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60 episodes

The Media Club with Matt Deegan

by Rethink Audio · English

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.

Latest episodes

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Will Christmas Be A Silent Night For Broadcasters?

The Media Club episode discusses: ITV’s ad-revenue slump and £30m “temporary savings,” broadcasters’ Christmas programming plans, Google reducing visibility for UK news sites, and the BFI South Bank…

13 Nov 2026 · 42m · 17 chapters

Unhappily Ever After: MAFS Axed

The episode of Media Club discusses: Channel 4 cancelling Married at First Sight UK despite a review; press freedom after a High Court ruling allowing the Guardian and ITN to publish allegations…

6 Nov 2026 · 53m · 18 chapters

The Horror Of Subscriptions & Ghostwatch Revisited

Subscription fatigue and paywalls; BBC commissioning overhaul for multi-platform; Channel 4’s move to Disney Plus and implications for independents; Telegraph cutting ~100 jobs for an AI-led premium…

30 Oct 2026 · 44m · 25 chapters

Newsrooms In Flux

UK and global media industry shifts: BBC Three/BBC Scotland/Radio 4 Extra being switched off; CNN launching a UK paywall; how newsrooms should use AI (what works vs waste); plus media-legal and…

23 Oct 2026 · 44m · 22 chapters

Ben Frow Takes A Bow

Ben Frow’s departure from Channel 5 and what it means for UK commissioning; ITV/Sky merger risks to media freedom and regional news; MIPCOM data showing fewer new TV launches; indie funding…

16 Oct 2026 · 40m · 11 chapters

Should the BBC ‘Be More Elvis’?

BBC Director-General Tim Davie (via Matt Britton) urges the BBC to “be more Elvis” by doing less “navel-gazing” and more action as staff brace for cuts; debate covers iPlayer experimentation,…

9 Oct 2026 · 53m · 15 chapters

Has Audio Ever Had It So Good?

Media and audio industry discussion at the British Podcast Awards/Audio Academy event, covering podcast growth, radio’s role in music discovery, creator speed vs credibility, and production/business…

2 Oct 2026 · 49m · 26 chapters

Trump TV, Talent Reboots & Who Loves The Ads?

Advertising placement preferences (Kantar Media Reactions Report 2026), trust in media vs AI, and how distribution/power is shifting across TV, radio, streaming, and creator platforms.

25 Sep 2026 · 47m · 21 chapters

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

The Media Club episode covers: Metro’s ownership-driven push to build subscriptions after a leadership shake-up; Reach’s ongoing newsroom cuts and the industry’s shift toward direct audience…

18 Sep 2026 · 43m · 17 chapters

Channel 4 to become Channel ¾

Channel 4’s planned job cuts (28% of workforce) and wider UK media economics; audio advertising growth; Ofcom’s proposed relaxation of ad rules for public service broadcasters; indie production cash…

11 Sep 2026 · 43m · 17 chapters

Should YouTube Be Regulated?

Whether YouTube should be regulated, and what that means for public service media (PSB), creators, and the wider TV industry amid consolidation and shifting distribution.

28 Aug 2026 · 1h 12m · 24 chapters

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

The episode of The Media Club debates whether the BBC is “in jeopardy,” focusing on its annual report and the shrinking TV licence payer base (down 539,000; about 80% of households pay, despite 94%…

17 Jul 2026 · 44m · 20 chapters

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

Prince Harry’s privacy lawsuit against the Daily Mail publisher is dismissed in full; Sky’s £1.6bn purchase of ITV channels and ITVX reshapes UK broadcasting; the Telegraph’s new owner pitches AI-led…

10 Jul 2026 · 52m · 23 chapters

Sky Commits To Coronation Street; Radio 4 Commits To TikTok

Media industry shake-ups and platform shifts, focusing on Sky’s planned takeover of ITV’s broadcasting arm, Radio 4’s TikTok-first strategy, and The Guardian’s expansion into digital video jobs, plus…

2 Jul 2026 · 40m · 17 chapters

Are Freeview's days numbered?

The Media Club episode covers the UK government’s media green paper and potential switch-off of digital terrestrial television (Freeview/DTT) by 2034; streaming consolidation and distribution shifts,…

26 Jun 2026 · 45m · 17 chapters

Enter the Metrics: What Counts As A ‘Play’ These Days?

The episode of Media Club asks “what counts as a play” and how media is measured and monetized, alongside major UK media policy and industry changes.

19 Jun 2026 · 43m · 22 chapters

The Doctor Will Not See You Now

Media Club discusses BBC Doctor Who’s cancelled 2024 Christmas special and the planned competitive tender for the next phase; BBC spending on international acquisitions; BBC’s new Deputy DG…

12 Jun 2026 · 41m · 16 chapters

Happy now? Google adds an AI Opt-Out

This Media Club episode covers: (1) Google’s new ability for publishers to opt out specifically from Google AI Overviews (while still appearing in main search), amid publisher anger over traffic loss…

5 Jun 2026 · 46m · 23 chapters

The Pivot To Video: What Podcasts Can Learn From The Press

Podcasts and other media learning from the 2010s “pivot to video” in news/press—what to do, what to avoid, and how to build audience and revenue without overrelying on platforms.

22 May 2026 · 44m · 16 chapters

Does News Need More Personality?

The Media Club episode debates whether broadcast news needs more personality, and how news formats should adapt to podcast/social audiences.

15 May 2026 · 51m · 24 chapters

Richard Bacon: Formats Geek

The Media Club discusses how media formats and journalism are evolving, plus legal and economic pressures on news.

8 May 2026 · 52m · 22 chapters

Format Fever, Sky's Gamble, and The Creator Economy Grows Up

Media industry shifts across TV, news, and creator platforms—Sky News moving toward “premium video first,” BBC/NBC’s mega unscripted format tender and the winning production pair, and creator-economy…

1 May 2026 · 54m · 19 chapters

YouTube’s Audio Ads, Channel 4's Big Shake-Up

YouTube’s audio advertising deal with SiriusXM; Channel 4’s “Root & Branch” review under new CEO Priya Dogra; broader TV/media industry shifts (streamers, PSB pressures, acquisitions); plus a “Media…

24 Apr 2026 · 54m · 21 chapters

8 Out Of 10, Katz?

Media industry news and pressures: Channel 4 content chief Ian Katz resigning; BBC planning 1,800–2,000 job cuts due to budget shortfalls and licence-fee nonpayment; BBC launching a YouTube-native…

17 Apr 2026 · 52m · 22 chapters