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A Point of View has officially left the airwaves after a long run on BBC Radio 4, with Howard Jacobsen writing and presenting the final episode. Feedback announced the exclusive news on last week's programme, but it was before listeners had time to react. This week, Andrea Catherwood presents your opinions on the end of the Sunday morning single voice opinion slot. We're still getting listener questions about the changes to BBC Sounds overseas, and so this week Andrea talks to cricketer and journalist Simon Hughes about the worldwide coverage of Test Match Special. Finally, it's been five years since the first COVID lockdowns were announced, in the spring of 2020. Factual series Lockdown's Legacy looked back on the impact the society-wide restrictions had on a range of people - from children, to teachers, to medics. Some listeners found it impactful, but others had a different point of view. Commissioner Hugh Levinson returns to respond to your comments and critiques. Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Assistant Producer: Rebecca Guthrie Executive Producer: David Prest A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

Andrea Catherwood shares exclusive news of the end of a long-running Radio 4 programme. Frequent contributors and the programme's commissioning editor give their thoughts on the well-known brand as it nears its final episode. BBC Sounds is soon to become unavailable outside of the UK. Listeners from all over the world have been in touch to voice their disappointment about the changes, and we've heard in particular from people in the Republic of Ireland who tune into BBC Radio content from north of the border. Will the geo-blocking cause unintended political ramifications? Andrea discusses the issue with Shane Harrison, former BBC correspondent in Dublin. Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Assistant Producer: Rebecca Guthrie Executive Producer: David Prest A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

As the news spreads about access to BBC Sounds being blocked outside the UK, we hear more of your comments on the issue. Andrea Catherwood speaks to Radio Cymru reporter Alun Thomas about what these changes will mean for Welsh speakers living abroad. A recent episode of Radio 4's Inside Health about hearing loss intrigued listeners - and then baffled those experiencing hearing loss themselves by including a section that was particularly difficult to hear. After listeners criticised a recent Archers storyline about Linda Snell fasting for Ramadan, we hear from the people who found it enlightening and uplifting. And what did Martha Kearney do after Today? Well, she's been talking to more public figures - but this time, it's all about their personal connections to nature. Two listeners, Christine and Kate, review her series This Natural Life for our VoxBox. Martha joins Andrea to respond to their thoughts. Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Assistant Producer: Rebecca Guthrie Executive Producer: David Prest A Whistledown Scotland production for Radio 4

Ramadan has featured prominently in The Archers in recent weeks with stalwart Lynda Snell joining the Malik family in fasting, and some listeners found the storyline unconvincing, even a bit preachy. Andrea speaks with Dr Cara Courage, co-founder of The Academic Archers. Radio 4’s Today programme interview with Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick provoked a flurry of comments on the presenter’s line of questioning. We hear your views. After Newscast, Americast and Ukrainecast, now there’s Scotcast! Andrea meets presenter Martin Geissler to find out how it’s covering Scottish news. And listeners are responding in droves to the announcement BBC Sounds will soon no longer be available outside the UK. Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Executive Producer: David Prest A Whistledown Scotland production for Radio 4

Women listeners are quick to pick up on the total absence of girls from How Boarding Schools Shaped Britain, a documentary series presented by Nicky Campbell. Executive Producer Clare Fordham explains why it focused exclusively on boys and gives an apology for not acknowledging the omission in the programme. BBC Sounds will soon only be available in the UK. The announcement has prompted many shocked overseas listeners to express how much they value this connection to home. Andrea Catherwood talks through the changes with James Cridland, Editor of Podnews. And listeners continue to react to coverage of global events, this week critiquing the language used by news presenters to describe the unforgettable meeting in the Oval Office. Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Executive Producer: David Prest A Whistledown Scotland production for Radio 4

