BBC Radio 4 FM Schedule Wednesday 21 October 2026

Schedule

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Early
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Late

Early
1. 00:00
  
  Midnight News—21/10/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  
  Stalin's Apostles by Antonia Senior—2. A Devil's Pact
  
  2/5 A radical new look at how the Cambridge Five spies helped Stalin build his Red Empire.
3. 00:48
  
  Shipping Forecast—21/10/2026
  
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
4. 01:00
  
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—21/10/2026
  
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
5. 05:00
  
  News Summary—21/10/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:04
  
  Yesterday in Parliament—21/10/2026
  
  News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
7. 05:34
  
  Shipping Forecast—21/10/2026
  
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
8. 05:43
  
  Prayer for the Day—21/10/2026
  
  A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Angad Kaur
9. 05:45
  
  Farming Today—21/10/2026
  
  The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
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Morning
1. 06:00
  
  Today—21/10/2026
  
  News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
2. 09:00
  
  Life Changing—I left top-secret files on a train
  
  A commute to work goes catastrophically wrong.
3. 09:30
  
  I'm Not A Monster Presents...—Where Is Austin Tice?, 7. The Escape
  
  When was the last time Austin was seen alive?
4. 10:00
  
  Woman's Hour—21/10/2026
  
  Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.
5. 11:00
  
  Today—The Today Debate
  
  An expert panel consider a topical issue in front of a live audience.
6. 11:45
  
  Stalin's Apostles by Antonia Senior—3. Sheep's Clothing
  
  3/5 A radical new look at how the Cambridge Five spies helped Stalin build his Red Empire.
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Afternoon
1. 12:00
  
  News Summary—21/10/2026
  
  The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
2. 12:04
  
  You and Yours—21/10/2026
  
  News and discussion of consumer affairs
3. 12:57
  
  Weather—21/10/2026
  
  The latest weather forecast
4. 13:00
  
  World at One—21/10/2026
  
  News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4
5. 13:45
  
  The History Podcast—3. Know your audience
  
  Houdini gets his break and hones his craft by tapping into the sentiment of his audiences
6. 14:00
  
  The Archers—20/10/2026
  
  Harrison tries to maintain order.
7. 14:15
  
  Faith, Hope and Glory—Series 2: Eps 9-16, 15. Faith and Trevor
  
  5/3 By Winsome Pinnock. Century-spanning series charting the emergence of modern Britain.
8. 15:00
  
  Money Box—21/10/2026
  
  The latest news from the world of personal finance
9. 15:30
  
  The Artificial Human—21/10/2026
  
  Aleks Krotoski and Kevin Fong answer the questions we're all asking about AI.
10. 16:00
  
  When It Hits the Fan—21/10/2026
  
  Who's in the news for all the wrong reasons? With David Yelland and Farzana Baduel.
11. 16:15
  
  The Media Show—21/10/2026
  
  This is the programme about a revolution in media.
12. 17:00
  
  PM—21/10/2026
  
  Full coverage of the day's news
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Evening
1. 18:00
  
  Six O'Clock News—21/10/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 18:30
  
  Stand-Up Specials—Glenn Moore's Almanac, International Space Station
  
  3/8 Glenn is desperate to go into space but is he made of the Right Stuff - or just Stuff?
3. 19:00
  
  The Archers—21/10/2026
  
  Ben attempts to make a difference.
4. 19:15
  
  Front Row—21/10/2026
  
  Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music.
5. 20:00
  
  Here for the History—15/10/2026
  
  Alice Loxton and Ben Henderson reveal the historical roots of everyday life.
6. 20:30
  
  Top Comment—16/10/2026
  
  The story behind your social media feed.
7. 21:00
  
  The Life Scientific—Tom Hart on Antarctic wildlife and the power of penguin poo
  
  Ecologist Tom Hart on monitoring wildlife populations remotely to track key patterns.
8. 21:30
  
  Inside Health—20/10/2026
  
  Series that demystifies health issues, bringing clarity to conflicting advice.
9. 22:00
  
  The World Tonight—21/10/2026
  
  In-depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.
10. 22:45
  
  Partita by Barbara Kingsolver—Prelude III & Sarabande
  
  3/10 As Livia clears her late mother's house, long-buried memories rise to the surface.
11. 23:00
  
  Kiri's Farm—3. The Raised Beds
  
  Hopes, dreams and baling twine
12. 23:15
  
  Big Little Questions—Kory Asks...
  
  3/6 Digger obsessed Kory forces Amy and Chris down a hole trying to answer his question.
13. 23:30
  
  Today in Parliament—21/10/2026
  
  News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
Back to top
Late
1. 00:00
  
  Midnight News—22/10/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  
  Stalin's Apostles by Antonia Senior—3. Sheep's Clothing
  
  3/5 A radical new look at how the Cambridge Five spies helped Stalin build his Red Empire.
3. 00:48
  
  Shipping Forecast—22/10/2026
  
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
4. 01:00
  
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—22/10/2026
  
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
5. 05:00
  
  News Summary—22/10/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:04
  
  Yesterday in Parliament—22/10/2026
  
  News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
7. 05:34
  
  Shipping Forecast—22/10/2026
  
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
8. 05:43
  
  Prayer for the Day—22/10/2026
  
  A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Angad Kaur
9. 05:45
  
  Farming Today—22/10/2026
  
  The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.

Thursday 22 October 2026