What makes BBC Radio 4 so good?

ntlbell

BBC Radio 4 seems to be very popular in Ireland (I've no stats, just talking to people)

what makes this station so good?

Listening this morning it went from 18 century poets to changing babies nappies.

If you're a fan of radio 4 would you mind telling us why

mike65

Its not phone-in hell?

Its got programmes that cover a vast range of interests?

Its got I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue?

It tends not to treat its listeners as fools?

Mike.

Our man in Havana

All of the above. Well said Mike.

Also it does not play rubbish pop music.

DMC

Its an oasis of sanity* and deep thought, when elsewhere is just bad music or bad talk. Mike summed it up very well.

And it has cricket.









*As opposed to the oasis of sanitary, which is Womens Hour. Boom boom!

/me gets coat fairly lively!

Big Tone

mike65 wrote: »

Its not phone-in hell?

Its got programmes that cover a vast range of interests?

Its got I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue?

It tends not to treat its listeners as fools?

Mike.

And no mundane Text-in hell either...a No BS station if ever there was one, has been a fav of mine for many years.

There was a time, back in the 90s, when "The BBC" were going to scrap Radio 4 from Long Wave, that concentrated a few million minds Including many from Ireland) who petitioned BBC to keep it on LW....thankfully they listened to the people.

mike65

Oh I'd forgotten about that, yep many peeps went nuts when that was floated. I suspect if they suggested it again there would'nt be half the fuss in this multi-platform era.

Mike.

tbh

In the space of 90 minutes, I can hear a top notch comedy, a fascinating history program and a world-class news service. I also get to hear books I'd never think of reading.

raven136

i only get a few of the radio 4 podcasts which are excellent,what frequency is it on?could someone explain what type of radio is best,dab etc.I would like to listen to the english stations in work but am stuck with just our won rubbish(moncrieff excluding which is excellent)

mike65

Apart from online obviously www.bbc.co.uk/radio4 you can try LW 198, and via internet radio as discussed on the this thread it can be listened via Sky and UPS digital

Mike.

_blank_

Hello,

I'm new to this BBC4, just got me a Logik Radio.

I'm listening to I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, On Demand. Very Funny

Is it a weekly show?

Am I listening to the latest episode?

Are others available?

Thanks.

tbh

DesF wrote: »

Hello,

I'm new to this BBC4, just got me a Logik Radio.

I'm listening to I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, On Demand. Very Funny

Is it a weekly show?

Am I listening to the latest episode?

Are others available?

Thanks.

it's been going for years, Des. It is a weekly show, and you can hear more of it on BBC7, and there are many CD's and downloads from iTunes of it.

bmaxi

All the above and no Gerry Ryan. Radio Heaven:)

cabinteelytom

James Nochty and the other pensionable old fogies do ask the hard questions, some foreign recipients of this do seem taken aback (at first) by such rudeness. Love Melvin Bragg's utterly protean pretentiousness, but he does get some very obscure topics aired (a medieval persian philosopher last week; I thought 'Will they never stop trying to extend their influence?') and includes broadcasts by people who actually know what they are talking about.

DMC

tbh wrote: »

it's been going for years, Des. It is a weekly show, and you can hear more of it on BBC7, and there are many CD's and downloads from iTunes of it.

Just to add, there are normally two series of six episodes a piece each year. Humphrey Lyttleton is the chairman, a sprightly 86!

Old archived episodes are aired on BBC 7 (digital station) on Monday lunchtimes, and are also available on demand, but not at the moment, as currently in the timeslot is the forerunner of "Clue", "I'm sorry I'll read that again". Once the current run of "Clue" ends on Radio 4, the old editions will air again on BBC 7.

Wertz

DMC wrote: »

And it has cricket.

It's only real downside IMO, but each to their own.

R4 for me is a like a comfortable pair of shoes or something. It was always on in my house growing up, the quality of even those nappy changing programmes mentioned by the OP is always assured. An awful lot of their programming has a history; shows tend to just run and run and build up a following....it keeps things familiar. News output is excellent and even though some of the books or dramas aren't down to my tastes, I'd sometimes listen anyway.
No pop music apart from the odd choice on Desert Island discs is a plus and not one maniacally happy jock in earshot torturing listeners with celebrity news (and this is coming from someone who likes a lot of popular music and would fall outside of R4's demographic)
Shipping forecast and Sailing By are my cruise to snooze.
Just a Minute and The News Quiz are two excellent half hours of humour (ISIHAC has been mentioned several times)....hell even the Archers has it's qualities.
We never really got an equivalent statiion in Ireland...R1 was perhaps aspiring towards the same kind of ethos but that got diluted over the years into what we have now; a middle-aged culture/music station station with too much focus on personality lead broadcasting and an over emphasis on current affairs...

mike65

Anyone recall the shock-horror when Gerry Anderson got his mid-afternoon programme? It was like the sky fell in.

Mike.

DMC

Anderson Country.

Who could forget!

It was just after the time BBC were contemplating a rolling 24 hour news radio station, after Scud FM, (settled on Five Live) and the WASP's in Middle England still had the bit between their teeth trying to "save Radio 4", they hadn't calmed down.

I used to think it was just down to the accent... (send chirpy Irishmen to Radio 2!) ... there are very few NI accents on Radio 4 even now.... just Kathy Clugston reading the news and continuity... she is the only one I can think of.

mike65

I think the reaction was based on tone myself, he sounded like local radio and the programme sounded like a "show". The wrong sort of quirky.

Mike.

donaghs

Great news coverage. Fascinatig and informative debate, discussion and documentaries. But I find it hard to get a good reception where I am now.

I actually don't like "I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue?", the Cricket coverage, and the Archers. But even still it may be my favourite station!

r3nu4l

tbh wrote: »

In the space of 90 minutes, I can hear a top notch comedy, a fascinating history program and a world-class news service. I also get to hear books I'd never think of reading.

QFT! Not to mention that one evening about 6 months ago I heard a program on the use of Mass Spectrometry in Medicine at about 8 in the evening. As a former Mass Spec Medical Biologist I was delighted to hear it and surprised by the level of detail the show went into...as Mike65 said, they don't treat the listener like idiots.

I also love the Today show in the morning, while I don't like some of the badgering and putting of words into mouths by the interviewers, they are particularly tenacious. I like the fact that they keep asking the same tough question again and again until they pin the gust down and get a truly relevant answer rather than allowing the guest to simply brush off the question!

Big Tone

BTW their free podcasts are excellent!

luckat

Why is it good? Mainly because it trusts the intelligence of its listeners.

And because it's certain of its identity. RTE Radio 1, for instance, keeps trying to compete with RTE Network 2, whereas with the BBC, each station - BBC1, 2, 3, 4, World Service, etc - has its own identity, and doesn't stir outside it.

You can get it on AM at about 720, by the way (which switches to the World Service overnight) - and depending on the power of your car radio/aerial, you may hear it clearly or not. My stupid new-to-me car can scarcely get it and I'm heartscalded.

Aquavid

Once you hit Dublin Airport going north on the M1 you can get it on FM, so much of north Dublin is sorted.

Aquavid

luckat

What number on FM please, Aquavid?

Wertz

104.6....you'll get some residual interference from FM104 and crossover from LMFM at certain points on the M1 until you pass drogehda though and it's all down to a good tuner.

DublinWriter

ntlbell wrote: »

Listening this morning it went from 18 century poets to changing babies nappies.

That's precisely what makes Radio 4 so good.

If someone asked me to list my five of the best things in life, Radio 4 would be in there somewhere between sex and Jagermeister.