Latest news with #RadioFour
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
BBC's Thought for the Day shouldn't sell wokery
Radio Four's Today programme is the BBC's current affairs flagship, a three-hour set that seeks to establish the political agenda with interviews and discussions. Thought for the Day, broadcast at around 7.45 each morning, is supposed to offer some reflective relief from the normal cut and thrust. The slot, which began life in 1939 under the title Lift Up Your Hearts, was once almost exclusively Christian in its output but is now often occupied by representatives of other faiths. The BBC says it offers 'reflections from a faith perspective on issues and people in the news'. Clearly, it will be the opinion of the contributor but it must still conform to the non-partisan requirements of a public service broadcaster funded by licence-fee payers who don't have the luxury of getting their two minutes and 45 seconds on the air. Wednesday's Thought for the Day was given by a hitherto little-known refugee charity founder called Krish Kandiah. He proceeded to deliver a sustained attack on the Conservative front-bencher Robert Jenrick over a newspaper article about illegal immigration. He said the shadow justice secretary had fuelled 'fear of the stranger' by saying he did not want his children 'to share a neighbourhood with men from backward countries who broke into Britain illegally'. Mr Kandiah commented: 'The technical name for this is xenophobia.' Since the Government has asked a panel to produce a new definition of Islamophobia we can now see how it could be used by some to shut down legitimate points of view expressed in a newspaper. These segments on Today are scripted and screened in advance so how did this get through? It has subsequently been edited; but since no one who read it requested any changes we must infer they thought it contained nothing untoward. There is a set of assumptions that underpins far too much of the BBC's news output, ranging from welfare and the NHS to climate change and immigration. An in-built bias against anything that challenges lazy Left-of-centre nostrums suffocates broader debate on issues that matter to the great majority of listeners. The Thought for the Day fiasco is on a par with the failure to pull the live anti-Israeli ranting of rap group Bob Vylan during Glastonbury. Will the BBC ever learn, or is it simply incapable of doing so?
The Herald Scotland
09-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
I hate podcasts with a passion - but I'll make an exception for these
It's not simply the sheer preening audacity of believing the planet awaits your wisdom which offends - though that does grate. It's mostly that podcasts are so bloody awful. We don't need another one. The internet is full. There's nothing left to say. There are 3.5million podcasts on Earth right now. That's like the entire population of Uruguay - including new born babies - producing their own podcast. Read More: Podcasts make me stabby because I love radio. I've worked in radio, I've hosted loads of hours of talk radio for the BBC. When radio is good, it's great. Podcasts take everything which makes radio good, put it in a headlock and run with it into a brick wall, repeatedly, until it's dead. The principle problem is the rank amateurishness. Search for podcasts on any given topic - sport, history, politics, culture - and nine times out of 10 it'll be some lonesome gimp in their egg-boxed attic droning into a mic. It'll sound more like a serial killer tape sent to the police than a functioning piece of radio. I'm into topics like mythology, ancient history and anthropology. So let's say I go hunting for something like the history of Babylon, or the lives of Neanderthals. Up will pop a podcast so unlistenable, so lacking in production values, with a script so shonky, that it offends against reason. What's worse is the podcasts which could be good but deliberately cock it up. There's a show called Myths and Legends. I should love it. Each week, it's meant to retell a great myth. But the producers feel compelled to mess with it. They try - God help us - to be funny. If I wanted stand-up routines, I'd go to a comedy club. I'm here for the gods and monsters. Or there's You're Dead to Me, a history podcast, which again thinks listeners can't appreciate facts unless some comedian mugs for the mic. It's actually a bit offensive. A spoonful of sugar to help the medicine go down is not required. We've got brains. The use of music is often so dreadful it will render an entire podcast unbearable. We don't need mood music like we're at the silent movies in the 1920s. Give me a wee intro tune to brand your show and then get into the intelligent chat. When crap music, naff comedy, bad scripting and multiple ads for crypto-currency and haemorrhoid cream collide in podcasting, being a passenger onboard a crashing plane becomes more appealing. The infection has spread from the internet to the home of traditional radio. The BBC now airs multi-part podcasts that