An open post - what would you like to see on the blog?

Steve, this new way of being in touch with listeners is driving me to distraction. Allow me to vent.



"Get in touch by my Five Live Blog" is often pronounced by presenters. Yet when you go to the page on the BBC site there is nothing there. Example - Victoria's today.



When you have finally found and posted on the blog you then find out there is a whole dialogue up on the screen from people who have texted or phoned in, but not quotes from the blog you tell people to post on. Why not just use one page?



Why can you not have a community feedback page where we listeners can share our views and get some feedback from you or someone in your position? It is ludicrous that your presenters will read out quite bizarre and random things and yet us listeners cannot comment on them. You took away the messageboards and left yourselves protected from consumer feedback. You choose the texts and Twitters you read out so self-select in a negative way.



The station is careering in to one of self-regard and more sport than one sports-lover can take. The drone of Colin Murray pervades the entire weekend.



Please do something about letting listeners have their say in one place, and do something about uniformity in the way you present these blogs. Either they are the way to contact a programme or they are not. Twitter and Facebook do not belong on the BBC, get rid!!!!!!!!!!

What would I like to see on this blog?



5Live management engaged and _participating_ on this blog.



You could make a good start by answering the questioned posed in post #95 here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/5live/2009/10/bbc-5-live-schedule-changes.shtml



There are a lot of unhappy people about the direction of the station but you are not listening!

Forgot to add that there was a piece in the Sunday Times this week alleging that anyone moving up to Salford with the BBC is going to keep their London Allowance until they leave employment with th BBC, plus they will receive financial reward in the shape of a resettlement allowance for agreeing to the move.



What a disgrace, money for old rope and rubbish.

You invite listener's comments, but the responses from the station so rarely deal with the issues that are being raised. Invariably a blog becomes a list of thoughts with no coherence or true thread of discussion.



Why not just admit it was wrong to close the messageboards and allow listeners to discuss their feelings about the station? Successful companies listen to their consumers.



Surely we can be trusted to have a debate about this channel in the same way, for instance, Archers fans can be trusted to discuss their feelings about what they listen to. Posts can still be modded if necessary.

Sorry, one more thing. Given how heavily the 'Rules of Chat' ad is being promoted on TV, is it not a sign that the blogs are not working when only 5 people have commented on it?

As predicted elsewhere, no response from the author of the blog.



That actually says everything about the sheer contempt the BBC feels for its listeners.



Most especially, the station that is Five Live. One long party and gravy train, we will all be hearing about their Christmas party soon, as we do every year.

Carrie, judging my Steve's twitter (https://twitter.com/Bowbrick%29 he is more focussed on Radio 4 as his biography says he is "Editor of the BBC Radio 4 blog" and twitter suggests this afternoon he was more concerned with his Google Wave invitation. "Where exactly is my Google Wave invitation?".



Steve can you ask Adrian van Klaveren to read and reply or give up on any pretense of wanting to engage listeners via this medium.

I am still finding this system very difficult. Yesterday, I happened upon some blogs that had a lot of comments on it but I can't for the life of me find them now. IMO the whole site is disjointed, difficult to manage and navigate.



I am unflinching in my criticism of the BBC's closure of the 5live messageboards. You destroyed an online community and for what? To attempt to get us to contribute to blogs that aren't updated and are in many cases are an irrelevance.



You forget BBC that we pay for you and we should be listened to.

The more I look at all the blogs being written by BBC staff the more I realise that a job at the BBC gives anyone a chance to have fun but not actually do anything. So this guy on here is twittering about some other social event he wants in on, as well as writing blogs he never reads or refers to. Never giving the bloggers who participate the courtesy of an answer to their questions and comments. Too busy filling in claims forms or working out the profit from the move to Salford, or working out how to make Radio Five Live even worse than it is now. Listeners on the other blog have outlined just how many no go areas now exist on this station but no comments from adrian or this chap Steve ever come the way of CONSUMERS WHO PAY THEIR VASTLY INFLATED SALARIES. I am so fed up with this style of contact, give us back the messageboards.

Over here, https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/5live/2009/10/bbc-5-live-schedule-changes.shtml, Steve (author of this post and editor, 5 live blog) said "if you have specific questions about the scheduling process, please ask them here and I'll try to get them answered by the people who know.".



It's time we had some real answers to our questions. You could start with my #95 post on the other thread.



You've taken the time to note in this post that that thread is the biggest on the modest Five Live message board (hardly a heaving mass of messages), so surely you could have taken the time to actually read all the responses and do what you said you would and "get them answered by the people who know". It's seems no-one has been home since 22 October.



