thursday afternoon and Tuesday evening on BBC Radio 4. 

You can now also listen to The Bottom Line on a smart speaker. If you want to listen, just say "Ask BBC Sounds to play The Bottom Line”. It works on most smart speakers.

The Bottom Line has published a spin off series - Decisions That Made Me - where Evan asks entrepreneurs and business leaders about the most crucial moments in their lives and careers. You can watch these episodes here: https://t.ly/oJ8lW.

Got a question or a comment? Get in touch with Evan and the team on email at [email protected].

The Bottom Line is produced in partnership with The Open University and is an EcoAudio certified production.

Episodes

Planet New

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. There are many arguments about how to solve the world's economic problems, to increase employment and achieve economic growth. But if there's one solution that most will agree on it's that we need more new products or services, which drive capitalism and make ...

Nov 15, 201228 min

Financial Services

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. Evan and his guests discuss financial services. They have the power to enrich an economy - or to ruin it completely. But what kind of makeover do they need to get them fit for the 21st century? Should the industry be more innovative and clever - or just a bit ...

Nov 08, 201228 min

Pricing

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. Evan and his guests discuss the science of pricing goods and services. How do companies decide what to charge - and how much of it is educated guesswork as to what they can get away with? In the studio are Roger Mavity, chief executive of the Conran Group; Rit...

Nov 01, 201228 min

The World of Sport

Evan Davis meets three of the sport sector's top business brains and gets them to share their stories of reinvention and the secrets of their industry. Evans hears from the darts, snooker and boxing promoter, Barry Hearn, who is also chairman of Leyton Orient and creator of the televised fishing contest, Fishomania. Former Formula 1 boss Max Mosley gives the inside story on how his sport became a hit in the Far East. And former managing director of IMG India explains how the Indian Premier Leagu...

Oct 25, 201228 min

Overcrowded markets

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. Evan and his guests consider the perils and possibilities of doing business in an overcrowded market, with too many products chasing too few customers. And ahead of the arrival of the latest James Bond film, they swap thoughts on product placement and celebrit...

Oct 18, 201228 min

Quality

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. Evan's guests delve into the concept of quality in business - how to get it high, and why it might end up low. They also compare notes on their respective weaknesses. Who do they turn to for help should they need it? In the studio are Jon Moulton, founder and ...

Oct 11, 201228 min

Boardroom battles

The view from the top of business. Presented by Stephanie Flanders, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. Stephanie's guests reveal the secrets of the boardroom and offer their tips for mastering boardroom politics - from hidden agendas and clashing egos, to a simple failure to agree. They also swap thoughts on the risks and rewards of running large incumb...

Oct 04, 201228 min

Products

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. If business is about anything, it's about products. Evan's guests come from companies that invent them, manufacture them and sell them and they each tell the story of a product that has shaped the fortunes of their business in some way. They also discuss the a...

Sep 27, 201228 min

20/09/2012

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The mere mention of the word "Europe" in the media these days conjures up images of economic crisis - riots, bailouts, 12-figure debts, emergency summits. And yet the European Union remains the world's largest economy, its GDP some 10 per cent larger than that...

Sep 20, 201228 min

12/07/2012

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV. Evan and his executive panel discuss the business of building and running infrastructure - how good is the UK at developing and del...

Jul 12, 201228 min

05/07/2012

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV. Evan and his executive guests discuss the evolution and hierarchy of brands. Who has the upper hand in the many battles being fough...

Jul 05, 201228 min

28/06/2012

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV. Evan and his executive guests consider how well the market works at allocating investment capital to the right businesses. Do deser...

Jun 28, 201228 min

21/06/2012

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV. Evan Davis asks his executive guests how they spend their time each day. What does the activity of running a company really involve...

Jun 21, 201228 min

14/06/2012

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV. Evan Davis asks his executive guests about instant gratification. Much of our economy is devoted to providing instant pleasure to c...

Jun 14, 201228 min

07/06/2012

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV. Evan Davis and his executive panel discuss different types of employment contracts and how far should employers go in checking on t...

Jun 07, 201228 min

31/05/2012

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV. As the mood on Europe swings from doom to gloom, Evan Davis asks his executive guests about the outlook for the Euro. What will it ...

May 31, 201228 min

Ruthlessness

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV. It's tough at the top, but when is it right to be tough at the top? Evan's executive panel debate the pros and cons of ruthlessness...

Mar 29, 201228 min

22/03/2012

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV. Evan's executive panel talk about decision making using examples from their professional life. A chance to see what their jobs cons...

Mar 22, 201228 min

Leadership

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV. Evan's executive panel discuss what good leadership consists of - how do you turn a mediocre manager into a brilliant boss? They al...

Mar 15, 201228 min

Cock-ups and Conspiracies

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV. Evan's executive panel discuss corporate cock-ups and conspiracies. They swap thoughts on why they occur, and how best to avoid the...

Mar 08, 201228 min

Reinvention

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV. Evan's three executive guests all run companies that to a large extent have had to reinvent themselves. He asks them what's driven ...

Mar 01, 201228 min

Selling Expertise

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV. Evan and three top executives discuss the curiosities of selling their expertise, knowledge the customer doesn't have. If consumers...

Feb 23, 201228 min

Young Entrepreneurs

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV. Three young entrepreneurs, all in their early twenties, join Evan to discuss the headaches in getting their businesses up and runni...

Feb 16, 201228 min

Big Egos

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV. Prompted by a comment from a guest in last week's programme that Facebook could never have been created in the UK, Evan and his pan...

Feb 09, 201228 min

Automotive

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV. Evan and his panel talk cars. What road is the automotive industry on? Just where is it headed? They also consider whether it's bes...

Feb 02, 201228 min

Capitalism

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV. Evan and his panel debate the big issue of the moment: capitalism, its virtues and vices. Across the media it's associated with neg...

Jan 26, 201228 min

Ambition

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV. Evan and his panel debate whether now's the time for companies to pursue big, ambitious ideas - or is it a time for more modest asp...

Nov 17, 201128 min

Business Bonds

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV. After a week of turmoil in the bond markets, Evan and his panel discuss the importance of bonds in business. The boss of Heathrow t...

Nov 10, 201128 min

Special Relationship

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV. This week Evan and his panel consider the secrets of a happy business marriage - those key symbiotic partnerships companies have wi...

Nov 03, 201128 min

Product Proliferation

The view from the top of business. Presented by Evan Davis, The Bottom Line cuts through confusion, statistics and spin to present a clearer view of the business world, through discussion with people running leading and emerging companies. The programme is broadcast first on BBC Radio 4 and later on BBC World Service Radio, BBC World News TV and BBC News Channel TV. This week Evan and his guests serve up a smorgasbord of topics, from Swedish business and the IKEA model, to the crisis in the Euro...

Oct 27, 201128 min
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