Radio 4

   Radio 4 is the BBC’s most prestigious, bestresourced radio channel, offering a wide range of speech programmes and a regular focus of political and public attention. It is seen by the BBC, and widely accepted, as an importantly national station with only intermittent attention to ‘regional’ output. Radio 4 evolved from the former Home Service (launched 1939), giving considerable time to news and current affairs but also to magazine and discussion programmes, drama, comedy, quizzes and much else including vital (and for some, evocative) shipping forecasts. The popular teatime Children’s Hour ended in 1961 but Woman’s Hour has run continuously since 1946. Originally introduced by men, offering advice for housewives at home, it now gives voice to women on air over a huge variety of issues through its journalists and presenters, and is virtually the only dedicated women’s space in British broadcasting. Similar specialist programmes designed for a general citizens’ audience concern finance, food, gardening, disability issues and much else. Celebrity guests feature in the widely known Desert Island Discs or more recently In the Psychiatrist’s Chair. Radio 4 (so named since 1967) aims to give intelligent, at times demanding speech coverage to many areas of life, using skilled and at times highprofile presenters. Its breakfast current affairs programme Today, though sometimes criticized for its focus on politics as what happens in Westminster, has established itself as compulsory listening; some of its interviewers (such as Brian Redhead and John Humphreys) have been celebrated for their rigorous, at times combative, grillings of politicians and experts.

   The station’s perception of itself as distinctive, challenging and invaluable radio has been accepted by much of its influential, predominantly higher status and south of England audience. Possible threats to BBC radio in the 1980s drew strong resistance and organized lobbying from groups such as Voice of the Listener and Viewer, while the prolonged cricket coverage on long wave has been resented by listeners missing regular programmes carried on other frequencies. Attempts to restructure Radio 4’s schedule, given a mainly older audience and huge drops in listening after breakfast current affairs coverage and the long-running early evening farming soap opera The Archers, have given rise to intense press and public discussion. The BBC is committed to developing Radio 4 as its core public service radio channel offering a particular version of quality speech output.

   See also: Radio 1; Radio 2; Radio 3; Radio 5; radio comedy; radio drama

   Further reading

    Crisell, A. (1997) An Introductory History of British Broadcasting, London: Routledge.

   MICHAEL GREEN