I notice with great irony you tagged this blog post with "accountability".



What does the editor of the 5 live blog do all day? Does he perhaps spend the majority of his time on Radio 4 business?



Well it's time for you, and the management at 5Live to be accountable.



Show us any sign you are interested in these blogs and interested in answering our questions. Otherwise it's a waste of time and a sign of contempt for us, your listeners, and your paymasters.



I've just read that there's another 5Liver Brett Spencer "Interactive Editor" who must equally be culpable for the lack of interaction here.



By the way, you have set the expectation, not us, that this is a forum for discussion. Right now it's an echo chamber. It's a very poor effort.

I would like to see some sort of general forum where we can ask questions, currently its down to what you blog about as to what we can talk about.



When the Five Live website had The Station message board there were helpful hosts who would answer a lot of general Five Live questions.



One I have at the moment is where is Ian Brown? I've not heard him on the station for a good few weeks now.

The Radio 5 station board was shut down 3 years ago. The POV radio board was closed recently. We were told we'd get an all singing and dancing blog to replace it.



Result, many peoples' questions havn't been answered, and you NOW ask us what we'd like to talk about ! !

This blog is a joke. Sorry Steve not being rude, but it is. If those at Five Live Towers were really interested in what listeners etc thought then the old Station message Board would never have been closed down. What we need is an open blog where opinions can be expressed without fear of being 'off topic' and where ANY subject with regard to the station can be discussed. There is no free expression anymore. it is expression at the the invite of those who post the blogs and no more. You are trying to justify the costs of running this BIg Brother Controlled Blog and are failing miserably.

Can't quite understand the gist of this new 'NOW' page you put on for listeners to make comments directly throughout the phone-in. Your instructions are that a comment mustn't exceed so many characters (can't remember 200 or something??) yet you publish texts on NOW well exceeding that number.



Also when the phone-in has finished can you keep that NOW screen up so that listeners can see what comments/texts you have deemed publishable and those which you don't!

Yoo hoo, Steve........



Yoo hoo, Adrian..........



Is anybody there?????????????????????????????????????

It has now been 4 days since Steve wrote this blog.



This is his only 5Live blog post this week as "5 live blog editor", indeed he has only posted 5 posts in the 40 days of the blogs life.



What does the 5 live blog editor do with his time?



We haven't had answers to our questions. We haven't had any sign of any interest being taken in our thoughts despite explicitly asking for them here.



It should be pretty clear by now what we want and don't want from this blog from these responses.



This post is clearly no more then a hollow token invitation to offer our views. And have them ignored.



Any fair-minded person would reasonably expect in four days for the author of this post, and the editor (the head honcho, and presumably the advocate of this forum) to at least read our responses? Instead we have nothing.



Well clearly we can save some money here taxpayers.



What do we want on this blog? No more "5 live blog editors" because clearly they don't pay attention to their blogs. Close down the blog and get rid of Steve in the process.



Oh, in breaking news, Steve reports here, https://twitter.com/Bowbrick, "And thanks too all for offers of Google Wave invitations. I'm in...", glad to know where the priorities lie.

Sorry but I want contact on here, I do not understand why you and your colleagues push non BBC site like Twitter and Facebook.



None of the questions are answered. Surprise surprise.



How do I get a job doing what you are doing Steve? I would be able to do it properly!

I agree with Carrie. Too little, too late.



We now know you maintain 3 blogs, and roughly post one message a week on each.



Let's be generous and say that takes a day to write 3 x 250 word blog posts. Surely some of the other 30 hours in your week should be devoted to actually reading and responding to these posts your solicit?



May I respectfully suggest this now becomes a higher priority.



Clearly it hasn't been until now. Perhaps there's a correlation between your interest and ours?



Who is ultimately responsible for this initiative? Is it the Head of Radio, Tim Davie? Mary Hockaday or the controller of BBC Online? About time they learnt of the dissatisfaction in these blogs and the wasted development monies and hopeless human resource.



Now, about those questions... as Carrie suggests, can you start providing answers and rope in Adrian too please.



Thanks.

Carrie. I concur with all your points particularly in your first post about the BBC's use of Facebook and Twitter. It shouldn't happen and all the input from listeners should appear on one central BBC blog or message board etc.



I can only assume the reason why the Beeb utilises the likes of the 'commercial' networks is because it distorts the presentation of peoples opinions particularly over controversial issues that are unanimously critical of BBC News handling of a particular issue. Because listeners will mainly use one site rather than all three it prevents listeners/viewers as a whole interpreting the full extent of criticism.

Steve wrote: "I think the BBC is present on Facebook and Twitter because that's where our customers are."



