BBC Radio 4: Encyclopedia - BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4

MW- 720 kHz"

MW - 720 kHz

BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of chiefly spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It is broadcast on 92 - 95 MHz FM (95.80 MHz in central Scotland, and 103-104.5 MHz in parts of Wales) and 198 kHz longwave 720 kHz Medium wave; and via DAB, satellite (FM is broadcast on Sky channel 854 and LW is broadcast on Sky channel 893), selected Cable television providers, Freeview channel 704 and the Internet. It superseded its BBC predecessor, the Home Service, in 1967.

Radio 4 is the second most popular British domestic radio station after Radio 2, and was awarded "UK Radio Station of the Year" at the 2004 Sony Radio Academy Awards for the second year running. [1] With a budget of £69 million (2004/5), it is the BBC's most expensive national radio network and is widely considered to be the corporation's flagship channel. There is no UK commercial network with remotely comparable programming. Music and sport are the only two fields that generally fall outside the station's remit. There are occasional concerts, nevertheless, and ball-by-ball commentaries of most test matches played by the England cricket team are broadcast on long wave only. Because the long-wave service can be received clearly at sea in the vicinity of the British Isles, Radio 4 also carries regular weather forecasts for shipping and, when necessary, gale warnings.

BBC Radio 4 - History

The BBC Home Service was the original name for Radio 4 and was on the air from 1939 until 30 September 1967. Unlike the Radio 4 of today, it had regional variations and was broadcast on medium wave rather than long wave, with a network of VHF FM transmitters being added progressively from 1955. However, Radio 4 came into existence on 30 September 1967, when the BBC re-launched all of its domestic radio stations under new names, with BBC Home Service being renamed to Radio 4.

BBC Radio 4 - Programming and schedules

The Radio 4 Website Schedule Page shows the running order for the current day. Radio 4 splits from the World Service at 0529, with a brief introduction from the early shift continuity announcer, before the 5-minute "Radio 4 UK Theme" (composed by Fritz Spiegl). This is followed at 0535 by the shipping forecast, weather reports from coastal stations for 0400GMT and inshore waters forecasts. On weekdays, the Today programme runs from 0600 to 0900. On, or after the hour, with few exceptions, a news bulletin is broadcast - this is sometimes a 2-minute summary, a longer piece as part of a current affairs programme, or at 6pm or midnight a 30-minute broadcast (15-minute weekends). At 1200, FM has a 4-minute bulletin whilst Longwave has the headlines and then the Shipping Forecast; for the same reason, longwave leaves the PM Programme on weekdays at 1754. Programmes continue late into the night, with the Midnight News at 0000, followed by (on weekdays) a repeat of Book of the Week, after which there is the Late Shipping Forecast. This brings to the end the day on Radio 4 with God Save The Queen being played, then the World Service taking over the airwaves until 0529.

Many Radio 4 programmes are pre-recorded, whilst others are live. Continuity is managed from Broadcasting House whilst news bulletins (including the hourly summaries and longer programmes such as the "Six O' Clock News" and "Midnight News") and news programmes (such as Today, The World at One, PM etc.) are based at the BBC News Centre which neighbours Television Centre in White City. They were moved there in 1998 when the News Centre was opened to house both radio and TV news. News is due to return to Broadcasting House in 2008.

The Greenwich Time Signal (known as "the pips") is broadcast hourly, and is often broadcast over the regular programming.

BBC Radio 4 - Current schedule

Weekdays

This is the "generalised" schedule - there are some exceptions for special programmes or events.

BBC Radio 4 - Current programmes

The overwhelming majority of programmes are now available on demand from Radio 4's Listen Again page, although RealNetworks' RealPlayer is required (The BBC had negotiated to ensure this will always be freely available to UK listeners by following links from the BBC website).

The BBC Radio 4 website groups programmes into various genres:

BBC Radio 4 - News and current affairs

• A Point of View
• Any Questions?
• Broadcasting House
• Farming Today website
• From our own Correspondent website
• PM
• Today
• The World at One website
• The World Tonight website

BBC Radio 4 - Arts and drama

• The Afternoon Play
• The Archers
• Front Row
• Poetry Please
• Book at Bedtime
• Book of the Week

BBC Radio 4 - Religion and ethics

• Bells on Sunday
• The Daily Service
• The Moral Maze
• Something Understood

BBC Radio 4 - Comedy and quizzes

• Brain of Britain
• Masterteam - The team form of Mastermind
• Round Britain Quiz
• X Marks the Spot

• I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue - "The antidote to panel games"
• Just a Minute
• The News Quiz
• The 99p Challenge
• Puzzle Panel
• Quote Unquote

• The Consultants
• Dead Ringers
• Little Britain
• That Mitchell and Webb Sound - with David Mitchell and Robert Webb
• The Museum of Everything
• The Now Show
• Radio9

• Clare in the Community
• Giles Wemmbley Hogg Goes Off (a Travelogue)
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
• Old Harry's Game

• Nebulous

BBC Radio 4 - Conversations

• Loose Ends
• Midweek
• Start The Week

BBC Radio 4 - Factual

• Desert Island Discs
• File on 4
• The Food Programme
• Gardeners' Question Time
• Home Truths
• In Our Time
• Open Country
• Woman's Hour
• Word of Mouth

BBC Radio 4 - Science

• Living World
• Nature

BBC Radio 4 - Miscellaneous

• Shipping Forecast
• Test Match Special
• Pick of the Week

BBC Radio 4 - Former programmes

• I'm Sorry, I'll Read That Again
• Letter from America
• On The Hour
• Kaleidoscope
• Fourth Dimension
• Radio Active
• Space Force
• Stop The Week
• Week Ending
• This Sceptred Isle
• Whose Line Is It Anyway?
• The Brains Trust
• The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
• The Goon Show
• In Town Tonight
• On the Town with The League of Gentlemen

Many programmes from the Radio 4 archives can now be heard on BBC 7.

BBC Radio 4 - Radio 4 announcers and newsreaders

Announcers link programmes, provide trails for coming programmes and read the Shipping Forecast. Newsreaders read hourly summaries and longer bulletins.

Senior Announcers

• Chris Aldridge
• Harriet Cass

Newsreaders

• Peter Donaldson
• Charlotte Green
• Brian Perkins

Newsreaders / Continuity Announcers

• Carolyn Brown
• Corrie Corfield
• Rory Morrison
• Susan Rae
• Alison Rooper
• Vaughan Savidge
• Neil Sleat

Newsreaders (non-Today programme) / Continuity Announcers

• Alice Arnold
• Andrew Crawford
• Annie McKie
• David Miles
• Jane Steel

Continuity Announcers

• Peter Jefferson
• Astley Jones
• Jim Lee
• Caroline Nichols
• Howard Phillpot
• Alan Smith
• Zebedee Soanes
• Diana Speed
• Andy Rushton (Test Match Special only)

Former staff

• David Anderson (left to senior management, but covered during the May '05 strike)
• Pennie Latin (left 11/04)
• Patrick Muirhead (left 9/04)
• Laurie Macmillan (died 10/01)

See also

• List of BBC Radio 4 programmes

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "BBC Radio 4", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki