Brexitcast is the BBC’s explainer podcast about the debacle that is Brexit.
 
It was described as ‘a Dog’s Brexit,’ which got a hearty laugh from the many EU delegates at Radiodays Europe.
 
The long form podcast uses BBC journalists in a discussion format where the can debate and explain in more detail what is happening more than they can within a one minute live cross in the nightly news.
 
The podcast tries to include both sides of the story from across the channel and the UK.

“They chat like they are having drinks after work,” said BBC Podcast Editor Dino Sofos.

There is no fixed time limit for the podcast, they will deal with any story that is relevant. When news breaks they do a supplementary ‘emergency podcast’ outside of the regular publication schedule.
 
This is one of the advantages of podcasting – new episodes are pushed out to the audience when they are made and the audience knows a new episode has arrived because they receive an alert. The problems of having to promote special programs heavily and try and schedule them into the right timeslot on linear radio do to exist in the podcast environment.
 
A vox pop of political reporters who participate in the podcast showed that they find it ‘theraputic’ because they can vent and de-stress from the events they have covered that day.
 
Listeners tell them they have a sense of connection with the podcast team. “They message us and tell us they “look forward to having breakfast with us every morning, or come home and want someone to tell them the story behind what just happened with Brexit today.”
 
Sofos likened it to a small group of informed people chatting about the subject over a coffee. There are stories, there is fun, as well as serious discussion and explanations of what happened.
 
The linear radio stations are hnow running large chunks of the podcast on air because it has proved so popular with listeners.
 
Brexitcast has had over 4 million downloads and has become a hit show during the brexit debacle in the UK.