sprawl over weeks, when a tight half hour would suffice. A Radio Four podcast called The Grave Robbers - about criminals faking wills - runs for five 30 minute episodes. Don't get me wrong. The story is important. But two and a half hours? That's longer than the movie All the President's Men - about Watergate. The BBC now seems more interested in podcasts than TV or traditional radio combined - which may explain why most of its output is so dire. The podcasts which really make my eyes sweaty with wrath are ones like Newscast, where a bunch of hacks - in this case the insufferable Laura Kuenssberg and Paddy O'Connell - talk about stuff they've just talked about on the proper news. It's the same with the Today podcast with the equally intolerable Amol Rajan and Nick Robinson. Why does it even exist? It's like some horrendous audio Groundhog Day. And don't even get me started on Americast with Justin Webb. For context: Robinson pockets £410k, Kuenssberg £395k and the horrific Webb £365k. To compound the absurdity, some of these podcasts are in video format too. Why? It makes no sense. Evidently, nothing out-stinks the conspiracy podcast, however - the type of dreck put out by someone like Joe Rogan, a comedian and fight commentator who somehow single-handedly took over the world's media and got Trump elected. He's the Idiocracy made flesh. He's also the reason why everyone wants their own podcast. If politics is showbiz for ugly people, then podcasting is influencing for folk who look like giblets. At least once a month, someone will ask me if I'd like to start a podcast with them. The notion is that as I'm a journalist I could balance out whatever they represent - food, academia, sport, movies, juggling, wig-wearing, yak-wrangling. And at least once a week, someone will ask if I'd like to come on their podcasts. The answer to both is no: primarily because there's bugger all money in it, unless you're Joe Rogan or Laura Kuenssberg. Why would I spend an hour in your basement broadcasting to an audience of zero when I could be sleeping or earning actual money? It's amateur hour for narcissists with too much access to technology. I'm also pretty disgruntled - certainly lacking in gruntles - over the rebranding of great radio as podcasts. Melvin Bragg's In Our Time is quite simply unparalleled. It's perfect radio. Now, though, the BBC calls it a podcast … even though it has been on Radio 4 since 1998, long before the word 'pod' was ever coupled with 'cast'. I'm not going to pretend there aren't some great podcasts. I'd endure an entire week of gurning idiots cracking Covid jokes over blaring elevator music and adult diaper adverts for one hour in the company of Paul Cooper and his Fall of Civilisation's podcast. It's everything great radio should be: subtle and unobtrusive music, atmospheric audio, brilliant scripting, pitch perfecting hosting. A masterpiece. The very best podcasts - like Cooper's - go on to have lives beyond internet sound files. That's how you know they're good. Cooper got a book out of his show - deservedly so. Another great comes - astonishingly - from the BBC: the Uncanny podcast with Danny Robins. It takes spooky events - ghost sightings and such - and subjects them to a thorough investigation. It's slightly gimmicky - with a resident sceptic and believer - but it's just too well made to find fault with. And the music is absolutely on point. Robins saw his podcast turned into a TV series. When podcasts first started, there was a glut of murder and true crime shows. That's what seemed to sell, so that's what the herd copied. Now, like TV, the choice is all but endless, and there's no functioning filtering system. It overwhelms. Podcasts have become a symbol for our cultural decay: there are no standards, just a roar of pointless noise. Amid the cacophony of dross, the real gems of genius are drowned. We cannot find what matters, because we're surrounded by mediocrity. The podcast is perfect proof of this hard truth: everyone does indeed have the right to a voice, but sadly most voices are just so bloody dull. Neil Mackay is the Herald's Writer-at-Large. He's a multi-award winning investigative journalist, author of both fiction and non-fiction, and a filmmaker and broadcaster. He specialises in intelligence, security, crime, social affairs, cultural commentary, and foreign and domestic politics
Daily Mail
28-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Eni Aluko's mother reveals her daughter is 'traumatised and upset' by her public fallout with Ian Wright after she accused him of 'blocking' opportunities for women in football
