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	Topics BBC Radio 4 Topic Home BBC Radio 4 is a domestic UKUnited Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country and sovereign state that lies off the northwest coast... radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes including newsNews News is new information or current events.... , dramaDrama Drama is a literary form involving parts written for actors to perform.... , comedyComedy Comedy has a classical meaning and a popular one .... , scienceScience Science in the broadest sense refers to any system of knowledge attained by verifiable means.... and historyHIStory *HIStory: Past, Present and Future Book I* is a double-disc album by Michael Jackson released in 1995 by the Epic Records... . It replaced the BBC Home ServiceBBC Home Service The BBC Home Service was a British national radio station between 1939 and 1967.... in 1967. Outline Radio 4 is the second most popular British domestic radio stationRadio station A radio station is an audio broadcasting service, traditionally broadcast through the air as radio waves from a transmitter ... after Radio 2BBC Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and is the most popular station in the UK.... and was named "UK Radio Station of the Year" at the 2004 Sony Radio Academy AwardsSony Radio Academy Awards The Sony Radio Academy Awards, started in 1983, are some of the most prestigious awards in the British radio industry.... for the second year running and at the 2008 awards. Costing £71.4 million (2005/6), it is the BBC's most expensive national radio network and is considered by many to be the corporation's flagship. There is currently no comparable UK commercial network (nor any internationally), although Channel 4Channel 4 Channel 4 is a public-service television broadcaster in the United Kingdom .... had plans to launch its own speech-based station in autumn 2007. The current controller of Radio 4 is Mark DamazerMark Damazer Mark Damazer is the controller of Radio 4 and BBC 7 in the United Kingdom.... . The previous controller was Helen BoadenHelen Boaden Overview Helen Boaden is the current director of BBC News and Current Affairs.... , who is now the head of BBC NewsBBC News BBC News and Current Affairs is a major arm of the BBC responsible for the corporation's newsgathering and production of ne... . The most controversial controller in recent years was James BoyleJames Boyle (broadcasting) James Boyle is one of the leading public figures in the British arts world, with a long track record in broadcasting in part... , nicknamed "McBirt" for his support of the BBCs former Director-GeneralDirector-General of the BBC Overview The Director-General is chief executive and editor-in-chief of the BBC.... , John BirtJohn Birt, Baron Birt John Birt, Baron Birt, served as the Director-General of the British Broadcasting Corporation from 1992 to 2000, having pre... . MusicMusic Music is an art, entertainment, or other human activity that involves organized and audible sounds and silence.... and sportSport HistoryThe development of sports throughout history teaches us a great deal about social changes and also a lot about the nature ... are the only fields that largely fall outside the station's remit. There are occasional concerts and ball-by-ball commentariesTest Match Special Summary *Test Match Special* is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4, Five Live Sports Extra and the internet to the UK and ... of most test matchesTest cricket Test cricket is the longest form of the sport of cricket.... played by England cricketFacts About Cricket Cricket is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players each.... are broadcast on longwaveLongwave The Longwave radio broadcasting band are those frequencies between 153 - 279 kHz, which correspond to wavelengths longer tha... . Because the longwave service can be received clearly at sea around the coasts of BritainGreat Britain Great Britain is an island lying off the northwestern coast of mainland Europe and to the east of Ireland, comprising the ma... and IrelandIreland Ireland is the third largest island in Europe.... , Radio 4 also carries regular weather forecasts for shippingShipping Forecast The Shipping Forecast is a regular feature of BBC Radio 4 and is provided by the UK Meteorological Office on behalf of the M... and gale warnings. The station has also been designated as the UK's national broadcaster in times of national emergency such as a war, meaning