The Media Show

Schools are shut across the UK and screens are the only route children have to teachers. So which bits of the media are stepping up to keep kids informed and entertained? Plus the launch of The Oldham Times, a new daily print newspaper; and we drill down into why YouTube banned - and later reinstated - TalkRadio.Guests: Lydia Winters, Chief Storyteller at Mojang, makers of Minecraft; David Statter, Adopt Me!, Chris Stokel-Walker, author of YouTubers; Marianna Spring, BBC Disinformation Reporter; Steve Thompson, editor of The Oldham Times; Jodi Birkett, technology, media and telecommunications partner at DeloitteStudio engineer: Tim HefferProducer: Hannah SanderPresenter: Joe Tidy

Jane Tranter is the super-producer behind shows like His Dark Materials, Succession, and the Emmy Award winning The Night Of. As co-founder of Bad Wolf, the Cardiff based production company, she has been credited with revitalising the Welsh TV industry. In this big interview, Jane Tranter discusses her career and gives the story behind some of her biggest hits.Studio Engineer: Donald MacDonaldPresenter: Amol RajanProducer: Hannah Sander

It’s been a big year for media lawyers. There's been the Johnny Depp libel trial, Harry and Meghan suing The Mail on Sunday, and the newsroom drama over Barnard Castle. Amol Rajan reunites the lawyers from both sides of the Depp case to debate press behaviour. Also in the programme, the backstory to the Mail's famous front page demanding justice for Stephen Lawrence, and how The Guardian came to trust Julian Assange as a source.Guests: Jenny Afia, Partner at Schillings; Louis Charalambous, head of the Media Content and Disputes Team at Simons Muirhead & Burton; Gill Phillips, Director of Editorial Legal Services for The Guardian; Eddie Young, former legal adviser to Associated Newspapers and contributor to Mail+ podcast The Murder That Shamed Britain.Producer: Hannah Sander

This is a bumper week for sports media. New rights deals are up for grabs, while a packed football calendar means logistical headaches for broadcasters. So why might Amazon want to get involved? And the traditional media on how they - and the freelancers who work for them - adapted to months without live sport.Guests: Alex Green, Sport MD for Amazon Prime Video; Kathryn Anastasi, Head of Live Sport at talkSPORT; Daniel Storey, freelance sports writer and broadcaster; Minal Modha, Consumer Lead at Ampere Analysis.Studio Engineer: John BolandProducer: Hannah SanderPresenter: Amol Rajan

This week Ofcom, the media regulator, warned that traditional broadcasting is "at risk" without "radical shake-up". But at risk of what, and what kind of shake-up does the regulator have in mind? Meanwhile, Ofcom is about to take on the massive task of regulating “online harm”, including social media platforms like YouTube and Instagram. But is a British regulator really able to police the internet? In her first major interview, Melanie Dawes, the new CEO of Ofcom, explains her strategy to Amol Rajan.Producer: Hannah Sander

The UK has approved a coronavirus vaccine and will start rolling it out. But what role does the media play in reporting the science, and perhaps even encouraging readers to take up the vaccine? Also in the programme, the government has announced a new Digital Markets Unit, a regulator of sorts that will look at Facebook and Google.Guests: Fiona Godlee, editor of the British Medical Journal, Laura Collins, editor of the Yorkshire Evening Post, Felicity Cross, deputy news editor of the Daily Star and Daily Star Sunday, and Philip Marsden, professor of law at the College of Europe.Studio engineer: John BolandProducer: Hannah Sander

This has been an exceptionally difficult year for advertisers. With shops closed and holidays cancelled, many advertisers saw their revenues drop. Amol Rajan speaks to Annette King, UK boss of Publicis Groupe, the ad giant that includes Saatchi & Saatchi. Even before the pandemic her industry faced enormous structural threats, including the dominance of Facebook and Google in the ad market.This programme includes clips from the British Airways 'Face' advert (1989) directed by Hugh Hudson, and McDonald's 'McDelivery' advert (2020) directed by Los Perez.Studio Engineer: John Boland Producer: Hannah Sander

Are we witnessing a shift in the balance of media power? The Labour party says emergency laws are needed to make social networks "criminally responsible" for anti-vaccine content their users post. Meanwhile, over in the US both Republicans and Democrats are vowing to change the way the likes of Twitter and Facebook are regulated. And could it also represent the birth of an alternative media? Donald Trump is rumoured to be plotting a new channel to rival Fox News.Guests: Amélie Pia Heldt, Leibniz-Institute for Media Research, Tom Wainwright, The Economist media editor, Shayan Sardarizadeh, BBC Monitoring disinformation journalist, and Mathew Ingram, Chief Digital Writer at Columbia Journalism ReviewPresenter: Joe TidyProducer: Richard Hooper

As Minister for Media and Data, John Whittingdale has the power to significantly change the media landscape in the UK over the next few years.Should Channel 4 be privatised? Do we still need the licence fee? Is there enough competition in radio? In this extended interview recorded at the Radio Academy Festival, John Whittingdale answers these big questions, sets out his vision for public service broadcasting and discusses the influence overseas tech companies now have in British media.Presenter: Amol Rajan Producer: Richard Hooper

Princess Diana's brother has called for an inquiry into the circumstances of his sister's historic Panorama interview. Charles Spencer alleges BBC reporter Martin Bashir used "sheer dishonesty" to secure the interview. The corporation said its investigation was "hampered at the moment" by the fact that Bashir was "seriously unwell" with complications from Covid-19. Amol Rajan discusses the allegations with BBC Royal correspondent, Jonny Dymond.Also in the programme, why Substack has become one of the hottest brands in media, and a libel case loss for Johnny Depp.Guests: Hamish McKenzie, co-founder of Substack, Vivian Schiller, executive director at the Aspen Institute, Persephone Bridgman Baker, senior associate at Carter Ruck, and Jonny Dymond, BBC Royal correspondent.Presenter: Amol RajanProducer: Richard Hooper