Eni Aluko has been left traumatised by her public fallout with Ian Wright when she accused him of 'blocking' opportunities for women in football, her mother has revealed. Sileola Aluko exclusively told MailOnline that she is concerned for her daughter's emotional welfare and is doing all she can to keep her 'calm' and support her following the high-profile row between the two football figures. Ms Aluko said: 'This situation has affected Eni quite a lot and has left her traumatised and upset. I'm doing my best to keep her calm and just be a good mum. I'm constantly in touch with her and even met her for lunch the other day. 'I told her that football is not the world and that you don't become a bad or useless person in one day. It's been tough for her, she has a lot of strong opinions, but she will come through this. She has dealt with a lot of other difficult situations in her life.' She added: 'The most important thing for me is that I support her and make sure she does not run into any emotional or physical problems and become unwell.' Aluko's views on Wright were made during an appearance on Radio Four's Women's Hour last Wednesday, in which she said that ITV continuing to employ him to cover the women's game hampered the chances of female pundits coming into the industry. Aluko, 38 issued an apology to Wright, 61 on Friday, which the Arsenal legend later rejected in a social media post. Devout Christian Ms Aluko revealed that she prayed with her daughter when she met her recently and also when she speaks to her on the phone each day. She said: 'I'm a person of faith and have been praying with her to help keep her calm and not be afraid.' She revealed that Aluko has worked with Ian Wright in the past and 'likes him.' She added: 'But she wasn't expecting the reaction she got when she made those comments, and they were not intended to cause offence. This situation has also upset me but all I want is for her to be calm and everything will be all right.' According to insiders, former England international Aluko, who won 105 caps also faces being axed by ITV with bosses angry and bemused at her comments given the broadcaster's form for sending female-heavy teams to cover major international tournaments including the Euros and the World Cup. But her concerned mother insisted: 'I want to support and help her to let her know that things like this happen, but it should not knock you out.' Ms Aluko revealed that she had never met Wright but had spoken to him once on the phone when he was working with her daughter and that he 'sounded like a nice man.' She described herself as an avid football fan who closely follows the fortunes of three teams; Birmingham City, where the family previously lived; Fulham, where her son once played and Chelsea, where Aluko established herself as leading player. Following Aluko's comments, Wright rejected her apology in a social media post. He wrote: 'I have to talk about this week and what's going on, I don't want to endlessly be asked about it. 'I've got to say, I'm very disappointed about what Eni has said, she knows how I've helped her, supported her publicly, and I know the previous conversations she's had with me and my management. 'I've seen the apology on social media, but I can't accept it, but I also want to move on. 'For anyone watching this, I really don't need any further social commentary directed on any of this. 'The thing about where the women's game is, it isn't about me - it has to be about the collective.' Aluko had issued an apology on Instagram last Friday morning, writing: 'lan Wright is a brilliant broadcaster and role model whose support for the women's game has been significant. 'In my interview with Woman's Hour this week, I was trying to make a broader point about the limited opportunities for women in football - whether that's in coaching, broadcasting or commercial spaces - and the importance of creating more space for women to thrive on and off the pitch. 'But it was wrong for Ian's name to be raised in that conversation, and for that I sincerely apologise. I've known and worked with Ian for many years and have nothing but love and respect for him'. During her appearance on the Radio Four show, Aluko was asked about the presence of male pundits within the women's game and, specifically, Ian Wright. Aluko said: 'I've worked with Ian a long time and, you know, I think he's a brilliant broadcaster, but I think he's aware of just how much he's doing in the women's game. I think he should be aware of that. 'The fact of the matter is, there is a limited amount of spaces available. If we had a situation where there was an equal opportunity in the men's game for broadcasters and coaches that there is in the women's game, it's a free for all. 'But that's not the case. I can't dominate the men's game in the way that, you know, you used Ian as an example.' When asked to clarify if she thinks it is wrong for Wright to be covering women's football, Aluko added: 'I don't know about wrong, but I think we need to be conscious and we need to make sure that women are not being blocked from having a pathway into broadcasting in the women's game. 'It's still new, it's still growing. There's a finite amount of opportunities and I think that men need to be aware of that. 'Men need to be aware that, you know, you're in a growing sport, a growing sport for women, and we haven't always had these opportunities, and so it's about the awareness and supporting other women through that pathway.'
