Re: [Swprograms] MediaGuardian.co.uk: Radio 4 closes ears to foreign affairs pleas

[Mike Barraclough <softbulletin1@xxxxxxxxx>]

>--- jfiglio1@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:
> I don't think I saw this noted anywhere else...  

The story was also in Paul Donovan's weekly column in
The Times, must have been a quiet news week. 

I haven't listened to the programme, which was not a
regular weekly feature, for years, I found it a mess
when it first started though they seem to have been
doing themed programmes lately. Depends what you mean
by foreign affairs of course, a lot of the radio
extracts were more human interest.

Ms. Goldsmith doesn't appear to have too much
knowledge of human rights issues. She wrote an article
on her ten favourite foreign radio stations in the
mass circulation which included fairly high up China
Radio International which she stated "tells you all
you need to know about China" or something very
similar and equally ludicrous. Perhaps when she was
preparing her Zimbabwe show she might have come across
the fact that the Chinese Communist Party co-operates
in the suppression of access to free media and
restriction of freedom of expression there as well as
in their own country.

Instead of whinging come up with some new ideas,
programme don't necessarily last for ever nor should
they.

Mike




--- jfiglio1@xxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> John Figliozzi spotted this on the
> MediaGuardian.co.uk site and thought you should see
> it.
> 
> -------
> Note from John Figliozzi:
> 
> I don't think I saw this noted anywhere else...  
> -------
> 
> To see this story with its related links on the
> MediaGuardian.co.uk site, go to
> http://www.mediaguardian.co.uk
> 
> Radio 4 closes ears to foreign affairs pleas
> Wednesday May 09 2007
> The Guardian
> 
> 
> The Radio 4 controller, Mark Damazer, has axed
> foreign affairs magazine show A World in Your Ears
> after nine years on the network - to the
> consternation of the show's originator and its
> presenter.
> 
> Rosie Goldsmith, who has presented the programme
> which samples English language radio from around the
> world for four years, openly questioned the BBC's
> commitment to foreign affairs in the light of Mr
> Damazer's decision. 
> 
> The axing of A World in Your Ears comes just weeks
> after BBC Radio Five Live dropped its foreign
> affairs slot Euro News also in a bid to make
> savings.
> 
> "We all understand about efficiencies but you have
> to wonder how great our commitment is to foreign
> coverage," Goldsmith told the current issue of BBC
> in-house magazine Ariel. "My fear is that the
> perspective is becoming too parochial."
> 
> She was joined in criticising the axing of A World
> in Your Ears by Radio 4's world programmes editor,
> Maria Balinska, who launched the series more than
> nine years ago.
> 
> "We've just done a programme on Zimbabwe - radio
> that's produced inside, outside and about Zimbabwe,
> for instance from South Africa. How would you
> compile that range of programmes any other way?," Ms
> Balinska said.
> 
> The programme will end on May 27 with a special
> episode focusing on the BBC's first African radio
> awards.
> 
> Mr Damazer said has dropped the show, which airs on
> Saturday afternoons, in order to "refresh the
> schedule".
> 
> "We are losing A World in Your Ears from the
> schedules. It's done well but we do regularly make
> changes to our schedule to vary our output and to
> ensure value for money for licence payers," he
> added.
> 
> "The staffing implications are still being worked
> out. Current affairs remains crucial to Radio 4's
> health - as can be witnessed every day of the week.
> That won't change."
> 
> He also insisted that his network may commission a
> new and less costly programme at 5.30pm on Saturday
> afternoons made by Ms Balinska's team.
> 
> · To contact the MediaGuardian newsdesk email
> editor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx or phone 020 7239 9857.
> For all other inquiries please call the main
> Guardian switchboard on 020 7278 2332.
> 
> · If you are writing a comment for publication,
> please mark clearly "for publication".
> 
> Copyright Guardian News and Media Limited
> 
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