The Media Show
| File:Media Show.png Logo used in The Media Show podcast. | |
| Genre | Current affairs, Media |
|---|---|
| Running time | 30 mins |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Language(s) | English |
| Home station | BBC Radio 4 |
| Starring | Steve Hewlett |
| Produced by | Katy Takatsuki Paul Waters Simon Tillotson Ruth Watts |
| Recording studio | Broadcasting House |
| Original release | 1 October 2008 – present |
| No. of episodes | 431 (to 23 December 2016[1]) |
| Website | BBC Radio 4 |
| Podcast | The Media Show podcast |
The Media Show is a British current affairs radio programme and podcast on BBC Radio 4 which examines the current state of the media. The first episode was broadcast at 13:30 on 1 October 2008, with episodes broadcast weekly.[2] Prior to his death in February 2017, the show was usually presented by Steve Hewlett, a columnist for The Guardian newspaper and visiting Professor of Journalism and Broadcast policy at the University of Salford,[3] although it has also been presented by Emma Barnett, Andrea Catherwood, Paddy O'Connell, and Julian Worricker.
At times when Hewlett was absent, Edward Stourton has acted as guest host.[4][5] The series is seen by some as a replacement of The Message, a previous BBC Radio 4 series covering the media which was hosted by Jenni Murray and was dropped earlier in 2008.[2][6] The regular presenter from May 2017 will be Amol Rajan, the BBC's Media Editor.[7] Over the years The Media Show has been produced by Katy Takatsuki, Paul Waters, Simon Tillotson and Ruth Watts.
Format[edit | edit source]
The Media Show looks at various different kinds of media, including print, television, radio, online, and telecommunications. It also features discussion of various media areas such as creativity, culture, censorship, business, and ethics. Hewlett has said of the programme that: "I hope [it] will be able to lift the lid on many of the current stories within the media, offering genuine insight and intelligence, making this show a must-listen for both those within the industry – but always accessible to a wider audience of those interested in a subject that affects all our lives."[2]
On 14 November 2012, the programme broadcast a one-hour-long special edition, prompted by the controversy that the BBC was undergoing at that time, partly highlighted by the resignation of George Entwistle from his job as Director-General of the BBC.
Reception[edit | edit source]
Reviews of The Media Show have been mixed. Elisabeth Mahoney in The Guardian wrote that the show covered "a pleasing range of stories" and that it was better than The Message because "it's better to have a BBC outsider hosting [compared to insider Murray], and to place the show right in the middle of the week, allowing some looking back, but also some consideration of the unfolding media stories that will dominate the rest of the week."[8] However, Mahoney criticised the way it dealt with the Russell Brand Show prank telephone calls row saying that, "you'd hope for in-depth analysis and insight. Instead, they left the story until last, and zipped through it."[9]
Gillian Reynolds in The Daily Telegraph was cautious about the series before it was broadcast, in particular in relation to Hewlett, asking: "Can he voice on a BBC show such astringent comment on the Corporation's flaws as he does in print? His sources at Ofcom are enviable; will they dry up now he is inside the BBC? Ask me a year from now."[10]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00dv9hq/episodes/player (available now + 14 episodes from 2008 that are not available now)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "The Media Show: new weekly programme on Radio 4 presented by Steve Hewlett". BBC Press Office. 7 July 2008. Retrieved 2 October 2008.
- ↑ "1 October 2008". BBC. Retrieved 2008-10-02.
- ↑ "Episode 21". The Media Show. 18 February 2009.
- ↑ "Episode 28". The Media Show. 8 April 2009.
- ↑ Plunkett, John (8 May 2008). "Radio 4 silences The Message". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 October 2008.
- ↑ "Amol Rajan announced as presenter of BBC Radio 4's The Media Show". BBC Media Centre. 28 April 2017. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
- ↑ Mahoney, Elisabeth (2 October 2008). "Radio Review - The Media Show". The Guardian. Retrieved 2 October 2008.
- ↑ Mahoney, Elisabeth (30 October 2008). "Radio review - The Today Programme, Matthew Bannister, Jeremy Vine and The Media Show". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 October 2008.
- ↑ Reynolds, Gillian (27 September 2008). "Here is the Radio 4 news – about the BBC". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 2 October 2008.