Radio 3 is cutting its long-running drama slot, and it's something that has elicited reactions from listeners, playwrights, and actors alike. Andrea Catherwood starts the new series of Feedback by discussing the changes with station controller Sam Jackson. She also speaks to the co-chair of the Writing Guild of Great Britain, Nicola Baldwin, about what made Radio 3 drama special. Recent episodes of Desert Island Discs have been creating big reactions from listeners too - lawyer Nemone Lethbridge's choice of song 'I Wanna Go Back to Dixie' by American satirist Tom Lehrer was defended by the BBC, but was it a step too far for some listeners? And as news teams across BBC Radio react to seismic world events, one listener gives his view on how the coverage has sounded to him. Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Assistant Producer: Rebecca Guthrie Executive Producer: David Prest A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

Andrea Catherwood presents the programme that hears your views on BBC audio. This week, the first ever Feedback Forum brings together groups of keen listeners who enjoy all kinds of speech content. Radio 4 loyalists, together with younger listeners who don't own radios, and who get all their content "on-demand", share what they like and dislike from BBC Radio 4 and BBC Sounds. There's a lot of enthusiasm for some of the network's long running favourites. In Our Time has been devoured by young and old listeners, who admire the 85 year old presenter, Melvyn Bragg, for his "sassiness" and authority. The Archers, with it's new timeslots, and podcast, generates strong emotions, with the sentencing of George Grundy gripping the group. The arrival of Emma Barnett on the Today programme brings praise for a more informal and youthful approach, but also some irritation with what one person says is too much ongoing enthusiasm for her new job. Marianna Spring's library of content on conspiracies leads some in the group to consider their own listening, and there is a lively debate about whether a diet of pure "on-demand" content means algorithms pulling listeners into echo chambers. 2024 was a year of high audiences across all radio with Radio 4 attracting approaching 10 million listeners a week. But persuading the next generation to tune in is crucial to its long term future, so the production team ask some of the keen podcasters to try out some radio content. Find out if minds are changed in this special edition of Feedback. Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Marie Helly Assistant Producer: Rebecca Guthrie Executive Producer: David Prest A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

Andrea Catherwood announces the results of Feedback's Interview of The Year. "It’s been a long process, beginning right back in January," says Andrea. "We've been asking you all year to tell us about exceptional interviews anywhere on BBC Radio or podcasts that have really stopped you in your tracks, made you think again about something or showed off the exceptional skill of an interviewer." From listener suggestions and comments, the Feedback team compiled a short list of ten interviews, which was then handed to a jury made up of Feedback listeners to decide on the winners. They were asked to base their scores on insight, impact and interviewer skill. In this programme, we'll hear extracts from all ten shortlisted interviews, speak to the top three finalists, and at the end of the programme, Andrea will reveal the listeners choice of the overall winner of The Feedback Interview of the Year. Producers: Rebecca Guthrie and David Prest Judging panel co-ordinator: Mike Hally A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

Comedy on BBC Radio 4 generates a lot of discussion in the Feedback inbox, and this year's been no different, especially after the introduction of a new raft of comedy commissions over the last twelve months. Andrea Catherwood talks to to Julia McKenzie, Commissioning Editor for Comedy and Entertainment, and Jon Holmes, comedian and creator of one of those new commissions, The Naked Week - and they respond to listener comments and critiques. And as Christmas approaches, we go behind the scenes in King's College Chapel as preparations take place for Radio 4's annual Christmas Eve broadcast of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Assistant Producer: Rebecca Guthrie Executive Producer: David Prest A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

Andrea Catherwood presents the programme that hears your views on BBC audio. A new series of The Reith Lectures is underway, presented by forensic psychologist Dr Gwen Adshead. She poses four questions about violence and the prison system - and so two listeners who work in prison services and have lived experience of being in prison visited our VoxBox to give their thoughts on the broadcasts. Paula Harriott, Chief Executive of the charity Unlock, and Marc Conway, CEO of Fair Justice, give their assessment on how Gwen answered her own questions. And following last week's episode of Feedback many listeners jumped to the defence of a recent Archers storyline featuring a holiday lets scam. But why did some say that it was getting them in the Christmas spirit? We also heard from more listeners on the end of Short Cuts, the programme that highlights short and experimental audio documentaries by makers from around the world. Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Executive Producer: David Prest A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