Perhaps you could aggregate submissions so there is one place to read everything rather then dillute the comment as Nick says above.



Steve, is Twitter and Facebook more important then the BBC website? You'd be hard pressed to spend less time responding to our questions here.



Steve said "I should point out that the Twitter account mentioned in a comment above was actually my personal account and nothing to do with the BBC", if it has nothing to do with the BBC you should remove references to the BBC on your Twitter bio. It's time the BBC unblurred these lines with a clear Twitter policy. You mention Twitter on your bio and you post BBC references. Who's to know?



Steve continues, "And I do want to urge a bit of patience - I want the people who make the decisions to come here and answer questions and they will do so but not always on the day I ask.". Adrian last responded to anything on this blog on 22 November about the changes to the lineup. There's been another 70 posts since, and lots of questions to answer still.



Are you suggesting that Adrian isn't that supportive of the blogs? It clearly isn't a very high priority for the station judging by the low level of engagement here.

I totally agree with Nick and ryanw, who agreed with me anyway.



If you are going to ask for opinions, please put them all in one place. Twitter and Facebook are not, as we three have said, anything to do with the BBC and I guess once again you are looking for the youth market. Generally, although I know some of your people have Facebook pages they do not look cool.



If you want interactive, blogs should be the place, as you look as if you have chosen this route above late lamented messageboards. These blogs are moderated so there is no difference from the old days. So why not have a Radio Five Live Listeners' blog in which we can all chuck our widely differing opinions? Give in!



By the way Steve, I am not working now, but I am still willing to swap jobs with you and you will get to live my life of luxury, lazing on a sunny afternoon............albeit in the Autumn.

Steve, I have to concur with other posts with regard to Twitter and FB. I've been an FB user for over three years but if I wish to make a comment about Five then the BBC web site is my first port of call for very obvious reasons. Apart from anything else Twitter and FB are the latest fashion, they will be replaced in a few years time by something else AND I bet more of your 'customers' use the BBC site than use FB or Twitter combined. What is the point of a BBC web site if you are going to direct us elsewhere? You could be talking yourself out of a job here, after all many message boards were closed down because the subject matter was covered on other commercial message boards on non-BBC web sites.



So, what's the Oracle's response on providing an more open place for us 'customers' to make comments upon?

No blog on the phone in page this morning, for us to contribute online.



Oh well. Groundhog Day.

Just like to say that I agree completely with David Shield. An opportunity to raise issues regarding the station, rather than hope that you can shoe horn them into a blog topic at some point would be good.



You could even go full circle and call it 'The Station'.

In the week we learn the Controller of 5Live (who to too busy to reply to his listeners questions or apparently Steve's overtures to contribute more meaningfully or regularly on the blog while encouraging us to use it) earns £192,000 a year (£2,000 shy of the Prime Minister) and following in this spirit of BBC accountability, remembering this blog post has been tagged as such, I think we should acknowledge our triumph.



Steve Bowbrick has actually replied.



Moreover, in a remarkable flurry of activity we have witnessed an unprecedented week of action, he has mustered three posts on the Five Live blog in five days, the original post, and two follow ups. A mammoth 593 words.



Not too many answers though. What was that about accountability?



Still thank god for small mercies.



We have some d.i.a.l.o.g.u.e.

Mmmm mmmm mmmm mmmm mmm. Hum hum. La la la.



They are doing their expenses claims ryanw.

Carrie, wouldn't you think we'd have had some answers by now? Are we being unfair?

I re-read Steve's post about his job. He actually manages two blogs not three.



I would have thought with the clear and simmering unhappiness in this thread 5Live would front foot this and actually win some kudos through action and answered.



Instead we have dead air.



I don't think we're getting value for money here.



I'd like to write to the BBC heads, but unfortunately I haven't had my question answered (surprise surprise) about who is responsible for these blogs. It is monumental waste of time and our money as it stands.



Ironically if were actually respected by 5Live and they actually could be bother to engage us properly we could help bring these blogs to life, provide valuable insight, and any number of practical and technical ways to improve them.



Sigh. I'll think drop the shadow culture secretary a line too and suggest we need further scrutiny and accountability in the low echelons of the Beeb too, clearly the investment here is wasted for starters.

"We want this blog to be the natural place for 5 live's managers and editors to talk about their big decisions and for listeners to tell us what they think of them."



You urge patience Steve but sadly you do not understand what people on here are saying. The mere fact that there is a whole messageboard on 'another place' dedicated to Five Live, plus eight of us on here badgering, makes it clear to me that BBC and arrogance go arm in arm. It doesn't want to act on comments, it just pays lip service to licence-payers. It doesn't want to respond to comments, it ignores them.



