Date launched July, 2015
Date finished N/A
Still running? Yes
Number of series N/A
Number of episodes p/s 431
Length of each episode 28-30 mins
Summary of content – story? Theme? Topic?
The Media Show is a weekly British current affairs radio programme and podcast on BBC Radio 4 which examines the current state of the media.
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.
The show aims to lift the lid on many of the current stories within the media, offering genuine insight and intelligence, making the 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. The show delivers in depth but accessible discussions into current global and internal ground-breaking stories. The Media show does this through guests who specialise in the topics areas and provide an in-depth analysis into the issues being covered in each episode.
Most notable/funny/moving/shocking moments
– Squaring Up to Tech Giants: In this episode discussing the issues surrounding tech giants, an interview with the boss of new station Boom Radio provides a brilliant insight into his niche, age-based services focused on the “baby boomers” generation and raises the question as to whether they are the future of radio. “people write to us saying you have created something we are missing. We’ve blown our listener expectations out of the water with millions in only week 1”. The show itself has employed a team of individuals all from the same generation, the creator remarked some of their hosts didn’t even have computers when they installed the equipment.
– Discovery on their shift to streaming: Executive producer and director Julie Anne Robinson gives an insight into making Netflix’s Bridgerton, an American version of a British period drama devised by Hollywood “super-producer” Shonda Rhimes. A notable moment is when she points out a similar set design like that to ‘The Crown’. “I thought oh god I really recognise that place. I recognise that house and of course it was because one of their key locations was our key locations, but I must say this it looked completely different because the way we shot it and the way The Crown shot it.”
Host/presenters/journalist names and bio
– Amol Rajan (formerly V. Amol and Amol Varadarajan; born 4 July 1983) is an Indian-born British journalist and broadcaster. He has been the BBC’s Media Editor since December 2016.
– Rajan was editor of The Independent newspaper from June 2013. When The Independent announced it was dropping the print edition in February 2016, and continuing as only an online operation, Rajan was retained for a period as “editorat-large”.
– Andrea Catherine Catherwood (born 27 November 1967) is a Northern Irish television presenter and journalist.
– Over the past three years she has been a presenter on various Radio 4 programmes. She presented BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour, as well as You and Yours, and is a regular stand-in presenter of the Media Show on Radio 4. In September 2017, she appeared on the BBC Radio 4 programme “Great Lives”, nominating Constance Markievicz for a great life. As of December 2020, she still presents Woman’s Hour occasionally; however, her future participation is uncertain.
Description of sound clips sent over
– This clip from The Media show features a discussion on the revival of BBC 3 and how this new platform for watching series has affected production companies. Rajan discusses with a production company their thoughts on the revival of the channel and what this might mean for them in terms of money, engagement, etc.
Anything else interesting about the podcast worth noting? Has it won awards? Is it the “most listened to” in its category? Does someone famous love it? Any controversy? Any fun or quirky facts?
– The first episode was broadcast at 13:30 on 1 October 2008 and since May 2017 has been presented by Amol Rajan, the BBC’s Media Editor and occasionally by Andrea Catherwood.
– 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, although it has also been presented by Emma Barnett, Paddy O’Connell, Julian Worricker, and Edward Stourton.
– 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. The Media Show is produced by Richard Hooper.[8] Previous producers have included Katy Takatsuki, Paul Waters, Simon Tillotson and Ruth Watts.
– 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
Opinion
I am a big fan of The Media Show, I actually followed the stories over the lockdown and thoroughly enjoyed relisting to old and new episodes alike. There was a pleasing range of stories, from reporting of the financial crisis in the UK and US, to the discussion into the media ban across Australia which has seen news outlets been banned from posting in the social media network. Quotes from newspapers included provide an up to date insight into current global affairs. However, the only issue with the podcast is it replay ability, obviously like any news podcast covering current global issues it is dated and therefore replay ability is limited. However, if you’re looking for a deep dive discussion into popular issues and topics hitting the news headlines then this is the podcast for you.