Media Masters

Comedian and screenwriter Andy Hamilton has created and written some of TV and radio's most popular shows, including Outnumbered, Drop the Dead Donkey, and Old Harry's Game. A regular panellist on QI, Have I Got News For You and The News Quiz, in this in-depth interview, he discusses his approach to comedy, explains how he adapts his writing for TV and radio differently, and talks about crowdfunding his first novel, The Star Witness.

Investigative journalist David Rose famously exposed the UK Government's role in the torture of terror suspects. Former Home Affairs Editor at The Observer and now Special Investigations Writer at The Mail on Sunday, he talks about his role in overturning the murder convictions of the Tottenham Three, explains how he secured the first interviews with prisoners released from Guantanamo, and reveals the backlash he has experienced on social media in response to some of his articles.

Bob leads many of the BBC's flagship radio stations, including Radio 2, 6 Music, and the Asian Network. In this extended interview, he outlines his plans as the first Director of BBC Music, discusses Charter renewal, reveals the issues leading to the closure of Channel 4 Radio, and tackles claims the Beeb is too populist. 0:55 - Day-to-day duties of a Radio Controller 8:00 - Will 6 Music survive? 17.20 - Career to date 24.40 - The internet's impact on radio and TV 33.30 - Lessons learned from the closure of Channel 4 Radio 39.00 - Charter renewal and the future of the BBC 43.30 - "My best day at the BBC so far..."

Joseph Harker, Assistant Comment Editor at the Guardian, and Jack Riley, Commercial and Audience Development Director at the Huffington Post, join Paul Blanchard to discuss the latest media headlines. This episode: Are the BBC are right to switch off BBC3? Should the Sun have published a survey claiming “one in five British Muslims has sympathy for ISIS”? And is it possible for traditional newspapers to compete online?

Investigative journalist John Sweeney is known for what he calls his "explosive" documentaries at BBC Panorama. In this intimate interview, he says what it was like to be harassed by the Church of Scientology; explains how he challenged the evidence of Professor Roy Meadow to help free cot death mum Sally Clark and six others, and recounts the challenges of going undercover in war zones like Chechnya, Zimbabwe and North Korea. 0.55 - Covering the Paris attacks 10:55 - ISIS brainwashing and reporting the Syrian war 13:00 - Maintaining sanity in a warzone 23:38 - What motivates him as a journalist 25:05 - The Church of Scientology and his famous on-screen 'meltdown' 28:37 - Redundancy and BBC charter renewal 31:42 - "The best thing I have ever done..."

James Porter, Head of UK Journalism Training at the BBC, and Rob Lewis, CEO of Electric Jukebox, join Paul Blanchard to discuss the latest media headlines. This episode: can news media be impartial on sport scandals when they are financially involved with the top teams? Will the music industry ever turn a sustainable profit from streaming? And what skills will the next generation of reporters need to compete?

Richard rose to prominence by shining a light on the secretive and sometimes shadowy world at the top of international sporting organisations. Now Sports News Correspondent at BBC Radio 5 Live, in this in-depth interview, he talks about applying the techniques of political reporting to sports; reveals how he secured an exclusive and rare interview with Sepp Blatter, President of FIFA, and says what he was really like, and predicts where some of the next shocking stories in the sports world will come from.

Paul Johnson, Deputy Editor at The Guardian, and Jason Collie, Assistant Online Editor at the London Evening Standard, join Paul Blanchard to discuss the latest media headlines. This episode: why did The Sun scrap its paywall just two years after it was introduced? Is the Government about to weaken the Freedom of Information Act, and should reporters be concerned? Now Seumas Milne has joined Team Corbyn as communications director, what advice should he give his new boss?

Author of "Trust Me, PR is Dead", Robert Phillips famously quit as President and CEO of Edelman, the largest PR company in the world. In this in-depth, one-to-one interview, Robert reveals the thinking that went into the decision which shocked the PR industry; explains why he believes social media and "radical transparency" have killed off PR and spin for good; and describes why trust is now one of the rarest commodities for companies - and how they can effectively build it.