A raft of scam-themed programming went out across BBC channels last week, with the aim of raising awareness about the hoaxes often found hidden in plain sight. Long running drama The Archers fulfilled the brief wholeheartedly as visitors to Ambridge found themselves hoodwinked into buying fake holiday lets online, with unpleasant consequences. But did listeners think it was believable? Short Cuts, Radio 4's experimental programme showcasing short documentaries is being taken off the airwaves after the end of the current series. There's been an outcry from the audio production community as it is how many programme makers get their Radio 4 debut. Andrea talks to Talia Augustidis, one of the audio makers behind a petition pushing back on the changes, and Charlotte Petts, a listener and freelance audio producer. The Naked Week, the new Friday evening comedy, has been launched, and presenter Andrew Hunter Murray joked about Feedback listeners getting in touch about the programme's debut. That's exactly what they did, and here's what they said. Finally, veteran broadcaster Mishal Husain announced that she will be leaving the Today Programme this month. Listeners contacted us to wish Mishal well, after almost 25 years at the BBC. Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Executive Producer: David Prest A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

This year there's been no shortage of material for the latest series of Dead Ringers. Andrea Catherwood is joined by cast member Jan Ravens and Richard Morris, Creative Director of Comedy and Entertainment for BBC Studios, and asks if it's still possible to make light of serious matters. In a previous episode of Feedback we heard from John McAndrew, Director of Programmes for BBC News, who defended the recent cuts to BBC News including the axing of HARDtalk and Radio 4's 5.30am News Briefing, among others. Following that interview, listeners have had more to say about the decision. We hear their responses on what will be missed, and whether or not the changes are justified. And as submissions for Feedback's Interview of the Year close, we hear one more pick - from listener Calum, who had high praise for an episode of Desert Island Discs in which Lauren Laverne interviewed Shirine Khoury-Haq, the first woman CEO of the Co-Op. Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Executive Producer: David Prest A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 3 has unveiled a new online-only stream - Unwind. It's dedicated to calming classical music and broadcasts 24/7 on BBC Sounds. For some listeners it's unlocked the mystery of a good night's sleep, but for others the playlists are more mindless than mindful. Andrea Catherwood puts your comments to Radio 3 Controller Sam Jackson. In a week where farmers shot to the top of the news agenda following changes to their inheritance tax exemptions in the 2024 Budget, Andrea talks to Dimitri Houtart - who was until recently the Executive Editor of Rural Affairs, and Rural Affairs Champion at the BBC. Has Radio 4's reporting managed to cut through the sound of tractors roaring down Whitehall? And how do you push for fair coverage of rural communities inside the BBC? And with only a few weeks to go before Feedback unveils the Interview of the Year 2024, one listener nominates John Wilson's conversation with writer Hanif Kureishi, for This Cultural Life. Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Executive Producer: David Prest A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

Andrea Catherwood sits down with Director of BBC News Programmes John McAndrew to get answers on listeners' comments following the announcement of cuts - including the axing of long running World Service programme Hard Talk, with Stephen Sackur, the closure of the Asian Network's news team, a reshuffle for overnight bulletins on Radio 2 and 5Live and cutting R4's News Briefing at 0530. Two music obsessives drop into our VoxBox to give their views on Johnny Marr's Great British Groups, a recent series on Radio 2. But did the legendary guitarist manage to settle the debate on the UK's best band once and for all? And following a week of US election news, listeners got in touch about something that might seem unlikely - the discussion of the life and works of 17th century poet George Herbert on In Our Time. A reading of "the most beautiful poem in the world" in which Love welcomes us like a pub landlord, some singing, and the expertise of three Herbert-ologists made for, in some listeners' views, an uplifting audio experience. Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Executive Producer: David Prest A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

