Welcome back to the home of the oxymoron. Evil genius. He asked the newspaper to print his obituary early so he'd enjoy it. That's like hiding at your own funeral. Yeah, it's a big, great gig. I'm Russell Kane. Join me to weigh in on whether the biggest players in history are more evil or genius. Becoming that rich, I'd say that at some level of genius. It also helps

that it's a long time ago, right? It's like the podcast version of telling your kids the ice cream

van plays music when it's out of ice cream. Listen to evil genius on BBC Sounds.

Something is stirring in the worlds of the arts broadcasting and even civilisation itself.

The Tate has just opened a show looking towards civilisation,

reflecting on Kenneth Clarke and his seminal 1969 BBC series, Civilisation.

Around the same time, the BBC is claiming to be making a once-in-a-generation commitment to the arts.

And BBC 4 are now yours truly a devoting programmes to the implications of Clark's epochal series.

But we live in very different times from the 1960s.

Do we any longer have such belief in the sacredness of the arts?

Or for that matter, about the centrality of broadcasting in an interactive age.

To answer these questions, I was joined by Nina Ramirez and Gus Casley Hayford,

who combine art history with broadcasting.

The gallery owner and graffiti artist

Pure Evil, otherwise known as Charles Ozzell Edwards, and by Kim Evans, the former

head of music and arts at the BBC. I began by asking Nina Ramirez whether the BBC's commitment

to a new series on Civilisation

is a matter of the BBC renewing its vows to the arts

or a matter of a floundering institution

seeking solace in the past from a confusing present?

Oh dear, I think Civilisation was a landmark series.

It was important.

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