World Have Your Say (WHYS) was an international BBC global discussion show, that was broadcast on BBC World Service every weekday at 16:00 UTC and on BBC World News every Friday at 15:00 UTC.

World Have Your Say
Created byBBC World News
Presented byChloe Tilley
Ros Atkins (until 2013)
Nuala McGovern (relief)
Lucy Hockings (relief)
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
ProducersSimon Peeks
Richard Pollins
Charlie Humphreys
Production locationsStudio B, Broadcasting House, London
Running time60 minutes
Original release
NetworkBBC World News
ReleaseFebruary 2011 (2011-02) –
June 2017 (2017-06)
Related
BBC World News
BBC World News America
Newsday
GMT
Impact
The Hub
Global
Focus on Africa
World News Today
Business Edition
World Business Report
World Have Your Say
GenreCurrent events
Discussion
Debate
Running time~50 minutes
Country of originInternational International
( United Kingdom origin)
Language(s)English
Home stationBBC World Service
SyndicatesPublic Radio International
Hosted byRos Atkins
Chloe Tilley
Nuala McGovern
Produced byBen Sutherland
Ben Allen
Simon Peeks
Graham Evans
Senior editor(s)Mark Sandell
Recording studioBroadcasting House, London
Original release2005 –
2017
Audio formatMonophonic
WebsiteWorld Have Your Say
PodcastBBC Radio Podcast

World Have Your Say won Gold in the 2008 Sony Radio Awards, in the category Listener Participation.[1]

The show described itself as "the BBC News programme where you set the agenda."[2] Typically each edition addressed a question, or number of questions, raised by the users of its blog[3] and Facebook site,[4][non-primary source needed] as well as emailers to the BBC.

It encouraged callers to talk to each other and directed questions asked by listeners to the guests on the programme, intervening as little as possible to keep the show more of a conversation than a talk show.

The show also occasionally worked as a forum for the BBC World Service's global audience to put questions to a particular guest. Previous guests included Aung San Suu Kyi,[5] Philip Pullman[6] and Thilo Sarrazin.[7]

History

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The BBC World Service launched the programme in October 2005, featuring Anu Anand and Steve Richards as presenters and Mark Sandell as editor. Ros Atkins replaced Richards in early 2006 as the main presenter.

Since February 2011 the programme had a weekly television edition on BBC World News on Fridays produced by the same production team.

Topics for discussions were set by listeners,[8] who could email the show prior to it going on air each day, or even call into the studio office. Some of the comments left on the WHYS blog and Facebook site, together with emails, Tweets and SMS text messages, were read on the air. Callers from all over the world were the key part of the programme by calling in and debating the daily topic.

On occasion, the show would leave the studio and go on the road, to discuss subjects from a particular country but often with a global impact. For example, in 2011, they went to Berlin to discuss the legacy of Nazism in Germany,[9] Jakarta to talk about revolution in a Muslim country,[10] and Bangkok to talk about sex tourism.[11]

Most of the time, the topics for the days' show were offered by e-mail. Some stories were suggested by a single person, others by the number of people wanting to talk about it. Increasingly, use was made of the programme's Facebook site as a source of comment on news stories. Sometimes, these were stories from the listeners' point of view. In fact, some of the reporting of current events for the show was done by real world people, most with no journalism experience.

Television

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BBC World News began presenting a version of the programme in 2011 with Ros Atkins as the presenter. The programme, presented on Fridays at 15:00 GMT, encouraged viewer discussion on some of the top stories from the week. Occasionally, correspondents and high-profile individuals close to the issue at hand would join in the conversation. Similarly to the version on radio, the programme heavily utilised social media; especially Twitter and Facebook.

As of late 2013, Chloe Tilley played a more active role as a presenter.

References

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  1. ^ Sony Radio Awards Winners 2008
  2. ^ "BBC World Service - World Have Your Say". BBC. 1 January 1970. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  3. ^ "World Have Your Say: The US Election Debate". World Have Your Say. 1 November 2012. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  4. ^ "BBC World Have Your Say - London, United Kingdom - Media/News/Publishing". Retrieved 5 November 2012 – via Facebook.
  5. ^ Ben Sutherland. "World Service - World Have Your Say: Your questions for Aung San Suu Kyi". BBC. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  6. ^ Ros Atkins. "World Service - World Have Your Say: On air: Philip Pullman live on WHYS on Thursday". BBC. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  7. ^ Sarah Holmes. "World Service - World Have Your Say: Thilo Sarrazin talking to WHYS in Berlin". BBC. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  8. ^ BBC NEWS: World Have Your Say - What is World Have Your Say?
  9. ^ Chloe Tilley. "World Service - World Have Your Say: Facing up to Germany's past, or a homage to Hitler?". BBC. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  10. ^ Nuala McGovern. "World Service - World Have Your Say: Learning from Indonesia". BBC. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
  11. ^ Nuala McGovern. "World Service - World Have Your Say: On air from Bangkok: The rights and wrongs of the Thai sex industry". BBC. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
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