BBC Radio 4 FM Schedule Friday 16 October 2026

Schedule

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On air
Early
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Late

Early
1. 00:00
  Midnight News—16/10/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  Sideways—Appetite for Distraction, 4. Attention Shortfall?
  Matthew Syed asks what it means to be distracted in a media world vying for our attention.
3. 00:48
  Shipping Forecast—16/10/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
4. 01:00
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—16/10/2026
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
5. 05:00
  News Summary—16/10/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:04
  Yesterday in Parliament—16/10/2026
  Susan Hulme reports as the farming minister faces MPs' anger over farm payments.
7. 05:34
  Shipping Forecast—16/10/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
8. 05:43
  Prayer for the Day—Who do you think you are?
  A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Jo Moir, head of Spring Harvest.
9. 05:45
  Farming Today—16/10/26 What will a farmer be?
  The Archers at 75: what will it mean to be a farmer in the next 75 years?
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Morning
1. 06:00
  On air
  Listen live
  Today—16/10/2026
  News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
  Listen live
2. 09:00
  Desert Island Discs—Ann Patchett, writer
  Ann Patchett, writer, shares the soundtrack of her life with Lauren Laverne.
3. 10:00
  Woman's Hour—16/10/2026
  Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.
4. 11:00
  The Food Programme—Regenerative Farming and Nutrition
  Does regenerative farming change the nutritional value of what we eat?
5. 11:45
  Winnie-the-Pooh 100—Piglet is Entirely Surrounded by Water by AA Milne
  Read by Hayley Atwell and celebrating a century of Pooh.
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Afternoon
1. 12:00
  News Summary—16/10/2026
  The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
2. 12:04
  AntiSocial—16/10/2026
  Peace talks for the culture wars.
3. 12:57
  Weather—16/10/2026
  The latest weather forecast
4. 13:00
  World at One—16/10/2026
  News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4
5. 13:45
  Farming Today—16/10/26 What will a farmer be?
  The Archers at 75: what will it mean to be a farmer in the next 75 years?
6. 14:00
  The Archers—15/10/2026
  Freddie’s feelings are hurt.
7. 14:15
  Limelight—Underground, Episode 5
  As Thornfield burns, Axel has an offer for Charly.
8. 14:45
  Life Without—Life Without Bats
  The night sky loses its bats and their secret soundscape. What happens next?
9. 15:00
  Gardeners' Question Time—16/10/2026
  Horticultural programme featuring a group of gardening experts.
10. 15:45
  Short Works—Let Them Have Their Fun by Lauren Mackenzie
  A sightseeing trip takes an unexpected turn for Grace and her family.
11. 16:00
  Last Word—Margaret Hamilton, Biljana Plavšiċ, Felicity Green, George Fenton
  Matthew Bannister on a software engineer, a politician, a journalist, a composer
12. 16:30
  More or Less—Fact-check: Will Scottish pensioners really be funding English social care?
  Tim Harford investigates Scottish pensions, maternity injuries, UK deficit and baked beans
13. 17:00
  PM—16/10/2026
  Full coverage of the day's news
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Evening
1. 18:00
  Six O'Clock News—16/10/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 18:30
  The News Quiz—Series 121, Episode 7
  7/8Andy Zaltzman quizzes the week's news.
3. 19:00
  The Archers—16/10/2026
  The storm clouds gather in Ambridge.
4. 19:15
  Screenshot—Young People In Care
  Ellen and Mark delve into the ubiquity of the care-experienced person in film and TV.
5. 20:00
  Any Questions?—Paul Frew MLA, Chris Hazzard MP, Tina McKenzie, Sarah Owen MP
  Chris Page presents political debate from Belfast
6. 20:55
  This Week in History—October 12th to October 18th
  Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
7. 21:00
  Free Thinking—Bread
  Shahidha Bari and guests look at the way bread comes up in history, religion and economics
8. 22:00
  The World Tonight—16/10/2026
  In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
9. 22:45
  Who Are You in Winnie-the-Pooh?—Eeyore
  5/5Frank Cottrell-Boyce talks with children’s writers Nadia Shireen and Charlie Higson.
10. 23:00
  Americast—Are Latino voters turning on Trump?
  And could they decide which party controls Congress?
11. 23:30
  Today in Parliament—16/10/2026
  News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
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Late
1. 00:00
  Midnight News—17/10/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  Sideways—Appetite for Distraction, 5. The Future of Attention
  Matthew Syed asks what it means to be distracted in a media world vying for our attention.
3. 00:48
  Shipping Forecast—17/10/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
4. 01:00
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—17/10/2026
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
5. 05:30
  News Summary—17/10/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:34
  Shipping Forecast—17/10/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
7. 05:43
  Prayer for the Day—Poverty and Creating Prosperity for All
  A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Angad Kaur.
8. 05:45
  Life Without—Life Without Bats
  The night sky loses its bats and their secret soundscape. What happens next?