BBC Radio 4 FM Schedule Monday 20 April 2026

Schedule

Skip to:

Early
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Late

Early
1. 00:00
  Midnight News—20/04/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:15
  Crossing Continents—Pakistan: hospitals putting children at risk of HIV
  How and why Pakistani hospitals might be putting children at risk of HIV.
3. 00:45
  Bells on Sunday—The church of St Bartholomew, Rogate in West Sussex
  Bells on Sunday comes from the church of St Bartholomew, Rogate in West Sussex.
4. 00:48
  Shipping Forecast—20/04/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
5. 01:00
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—20/04/2026
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
6. 05:00
  News Summary—20/04/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
7. 05:04
  Yesterday in Parliament—20/04/2026
  Alicia McCarthy brings you up to date with the latest news from Westminster.
8. 05:34
  Shipping Forecast—20/04/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
9. 05:43
  Prayer for the Day—Making a holy hole
  A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Elizabeth Rawlinson-Mills.
10. 05:45
  Farming Today—20/04/26: Soybean ID, greenhouse gas emissions from farming, a moment to rethink fertiliser 'dependency'?
  A call for global farming to end its dependence on fertiliser made from fossil fuel.
11. 05:57
  Weather—20/04/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for farmers
Back to top
Morning
1. 06:00
  Today—20/04/2026
  News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
2. 09:00
  Start the Week—Why Stuff Matters: Objects, Power and the Past
  Mary Beard, Greg Doran and Sophia Adams talk to Adam Rutherford.
3. 09:45
  Café Hope—Reminiscence recordings
  How one charity is helping people record their life stories for loved ones to keep.
4. 10:00
  Woman's Hour—Public Toilets, Cheerleading, Women and Conscription
  Public toilets in England have fallen by 14% in a decade - how does it impact women?
5. 11:00
  Writing the Atom—Ancient Atoms
  Jim Al-Khalili explores the early thinkers and artists who pondered the atom.
6. 11:45
  Self-Help from the Middle Ages by Peter Jones—Sloth
  1/5Peter Jones explores the medieval condition of Acedia, or as we know it, depression.
Back to top
Afternoon
1. 12:00
  News Summary—20/04/2026
  The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
2. 12:04
  You and Yours—Holiday plans, Volvo Recall, Federation of Master Builders
  Holiday plans, Volvo recall, Federation of Master Builders.
3. 12:57
  Weather—20/04/2026
  The latest weather forecast
4. 13:00
  World at One—How secure is the prime minister's position ?
  The prime minister is set to address parliament on Mandelson vetting failure.
5. 13:45
  Last Word: Doing Death Differently—Shall we talk about death?
  1/5Matthew Bannister on changing attitudes to dying, death and how we memorialise our dead.
6. 14:00
  The Archers—19/04/2026
  Lilian tries to reassure Alice.
7. 14:15
  Alone—Series 3, Remember the Date
  1/6Are Mitch and Ellie finally ready for their much-postponed date? Stars Angus Deayton.
8. 14:45
  Opening Lines—Transcription
  John Yorke takes a look at Transcription by Kate Atkinson.
9. 15:00
  Great Lives—William Gladstone, four-time PM
  Trevor Lyttleton picks William Gladstone, Victorian prime minister and tory turned liberal
10. 15:30
  Artworks—When Kevin Met Sadie
  Chris Page explores the influence of Joan Lingard’s Kevin & Sadie novels on young readers.
11. 16:00
  The Documentary—Back to books: Sweden’s digital backlash
  Why tech-savvy Sweden is ditching screens for books and pens in its schools.
12. 16:30
  The Kitchen Cabinet—Series 52, Stockport
  2/7Jay Rayner and the panel are in Stockport answering the questions from the audience.
13. 17:00
  PM—Mandelson vetting row: Keir Starmer faces the commons
  PM tells MPs officials made 'deliberate decision' not to reveal Mandelson vetting failure.
Back to top
Evening
1. 18:00
  Six O'Clock News—Sir Keir Starmer says officials made a deliberate decision not to tell him that Lord Mandelson failed a security vetting
  Sir Keir says he did not mislead MPs over Lord Mandelson's appointment as US ambassador
2. 18:30
  Unspeakable—Series 3, 6. Wondrous Words from Wales
  6/6Wondrous words from Wales, in a Hay Festival special.
3. 19:00
  The Archers—20/04/2026
  Adam thinks about the future.
4. 19:15
  Front Row—Are straight male novelists avoiding sex scenes? Plus new BBC drama Mint
  Director Charlotte Regan on her new BBC thriller Mint.
5. 20:00
  The Briefing Room—Is the triple lock pension guarantee sustainable?
  Why is the state pension protected by the triple lock?
6. 20:30
  BBC Inside Science—Forty years on from nuclear disaster
  What was learnt from the Chernobyl disaster and how has it shaped UK energy production?
7. 21:00
  Start the Week—Why Stuff Matters: Objects, Power and the Past
  Mary Beard, Greg Doran and Sophia Adams talk to Adam Rutherford.
8. 21:45
  Café Hope—Reminiscence recordings
  How one charity is helping people record their life stories for loved ones to keep.
9. 22:00
  The World Tonight—Sir Keir Starmer tells MPs that officials didn't tell him Lord Mandelson had failed security vetting
  We look ahead to tomorrow's appearance by the top FCO mandarin who's been removed..
10. 22:45
  Few and Far Between by Jan Carson—Episode 6
  6/10Robert-John receives unwelcome news about the flood.
11. 23:00
  Limelight—An Eye for a Killing, 5. The Reckoning
  5/5A crowd of 25,000 people turn out to watch Burke hang.
12. 23:30
  Today in Parliament—20/04/2026
  Susan Hulme reports as the Prime Minister is again under pressure over Peter Mandelson.
Back to top
Late
1. 00:00
  Midnight News—21/04/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  Self-Help from the Middle Ages by Peter Jones—Sloth
  1/5Peter Jones explores the medieval condition of Acedia, or as we know it, depression.
3. 00:48
  Shipping Forecast—21/04/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
4. 01:00
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—21/04/2026
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
5. 05:00
  News Summary—21/04/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:04
  Yesterday in Parliament—21/04/2026
  Sean Curran reports as MPs dial up the pressure on the PM over the Mandelson affair.
7. 05:34
  Shipping Forecast—21/04/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
8. 05:43
  Prayer for the Day—Open to new light
  A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Elizabeth Rawlinson-Mills.
9. 05:45
  Farming Today—21/04/26 Sustainable pork production, biochar and chicken muck, rare breed cattle
  New 'roadmap' for producing pork to reduce environmental impact of pig farming.

Tuesday 21 April 2026