Social media, anti-social media, breaking news, faking news: this is the programme about a revolution in media.
The man behind the ITV documentary about Jimmy Savile talks to Steve Hewlett about how the programme made it to air. The former editor of Today Kevin Marsh talks about his book 'Stumbling Over Truth: The inside story of the sexed-up dossier, Hutton and the BBC'. Plus just how independent is Al Jazeera ? We speak to Al Anstey the Chief executive of Al Jazeera English about the channel's editorial policy. Presenter Steve Hewlett Producer Beverley Purcell.
Philippa Kennedy has been appointed as Ombudsman for The Sun. She will consider complaints and correct errors but how independent of the newspaper will she actually be? Channel 4 will screen footage of volunteers in a scientific study taking MDMA. David Glover, Commissioning Editor for "Drugs Live", responds to criticism that the programme risks glamorising drug use. And could a levy on monthly broadband bills be an effective way of subsidising print journalism? David Leigh of The Guardian think...
What does deputy leader of the Labour Party and shadow Culture Secretary Harriet Harman think about press regulation? And for that matter those royal photos? The Leveson enquiry heard lots about how the Irish system of press regulation - with its official ombudsman to decide on complaints - is much superior to our own. And yet it's there that the photos were published. So what gives? Plus what's the new BBC Director General's vision for the Corporation. Presented by Steve Hewlett Producer Beverl...
Armando Iannucci talks to Steve Hewlett about 'The Thick of it' and the role of writers, producers and directors in TV. Plus the Leveson enquiry into the culture, practices and ethics of the press. What will he recommend and what will the post Leveson media world look like. Producer Beverley Purcell.
Steve Hewlett interviews Emma Scott, managing director of Freesat, as the free to air satellite TV operator launches a new service called "Free Time". What's in the in-tray of the new Culture Secretary Maria Miller? And will ITV's relaunch of Daybreak with a new set and new presenters draw viewers?
In today's programme with Steve Hewlett: Independent editor Chris Blackhurst's shocked reaction to a letter from the Leveson Inquiry; Stuart Cosgrove, C4's head of diversity, on the difference the Paralympics could make to the channel; former PCC chairman Sir Christopher Meyer on the fallout from the Sun's publication of the Harry photos and the impact this could have on Leveson; Jane Kinninmont of Chatham House on the widening range and varied goals of Arabic TV channels. The producer is Simon ...
In today's programme with Steve Hewlett: After the Olympics, there were calls for those less-prominent events in which Team GB won medals to get wider coverage on tv. Is there really an appetite for this, though, now the excitement has died down? John Fairley of Highflyer TV talks about his plans to run a new tv channel showcasing minority interest sports, London Legacy. How have so-called second screens affected tv viewing habits and what impact does that have on broadcasters? Paul Lee of Deloi...
This week with Steve Hewlett: Why does Birmingham Alabama have eight local TV stations when Birmingham in the UK - four times the size - has none? Secretary of State Jeremy Hunt MP posed that question over two years ago when he set out his vision for new local tv stations across the UK. The deadline for submissions from the would-be tv operators in 21 towns and cities closed this week and now we have a clearer picture of how Jeremy Hunt's question might be answered. Join Steve Hewlett and his gu...
Have TV's Red Button and HD channels struck gold at the Olympics? Plus where are we with DAB and the digital radio switchover. Presenter Steve Hewlett Producer Beverley Purcell.
ITV's Chief Executive talks to Steve Hewlett about the company's latest results and what the future holds for Britain's biggest free to air commercial broadcaster. Plus what impact is new media - particularly Twitter having on the Olympics? Producer Beverley Purcell.
Will a digital first strategy mean the end for some newspapers. Lord Leveson begins writing his report - what will it mean for the future of the press ? We road test the TV of the future - Super Hi-Vision. And as one Olympic sponsor prepares to make its first move into funding a TV music programme broadcast during the games - we ask is ad-funded programming the way forward. Presenter: Anne McElvoy Producer: Beverley Purcell Super Hi-Vision screenings are taking place in London, Bradford and Glas...
