BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967.[1] It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasting House, London. The station controller is Mohit Bakaya.[2]
 Logo used since 2022 | |
| |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | United Kingdom and BBC Sounds |
| Frequencies | FM: 92.5–96.1 MHz 103.5–104.9 MHz LW: 198 kHz MW: 603 kHz, 720 kHz, 756 kHz, 774 kHz, 1449 kHz, 1485 kHz DAB: 12B Freesat: 704 (FM), 710 (LW) Freeview: 704 (FM) Sky (UK only): 0104 (FM), 0130 (LW) Virgin Media: 904 (FM), 911 (LW) Virgin Media Ireland: 910 (FM) |
| RDS | BBC R4 |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Format | News, talk, comedy and drama |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | BBC |
| BBC Radio 4 Extra | |
| History | |
First air date | 30 September 1967 |
Former call signs | BBC Home Service |
Former names | BBC Radio 4 UK (1978–1984) |
| Links | |
| Website | Radio 4 on BBC Sounds |
Broadcasting throughout the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands on FM, LW and DAB, and on BBC Sounds,[3] it can be received in the eastern counties of Ireland, northern France and Northern Europe. It is available on Freeview, Sky, and Virgin Media. Radio 4 currently reaches over 10 million listeners, making it the UK's second most-popular radio station after Radio 2.[4]
BBC Radio 4 broadcasts news programmes such as Today and The World at One, heralded on air by the Greenwich Time Signal pips or the chimes of Big Ben. The pips are only accurate on FM, LW, and MW; there is a delay on digital radio of three to five seconds and online up to twenty-three seconds. Radio 4 broadcasts the Shipping Forecast which, in August 2017, was 150 years old.[5]
According to RAJAR, the station broadcasts to a weekly audience of 9.3 million with a listening share of 11.2% as of March 2023.[6]