The Media Club with Matt Deegan

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Oct 2026

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About the show

Media news from the UK, looking at television production, streaming, radio, audio, journalism, the internet, publishers and more. Each week expert analysts and media practitioners join the host, media consultant Matt Deegan, to talk about the top media stories and work out what it means for the sector and the people in it. Recent experts have included Broadcast's Rebecca Cooney and Chris Curtis, The Guardian's Michael Savage, Deadline's Jake Kanter, the Press Gazette's Charlotte Tobitt, Ankler's Manori Ravindran, plus writers Tara Conlan, Scott Bryan, Jane Martinson, Jim Waterson and Boyd Hilton. Our industry practitioners have included Expectation's Peter Fincham, Gold Wala's Faraz Osman, Multitude's Will Wood, Nest's Derek Drennan, BBC Radio 3's Sam Jackson, Persephonica's Dino Sofos, City AM's Christian May, ITN's Lisa Campbell and Daily Mail's Jamie East. Find out more at https://www.themediaclub.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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October 16, 202640 min

Ben Frow Takes A Bow

After 14 years of Yorkshire vets, cruise ships and All Creatures Great and Small, Ben Frow is stepping down at 5. Broadcast's Heather Fallon on the end of an era - and who could possibly follow him. Also on the show: new launches are down on broadcasters and streamers alike - and so are the bank balances of the people who make them. Indielab founder Victoria Powell on what small indies can do about it, and why the whole industry is heading to GrowthLab London at the Barbican. All that plus: Marina Hyde goes Always On, the gossip from MIPCOM... and, in The Audio Network Media Quiz, we gather the suspects in the drawing room. The Media Quiz is sponsored by Audio Network. Alex selects the music to score each episode - and the Audio Network team can do it for you too, at audionetwork.com We record at Podshop Studios - for 25% off your first booking, use the code MEDIACLUB at podshoponline.co.uk/services/podcast-studio Become a member for FREE when you sign up for our newsletter at themediaclub.com A Rethink Audio production, produced by Matt Hill with post-production from Podcast Discovery. What The Media Club has been reading this week: Ben Frow steps down at 5 Marina Hyde launches Always On with Goalhanger Netflix and Disney+ new launches down in 2026 GrowthLab London 2026 BBC asks court to make Trump sit for deposition Fox's Rob Wade: "We're not here to flip a house" Ian Hislop marks 40 years at Private Eye Girls returns to HBO Podnews Daily goes to video GTA VI gets podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

October 9, 202652 min

Should the BBC ‘Be More Elvis’?

The BBC's director general wants the corporation to have "a little less conversation, a little more action" - but with BBC Three reportedly heading for the exit, are the staff all shook up? Gold Wala's Faraz Osman on what Matt Brittin's digital revolution means for the people who make the programmes. Also on the show: it's the first ever National Magazine Day. The Week Junior's editor Vanessa Harriss on why, in an age of endless screens, children are still reaching for paper. All that plus: Channel 4 finds its new content chief, Warner Bros. wakes up as Skydance... and, in The Audio Network Media Quiz, we roll up the shutters on some abandoned lock-ups. The Media Quiz is sponsored by Audio Network. Alex selects the music to score each episode - and the Audio Network team can do it for you too, at audionetwork.com We record at Podshop Studios - for 25% off your first booking, use the code MEDIACLUB at podshoponline.co.uk/services/podcast-studio Become a member for FREE when you sign up for our newsletter at themediaclub.com A Rethink Audio production, produced by Matt Hill with post-production from Podcast Discovery. What The Media Club has been reading this week: BBC boss Matt Brittin sets out a Silicon Valley-style revolution Brittin faces staff criticism over job cuts in junior ranks BBC Three and BBC Scotland channels face closure David Brindley set to be named Channel 4 content chief Paramount completes Warner Bros. Discovery takeover to form Skydance National Magazine Day 2026 Radio 2 Apologises Guardian ends casual staff practice Prof. Brian Cox trades radio for digital Bidders revealed for Doctor Who Goalhanger brings ad sales in house Rachel Jupp becomes new BBC News chief Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

October 2, 202648 min

Has Audio Ever Had It So Good?

