About the
Why Curve

Roger and Phil spent most of their lives oblivious to each other. Then, in early 2022 they met at a coffee shop in Guildford and hatched a plan for an exciting new weekly podcast that would delve into topical issues in a lively, intelligent and entertaining way. 

Roger Hearing is a seasoned journalist, with many years at the BBC World Service, where he's still called on to host shows like Business Matters. He's also had a recent stint at Bloomberg, as co-host of the London-based Daybreak Europe.

Phil Dobbie has a mix of business, radio and podcasting experience. He has hosted a variety of music and talk shifts on commercial and public stations in the UK and in Australia. Now, he's a prolific podcaster. Alongside The Why Curve he hosts The NAB Morning Call, a daily finance podcast for Australian audiences, and Debunking Economics with Steve Keen.

All Episodes

Recent Episodes

Featured award-winning podcasts

Burnham Still Bouncing?
The Why? CurveOctober 01, 2026x
226
37:3751.89 MB

Burnham Still Bouncing?

Andy Burnham can deliver speeches, and TikToks - but can he deliver on his promises? Will people outside Labour's conference still find hope, after what looks likely to be a hard budget at the end of October? The prime minister is facing huge challenges, and Matthew Flinders, Professor of Politi...

More War, No Oil
The Why? CurveSeptember 24, 2026x
225
41:3238.03 MB

More War, No Oil

The conflict in the Gulf is now extending to the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia is being attacked by the Houthi rebels from Yemen, and risks losing its other main oil shipping route. Meanwhile President Trump seems undecided whether to escalate his fight with Iran, or make concessions to reopen the Strait of...

Deep In the Red
The Why? CurveSeptember 17, 2026x
224
42:4239.1 MB

Deep In the Red

Government debt around the world is at unprecedented levels - and so is the cost of borrowing, which means there's less to spend on hospitals, school and defence. So why is the debt so big, and the cost so high? And is it up to central banks to try to rebalance the system? Muhammad Ali Nasir, Profes...