Daily Mail
28-04-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Lionesses trio among the women's football stars to turn on Eni Aluko and show support for Ian Wright after he was accused of 'blocking' opportunities in the sport
A growing number of prominent figures in women's football have shown their support for Ian Wright after he stated he 'can't accept' Eni Aluko's apology following her claims that he is 'blocking' opportunities for women in the sport. Aluko's views on Wright were made during an appearance on Radio Four's Women's Hour on last Wednesday, in which she also claimed her punditry career had been damaged by ex-Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton, who she's suing for libel, after he dubbed her a 'race card player' on social media in January last year. She had also said that ITV continuing to employ Wright to cover the women's game hampered the chances of female pundits coming into the industry. Aluko issued an apology to Wright last week, which the Arsenal legend subsequently rejected in a social media post. In the days that have followed, a number of players - many of them current or former Arsenal stars - have liked the post in an indication of their support for his message. Among them include, Lionesses stars Lauren Hemp, Alessia Russo and Mary Earps, Gunners quartet Katie McCabe, Daphne van Domselaar, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Katie Reid, as well as former north London favourite Cloe Lacasse. In his impassioned response to Aluko's accusations, Wright said: 'I have to talk about this week and what's going on, I don't want to endlessly be asked about it. 'I've got to say, I'm very disappointed about what Eni has said, she knows how I've helped her, supported her publicly, and I know the previous conversations she's had with me and my management. 'I've seen the apology on social media, but I can't accept it, but I also want to move on. For anyone watching this, I really don't need any further social commentary directed on any of this. 'The thing about where the women's game is, it isn't about me - it has to be about the collective. 'Because of the past, we know the men blocked the women's game for 50 years, because of the past we know the game has serious systemic challenges, and it's going to take everyone to help fixes. 'So for me, I always give back to the game, it's given me so much. 'It's never bothered me about who's playing the game, as long as they're playing the game. if you know my story you'll know how much football means to me. 'We are the country that invented modern football, so we have a responsibility, to lead the way in women's football 'We men are the ones that banned women's football for 50 years, so we have to hold that one. I need to say to everyone who has spoken about it publicly and showed love and support, I say thank you. It's something I do not take for granted.' In the days that have followed, a number of players - many of them current or former Arsenal stars - have liked the post in an indication of their support for his message Wright also thanked Stoke forward Kayleigh McDonald, who revealed after Aluko's comments that the Arsenal legend has been funding her recovery following an ACL injury. Stoke were not paying for McDonald's treatment and she set up a GoFundMe page. The club then backtracked and according to the report, before she was then told that funding would be withdrawn. Wright is then said to have paid the £1,700-a-month McDonald needed for rehab, in addition to a sports lawyer to help advocate for her. Aluko had issued an apology on Instagram last Friday morning, writing: 'lan Wright is a brilliant broadcaster and role model whose support for the women's game has been significant. 'In my interview with Woman's Hour this week, I was trying to make a broader point about the limited opportunities for women in football - whether that's in coaching, broadcasting or commercial spaces - and the importance of creating more space for women to thrive on and off the pitch. 'But it was wrong for lan's name to be raised in that conversation, and for that I sincerely apologise. I've known and worked with lan for many years and have nothing but love and respect for him'. During her appearance on the Radio Four show, Aluko was asked about the presence of male pundits within the women's game and, specifically, Ian Wright. Aluko, who won 105 England caps, had said: 'I've worked with Ian a long time and, you know, I think he's a brilliant broadcaster, but I think he's aware of just how much he's doing in the women's game. I think he should be aware of that. 'The fact of the matter is, there is a limited amount of spaces available. If we had a situation where there was an equal opportunity in the men's game for broadcasters and coaches that there is in the women's game, it's a free for all. 