The Media Club · 11 April 2025 · 43 min
Sham Experts, Luxury Podcasts & Radio 2 vs Ofcom
- AI-generated fake experts
- BBC Radio 2 spin-off blocked by Ofcom
- Branded podcasts
- Crossed Wires Festival
- BBC universal service
- Video game adaptations
- Trump and press freedom
- Local radio podcast launch
In this episode of The Media Club, host Matt Deegan is joined by media writer Maggie Brown and broadcaster Alex Zane to discuss the week's media stories. The main topics include the Press Gazette's investigation into fictional experts created using AI, Ofcom's decision to block BBC Radio 2's spin-off station, the launch of Alex Zane's new podcast 'The Savoy Originals', and the appointment of Greg James as creative director of the Crossed Wires podcast festival. The episode also features a quiz segment and a discussion on the state of the BBC and the impact of AI on journalism.
Key takeaways
- Press Gazette exposed a PR company offering AI-generated fake commentators to media outlets.
- Ofcom blocked BBC Radio 2's spin-off station, citing potential harm to commercial rivals like Boom Radio.
- Alex Zane launched a new podcast 'The Savoy Originals' featuring interviews with high-profile guests.
- Greg James was announced as creative director of the Crossed Wires podcast festival.
- Avalon acquired a minority stake in All Made Up, producer of 'Adolescence'.
In this episode
- Welcome and introductions
- Story 1: Fake experts
- Story 2: Radio 2 spin-off blocked
- Podcast news round-up
- Quiz: Back to Life, Back to Reality
Notable quotes
“I think all of the rational evidence, if you look at all the rational evidence and the rules that they have to work by, it was. Sensible decision that they took based on what was in front of them and the structure of how they've got to make these decisions.”
“I do actually believe in a universal service. I do think probably a form of license fee is necessary. I don't think it should be passed over simply as a state thing that will somehow get grants. It needed to have a degree of independence, all those things. And that we would be feeling if we lost the BBC that something really important had gone out of being, if you like, British.”
“I think the thing about Crosswires specifically, there's nothing, there's obviously lots of festivals and events that you and I go to, Matt, in kind of windowless rooms with warm glasses of white wine where we talk about CPM rates. But we didn't think there was much around which had the energy of kind of like Edinburgh or Glastonbury or Hay for festivals where it's fans, it's actual listeners getting together.”
“I think most people are discerning enough to know what is real and who they trust.”
Discussed
BBC · Ofcom · Boom Radio · Press Gazette · Crossed Wires Festival
Mentioned or recommended
- The Last of Us
- Fallout
- The Witcher
- God of War
- Mass Effect
- Gears of War
- Borderlands
- The Minecraft Movie
- The Shock of the News
- The Savoy Originals
- Crossed Wires Festival 2025
- Help I Sexted My Boss
- No Such Thing as a Fish
- Now That's What I Call Podcasting
- The Trip
- Titanique
- Threads
- When the Wind Blows
- Frequency Funhouse
- Adolescence