Ed Needham, Editor of Coach, and Sirena Bergman, Head of Content and Community at The News Hub, join Paul Blanchard to discuss the latest media headlines. This episode: are so-called 'freemium' magazines the future? Do contributor networks, like The Huffington Post, pose a threat to traditional journalism? And will adblockers kill off banner advertising on the web - and could this seriously harm revenues?

Political strategist Lynton Crosby is credited with winning the 2015 UK General Election for the Conservatives. He has built up an international reputation as an election winner, having helped Boris Johnson win the Mayoralty of London twice, and the Liberal Party of his native Australia win the national election four times. In this exclusive interview, Crosby reveals the goings-on behind the scenes during the recent election, explains why he feels Boris has the skills to lead, and gives a detailed assessment on why he thinks the Labour Party has now lost its way.

Rachel Oldroyd, Managing Editor at The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, and Aidan Radnedge, Chief Reporter at Metro, join Paul Blanchard to discuss the latest media headlines. This week: Should newspapers have reprinted the PigGate allegations when they were based on only one source? Would privatising Channel 4 jeopardise the quality of its output? And will more news websites turn off comments because they are expensive and difficult to moderate?

Simon McCoy has been a News Presenter at the BBC for more than 12 years. A rolling news veteran, he previously spent 16 years at Sky News - as Royal Correspondent, then presenter of Sunrise, and memorably co-anchoring its coverage of the Iraq conflict live from the war zone. Simon takes us behind the scenes on how a live TV news show gets to air, and discusses how the industry has changed.

Florentin Collomp, UK Correspondent at Le Figaro, and Jess Best, Deputy News Editor at MirrorOnline, join Paul Blanchard to discuss the latest media headlines. This episode: Does the media spend a disproportionate amount of time reporting on the Royal Family? Would the launch of BBC TV and radio services in Russia and North Korea be a good use of public money? And will campaign groups like Greenpeace play a bigger role in funding investigative journalism in the future?

Susie Boniface's anonymous blog "Fleet Street Fox" caused a stir with its warts-and-all glimpse into the inner life of a tabloid journalist. A successful columnist at The Daily Mirror, she discusses why she created her alter ego, explains the decision to 'out' herself in her successful book, and reveals a few shocking tales from the newsroom.

Paul Hamilos, World Features Editor at BuzzFeed, and David Singleton, Editor at Total Politics, join Paul Blanchard to discuss the latest media headlines. This episode: Is the SNP trying to increase its influence over the BBC? Has reporting on immigration, and its use of words like "swarm" and "migrants", contributed to public acrimony against refugees? And have papers given too much space to criticism of Jeremy Corbyn - and has this actually grown his support?

Once named "the most influential man in British television," Sir Peter Bazalgette has created some of TV's greatest global hits, including Ready Steady Cook, Changing Rooms, and Ground Force. As Chairman of Endemol UK, he brought us the iconic Big Brother, and persuaded Noel Edmonds to front their new show Deal or No Deal. In this in-depth interview, he gives an end-to-end insider's view of the TV production process, reveals the behind-the-scenes rules to creating globally successful television, and discusses his new role as Chair of Arts Council England.

Chief Executive of the Advertising Standards Authority, Guy Parker is responsible for regulating advertising in the UK. In this in-depth one-to-one interview, he explains the challenges the ASA faces regulating the web and YouTube; describes the behind-the-scenes process that goes into deciding whether an advert is offensive or not; and explains the rationale of its more contentious rulings, including on the Atheist Bus Campaign and the 'Are You Beach Body Ready?' posters.

Now Director of Communications at Google, Peter Barron was previously Editor of Newsnight, and Deputy Editor of Channel 4 News. Responsible for the search engine's communications in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, he explains why he left a top job in journalism to take a PR role, gives an insight into how Google will work with news companies in the future, and reveals the inside workings of the public policy function at one of the largest and most secretive technology firms in the world.

Jeremy Vine's lunchtime show on BBC Radio 2 is Europe's most-listened-to news radio programme. Known for presenting Newsnight and Panorama, he also presents Eggheads, Points of View, and is the keeper of the election night swingometer. In this intimate, extended interview, he explains how his daily radio show works behind the scenes, discusses the politics within (and of) the BBC, looks back on his career, and has candid advice for ambitious would-be presenters.