Ten years on from Remainiacs, Podmasters co-founder Martin Bojtos says we're nowhere near peak podcast - and MIDiA Research's Laura Fisher on why Gen Z are turning to radio for music discovery. Also on the show: Dave Masterman on building Significant Productions with Elis James and John Robins, and the Audio Academy's Aradhna Tayal Leach on the key takeaways from the Audio Festival in London. All that plus: we catch up with British Podcast Awards winners, Channel 4's hunt for a programme boss goes to a photo finish... and, in The Audio Network Media Quiz, we hand out some awards of our own. The Media Quiz is sponsored by Audio Network. Alex (who is a real person) selects the music for us to score each episode and she and her team can do it for you too at audionetwork.com Recorded live at the Audio Academy Festival — thank you to the Audio Academy for having us. Become a member for FREE when you sign up for our newsletter at themediaclub.com A Rethink Audio production, produced by Matt Hill with post-production from Podcast Discovery . What The Media Club has been reading this week: Podmasters: we're nowhere near peak podcast MIDiA: Gen Z turn to radio for music discovery Brindley and Murphy in two-horse race for C4 content boss BBC deletes bare nails article Radio in the car: shock new figures Britten Thinks AI Dr Who 'Pretty Good' Channel 4 Chief Accepts Shows Will Appear on iPlayer Guardian to train journalists in content creation Laura's recommendations for the club: Cut for time, here's a few of Laura's excellent choices for the club. Go check them out! @Wyatt Dixon is someone whose work I really like. He does content but also has a Substack, and he’s a photographer too. And I think he’s adding something really positive to the conversation around men and masculinity. Really is in the work he does a counterbalance to some of the worst parts of the manosphere. Mimi, the music blogger Mimi has a great Substack focused on music journalism. What I really like is that she always connects the music back to lived experience, people and community. She gives the work context which makes her writing really engaging. Radge Magazine Radge Magazine is run by a woman based in Middlesbrough, and it has a really strong community focus. She talks openly about her working-class Northern upbringing and the political and social issues affecting her and her community. I like that she often makes those bigger issues really relatable - so what she says frequently is that a steak bake now costing £2.50 is radge. It’s a great example because it communicates something much bigger about the cost of living and how people experience it. Vicky Spratt Vicky Spratt is a journalist who did a series called The Gen Z Story for Goalhanger’s The Rest Is Politics , which I thought was excellent. It explained some of the issues facing Gen Z today in a way that was accessible to a wider audience. She also produces some great content independently and regularly features in The i Paper . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 25, 202646 min

Trump TV, Talent Reboots & Who Loves The Ads?

Where do people actually want to see your adverts – and where would they rather you just didn't? Kantar's Global Media Director Gonca Bubani gives us an early look at Media Reactions 2026. Also on the show: Strictly, Bake Off and the Grand Tour get a talent reboot. InterTalent MD Alex Segal – author of the Dealmakers Substack – on the stars refreshing old formats. All that plus: Trump’s latest salvo against the press sees him launch a YouTube channel, Piers Morgan gets an apology from Earl Spencer, Andy Burnham declares war on disinformation, the BBC blows the final whistle on its sports bulletins... and, in the Audio Network Media Quiz, we learn how to get rich quick. The Media Quiz is sponsored by Audio Network. Alex selects the music for us to score each episode and the team can do it for you too at: https://audionetwork.com We record at Podshop Studios – for 25% off your first booking, use the code MEDIACLUB at: https://www.podshoponline.co.uk/services/podcast-studio Become a member for FREE when you sign up for our newsletter at: https://themediaclub.com A Rethink Audio production, produced by Matt Hill with post-production from Podcast Discovery. What The Media Club has been reading this week: White House launches Trump TV on YouTube Burnham announces National Centre for Information Defence BBC to axe sports bulletins on its news channel Earl Spencer apologises to Piers Morgan Kyle Sandilands to deliver an unforgettable keynote MipcomUK RIP Hearst returns to revenue growth Global Player offers ad-free subscriptions Disney+ Interupts Game For Ad Break Dealmakers with Alex Segal Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 18, 202643 min

When 1m readers isn’t enough: Metro seeks 'radical change'

Metro's editor-in-chief has quit and a familiar face is back to steady the ship. Alex Hudson, who spent years as deputy editor of Metro.co.uk, sizes up his old newsroom. Also on the show: Channel 4 and Channel 5 make advertising history together, just days after Channel 4 confirmed a quarter of its workforce is going. TV and media journalist Tara Conlan on what the deal – and the cuts – mean for the wider industry. All that plus: playwright Jack Thorne accuses fellow screenwriters of using AI to cheat, the BBC gets serious about Birmingham, Radio 2 goes shopping for a £300k visualised podcast, Emily Maitlis goes digging into Jeffrey Epstein's British circle, and Acast says the format wars are finally over... and, in the Audio Network Media Quiz, we go looking for good news at the pictures. The Media Quiz is sponsored by Audio Network. Alex selects the music for us to score each episode and the team can do it for you too at: https://audionetwork.com We record at Podshop Studios – for 25% off your first booking, use the code MEDIACLUB at: https://www.podshoponline.co.uk/services/podcast-studio Become a member for FREE when you sign up for our newsletter at: https://themediaclub.com A Rethink Audio production, produced by Matt Hill with post-production from Podcast Discovery. What The Media Club has been reading this week: Metro editor and executive editor exit amid radical change Reach cuts 220 staff in reaction to AI Overview Jack Thorne says fellow writers are using AI to cheat Channel 4 and Paramount's 5 make advertising history Emily Maitlis to host Global podcast on Epstein's British links BBC launches partnership with Birmingham City University Visualised Podcast Brief at R2 Acast releases Podcast Pulse 2026 Guardian grows revenue to record £282m Newsquest grows profit as digital subscribers rise Washington Post on track to break even after four years of losses Tara’s Job Finding Platform, How Do You Do? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

September 11, 202643 min

Channel 4 to become Channel ¾

A quarter of Channel 4’s workforce will be gone by the end of the year in Priya Dogra’s grand vision. Broadcast's Rebecca Cooney on whether the broadcaster can afford it, and what happens to its promise to the nations and regions. Also on the show: as advertisers pile back into audio, Bauer Media Advertising's Simon Kilby joins the club for the first time to tell us where the money's actually going. All that plus: the independent production sector's cash reserves are wearing dangerously thin, Ofcom throws public broadcasters an olive branch on advertising rules... and in the Audio Network Media Quiz, some old favourites bow out while a flashy new arrival gets no takers. The Media Quiz is sponsored by Audio Network. Alex selects the music for us to score each episode and she and her team can do it for you too at https://audionetwork.com We record at Podshop Studios - for 25% off your first booking, use the code MEDIACLUB at https://www.podshoponline.co.uk/services/podcast-studio Become a member for FREE when you sign up for our newsletter at https://themediaclub.com A Rethink Audio production, produced by Matt Hill with post-production from Podcast Discovery . What The Media Club has been reading this week: Channel 4 Confirms Biggest Job Cuts In Its History Priya Dogra Sets Out Her Rationale Tiny Cash Buffers Leave Small UK TV Firms At Risk Ofcom Sets Out Measures To Help Under-Pressure PSBs BBC Staff Reject Improved Pay Offer As Strike Looms Trump Administration Attacks UK Plan To Boost BBC On YouTube Netflix Hikes UK Prices, Cheapest Plan Up A Third STV Studios Reviews Its Labels Zoe Ball Launches New Afternoon Show On GHR Monty Don Steps Down From Gardeners' World Tom Jones Fired From The Voice UK Antiques Roadshow Repeat Overwhelms The Box Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

August 28, 20261 hr 12 min

Should YouTube Be Regulated?

