Roger Bolton is a veteran in the broadcast industry with over 50 years of experience and still going strong. After presenting BBC Radio 4’s weekly programme Feedback for 23 consistent years, Bolton was let go by the BBC in August 2022 with no clear explanation despite him wanting to continue the show. Less than a month later, Bolton launched his first-ever podcast Beeb Watch with his former BBC colleague and producer Kate Dixon, using the platform to observe and discuss issues within the BBC and public service broadcasting.
This week on PodPod, Bolton and Dixon joined presenter Rhianna Dhillon and Rethink Audio head Matt Hill in the studio to talk about Beeb Watch, the impact of the BBC’s financial squeeze on independents and freelancers, how podcasting allows them to talk more freely and gives room for opinion, why the BBC has failed to fulfil its duty to train young people, and why people should keep their eyes open about working at the broadcasting corporation.
Key Takeaways
You don’t always have to edit down
“What was lovely about doing that first podcast was the freedom of not doing Feedback anymore,” said Dixon. “We could talk to [Richard Eyre] about what he did in his past, as well as the recent coverage and what he thought could happen in the future.”
“Now, ordinarily, if we had done him for feedback, I would have hacked him down to something like 12 minutes, including listener comment. We were able to run that interview in full, 20-odd minutes or so, and then added to that, we did a little package just to get a flavour of what people thought.”
You have to balance opinion with fact
“The pair of us have been in the BBC for so long that impartiality goes through us like a stick of rock,” said Dixon. “Roger has more freedom to give his point of view more, and he does.”
“The danger with broadcasters is that they tend to avoid the issues,” added Bolton. “The danger with podcasters is that they go straight for opinion and there's a vast gap in the middle, which is information that should be given to people before they jump to opinions.”
Don’t go into podcasting for the money
“The range of debate and opinion in this country has been far too narrow, and podcasting has enabled a range of voices you wouldn't otherwise have heard, to be heard,” said Bolton. “Go in with your eyes open that this probably won't make you money but it is a way of widening and extending the debate in whatever area you are, and guaranteeing that we have a greater breadth of opinion being expressed than is usually expressed.”
Footnotes
New BBC operating licence requires BBC iPlayer and Sounds to become more transparent
Former BBC journalists launch candid podcast on living with Parkinson’s disease
BBC launches paid subscription channel on Apple Podcasts Australia
Doctor Who: Redacted creator says she is “heartbroken” after being dropped by BBC
BBC Sounds achieved an all-time record for podcast listeners last year
BBC announces TV adaptation of hit supernatural podcast Uncanny
Kate Nash hosts new Arctic Monkeys podcast series from the BBC
BBC Sounds renews Audio Labs accelerator to champion new generation of podcasters
Ex-BBC Sounds assistant commissioner joins Mags Creative team in management role
Former BBC commissioning editor and Sugar Films co-founder join Unedited team as senior executives
Newscast tops BBC Sounds’ podcast charts for Q3
Podcast licensing deals ‘need to calm down’ says Global content chief
Producer Download: Jack Howson
The News Agents hits 24m downloads in just seven months
Award-winning journalist Emma Jane Kirby joins Blanchard House as podcast producer
