EPISODE · Feb 12, 2014 · 28 MIN
Al Jazeera; Panel shows; Exposés; Twitter
from The Media Show · host BBC Radio 4
Danny Cohen, the head of the BBC's television output, has promised viewers that the corporation will not make any more all-male comedy panel shows. Back in December, BBC producers were told that they had to address this following new sex-representation objectives set by the BBC Trust. Steve Hewlett gets the views of stand up comic Jenny Eclair who, despite having a host of TV credits under her belt, has never been invited onto a panel show. And he asks award winning producer and former BBC head of comedy Jon Plowman the insiders view on why women, historically, haven't made it onto these shows.Investigative journalist and former Panorama reporter Tom Bower has written many unauthorised no-holds-barred works of powerful people from Robert Maxwell to Conrad Black. Bernie Ecclestone called him "the undertaker", due to his talent for, "burying reputations". His latest project is a second biography of Richard Branson. Steve Hewlett talks to Tom about the challenges of undertaking this kind of investigative work, and discusses the cultural importance of the expose biography.The Egyptian authorities have charged the British Al Jazeera English correspondent Sue Turton with aiding terrorists. Sue along with her British colleague Dominic Kane face charges of spreading false news, bringing Egypt in to disrepute and conspiring with terrorists. Sue talks about her experience of working out in Egypt and her charge, in absentia.It has more than 240 million monthly active users, and is available in 35 languages, however, after announcing losses for 2013, Twitter shares tumbled last week. Steve Hewlett asks Katherine Rushton, US Business Editor of the Telegraph Media Group, whether the social networking site is too niche to grow.Producer: Katy Takatsuki Editor: Andrew Smith.
What this episode covers
Danny Cohen, the head of the BBC's television output, has promised viewers that the corporation will not make any more all-male comedy panel shows. Back in December, BBC producers were told that they had to address this following new sex-representation objectives set by the BBC Trust. Steve Hewlett gets the views of stand up comic Jenny Eclair who, despite having a host of TV credits under her belt, has never been invited onto a panel show. And he asks award winning producer and former BBC head of comedy Jon Plowman the insiders view on why women, historically, haven't made it onto these shows.Investigative journalist and former Panorama reporter Tom Bower has written many unauthorised no-holds-barred works of powerful people from Robert Maxwell to Conrad Black. Bernie Ecclestone called him "the undertaker", due to his talent for, "burying reputations". His latest project is a second biography of Richard Branson. Steve Hewlett talks to Tom about the challenges of undertaking this kind of investigative work, and discusses the cultural importance of the expose biography.The Egyptian authorities have charged the British Al Jazeera English correspondent Sue Turton with aiding terrorists. Sue along with her British colleague Dominic Kane face charges of spreading false news, bringing Egypt in to disrepute and conspiring with terrorists. Sue talks about her experience of working out in Egypt and her charge, in absentia.It has more than 240 million monthly active users, and is available in 35 languages, however, after announcing losses for 2013, Twitter shares tumbled last week. Steve Hewlett asks Katherine Rushton, US Business Editor of the Telegraph Media Group, whether the social networking site is too niche to grow.Producer: Katy Takatsuki Editor: Andrew Smith.
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Al Jazeera; Panel shows; Exposés; Twitter
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