R4 Any Answers

[J0nah]

I listen to R4 a lot. I love Any Questions hosted by Chris Mason. But the follow up program, Any Answers, drives me INSANE. The presenter, Anita Anand, constantly interrupts the callers either cutting them off mid sentence or repeatedly talking over them until they lose their train of thought.
Is it just me that feels this way? I thought the whole point of the program was for people to phone in and actually speak.

I shouted at the radio again yesterday. AQ was fine and Chris dealt with the audience heckling in a professional manner. Then Anita with the usual constant stuttery interrupting and talking over the callers so they lose track. Then always wasting time giving the phone number and urging people to phone in then taking 30 seconds to tell people they have 10 seconds left to reply. Grrrr! I can think of no other R4 program where listeners phone in that is handled so badly. Such a shame as the program format is good, the Presenter has a good grasp of current affairs and scripted programs of hers are fine. She just seems unable to cope with the phone in format.

I agree @J0nah. I find her really annoying. There is also a tendency to cut someone short towards the end just to say to final caller - we just have a minute to squeeze in a last caller and then they can’t make a coherent point as get cut off.

Totally agree! And then she’ll get something wrong about the caller’s name/location and they will spend time correcting her, and rather than just move on, she talks long windedly about the mistake

She does interrupt but it must be hard not to when some of the callers are making totally wrong points. I don't know if not many people call in but they often put callers on air who spout rubbish.

Thank you @Difficultcustomer. I'm trying not to be personal against the presenter. I just don't think she suits the format. Any stand in presenters I've listened to seem to manage much better. The people who phone in have something specific to say and while I appreciate they may need encouraging to get to the point her constant interruptions make the callers lose their train of thought. I did laugh yesterday when a caller said he was saying something quickly before she cut him off. Program format good, just needs a different presenter.

Brilliant one today. Chris Mason. Henry was so funny.,

I don’t find it as bad as the morning radio

I have talked back to radio exasperated and even emailed as R4 interruptions are annoying

I like Today and You & Yours. Today gets a bit repetitive IMO.

What i don't like on R4 are the repeated trailers. When I hear it for the umpteenth time, I don't want to listen to the programme

It's usually for something that I had no intention of listening to anyway

She has to interrupt as most people who call ramble on with their own family story. I shout at the radio and often turn off sound on some callers as they are so bloody stupid.

I don’t know how some of them get airtime. Does nobody screen them?

‘hello Vera from Hebden Bridge’

’its Hebden.’

’i do apologise, Vera, please forgive me. Hebden, lovely part of the world erm, we are
talking about fuel bills. What would you like to say? If you could be concise, that would be appreciated, we only have one minute left and I’m hoping also to hear from Chris in Kent’

‘well, it started in the seventies. I remember that. And it’s just like the seventies, so I have bought candles. But candles arE dangerous, so I’ve bought a fire extinguisher. And what I want to say is this. At the end of the day, it’s all about…’ fades out’

@Malteser71, I think that's why I like it. It's one of those programmes that you need to hear live. I like Call You & Yours too.