"Beautiful new experience"

 “There were 320,000 people who listened ex-UK to Sounds last week. The vast majority were listening to Radio 4 live, World Service live, and our music stations live. So the vast majority of people are getting exactly what they’ve had: just on a different digital product.” Jonathan Wall BBC Controller of Sounds, on Feedback, on July 11. 

The clumsy withdrawal of BBC Sounds from international listeners is based in a hard reality; the BBC is unwilling to risk having to pay for music rights in overseas territories. But, having said that Radio 4 and World Service would still be available, it's also clear that BBC Studios have taken away so much functionality, that the 'different digital product' is, as some might say round Salford, mince.; currently it's a much worse digital product. 

Louise la Grange, SVP, BBC Audio, Digital News & Streaming BBC Studios (beware execs bearing 11 word titles) last night told listeners to the World Service feedback programme Over to You, that 'catch up' would arrive for World Service and Radio 4 abroad in a matter of weeks. But searching is still a mess, and there was no hint of immediate action on that. It was a very different Louisa to Linkedin Louisa, who five months ago called the bbc.com new audio offer "this beautiful new experience for our audiences."