Having downloaded those BBC salary and expense claims for a good look the other day, I just wonder what the dickens you lot do all day? FiveLive is a huge fun factory for employees, whilst the standard of your station spirals down and down.



If you could listen to a recording of Eddie Mair, John Inverdale, Vincent Hanna, Peter and Jane, and then compare the equivalent programmes of today, you would actually realise what I am talking about. And to call some of your current line up exciting talent is really pushing the boundary of my imagination because they are pop journalists and not news journalists. They present pieces as if they have the attention span of a five year old. The sport is dominated by Colin Murray and his delivery is dreadful.



Before you say go elsewhere, there isn't anything like your format anywhere else without having to constantly re-tune. For the first few years of the station I never had to do that once, it was so good.

Ah, I may have found some answers folks here, https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/5live/2009/09/bbc-5-live-messageboards.shtml



"Any BBC messageboard host will tell you how hard it is to get BBC staff to visit the boards, where they tend to think they'll find lots of off-topic rants ... But with no one of any influence visiting and with no easy way to make the good stuff visible to others it was only a matter of time before they were closed." - Steve Bowbrick, 1 Oct 2009.



Looks like in summary -



1. BBC staff aren't interested

2. They think they'll find off-topic rants

3. Because "no-one of influence" visits and we had (have?) a system which fails deliver engaging, relevant discussion the message boards were closed.



Well, I suggest the same will happen again.



Today we find staff aren't interested and blog posts hidden and ignored. Deja vu.



So, sorry, more questions...



1. Why was the worst of the previous system repeated? Why weren't learnings learnt? Could it be because you don't listen?



2. Why aren't staff interested? Don't we pay them to be interested? Or do we just pay them?



3. If these blogs aren't deemed worthy by staff, while bother spending the money on the technology and the resources in the first place?



Unfortunately, far from solving problems and answering questions our 'ambassador' the blogs editor isn't leading by example, posting more or delivering answers.



Sorry, the longer this goes on the more questions there are too answer. Perhaps this week's sole contribution by "our editor" could be some answers to the questions.

Surely



"Sorry we're closed"



would be a more apt title for this page of the blog?

Well well well ... I DID send an email to the shadow minister yesterday and to my surprise I received a response less then 24 hours later. Still waiting on Mr Bowbricks weekly address aren't we. Steve, this is called repsonsiveness.



The response to my email is important for several reasons.



1. A shadow minister is more interested in what BBC license payers think then the BBC itself. I've had a prompt response.

2. I received a personal reply from the shadow minister.

3. I received a reply within 24 hours, whereas it has taken weeks to get answers on this blog from 5Live management.



In the spirit of openness below is my email and the response. I must say also I am not a Tory member, just Joe Public, with a concern (although clearly in favour of more BBC scrutiny). Hence this email -





From: ryanw

Sent: 16 November 2009 11:26

To: HUNT, Jeremy; ANSTEY, Laura

Subject: Jeremy on Boulton



Dear Mr Hunt,



I was delighted by your common-sense, fair and measured interview on Adam Boulton this weekend about the BBC.



Just what I want from the next government.



The waste and decay is not just evident at the highest echelons but the culture of excess continues in the lower reaches too.



Whilst I know the future Tory government does not seek to micro-manage the BBC, and nor should you, but waste and profligacy seems rife at all levels.



I am thrilled you will take a firm stance on cutting the largess at the BBC. I am sure in ensuing political heat Thompson et. al. will point to major impact on the BBC of any funding change but I, like I am sure many license-payers, would gladly contribute to a long list of smaller examples of wastage, like the 5Live presenter who flys to Manchester from Northern Ireland to present a weekend radio show when the corporation have studios locally, or the BBC Audio Blogs editor who posts a meagre 250 words per week on the 5Live blog. What do these people do with their time and our money?



There is precious little accountability or even less transparency and I can't wait for you to be on the front bench and fighting for taxpayers interests.



Yours sincerely





From: [Personal details removed by Moderator]

Date: Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:54:09 +0000

Subject: RE: Jeremy on Boulton



Dear Ryan,





Thank you very much for your kind words about my interview on the Adam Boulton show on Sunday. There is certainly a great deal of waste and bureaucracy at the BBC and I fully believe that strong public scrutiny will help bring this down. I want to see the BBC become more open, transparent and accountable. Ultimately this will mean a better deal for licence fee payers.



Best wishes,



Jeremy

Oh dear, my comment has been moderated. Let's have another go. Must have upset a senstive soul.



The thread is tagged, accountability. It's a discussion about what we'd like to see on this blog.



Well I'd like more accountability, more posts, and a more responsive host. I'd like answers to our questions which have been ignored.



I'm not the only one who's concerned about the lack of action and accountability.



The BBC volunteerily released information about the excessive salaries paid to its top 200 executives, including the £192,000 paid to the 5 Live Controller. It is fair to expect the Controller to answer some legtimate questions poses by listeners. We do after all pay his salary. Steve Bowbrick, the blog editor says "I want the people who make the decisions to come here and answer questions and they will do so but not always on the day I ask.". Said it's been almost a month with no reply from management to the latest questions posed about the 5Live changes here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/5live/2009/10/bbc-5-live-schedule-changes.shtml,



Relevent then also, as we talk about accountability and what we'd like to see on this blog that we discuss their worth. Especially when those within the BBC responsible for this forums tell us "Any BBC messageboard host will tell you how hard it is to get BBC staff to visit the boards, where they tend to think they'll find lots of off-topic rants ... But with no one of any influence visiting and with no easy way to make the good stuff visible to others it was only a matter of time before they were closed." - Steve Bowbrick, 1 Oct 2009.



All of this returns nicely to the central theme of accountability. I made the point that the Shadow Culture secetary Jeremy Hunt said to me today in a reponse an I sent today that "There is certainly a great deal of waste and bureuacracy at the BBC and I fully believe that strong public scrutiny will help bring this down. I want to see the BBC become more open, transparent and accountable. UItimately this will mean a better deal for licence fee payers.".



I agree with Mr Hunt. This blog is an example of waste. It has been development at a cost to license payers, we pay BBC staff to

'maintain' it and then it is ignored.



How much does it cost to maintain these blogs?



Finally let's reflect on the role of the 'host', who I presume is Steve Bowrick, the blog editor. The BBC says here https://www.bbc.co.uk/messageboards/newguide/popup_checking_messages.html "* A host's job is to encourage interesting discussions and to help resolve disagreements. They post regularly on the message boards, start discussions or reply to questions."



I don't see much encourging, call weekly regular or many replies to questions. Interesting answers were not mentioned isnt it?

I feel like I'm eavesdropping on a private conversation between two rather angry individuals, a conversation which is neither edifying nor particularly entertaining. If you don't like 5 live, why do you continue to listen?

Apart from Steve, Big_Dave, you seem to be the only dissenter to the view expressed on this blog by everyone else.



We are all complaining about a blog set up for suggestions by Steve, and then never used, that's all.



Re-tuning is my hobby, I listen to less and less of what was once a great station. Ciao.

Big Dave, you miss the point completely. We do like 5Live, indeed so much so that we're expressing our opinion. If we didnt care we wouldn't both. We're sad it's losing its lustre with bad programming decisions (read the views here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/5live/2009/10/bbc-5-live-schedule-changes.shtml%29 and blog is being ignored.



Everyone is entitled to an opinion. You seem to be in the minority though.

Incidentally it's 10 days since Steve made a blog post and a week since his replies saying he'd arrange some answers. So on past form we're about due for another post from him.

Hi Steve,



I'd like to see the kind of content that used to appear in the weekly email newsletter. You could point out some of the highlights in the following week's schedule, and maybe even look further ahead to let us know what's planned for, say, Christmas.



As a sports fan who doesn't have a Sky subscription, I listen regularly to 5live in the evening and at weekends. The coverage is second-to-none. The France vs Ireland football commentary on Wednesday night, for instance, was radio at its best: witty, informed, dramatic and compelling. So it might be nice to get some of the sports guys to post here from time to time, giving us an insight into how the shows are put together and, again, telling us of any future plans.



Those are my ideas, anyway!

Adrian has answered some of the questions on his blog. Steve must be caught in Cumbria or something.................

It is strange that so many of your presenters mention watching Sky Sports when they are off duty. It is time there was some recognition that the BBC's radio coverage of sport is not the only place its employees get their info. Not to mention the exemplary coverage of the floods in Cumbria today, instead of that (very) junior on-the-spot Radio Cumbria woman. Why haven't you got people up there reporting, or are you saving it for Drive?

The exemplary coverage was that of Sky News, by the way, I didn't make that clear.

i love radio 5,i listen to it 1st thing in the morning,at work and last thing at night the jewels in the crown are peter and anita on the drivetime prog and simon mayo and mark kermodes double act on fridays film reviews BUT i cant stand colin murrays heavy irish twang and the biggest spanner in the works richard bacon,sorry he just does fit into the 5 live family if i want to listen to his style and quality of broadcasting i will listen to radio norwich for the alan partridge show