As the dust settles on the American election, we hear from Ric Bailey, Chief Adviser for Politics in BBC Editorial Policy, about how the corporation has tackled its coverage of an eventful campaigning period, and a momentous result. After we heard from listeners on what seemed like an abrupt end to long-running literature programme Open Book, Andrea talks to former presenter Mariella Frostrup, and Arts Commissioner for Radio 4 Matthew Dodd about its legacy and what the station's future literary offerings look like. And one listener nominates George Clarke's interview about the Grenfell Inquiry on the Today Programme for Interview of the Year. Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Executive Producer: David Prest A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

In this week's episode of Feedback, former Labour Cabinet Minister Alan Johnson adds his voice to the listener comments on Radio 4's short podcast series Surviving Politics with Michael Gove. Radio 2 listeners share their tributes and memories of Johnnie Walker who signed off Sounds of the Seventies last weekend ,after 58 years of broadcasting. A Point of View's American election opinions has listeners offering their views. And Andrea talks to a Feedback listener who drove around in his car to hear the end of the The Food Programme's Eating on the Spectrum episode - which he says was broadcasting at it's best. Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Executive Producer: David Prest A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

In the first episode of the new series, former producer Neil George explains the selection criteria behind Radio 4's obit show Last Word. Suzanne Franks, professor of journalism at City St George's, University of London, helps navigate issues of impartiality when interviewing representatives of opposing sides in the Middle East conflict. And as a new Archers podcast is launched, listeners react to an on-air slip from presenter Emma Freud. Presenter: Andrea Catherwood Producer: Pauline Moore Executive Producer: David Prest A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

The future of the BBC depends on renewing its listener base - but younger people are switching off linear radio and focusing on personally tailored forms of media. So how does the BBC compete, and what are its strategies for winning over younger listeners? Andrea Catherwood speaks to Matt Walsh from the University of Cardiff, hears a panel of students discuss their listening habits, and quizzes BBC Sounds commissioning editor Dylan Haskins and Head of Radio 1 Aled Haydn Jones on what they're doing to try and attract new generations of listeners. She also asks whether the BBC's focus on newer listeners could risk alienating existing, loyal audiences. And reporter John Rogers goes behind the scenes at youth oriented news podcast Reliable Sauce. Producer: Leeanne Coyle A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

Andrea Catherwood brings listener questions and comments to the most controversial place in the Feedback inbox - Ambridge. The Archers has been running since 1951, and its distinctive theme tune is one of the sounds the nation most associates with Radio 4. Andrea goes behind the scenes to hear more about how it is recorded, how actors develop characters over their real time lifetimes, and puts your questions to the Editor on the balance between high drama and the maintaining the values of the Archers as an "everyday story of country folk". Presented by Andrea Catherwood Produced by Leeanne Coyle A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4

Andrea Catherwood brings listeners questions to the broadcaster and journalist Darryl Morris and Executive Producer Jo Meek - makers of Radio 4’s documentary God Next Door. Darryl has spent a considerable amount of time talking to James from Manchester, a landscape Gardner who believes himself to be God and has a number of followers in the local community who share his belief. There’s been a sensational cycle of breaking stories in the U.S. presidential campaign during the month of July. Many Feedback listeners have been concerned that this has dominated much of our news. Andrea puts these points to Justin Webb - Today presenter, co-host of Americast and Former North America Editor. Imagine taking a week long Summer break, discovering new places, experiencing a wide range of culture and music with moving from your radio. The Feedback inbox has been overflowing with praise for Petroc Trelawny’s Breakfast Road Trip to the North East of England which was broadcast live every morning last week. Taking a break from preparations for the The Prom at the Royal Albert Hall, Petroc came on Feedback to give some insight into how a week out and about works. Presented by Andrea Catherwood Produced by Pauline Moore A Whistledown Scotland production for BBC Radio 4