BBC Radio 4 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
BBC Radio 4

Logo used since 2022
London
Broadcast area	United Kingdom
Frequencies	FM: 92.5–96.1 MHz, 103.5–104.9 MHz LW: 198 kHz DAB: 12B Freesat: 704 Freeview: 704 Sky (UK only): 0104 Virgin Media: 904 Virgin Media Ireland: 910
RDS	BBC R4
Programming
Language(s)	English
Format	News, talk, comedy and drama
Ownership
Owner	BBC
Sister stations	BBC Radio 4 Extra
History
First air date	30 September 1967; 57 years ago (1967-09-30)
Former call signs	2LO London BBC National Programme BBC Regional Programme BBC Home Service
Former names	BBC Radio 4 UK (1978–1984)
Former frequencies	200 LW 603 MW 692 MW 720 MW 756 MW 774 MW 809 MW 881 MW 908 MW 1052 MW 1088 MW 1151 MW 1340 MW 1449 MW 1457 MW 1485 MW
Technical information
Licensing authority	Ofcom
Links
Website	BBC Radio 4 via BBC Sounds

BBC Radio 4 is a national radio station in the United Kingdom. It is owned and run by the BBC. The station started on 30 September 1967. It took over from the BBC Home Service.

Radio 4 broadcasts many different spoken-word shows. These include news programmes like Today. It also features radio dramas such as The Archers. The station broadcasts from Broadcasting House in London. Since 2019, Mohit Bakaya has been in charge of the station.

You can listen to Radio 4 across the UK. It is available on FM, LW, and DAB. You can also find it on BBC Sounds. People in eastern Ireland, northern France, and Northern Europe can also pick up the signal. It is also on digital TV platforms like Freeview, Freesat, Sky, and Virgin Media.

Radio 4 is very popular. It reaches over 10 million listeners each week. This makes it the UK's second most-listened-to radio station. Only BBC Radio 2 has more listeners.

The station broadcasts news shows like Today, The World at One, and PM. These shows often start with the Greenwich Time Signal "pips" or the chimes of Big Ben. Radio 4 also broadcasts the Shipping Forecast. This special weather report for ships is over 150 years old.

What is BBC Radio 4?

BBC Radio 4 offers a wide range of programmes. These include news, drama, comedy, science, and history. Sometimes, it plays music in documentaries. These documentaries explore different types of music. A long-running music show is Desert Island Discs.

Radio 4 does not usually broadcast sports. Sports news is only part of the regular news bulletins. However, for many years, its longwave frequency was used for Test cricket matches. This meant listeners had to use FM or DAB for other Radio 4 shows. The cricket broadcasts stopped on longwave in July 2023.

You can listen to Radio 4 in many ways. It is on FM in most of Great Britain. It is also on LW across the UK and parts of Northern Europe. You can also find it on DAB. Digital TV platforms include Freeview, Freesat, Sky, and Virgin Media. It is also available online.

Radio 4 is a very important station for the BBC. It has won many awards. It was named "UK Radio Station of the Year" in 2003, 2004, 2008, and 2023. It also won a Peabody Award in 2002.

How Radio 4 Started

Logo of BBC Radio 4 until 2007

Logo of BBC Radio 4 used from 2007 until 2022

The BBC started broadcasting in London on 14 November 1922. The first station was called 2LO. It was located in the Strand. At first, it was hard to broadcast across the whole country. Each local station had its own programmes.

By 1923, it became possible to link stations together. This meant London could start providing most of the programmes. Local stations then focused on local news. The company became the British Broadcasting Corporation in 1927.

On 9 March 1930, 2LO was replaced. Two new services started: the BBC Regional Programme and the BBC National Programme.

Early Stations

Here are some of the first main radio stations:

Relay Stations

These stations helped spread the signal to more places:

The BBC Home Service was the station before Radio 4. It broadcast from 1939 to 1967. Radio 4 took its place on 30 September 1967. This happened when the BBC changed its radio stations.

In November 1978, Radio 4 moved to longwave. It took over the 200 kHz frequency. This made Radio 4 available across the whole UK for the first time. It was then called Radio 4 UK until 1984.

