Over to You

We hear your feedback on how the BBC World Service has covered an incredibly busy summer of sport - from big football tournaments to the Olympics. Over the top - or under-reported? The network’s head of sport Colin Patterson responds to your comments. Presenter Rajan Datar Producer Howard Shannon. A Whistledown Production for the BBC WS

It’s become an institution on the BBC World Service with in-depth, hard-hitting interviews with people in the news. In a special edition, we hear listeners’ views on Hard Talk and meet its regular host Stephen Sackur and ask if its approach always lives up to the show’s combative title? Listeners say they want to know why there are not more women guests and how Stephen knows when to stop pushing if an interviewee does not want to answer. Presenter Rajan Datar Producer Howard Shannon. A Whistledown Production for the BBC WS

It was the biggest gold mine fraud of all time and devastated countless lives. But what really happened? We hear listeners’ feedback on The Six Billion Dollar Gold Scam and its presenter Suzanne Wilton tells us how she spent almost 30 years investigating this murder mystery. Plus, the world’s most popular fruit is under threat. We air a critique of the documentary Going Bananas. Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon A Whistledown production for the BBC World Service

A listener recently told Over to You that he does not enjoy the science show Unexpected Elements because he feels he is being “talked down to”. We asked you to tell us what you think about this show and other science programmes on the BBC World Service - and our inbox has been inundated! So it’s a forum for listeners’ forensic dissection of science on the World Service - both critical and positive. Plus, it has been a busy “summer of sport” and we reveal what listeners made of BBD World Service’s sporting coverage. Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon. A Whistledown production for BBC World Service

The documentary A slogan and a Land, saw reporter Tim Whewell travel from the River Jordan to the Mediterranean Sea - perhaps the most contested piece of land in the world. We hear your views on this road trip and Tim tells us about the challenges he faced in making this two-part series. Plus, an emotional response to The Inquiry’s report on Easter Island - and just what do the initials O and S really stand for? Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon A Whistledown production for World Service

Fake news and conspiracy theories are explored in the series Whose Truth - we get your feedback and hear from its presenter, Babita Sharma. Plus with The Olympics underway, it is proving to be a busy summer of sport. So what do listeners think of the World Service’s coverage on this and other sporting events? Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon A Whistledown production for the BBC World Service

We get listeners’ reactions to drama on the radio, as part of the BBC World Service and British Council's International Playwriting Competition. We’re joined by the competition’s winning authors. Plus the annual Global Audience Measure figures are out, so what do they reveal about who’s listening? Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon. A Whistledown production for BBC World Service

Last week we aired a candid interview with the departing boss of the BBC World Service. This week listeners react to what Liliane Landor had to say - and reveal their hopes and fears for the future. Plus, the BBC is currently running a trial using Generative AI - artificial intelligence. We ask what it might mean for you the World Service listener. Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon A Whistledown production for BBC World Service

It’s all change at the top of the BBC World Service as the boss for the past three years leaves. We ask the departing director Liliane Landor about the challenges she faced during her time at the helm. She gives us an honest personal appraisal of the highs and lows - and the challenges her successor faces. Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon A Whistledown production for BBC World Service

We are now into the second year of changes affecting Focus on Africa and its switch to being primarily a podcast. So how is it going down with listeners? We hear your views - including on recent events in Kenya - and are joined in the studio for an update by its news editor, Alice Muthengi. Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon. A Whistledown production for BBC World Service

We get your comments on one writer’s endless curiosity about the effects of culture wars on ordinary lives. And we ask that journalist, Jon Ronson, about how he approached making the Things Fell Apart mini-series. Plus, a unique broadcast that is unlike anything else heard on the BBC World Service for the world’s smallest audience! We tell the story of the Antarctic Midwinter Broadcast 2024. Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon A Whistledown production for BBC World Service

It was back in May 2022 that OTY reported on the launch of a new weekly podcast called Lives Less Ordinary - from the Outlook team. Producers describe the show as a chance to step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected. So how has it bedded in? We hear listeners’ comments and also from its production team. Plus, it has been three months since the Fifth Floor moved to its new weekend slot but a listener tells us she is not happy with the schedule change. Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon A Whistledown production for the BBC World Service

We hear how listeners feel about the BBC World Service's reporting on the plethora of elections around the world. By way of a case study, we focus on India and hear about the challenges faced by the corporation in reporting the country’s recent elections. We are joined from Delhi by the BBC’s director of journalism with the Collective Newsroom, Mukesh Sharma. Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon. A Whistledown production for BBC World Service

It was back in May 2022 that this programme reported on the launch of a new weekly podcast called Lives Less Ordinary from the Outlook team. Producers describe the show as a chance to step into someone else’s life and expect the unexpected. Extraordinary stories from around the world. Two years on we ask listeners how they feel it has bedded in. Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon. A Whistledown production for BBC World Service

We hear your thoughts on series three of Dear Daughter which bills itself as a “handbook to life”. We are joined by its presenter Namulanta Kombo and producer Lucy Burns. Listeners ask if the series only appeals to women. Could there be letters from fathers to daughters or sons and express appreciation for the new run having more complicated and difficult conversations. Plus, a listener in the US feels the World Service’s reporting of the UK’s general election is proving to be too “England-centric”. Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon. A Whistledown production for BBC World Service

A listener recently told us how he found correspondents' news reports that are repeated across different news shows “irritating”. We hear whether you agree with him. We invited BBC Newshour editor Tim De Faramond to respond listeners and understand why this repetition happens. Plus, a listener feels a recent History Hour was wrong in its use of terminology. The show’s production team respond. Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon. A Whistledown Production for BBC World Service

The BBC World Service has launched its Global China Unit, a new team that will focus on reporting stories on the country’s role in the world. Listeners say its opening is vital but also ask if coverage of China will be fair and balanced. We speak with the BBC executive who will help run the team. Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon A Whistledown production for BBC World Service

The new podcast series Where to be a Woman has been asking: where can women live their best lives? One of the programme’s presenters Sophia Smith Galer and senior journalist Prabhjit Bains tell us why they feel this question is such a pertinent one right now and listeners tell us what they think of the podcast. Plus, following a recent complaint of changing sounds levels online, several more listeners say they too are suffering the same problem. Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon A Whistledown Production for the BBC World Service

We hear listeners’ bugbears about one aspect of news programmes that really annoys them: why do live interviewees sometimes get abruptly cut short by the interviewer? We go behind the scenes to reveal the pressures of live news production with one of the BBC’s news editors, Karen Martin. Plus, a listener tells us what he likes so much about his favourite programme: Weekend. Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon. A Whistledown production for the BBC World Service

Stumped is a weekly digest of news, features and debate from the world of cricket - but are you bowled over by it? We hear your comments and are joined by one of its hosts, Alison Mitchell. Plus, a listener asks why, when listening online, the volume level changes so much? Presenter: Rajan Datar Producer: Howard Shannon. A Whistledown production for the BBC World Service