We're in Edinburgh for the last installment of the Edinburgh International TV Festival before it moves to Manchester next year. But there's plenty of energy on show in this season finale, as YouTube's Pedro Pina delivers the Festival's keynote - the MacTaggart lecture - and unsurprisingly, was not keen on more regulation or of their platform. Also on the show: where's innovation? Fenton Bailey - World Of Wonder - joined us for an in depth interview this week which you can see on YouTube. During the chat he had a very particular metaphor for the crisis in television... TV Critic Scott Bryan and indie chief Geoff Jein (Biscuit Jim) dissect the theory. All that, plus conversations with award winners TwoFour, Banijay, Persephonica and Quay Street Productions - and, in the Audio Network Media Quiz - we rundown the big commission announcements of the week with Entertainment Exec Rina Dayalji and Broadcast Magazine's Chris Curtis. The Media Quiz is sponsored by Audio Network. Alex selects the music for us to score each episode and she and her team can do it for you too at https://audionetwork.com We record at Podshop Studios - for 25% off your first booking, use the code MEDIACLUB at podshoponline.co.uk Chapters: 0:00 - Edinburgh TV Festival special 0:33 - YouTube’s Pedro Pina on regulation and public service prominence 6:42 - Fenton Bailey’s Titanic metaphor and TV’s innovation crisis 13:16 - Matt Brittin, the BBC and the future of public broadcasting 18:31 - Rethinking the BBC licence fee and Public Media 2028 25:52 - Audio Network on human-made music and AI 30:22 - Quay Street Productions' Nicola Shindler on drama, funding and what commissioners want 36:34 - Persephonica on podcasting, YouTube and Amol Rajan’s next move 43:20 - Banijay on global formats, creators and building the next big franchise 53:34 - TwoFour's David Clews on 'Educating...', Destination X and taking risks in TV 1:00:27 - Audio Network Media Quiz: Commission Impossible 1:06:46 - Festival takeaways: noisy TV, YouTube and an industry in flux Become a member for FREE when you sign up for our newsletter at themediaclub.com A Rethink Audio production, produced by Matt Hill with post-production from Podcast Discovery . Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 17, 202643 min

Is The BBC In Jeopardy? Plus: Zeteo UK soft launch

The BBC's annual report lands with a sharp rise in licence fee dodgers and a stark warning from new Director General Matt Brittin that the corporation is being held back by its own funding model. LBC's Iain Dale gives us his verdict on where Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy's plan to widen the licence fee to streamers goes next. ** WIN A £50 John Lewis voucher - simply fill in our listener survey, and help us shape the future of the show. You’ll be entered into a prize draw. Do it now. ** Also on the show: a new name in British political journalism. Shehab Khan has left ITV News to become political editor of Zeteo UK, the British outpost of Mehdi Hasan's insurgent US operation. He tells us why. All that plus: as AI learns to remix the news into whatever shape you fancy, we ask what's left for journalists to do... Banijay and All3Media complete their merger to create an £8billion giant, and Edinburgh says goodbye to its TV Festival... and in the Audio Network Media Quiz, an annual tradition returns, as we play Play Your BBC Salaries Right. The Media Quiz is sponsored by Audio Network. Alex selects the music for us to score each episode and she and her team can do it for you too at https://audionetwork.com We record at Podshop Studios - for 25% off your first booking, use the code MEDIACLUB at podshoponline.co.uk Become a member for FREE when you sign up for our newsletter at themediaclub.com A Rethink Audio production, produced by Matt Hill with post-production from Podcast Discovery . What The Media Club has been reading this week: BBC Annual Report: licence payers fall fastest in years Nandy floats a streaming levy for BBC funding Zeteo UK unveiled with Shehab Khan as political editor Claude's 'liquid content' a serious challenge for news media Banijay and All3Media complete $8bn merger Edinburgh TV Festival's last schedule before Manchester move BBC's highest paid journos Iain Dale's memoir Have I Said Too Much? published Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 10, 202652 min