For a while in the 1970s, Radio 4 had regional news. These were short news updates for different parts of England. These regional news bulletins stopped in August 1980.

In 1990, a new station called Radio 5 started. This meant some educational programmes moved off Radio 4's FM frequencies. This allowed the full Radio 4 schedule to be heard on FM.

In 1991, during the Gulf War, Radio 4's FM broadcasts changed. They became a continuous news service called Radio 4 News FM. The main Radio 4 service moved to longwave during this time.

By the early 1990s, Radio 4 was available on FM in most of the UK. This allowed the main service to move from longwave to FM on 16 September 1991. Some special programmes, like extra shipping forecasts, stayed on longwave.

On 30 May 2023, the BBC announced changes. Radio 4 stopped broadcasting special programmes only on longwave. This happened on 31 March 2024. The Daily Service and Yesterday in Parliament moved to BBC Radio 4 Extra. However, Yesterday in Parliament returned to Radio 4 in April 2025. The number of Shipping Forecasts was also reduced. Test Match Special moved to BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra in July 2023. These changes happened before a planned switch-off of longwave broadcasts by 2025.

On 15 April 2024, Radio 4's medium wave frequencies were switched off. These had been used to help people in areas with weak longwave signals.

Programmes and Schedule

Daily Schedule

As of April 2025, Radio 4 broadcasts from 5:00 AM to 1:00 AM on weekdays. On Saturdays and Sundays, it broadcasts from 5:30 AM to 1:00 AM. When Radio 4 is off air overnight, it broadcasts the BBC World Service. You can find a full list of programmes on the BBC website.

How Programmes are Made

Radio 4 broadcasts both live and pre-recorded shows. Live programmes include the breakfast show Today. Other live shows are Woman's Hour and You and Yours. News bulletins are broadcast every hour. Longer news programmes like the Six O'Clock News are also broadcast. These news shows are made at Broadcasting House.

The Greenwich Time Signal, known as "the pips," is broadcast every hour. It signals the start of the news. At midnight and 6:00 PM, and 10:00 PM on Sunday, the chimes of Big Ben are played instead. The pips on FM and LW are very accurate. On digital platforms, there is a small delay.

Types of Programmes

Radio 4 programmes cover many topics. These include news, current events, history, culture, science, and comedy. Many shows are "magazine" style programmes. This means they have many short segments. Woman's Hour and You and Yours are examples.

Many programmes on Radio 4 have been running for a long time. Some have been on air for over 40 years. Most programmes can be listened to again online. They are available on Radio 4's "listen again" page and BBC Sounds. Many comedy and drama shows from the past are also on BBC Radio 4 Extra.

Due to technical limits, Radio 4's digital radio (DAB) signal often changes. After 7 PM, it usually broadcasts in mono. This is even if the programmes were made in stereo. You can hear these programmes in stereo on FM or digital TV.

Announcers and Newsreaders

Announcers at Broadcasting House do several jobs:

• They link programmes together.
• They tell listeners about upcoming shows.
• They reassure listeners if there is a technical problem.
• They read the Shipping Forecast.
• They read news summaries for BBC Radio 3.

Newsreaders read hourly news summaries. They also read longer news bulletins.

Current Announcers and Newsreaders

Freelance Announcers

Past Announcers

Many well-known voices have worked at Radio 4. Some have moved to other stations or retired.

Listener Feedback

Radio 4 sometimes receives feedback from listeners. Some people have said that the station's news programme Today has too few female broadcasters. In 1972, Radio 4 hired its first female announcers. At first, some listeners complained about women reading the news.

Some groups have also criticised Thought for the Day. This short segment during the morning news is only for religious discussions. They believe it should include non-religious viewpoints too.

Radio 4 has also been criticised for being "too middle class." This means some people feel it might not appeal to everyone.

See also

In Spanish: BBC Radio 4 para niños

• ABC Radio National
• CBC Radio One - A Canadian talk radio station
• List of former BBC newsreaders and reporters
• List of current BBC newsreaders and reporters
• National Public Radio
• RTÉ Radio 1 - An Irish talk and music radio station