that even if all other radio stations were forced to close, Radio 4 would still carry on broadcasting. The station is available on FM, LWLongwave The Longwave radio broadcasting band are those frequencies between 153 - 279 kHz, which correspond to wavelengths longer tha... , MW (in some areas), DABDigital audio broadcasting Digital Audio Broadcasting or DAB is a technology for broadcasting audio programming in digital form that was designed... , Digital TV (including Freeview), and on the InternetInternet The Internet is the worldwide, publicly accessible network of interconnected computer networks that transmit data by packet ... . History The BBC Home Service was predecessor to Radio 4 and broadcast between 1939 and 1967. It had regional variations and was broadcast on medium wave with a network of VHF FM transmitters being added from 1955 onwards. Radio 4 replaced the Home Service on 30 September 1967, when the BBC renamed many of its domestic radio stations., and moved to long wave in 1978, taking over the 200hz frequency previously held by Radio Two (this later shifted slightly to 198 hz as a result of international agreements aimed at avoiding interference). It was temporarily replaced on FM between 17 January 1991 and 2 March 1991 with the continuous Gulf War news service. Programmes and schedules Daily schedule The night time feed from the BBC World ServiceBBC World Service name= BBC World Service... ends at 0520, with a brief introduction from the early shift continuity announcerContinuity announcer A continuity announcer is a broadcaster whose voice appears between radio or television programmes to give programme informa... . The five-minute Radio 4 UK ThemeFacts About Radio 4 UK Theme The BBC Radio 4 UK Theme is a piece of music composed by Fritz Spiegl, which was played every morning on BBC Radio 4.... (composed by Fritz SpieglFritz Spiegl Fritz Spiegl was an Austrian-born musician, journalist, broadcaster, humorist and collector who lived and worked in England ... ) used to follow this, but was dropped in April 2006 after 33 years in favour of an extension to the early news bulletin, despite some public opposition and a campaign to save it. After a continuity link and programme trail there is a shipping forecastShipping Forecast The Shipping Forecast is a regular feature of BBC Radio 4 and is provided by the UK Meteorological Office on behalf of the M... , weather reportsWeather forecasting Weather forecasting is the application of current technology and science to predict the state of the atmosphere for a future... from coastal stations for 0400GMT and inshore waters forecasts, followed at 0530 by a news bulletin, a review of British and international newspapers, and a businessBusiness In economics, business is the social science of managing people to organize and maintain collective productivity toward acco... report. On weekdays, Farming Today, which deals with news of relevance to the agricultural sector, is followed by the Today programmeToday programme *Today, commonly referred to as the Today* programme to avoid ambiguity, is BBC Radio 4's long-running early mor... which runs from 0600 to 0900. On or after the hour, a news bulletin is broadcast — this is sometimes a two minute summary, a longer piece as part of a current affairs programme, or a thirty minute broadcast on weekdays at 6pm and midnight. At 1200, FM has a four minute bulletin whilst longwaveLongwave The Longwave** radio broadcasting band are those frequencies between 153 - 279 kHz, which correspond to wavelengths longer tha... has the headlineHeadline For an article about a U.S. television series which aired under this title, see Big Town.... s and then the Shipping ForecastFacts About Shipping Forecast The Shipping Forecast is a regular feature of BBC Radio 4 and is provided by the UK Meteorological Office on behalf of the M... ; for the same reason, longwave leaves PM on weekdays at 1754. There is a news programme or bulletin (depending on the day) at 2200, then the midnight news at 0000, followed by (on weekdays) a repeat of Book of the WeekBook of the Week *Book of the week* is a BBC radio 4 series broadcast daily on week days.... . The tune Sailing BySailing By *Sailing By* is a short piece of light music composed by Ronald Binge, which is famous amongst British radio listeners.... is then played until 0048, when the late shipping forecast is broadcast. Radio 4 ends with the national anthem, God Save the QueenGod Save the Queen "God Save the King/Queen" is a patriotic hymn, and