The Mail's Big Win, Sky's Bigger Buy

A High Court judge throws out Prince Harry’s privacy case against the Daily Mail's publisher, on every count. Guardian media editor Michael Savage sifts through the wreckage. Also on the show: Sky agrees a £1.6bn deal to buy ITV's channels and ITVX - reshaping British broadcasting overnight. Clive Dickens of The Meliora Company joins us for our now traditional, biannual AI roundup... and, in the Audio Network Media Quiz, we're heading back to Saturday mornings. The Media Quiz is sponsored by Audio Network. Alex selects the music for us to score each episode and she and her team can do it for you too at https://audionetwork.com We record at Podshop Studios - for 25% off your first booking, use the code MEDIACLUB at https://www.podshoponline.co.uk/services/podcast-studio Become a member for FREE when you sign up for our newsletter at https://themediaclub.com A Rethink Audio production, produced by Matt Hill with post-production from Podcast Discovery. What The Media Club has been reading this week: Prince Harry loses privacy case against the Daily Mail Paul Dacre's reaction to the verdict Sky agrees £1.6bn takeover of ITV's broadcasting arm What the Sky/ITV deal means for ITV News Is ITV Studios next in line for a takeover? Axel Springer promises AI transformation at Telegraph England's World Cup win breaks BBC viewing records Ludwig recommissioned for series three Matt Brittin to make Edinburgh TV Festival debut BBC told to review acquisitions after Scooby-Doo criticism Bluey gets its first audiobook collection Channel 4 orders Taskmaster family spin-off Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

July 2, 202639 min

Sky Commits To Coronation Street; Radio 4 Commits To TikTok

Sky puts its money where its mouth is, pledging billions to secure Coronation Street and Love Island as it closes in on a takeover of ITV's channels. But with Sky's own parent company announcing a split this week, what does it all mean for Sky News? TV critic and producer Steven D Wright weighs up the deal. Also on the show: Radio 4's Today programme is being told to put TikTok before its own airwaves. Is the nation's most trusted news alarm clock about to lose its edge? And with the Guardian announcing dozens of new digital jobs of its own, freelance media journalist Tara Conlan - who writes for the Guardian amongst others - on an industry that can't stop chasing the feed. All that plus: the Telegraph finally gets a permanent owner, the Culture Secretary takes aim at another media mega-merger... and, in the Audio Network Media Quiz, we open the boxes on the week's biggest deals. The Media Quiz is sponsored by Audio Network. Alex (who is a real person) selects the music for us to score each episode and she and her team can do it for you too at https://audionetwork.com We record at Podshop Studios - for 25% off your first booking, use the code MEDIACLUB at https://www.podshoponline.co.uk/services/podcast-studio Become a member for FREE when you sign up for our newsletter at https://themediaclub.com A Rethink Audio production, produced by Matt Hill with post-production from Podcast Discovery. What The Media Club has been reading this week: Sky's £2bn Pledge As It Preps ITV Takeover Comcast To Split Off NBCUniversal And Sky Today Programme Told To Prioritise TikTok Over Radio Guardian To Create 55 New Digital Jobs Trevor Nelson Takes A Break From Broadcasting Zoe Ball Bags Daily Show On Greatest Hits Radio Expectation Hires Mettlemouse's Katrina Grant Mill Media Wins Costly Source Protection Battle Telegraph Sale To Axel Springer Completes Nandy Minded To Refer Paramount/WBD Deal Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.