Mark Damazer, Controller of BBC Radio 4, has announced plans for the network which will change the face of the early morning schedule.
From April, Radio 4 will begin its own programming at 5.20am with an extended Shipping and In-shore Waters forecast. From 5.30am there will be a News Briefing ? to include headlines, a newspaper review, business and sports news ? and a look ahead to the stories likely to develop during the day.
This will be followed by Prayer for the Day and Farming Today, neither of which are affected by the change. The UK Theme is dropped.
Mark Damazer says: “We should be able to build on the information service we now provide at 5.30 and the ‘look ahead’ is a new ingredient.
“I know there are some people who will regret the passing of the UK Theme but I believe the bulk of the audience will be better served by a pacy news briefing, read by one of Radio 4’s fine team of news readers.”
The schedule
Mondays-Fridays
5.20am Open up and welcome; Shipping Forecast – this is an extended Shipping Forecast which will now include the full inshore water forecast
5.30am News Briefing – a new weekday briefing for early risers bringing them up to date on the day’s headlines and issues
5.43am Prayer for the Day
5.45am Farming Today
6.00am Today
Saturdays
5.20-5.45am As Mondays-Fridays
5.45am Feature (repeat)
6.00am News and Weather
6.10am Open Country
Sundays
5.20-5.43am As Mondays-Fridays
5.43am Bells on Sunday
5.45am World Report
6.00am News
6.05am Something Understood