the national anthem of the United Kingdom.... , and the World Service takes over from 0100 until 0520. There is an online schedule page which lists the running-order of programmes. Production Many Radio 4 programmes are pre-recorded, although some programmes are transmitted live including daily programmes such as TodayToday programme *Today, commonly referred to as the Today* programme to avoid ambiguity, is BBC Radio 4's long-running early mor... , magazine programme Woman's HourWoman's Hour Woman's Hour is a magazine programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in the United Kingdom.... , consumer affairs programme You and YoursFacts About You and Yours You and Yours is BBC Radio 4's consumer affairs programme.... , and (often) the music, film, books, arts and culture programme Front RowFront Row (radio) Front Row is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4.... . ContinuityContinuity (broadcasting) Continuity** is a term used in broadcasting, especially in the United Kingdom, to refer to announcements, messages and graphic... is generally managed from BBC 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.) come from the BBC News Centre at Television Centre in White CityWhite City, London White City is a place in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.... . 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 SignalGreenwich Time Signal The Greenwich Time Signal or BBC pips is a time code heard on some BBC radio stations at the start of the hour, most n... , known as 'the pips', is usually broadcast every hour to herald a news bulletin. Programmes Radio 4 is marked out by a set of long-running programmes, many for well over 20 years. The station is notable for a varied schedule of unusually intelligent and diverse programming. Most programmes are available as streaming audio from Radio 4's listen again page for a week after broadcast, although RealPlayerRealPlayer RealPlayer is a media player, created by RealNetworks, that plays a number of multimedia formats including MP3, MPEG-4, Quic... is required to listen. A smaller selection of programmes are available as podcasts or downloadable audio files. The BBC has announced its intention to provide an online service provisionally called the BBC iPlayer which would let its licence fee payers access a broader range of its audio and video. Many comedy and drama programmes from the Radio 4 archives are now rebroadcast on BBC 7. Continuity announcers and newsreaders Announcers link programmes, read trails for programmes and read the Shipping Forecast. Newsreaders read hourly summaries and longer bulletins. Senior Announcers Chris AldridgeChris Aldridge Chris Aldridge is a newsreader and continuity announcer on BBC Radio 4.... Harriet CassHarriet Cass Harriet Cass is one of two BBC Radio 4 senior announcers with responsibility for newsreaders and continuity.... Newsreaders / Continuity Announcers Alice ArnoldAlice Arnold Summary Alice Arnold is a newsreader and continuity announcer on BBC Radio 4.... Carolyn BrownFacts About Carolyn Brown Carolyn Brown is a BBC Radio 4 newsreader and continuity announcer.... Kathy ClugstonKathy Clugston Kathy Clugston is a newsreader and continuity announcer on BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service.... Corrie CorfieldCorrie Corfield Corrie Corfield is a BBC Radio 4 continuity announcer and newsreader.... Charlotte GreenCharlotte Green , enunciating phrases, laced with [[double entendre\|doubles entendr... Annie McKie Rory Morrison Susan RaeSusan Rae Susan Rae is a newsreader and continuity announcer on BBC Radio 4.... Neil SleatNeil Sleat Neil Sleat is a newsreader and continuity announcer on BBC Radio 4.... *Newsreaders (non-Today* programme) / Continuity Announcers Charles Carroll David MilesDavid Miles (Radio) David Miles is a British continuity announcer and newsreader on BBC Radio 4.... Vaughan SavidgeVaughan Savidge Vaughan Savidge is a freelance newsreader and continuity announcer on BBC Radio 4, also working on the World Service and BBC... Alan SmithAlan Smith (radio) Overview Alan Smith is a continuity announcer on BBC Radio 4.... Zebedee 'Zeb' SoanesZebedee Soanes Zebedee Soanes , or Zeb as he is more commonly known, is a continuity announcer on BBC Radio 4.... Newsreaders (non-Today programme) Peter DonaldsonPeter Donaldson Peter Donaldson is a main newsreader on BBC Radio 4.... Brian PerkinsBrian Perkins Brian Perkins is a senior newsreader on BBC Radio 4.... Continuity Announcers Peter JeffersonPeter