Times change. The media world changes. And yes, we must all change with it.
But if more and more people get their news and comment from YouTube and TikTok, does that mean there is no longer a need – or an appetite – for long-form radio programmes which can examine ideas, spot trends and take a step back from the hurly-burly?
All of which is to say that I deeply regret the BBC’s decision to kill off the BBC Radio 4 programme The World Tonight, which I presented for twenty-three years. And judging by the responses to the announcement on social media, so do many of its devoted listeners, ranging all the way from Simon Schama to Gyles Brandreth.
Yes, the BBC has to save money (thank you, successive mean-minded Tory governments, which have consistently refused to set a licence fee commensurate with the BBC’s needs). Yes, it means making horribly difficult decisions and upsetting loyal listeners and viewers. And yes, of course, the BBC must adapt to the new media landscape.
Making a radio news programme costs a fraction of what it costs to make its TV equivalent. Axing a programme like The World Tonight will save pennies, not pounds, but the cost to disappointed listeners will be far, far greater. And I do question whether the BBC can afford to alienate its loyal base at a time when it is being challenged as never before by the billionaire titans of the online world.
