BBC Radio 4 FM Schedule Friday 23 October 2026

Schedule

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Early
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Late

Early
1. 00:00
  
  Midnight News—23/10/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  
  Stalin's Apostles by Antonia Senior—4. Operation Valuable
  
  4/5 A radical new look at how the Cambridge Five spies helped Stalin build his Red Empire.
3. 00:48
  
  Shipping Forecast—23/10/2026
  
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
4. 01:00
  
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—23/10/2026
  
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
5. 05:00
  
  News Summary—23/10/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:04
  
  Yesterday in Parliament—23/10/2026
  
  News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
7. 05:34
  
  Shipping Forecast—23/10/2026
  
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
8. 05:43
  
  Prayer for the Day—23/10/2026
  
  A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Angad Kaur
9. 05:45
  
  Farming Today—23/10/2026
  
  The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
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Morning
1. 06:00
  
  Today—23/10/2026
  
  News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
2. 09:00
  
  Desert Island Discs—18/10/2026
  
  Castaway guests share the soundtrack of their lives.
3. 10:00
  
  Woman's Hour—23/10/2026
  
  Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.
4. 11:00
  
  The Food Programme—23/10/2026
  
  Investigating every aspect of the food we eat
5. 11:45
  
  Stalin's Apostles by Antonia Senior—5. The Descent
  
  5/5 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—23/10/2026
  
  The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
2. 12:04
  
  AntiSocial—23/10/2026
  
  Peace talks for the culture wars.
3. 12:57
  
  Weather—23/10/2026
  
  The latest weather forecast
4. 13:00
  
  World at One—23/10/2026
  
  News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4
5. 13:45
  
  The History Podcast—5. Protect your brand
  
  Houdini tours Europe where he is threatened by copycats and doubters
6. 14:00
  
  The Archers—22/10/2026
  
  Lily has major concerns.
7. 14:15
  
  Limelight—Episode 1: Pan-pan
  
  Trapped in Arctic ice, a lost crew discover help may be their greatest threat.
8. 14:45
  
  Life Without—Life Without Memory
  
  No new memories. We are trapped in the present, but what about the past and future?
9. 15:00
  
  Gardeners' Question Time—23/10/2026
  
  Horticultural programme featuring a group of gardening experts.
10. 15:45
  
  Short Works—The Hand of Cod by Callum Mitchell
  
  A fisherman's yarn from Cornish writer Callum Mitchell
11. 16:00
  
  Last Word—23/10/2026
  
  Radio 4's weekly obituary programme
12. 16:30
  
  Life Changing—I left top-secret files on a train
  
  A commute to work goes catastrophically wrong.
13. 17:00
  
  PM—23/10/2026
  
  Full coverage of the day's news
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Evening
1. 18:00
  
  Six O'Clock News—23/10/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 18:30
  
  The News Quiz—Series 121, Episode 8
  
  8/8 Andy Zaltzman quizzes the week's news.
3. 19:00
  
  The Archers—23/10/2026
  
  There’s unexpected news for one resident.
4. 19:15
  
  Screenshot—Billy Wilder
  
  Mark and Ellen celebrates the work of the Hollywood director Billy Wilder.
5. 20:00
  
  Any Questions?—23/10/2026
  
  Topical discussion posing questions to a panel of political and media personalities
6. 20:55
  
  This Week in History—October 19th to October 25th
  
  Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
7. 21:00
  
  Free Thinking—23/10/2026
  
  Leading thinkers discuss the ideas shaping our lives.
8. 22:00
  
  The World Tonight—23/10/2026
  
  In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
9. 22:45
  
  Partita by Barbara Kingsolver—Fugue
  
  5/10 Livia's blissful life of music, passion and exploration is about to be upended.
10. 23:00
  
  Americast—23/10/2026
  
  Join Americast for insights and analysis on what's happening inside Trump's White House.
11. 23:30
  
  Today in Parliament—23/10/2026
  
  News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
Back to top
Late
1. 00:00
  
  Midnight News—24/10/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  
  Stalin's Apostles by Antonia Senior—5. The Descent
  
  5/5 A radical new look at how the Cambridge Five spies helped Stalin build his Red Empire.
3. 00:48
  
  Shipping Forecast—24/10/2026
  
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
4. 01:00
  
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—24/10/2026
  
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
5. 05:30
  
  News Summary—24/10/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:34
  
  Shipping Forecast—24/10/2026
  
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
7. 05:43
  
  Prayer for the Day—24/10/2026
  
  Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection
8. 05:45
  
  Life Without—Life Without Memory
  
  No new memories. We are trapped in the present, but what about the past and future?

Saturday 24 October 2026