Jefferson (Radio) Peter Jefferson is a BBC Radio 4 continuity announcer.... Jim LeeFacts About Jim Lee (Radio) Jim Lee is a freelance continuity announcer on BBC Radio 4 and a newsreader and announcer at the BBC World Service.... Neil NunesNeil Nunes Neil Nunes is a continuity announcer on BBC Radio 4 and the BBC World Service.... Howard Philpot Diana SpeedDiana Speed Overview Diana Speed is a continuity announcer for BBC Radio 4.... Former staff David Anderson (left to senior management, but covered during the May '05 strike) Edward Cole Andrew CrawfordAndrew Crawford Andrew Crawford is an announcer and newsreader.... Caroline Nicholls (left July 2007) Alison Rooper (left 2005) Astley JonesAstley Jones Astley Jones is a newsreader and continuity announcer on BBC Radio 4.... (left 2006) Pennie Latin (left 11/04) Patrick MuirheadPatrick Muirhead Patrick Muirhead is a former newsreader and continuity announcer on BBC Radio 4.... (left 9/04) Laurie MacmillanLaurie Macmillan Laurie Macmillan was a BBC Radio 4 newsreader and continuity announcer.... (died 10/01) Andy Rushton Moira StuartMoira Stuart Moira Stuart OBE was the first Black woman newsreader on British television.... (left 1981 to TV) Anna Hill (left ~2000) Clive Roslin (left ~1990) Frequencies and other means of reception Radio 4 is broadcast on: 92-95 MHz FM 95.8 MHz in central Scotland 96 MHz in Greater BelfastGreater Belfast Greater Belfast, also known as the Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area, is an area surrounding and including Belfast in Northern... 103-104.5 MHz in parts of Wales and on 103.6 MHz in the Inverness area 198 kHz longwaveLongwave The Longwave radio broadcasting band are those frequencies between 153 - 279 kHz, which correspond to wavelengths longer tha... Medium wave in some areas: 720 kHz in LondonLondon London is the capital city of England and of the United Kingdom.... and Northern IrelandNorthern Ireland Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and covers 5,459 square miles in the northeast of the island of Irelan... DABDigital audio broadcasting Digital Audio Broadcasting or DAB is a technology for broadcasting audio programming in digital form that was designed... standard FM content subsidiary LW content, where applicable Freeview channel 704 (FM only) the InternetInternet The Internet is the worldwide, publicly accessible network of interconnected computer networks that transmit data by packet ... satellite Radio 4 FM: SkyBritish Sky Broadcasting British Sky Broadcasting is a company that operates Sky Digital, the most popular subscription television service in the UK ... channel 0104 Radio 4 LW: SkyBritish Sky Broadcasting British Sky Broadcasting is a company that operates Sky Digital, the most popular subscription television service in the UK ... channel 0143 selected Cable televisionCable television Cable television or Community Antenna Television is a system of providing television, FM radio programming and other... providers cable television NTL Digital Cable channel 910 in IrelandRepublic of Ireland The Republic of Ireland is the official description of the sovereign state which covers approximately five-sixths the islan... Criticisms There have been criticisms voiced by members of the British public and in newspapers in recent years over a perceived "left-wing" bias at Radio 4 across a range of issues such as the EU and the Iraq War , as well as sycophancy in interviews, particularly on the popular morning news magazine "Today" , as part of a reported perception of a general "malaise" at the BBC. Accusations of institutionalised groupthinkGroupthink Groupthink is a mode of thought whereby individuals intentionally conform to what they perceive to be the consensus of the g... have been reported on the Radio 4 "Feedback" programme. People have also complained about a perceived prejudice towards "left-wing" comedy shows, such as "The News Quiz" and "The Now Show". They see this 'prejudice' as evidence that Radio 4 tends to favour broadcasting comedy that promotes a particular world view, rather than comedy which is broadcast purely for its humorous qualities. See also Radio 4 UK ThemeRadio 4 UK Theme The BBC Radio 4 UK Theme** is a piece of music composed by Fritz Spiegl, which was played every morning on BBC Radio 4.... ABC Radio National Further reading Elmes, Simon And Now on Radio 4, 2007, Random House Hendy, David Life on Air: A History of Radio Four, 2007, Oxford University Press External links : A Radio 4 Announcers' Charity Walk