'But that's not the case. I can't dominate the men's game in the way that, you know, you used Ian as an example.' When asked to clarify if she thinks it is wrong for Wright to be covering women's football, Aluko added: 'I don't know about wrong, but I think we need to be conscious and we need to make sure that women are not being blocked from having a pathway into broadcasting in the women's game. 'It's still new, it's still growing. There's a finite amount of opportunities and I think that men need to be aware of that. 'Men need to be aware that, you know, you're in a growing sport, a growing sport for women, and we haven't always had these opportunities, and so it's about the awareness and supporting other women through that pathway.' Mail Sport reported on last Thursday how Aluko faces potentially being axed by ITV following her comments. Insiders said the former England international's views have left bosses both angry and bemused given the broadcaster's form for sending female-heavy teams to cover major international tournaments including the Euros and the World Cup. Her outburst has sparked internal conversations within ITV regarding her future, with senior figures seriously debating whether to continue their association with the ex-Chelsea striker.
Wales Online
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Ian Wright refuses Eni Aluko's apology and says 'I can't accept' after being accused
Ian Wright refuses Eni Aluko's apology and says 'I can't accept' after being accused Ian Wright has broken his silence after being accused of blocking opportunities for women in football by Eni Aluko, with the Arsenal legend insisting he cannot accept her apology Ian Wright says he cannot accept Eni Aluko's apology (Image: wrightyofficial/Instagram ) Ian Wright has addressed recent claims by Eni Aluko, in which she accused him of blocking opportunities for women in football and declared his inability to accept her apology. Aluko alleged the former Arsenal star's "dominating" presence in women's football coverage was detrimental to aspiring female pundits. Wright responded publicly, sharing his frustration with Aluko's assertions during an appearance on Radio Four's Women's Hour. ITV's choice to feature Wright as a commentator, she suggested, limited chances for women to break into the field, while also citing that her career suffered due to Joey Barton, whom she is suing for libel. Aluko later expressed regret over her remarks about Wright. However, the retired Arsenal player voiced his disillusionment, explaining he had no wish to perpetuate the controversy but felt compelled to address it. "I have to talk about this week and what's going on, I don't want to endlessly be asked about it," Wright expressed. Article continues below He recounted his support for Aluko, including public backing and personal consultations: "I've got to say, I'm very disappointed about what Eni has said, she knows how I've helped her, supported her publicly, and I know the previous conversations she's had with me and my management." (Image: Getty Images ) Despite having sighted Aluko's apology on social media, Wright found it unacceptable but indicated his desire to move past the incident: "I've seen the apology on social media, but I can't accept it. But I also want to move on. For anyone watching this, I really don't need any further social commentary directed on any of this," reports the Mirror. He concluded by emphasizing the importance of collective focus on women's football rather than individual attention: "The thing about where the women's game is, it isn't about me - it has to be about the collective. "Because of the past, we know the men blocked the women's game for 50 years, because of the past we know the game has serious systemic challenges, and it's going to take everyone to help fixes. So for me, I always give back to the game, it's given me so much." Article continues below Aluko has confessed that she was mistaken in mentioning Wright's name while discussing broader issues concerning opportunities for women. In an Instagram post, she stated: "Ian Wright is a brilliant broadcaster and role model whose support for the women's game has been significant. "In my interview with Woman's Hour this week, I was trying to make a broader point about the limited opportunities for women in football - whether that's in coaching, broadcasting or commercial spaces - and the importance of creating more space for women to thrive on and off the pitch. "But it was wrong for Ian's name to be raised in that conversation, and for that I sincerely apologise. I've known and worked with Ian for many years and have nothing but love and respect for him."