This week with Steve Hewlett: MPs have been grilling the BBC over the way it contracts its presenters, leading to allegations such as that on the front of the Daily Mail this week: "148 BBC stars avoiding tax". Conservative MP Steve Barclay was one of those questioning the BBC and he tells Steve where his concerns lie. Bal Samra, the BBC's director of business affairs, responds. And, in a week when the BBC and its commercial arm BBC Worldwide have published their reports, analyst Theresa Wise as...
In today's programme with Steve Hewlett: Radio 1 controller Ben Cooper on plans after Chris Moyles, who's announced today he's standing down in September. How far does this help Radio 1 reach the younger audience it needs to attract? A year after its final edition, former News of the World deputy editor Neil Wallis gives his views on the impact of the closure and the subsequent Leveson Inquiry on journalism in the UK. And YouView's chief executive Richard Halton explains what he believes the ser...
In today's programme with Steve Hewlett: Jeremy Hunt MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, gives his first interview since appearing at the Leveson Inquiry; Maggie Brown of the Guardian and Mathew Horsman of analysts Mediatique discuss the prospects for new BBC DG George Entwistle; and Ben Fenton of the FT comments on a new twist in Operation Elveden, the police investigation into allegations of corrupt payments to public officials. The producer is Simon Tillotson....
On today's programme with Steve Hewlett: How well did the BBC cover the Arab Spring? The BBC Trust commissioned a report from Middle East expert and former UN director of communications Edward Mortimer who found much to praise but also had some constructive criticism, detecting the absence of a central strategic brain overseeing the coverage. He explains what he thought the BBC could have done better and Stephen Mitchell, BBC deputy director of news, responds. With the news this week of plans to...
On today's programme with Steve Hewlett: Why was BT prepared to pay so much for the rights to show Premiership football? Marc Watson is chief executive of BT Vision and he explains the strategy, while analyst Mathew Horsman of Mediatique looks at the implications for consumers and for rivals BSkyB. The Leveson Inquiry has raised concerns over a story in the Mail on Sunday this weekend which alleged Lord Justice Leveson threatened to quit over comments from Michael Gove - a claim he strongly deni...
In this week's programme with Steve Hewlett: As the situation in Syria deteriorates, the BBC's Paul Wood and CBS's Clarissa Ward discuss the risks of reporting undercover from the conflict zone. Both received the David Bloom prize this weekend at the annual Radio Television Correspondents' Association awards in Washington for their reporting in Syria. Have attitudes towards foreign journalists changed to the extent that some suggest where, to attract media attention, activists appear to have set...
At its peak the BBC attracted almost 17 million viewers for its Diamond Jubilee coverage but some have described parts of it as 'lamentable,' 'tedious' and 'inane'. Alan Yentob the BBC's Creative Director responds to those criticisms. Ian Hyland TV critic for the Mail on Sunday shares his view, and Michael Lumley an executive producer for the coverage of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer's wedding, reveals some of the challenges inherent in covering such large scale events on TV. YouView is ...
In today's programme with Steve Hewlett: The editors of the Mirror and Sunday Mirror lost their jobs this morning, ahead of the papers' move to a seven day operation. Ben Fenton of the Financial Times looks looks at why Trinity Mirror has made this decision and why now. Former Paralympic swimmer Giles Long tells Steve how he came up with the new graphics for Channel 4's Paralympics coverage, which aim to demystify the system for classifying athletes. Yesterday the CPS explained why it would not ...
On The Media Show with Steve Hewlett: The organisers of the Eurovision song contest have been criticised by human rights campaigners for allowing the event to be held in Azerbaijan, despite concerns about lack of press freedom. The director general of the European Broadcasting Union, Ingrid Deltenre, defends the EBU against these criticisms and explains what it is doing to support public service broadcasting. Tessa Jowell MP has been giving evidence to the Leveson Inquiry this week. She tells St...
Channel 4's chief executive David Abraham discusses the channel's ratings and revenues. Does the channel still need to find a replacement for Big Brother, does it need horse racing and how does the pay of C4's chief executive compare to that of the next BBC director general? Tim Bradshaw, digital media correspondent of the Financial Times, discusses the potential pitfalls of the Facebook IPO on Friday. And Lorraine Heggessey and Colin Robertson discuss what, if anything, needs to be done to turn...
BSkyB chief executive Jeremy Darroch gives Steve Hewlett a rare interview on his strategy for Sky, including investment in programmes and importance of Premiership football rights - and addresses some of the stories surrounding Sky including its relationship with Rupert Murdoch and rivalry with the BBC. For further context, there was a discussion of BSkyB's recent strong financial report in last week's programme. Film director Michael Apted has been closely connected to the "Up" series on ITV si...
In today's programme with Steve Hewlett: Just a day after MPs say Rupert Murdoch is not fit to run a major international company, satellite broadcaster BSkyB posts big profits. It won't have escaped NewsCorp's attention that, if all had gone according to plan last summer, it would now own all of BSkyB and would now have all those profits to itself. In the current political climate, what are the prospects of NewsCorp launching a new bid for the 61% it does not already own? Mathew Horsman of Medat...
Steve Hewlett canvasses reaction to today's evidence from Rupert Murdoch with Ben Fenton of the Financial Times and Sarah Ellison, formerly of the Wall Street Journal and now contributing editor of Vanity Fair. Steve traces the rise of the Murdochs - and politicians' interest in them - from Margaret Thatcher onwards, with former cabinet member Lord Fowler, former Guardian editor Peter Preston and Claire Enders of Enders Analysis. Moving on to the BSkyB takeover that dominated yesterday's coverag...
Steve Hewlett questions Keir Starmer DPP on his new public interest defence guidelines. How much reassurance can journalists draw from them in their day to day work. Do they make it more or less likely that a jury would support investigative journalists even if they break the law? How significant are this week's changes at the Johnston Press papers and the closure of Manchester's Channel M tv station? Some of the Johnston papers are going from daily to weekly and Channel M stopped work this week...
Paul Staines ("Guido Fawkes") has been praised and criticised for publishing the leaked Motorman files relating to News International this week. These files appear to show the names of journalists who asked private investigator Steve Whittamore for information on hundreds of people, most of them not public names, along with the names of those people. Qualified praise comes from campaigners such as Hacked Off who say the files should be published but with the names of the public concealed, while ...
How much will BSkyB and Sky News miss James Murdoch after his resignation yesterday and what is the bigger picture for the Murdoch family's NewsCorp? Are the interests of the family and the shareholders diverging? That's the discussion between media analyst Mathew Horsman of Mediatique, US National Public Radio media correspondent David Folkenflik and former Guardian editor Peter Preston. The Leveson Inquiry reaches the end of its second stage today, focussing on whether the relationship between...
Almost a year after the furore over superinjunctions, there is a joint Lords and Commons report on what should be done to safeguard privacy. Among the recommendations is a call for search engines such as Google to do more to limit potential breach of court orders, with legislation to back that up if needed. Max Mosley has been calling for tighter control and he discusses this with John Kampfner, the outgoing director of Index on Censorship. John Whittingdale MP chaired the committee behind the r...
The Controller of BBC 1, Danny Cohen speaks to Steve Hewlett about The Voice UK. As headhunters draw up the job spec for the Director General vacancy, what issues can the next DG expect to face? The Times has won a libel ruling from the Supreme Court, what are the ramifications for the press generally? And we hear from editors at this years Press Awards. The producer is Simon Tillotson.
The Voice launches on BBC1 next week, a few weeks ahead of the usual launch date of ITV's Britain's Got Talent. This year, though, BGT's been brought forward and the two programmes will clash. Neil Midgley has been looking into how this happened and what's at stake for the broadcasters. James Murdoch's written to the Commons committee investigating phone hacking at the News of the World, reasserting that he has not misled Parliament while sharing responsibility for not uncovering wrongdoing earl...
