Radio by numbers

No enormous swings for BBC radio output in the latest quarterly listening figures, covering January, February and March. 

Reach for Radio 2 and Radio 3 was down 4% year on year - though Radio 3 Unwind may have taken some ears away from the mothership; it reached 388,000 in its first full quarter of figures. Classic FM fell 8% year on year.  In 'talk', Radio 4 and Radio 5Live were a tad down, 1.9% and 0.4% respectively. LBC was up 8.7% to 2.9m, a record. Times Radio fell 2.9% year on year. 

BBC Local Radio in England will welcome a fall of just 0.46% year on year; Radio Scotland was up 11%, but Radio Cymru was down 6%, and Radio Wales 8.5%.  Radio Ulster was down 8.7%. 

The press release for Sounds has them beating all sorts of records; but 65% of listening hours is to 'live radio'.  We note that Newshour from the World Service ranks No 4 in the BBC's worldwide podcast rankings; presumably BBC Studios will re-invested some of the consequent advertising revenue in preventing the unpleasant and unnecessary changes to the production team's rota. 

Safety first

Two new editorial advisers have been found for the BBC Board's revamped Editorial Standards Committee, and I think even they would admit they're not of the same profile as Michael Prescott, the former Sunday Times political editor whose stubborness brought down a DG and a Director of News. 

Alexandra Evans (BA Modern History, Oxford) pushed herself through law school before joining Mishcon de Reya as a solicitor, and taking an interest in public policy. She was an aide to Chairman Emeritus John Jackson for five years, followed by a move to a 'really cool job' with the British Board of Film Censors. 'Deadpool' got a 15 in the UK. Her creds increased with over three years keeping (?) TikTok safe in Europe. 

Her Linkedin promo: "I help people and organisations understand the impact of technology on people and society.  My research focuses on human agency: what it is, why it matters and how to nurture it."

Adam Baxter (MA Social and Political Sciences Cambridge; M Phil Politics Oxford; Postgrad Diploma in UK/Eu copyright, King's London) started off working for the Japanese Embassy, but moved through copyright roles into 'trust and safety' with Ofcom for eighteen years. He can presumably take his 'Open To Work' sign off Linkedin now. 

Liddle switch

We note, tangentially, that Lord Liddle, the Labour peer whose Kennington table hosted dinners for Morgan McSweeney and Lord Mandelson, has switched from Starmer to Streeting. 

The peer is currently chair of the centre-left think-tank Progress. He told the Church Times on Tuesday that he was “very sad about the situation..  but the plain fact is this: following the disastrous local elections, particularly the scale of the losses to Reform in the north and midlands, where Labour didn’t win a single seat in Angela Rayner’s Ashton-under-Lyne, the country and party are facing an existential crisis.

“Unless Labour dramatically raises its game in government, there is a real prospect we could end up with Nigel Farage as Prime Minister, with over 70 per cent of the country not wanting it to happen. I believe only Wes Streeting can lift the country and party out of this depression and torpor.”

Lord Liddle is married to the BBC Board's Senior Independent Director, Caroline Thomson. 

Off the top

Reform UK's principal supporter GB News fell back in the monthly rankings in April. BARB put the four week reach at 3,726,000, down from 4,229,000 in March. 

Comfy

We notice the interim DG is prepared to represent the BBC externally in leisure footwear. 

Space out

 

New balance

Very much looking forward to the casting of the first regular BBC1 Question Time post the 2026 elections. The secret calculations should influence a standard five person panel quite seriously. We anticipate whole editions without a Tory or even Labour politician; after all, that's what happened to the Libdems in 2025, on 17% predicted national share. And we presume there'll be regular weekly appearances from the Greens, and fewer Reform UK faces than booked in 2025. 

Available

2025 Businesswoman of the Year Rachel Corp is leaving her role as CEO ITN News rather abruptly, after almost exactly four years in post.  Has she been caught in conversation about the vacancy at the top of BBC News ?

Rachel, 53, (James Allen's Girls' School, Dulwich; Marlborough and Leeds University) worked on Leeds Student Radio, winning the NUS/Guardian award for Broadcaster of the Year. She travelled in Bosnia, making features for Woman's Hour as a freelance, before joining ITN as a trainee. She was part of the launch team for Channel 5 news, and did the network's Diana death announcement. 

She left ITN for a spell as the BBC's Moscow producer, then for a time worked for an online web-conferencing company before returning to Grays Inn Road, rising to editor, helping the introduction of the longer evening news, and supervising scoops on Partygate and the storming of the White House. Husband Laurence Lee is a former foreign correspondent, now coaching disadvantaged children in oracy.  

High-level TV News content

Meanwhile, the reported pause on recruitment at the BBC clearly doesn't apply in Washington, where there are two jobs advertised as "Journalist"

"BBC News reaches millions globally each week, delivering trusted journalism at scale. We’re seeking a talented journalist (producer)  to pitch, report and create high-level TV News content to showcase on the BBC News channel and the wider BBC."

"Any offer of employment with the BBC will be conditional upon you having the right to live and work in the US (US citizenship, Green Card or work authorisation)." 

Starting salary $72,000 (around £53,200).

 

Bubble tea

There's YouTube footage of of incoming BBC DG Matt Brittin outside a BBC event in deep conversation with Political Editor Chris Mason, presumably as part of his 'induction'. 

This morning a former BBC political editor Nick Robinson, now lead presenter of Today, ended a ten-minute pursuit of Starmer aide Darren Jones, with a statement of his own. To this listener, he sounded miffed that Mr Jones hadn't yielded to Robinson's imprecations to repeat a 'line' Robinson had picked up from earlier media appearances by Mr Jones. Towards the end of the programme, Robinson lectured listeners with his opinion of what the UK was talking about, joined by co-presenter Anna Foster. 

I thought it was pompous, and someone should make them listen back and reflect. Maybe Matt ?