BBC Radio 4

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BBC Radio 4
Image:BBC Radio 4.png
First air dateSeptember 30 1967
FrequencyFM -- 92 MHz - 95 MHz
LW -- 198 kHz

MW -720 kHz

Broadcast area  UK - National FM, LW,MW & DAB
StyleNews & Speech
GroupBBC

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 It superseded its BBC predecesor, the Home Service, in 1967.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.

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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 progresively 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.

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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.

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Current schedule

Weekdays

0529 Split from BBC World Service
0530 Radio 4 UK Theme
0535 News Headlines
0536 Shipping Forecast
0543 Prayer for the Day
0545 Farming Today
0600 Today, with News at 0600, 0700 and 0800, summaries at 0630, 0730 and 0830, paper reviews at 0640 and 0740, weather at 0605, 0657, 0757, business at 0615, 0720 and 0840 and sports desk at 0625, 0725 and 0825
0900 News
0902 Debate programmes (including Start the Week and In Our Time)
0945 (FM) Book of the Week
0945 (LW) Daily Service
1000 News
1002 Woman's Hour
1045 Woman's Hour Drama
1100 News
1102 Various programmes - often one-offs
1130 Drama/Comedy programme slot
1200 (FM) News
1200 (LW) News Headlines
1201 (LW) Shipping Forecast
1204 You and Yours
1257 Weather
1300 The World At One with news at 1301
1330 Quiz/Puzzle Programme slot
1400 News
1402 The Archers
1415 Afternoon Play
1500 News
1502 Live Debate / Phone-in programmes
1530 Afternoon Reading
1545 Short programme slot
1600 News
1602 Discussion / debate programmes
1630 Discussion / debate programmes
1700 PM with news at 1701, headlines at 1715 and 1745 and a summary at 1730
1754 (LW) Shipping Forecast
1757 (FM) Weather
1757 (LW) Weather; programme trails
1800 Six O' Clock News
1830 Comedy (including Just A Minute, The Now Show etc)
1900 News
1902 The Archers
1915 Front Row (arts programme)
1945 Woman's Hour Drama (repeat of 1045)
2000 News
2002 Debate / discussion programme
2030 Factual programmes
2100 News
2102 Science-related programmes
2130 Debate programmes (shortened repeat of 0902)
2159 Weather
2200 The World Tonight with news at 2201
2245 Book at Bedtime
2300 News
2302 Comedy (Tues / Wed / Thu), Factual programmes (Mon / Fri)
2330 Today in Parliament (when parliament is not sitting, replaced by other factual programmes)
0000 Midnight News with paper review at 0027
0030 Weather
0032 Book of the Week (repeat of 0945)
0045 Sailing By
0048 Shipping Forecast
0059 National Anthem
0100 Closedown; as BBC World Service

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

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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:

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News and current affairs

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Arts and drama

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Religion and ethics

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Comedy and quizzes

Serious quizzes
Panel games
Sketch shows
Sitcoms
Comedy dramas
Miscellaneous
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Factual

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Science

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Miscellaneous

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Former programmes

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

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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

Newsreaders

Newsreaders / Continuity Announcers

Newsreaders (non-Today programme) / Continuity Announcers

Continuity Announcers

Former staff

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See also

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External links

BBC radio stations
FM/AM: Radio 1 | Radio 2 | Radio 3 | Radio 4 | Radio Five Live
Digital: 6 Music | BBC 7 | 1Xtra | Five Live Sports Extra | Asian Network
Radio Scotland | Radio nan Gaidheal | Radio Wales | Radio Cymru | Radio Ulster
BBC Local Radio | BBC World Service
de:BBC Radio 4

fr:BBC Radio 4

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