Richard Ayre is the chair of the UK's independent press regulator, Impress. Before that, he spent about thirty-five years at the BBC as a former controller of editorial policy and deputy chief executive of BBC News, before becoming a member of the BBC Trust. Richard is also a former member of the OFCOM content board. In this week's episode, we discuss BBC's DG Tim Davie and Chair Samir Shah's appearance in front of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport's select committee: the fallout from the Gaza documentary which was pulled after it was discovered the 13-year-old narrator had a family connection to Hamas, future funding models, the World Service, and the possibility of a generational charter.

“There was a meeting between BBC executives and executives of the production company—a face-to-face meeting—to comply this film before it went out, and the BBC didn't press for an answer or didn't get an answer to the question about the connection of the kid. That's very worrying, and that, I imagine, is where the BBC’s inquiry is now going to unearth some bodies—or people likely to be bodies.”

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Tony Hall was the Director-General of the BBC from 2013 to 2020, during which time the BBC's Royal Charter was last renewed. We discuss the differences between that charter renewal process and the current one, as well as the key issues surrounding the upcoming renewal: a long-term vision, a permanent charter, a new funding model, accountability, and engagement with licence fee payers. We also address the allegations of anti-Semitism within the BBC.

"I have never seen fundamental anti-Semitism in the time I was at the BBC. It's not how people work. Yes, there can be errors. Yes, there can be misjudgments, but fundamental anti-Semitism, or any other fundamental take on life that comes out in the BBC journalism I've never seen, and I don't believe it's there."

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@BeebRoger

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LinkedIn: Roger Bolton's Beeb Watch

email: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.com

www.goodeggproductions.uk

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Dan Thomas is the Global Media Editor at the Financial Times who broke the story on Sky News’ strategy and newsroom overhaul. We discuss the strategic decisions facing all the major news organisations as they adapt to changing audience behaviours, regulation of social media, the future of all the public service broadcasters, BBC charter renewal, the BBC’s news operations in the US and digital switch over.

“Sky News have been on the on the sort of watch list, as it were, for some time. They've got what can only be described as an existential crisis, right? And this is not just unique to Sky, it’s applicable to all sorts of linear, traditional broadcasters, but Sky News, they've got a particular problem. People don't really want to watch news on TV anymore, not in the way they used to. And they've had to come up with something.”

Listen to all our episodes here: https://podfollow.com/beebwatch

To support our journalism and receive a weekly blog sign up now for £1.99 per month (NB we only charge for one creation per month): www.patreon.com/BeebWatch/membership

Or if you'd rather make a one-off payment (which doesn’t entitle you to the blog) please use our crowdfunding page:

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/roger-boltons-beeb-watch-podcast

@BeebRoger

Instagram: rogerboltonsbeebwatch

LinkedIn: Roger Bolton's Beeb Watch

email: roger@rogerboltonsbeebwatch.com

www.goodeggproductions.uk

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.