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Feedback: EU coverage, Diversity

Factual

26/02/2016

EU coverage, Diversity

BBC Radio 4 - Feedback, EU coverage, Diversity

EU referendum impartiality, diversity in BBC Radio and how to liven up dull sport.

Is BBC coverage of the EU referendum fair? Chief political adviser Ric Bailey answers listeners. Plus Jonathan Agnew and Ian Dennis on how boring sport can make for great radio.

Roger Bolton with listener questions and comments on the EU referendum coverage, BBC diversity, stultifying sport and the continued furore over Rob and Helen in The Archers.

With the EU referendum date set and the battle between 'leave' and 'remain' set to dominate the headlines until June, the BBC's Chief Political Adviser Ric Bailey joins Feedback to address listeners' questions about how the referendum is being covered. Is the BBC biased on EU membership? Is the story being told too much as a battle in the Conservative party? And should pollsters be trusted now after failures at the general election?

Gaile Walters and Keon West first appeared on Feedback 18 months ago, when they were being trained as part of the BBC's Expert Voices scheme, which aimed to get experts from more diverse backgrounds into BBC programmes. They return to the programme this week to discuss how they've faired since the training, and whether the BBC is doing enough to improve the diversity of its radio output.

Commentators on radio sport often find themselves in the position of having to keep listeners entertained even when the game is not delivering any action. Feedback reporter Rob Crossan speaks to Test Match Special's Jonathan Agnew and 5 Live football commentator Ian Dennis to discover how they find ways to fill air time even if on field events are not up to scratch.

And finally, in last week's programme Roger asked listeners for their views on the ongoing Archers' story about Rob Titchener's abuse of his wife Helen. The response has been enormous, as listeners grapple with the question of whether the story is too important to miss, or too unsettling to air.



Producer: Kate Dixon
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.

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