Global business on your iPad (2): TV and radio programmes

In the previous post we covered some of the most useful apps to keep in touch with the ever changing world of business. There are other ways to catch up with the world of global business on your iPad, and these include the output of traditional broadcasting organisations such as the BBC. The UK is home to the BBC, perhaps the world’s most distinguished broadcaster with a track record in through, impartial reporting of home and world events.  Their business coverage is patchy, with only a few minute long updates throughout the day on the BBC News channel (watch it live here, or on on your iPad using the BBC News iPad app). By contrast, BBC World News, their international channel, offers much better and broader coverage of business issues in key parts of the world through dedicated daily and weekly programmes.

BBC World News

BBC World News is the “international” equivalent of its domestic news channel. Funded exclusively through advertising, the channel offers a wider range of content than its domestic counterpart, especially at weekends. During the week, the channel is news-driven, with a significant amount of time allocated to business coverage. The channel is not officially available to viewers in the UK but there are ways to stream the channel on the iPad (and other types of tablets) here in the UK using Google’s Chrome browser, for example by using this link which I have found to be highly reliable.

BBC World News offers hourly business reports as well as business programmes targeted at viewers in specific parts of the world:

Asia Business Report – broadcast live from Singapore between 23.30GMT and 3.30GMT (that’s breakfast time in Shanghai and Singapore), the programme covers the main issues of the day affecting Asian business and the latest corporate earnings from Asia.

How to watch it: Asia Business Report is part of the BBC’s Newsday programme, simulcast on the BBC News channel in the UK overnight from 1am so if you are still awake at that time you can watch it on your telly. You can also watch it live on your iPad overnight using the BBC News app 9click on the Live tab for live streaming of BBC News) or by streaming BBC World News on your iPad using the Chrome browser

India Business Report – a weekly, half hour long programme covering issues affecting Indian business presented by the BBC’s India correspondent. Broadcast exclusively on BBC World News at weekends, watch it live using this link (see website for times)

Middle East Business Report – also at weekends only on BBC World News (see website for times)

World Business Report covers all the day’s biggest business stories. The programme is simulcast on the BBC News channel at 5.30am (also available for seven days using the BBC’s iPlayer app for iPad). Updated editions of the programme air every hour only on BBC World News.

The Bottom Line presented by Evan Davies is back for another season, both on BBC World News, BBC Radio 4 and the BBC News channel on Sunday evenings (and at other times). The programme consists in a discussion of what it is like to grow and manage a business, and typically involves 4 or 5 CEOs exchanging their views with each other and with Evan Davies. Listen to it using TuneIn radio app (search for BBC Radio 4) or watch it using the BBC News app for iPad every Sunday at 10.30pm (other times available, see website for details)

The Ideas Exchange will appeal to the most entrepreneurial among us… the programme involves two entrepreneurs sharing their ideas and views as to what makes a business successful, and tells us about the personal stories behind these entrepreneurs, what made them go into business, how they started and became successful. Exclusively aired on BBC World News (stream it live here), the series can currently be watched on YouTube

Global Business by Peter Day – aired on the BBC World Service and on BBC Radio 4 at various times, listen to it using the free TuneIn app or subscribe to the weekly podcast

The BBC World Service also has a daily, 20 minutes long business programme entitled Business Daily. Each programme focuses on a particular issue, such as the future of the publishing industry, or whether firms should seek to do good to society while maximising profitability. The programme airs every weekday morning on the BBC World Service (stream it through the BBC Radio iPad app, or TuneIn radio) or you can subscribe to the podcast edition of the programme using this link.

Sky News TV

Sky News has a great, daily business programme on air every weekday between 7 and 8pm, reporting on the day’s main business events live from one of London’s most iconic buildings, the Gerkin. Watch it live on your iPad using the SkyGo app every weekday at 7pm or, if you are not a Sky subscriber listen to it instead on your iPad using the free TuneIn radio app and search for Sky News radio, which is the same thing as Sky News TV (without the picture, nor the annoying meerkats)

All these programmes are for non-specialists so give them a try. For more serious business and finance coverage Bloomberg TV and CNBC are available on most digital platforms in the UK.