BBC Radio 4 FM Schedule Friday 23 October 2026

Schedule

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On air
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
  4/5A 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
  Sean Curran reports from Westminster as peers debate the cyber security crisis.
7. 05:34
  Shipping Forecast—23/10/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
8. 05:43
  Prayer for the Day—Autumn & Change through the Seasons
  A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Angad Kaur.
9. 05:45
  Farming Today—23/10/26 Wild fire summit, Farming for the Future award winner, picking plums by rowing boat
  Following a year of devastating wildfires, the Government holds a wildfire summit.
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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—Dr Miriam Stoppard
  Doctor and writer Miriam Stoppard shares the soundtrack of her life with Lauren Laverne.
3. 10:00
  Woman's Hour—Katherine Ryan, Public Speaking, Anna Byrne
  The comedian talks about being an outspoken firstborn daughter.
4. 11:00
  The Food Programme—The BBC Food and Farming Awards 2026
  Sheila Dillon reveals the winners of this year's BBC Food and Farming Awards from Belfast.
5. 11:45
  Stalin's Apostles by Antonia Senior—5. The Descent
  5/5A 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—Antisocial on antisocial behaviour
  The battle against antisocial behaviour.
3. 12:57
  Weather—23/10/2026
  The latest weather forecast
4. 13:00
  World at One—Storm Austen batters the UK's South West
  Thousands lose power, with widespread travel disruptions.
5. 13:45
  The History Podcast—How Houdini Made Magic, 5. Protect your brand
  5/11Houdini 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—Out of Time, 1. Pan-pan
  1/6Trapped 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—New Forest
  Kathy Clugston and the GQT team are at the New Forest sharing their best gardening tips.
10. 15:45
  Short Works—Hand of Cod by Callum Mitchell
  A fisherman's yarn from Cornish writer Callum Mitchell.
11. 16:00
  Last Word—The rise and fall of Jim Bakker: From multi-millionaire televangelist to convicted fraudster
  Also poet Douglas Dunn, midwife Chloe Fisher and singer Lena Martell.
12. 16:30
  Life Changing—I left top-secret files on a train
  A commute to work goes catastrophically wrong.
13. 17:00
  PM—Israel's army prepares for full lockdown of occupied West Bank
  Netanyahu says operation will be 'extensive' in response to suspected Palestinian attack.
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Evening
1. 18:00
  Six O'Clock News—Meghan Markle responds to claims against her father
  Thomas Markle Senior denies alleged possession of child sex abuse images
2. 18:30
  The News Quiz—Series 121, 8. 'Everyday fixes'
  8/8Has The News Quiz managed to avoid being hacked?
3. 19:00
  The Archers—23/10/2026
  There’s unexpected news for one resident.
4. 19:15
  Screenshot—Billy Wilder
  Ellen and Mark celebrate the writer-director behind Sunset Boulevard and Some Like It Hot.
5. 20:00
  On air
  Listen live
  Any Questions?—Amira Campbell, Mark Littlewood, Lord Rose, Sarah Sackman MP
  Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Newmarket in Suffolk.
  Listen live
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—What's So Good About Democracy?
  Matthew Sweet and guests look at democracy past and present.
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
  5/10Livia's blissful life of music, passion and exploration is about to be upended.
10. 23:00
  Americast—We speak to Hasan Piker... Is he a liability for the dems?
  He explains why he said “America deserved 9/11” and how the US needs to change.
11. 23:30
  Today in Parliament—23/10/2026
  Susan Hulme reports as peers debate the future of the House of Lords.
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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
  5/5A 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—Who Is My Neighbour?
  A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with the Reverend Canon Dr Mark Clavier.
8. 05:45
  Life Without—Life Without Memory
  No new memories. We are trapped in the present, but what about the past and future?