UK Radio - BBC

BBC Radio Commentary Exhibit to Launch at The National Football Museum

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 17:54:57 +0000

BBC Radio 5 live and BBC Local Radio are compiling an archive of hundreds of the most memorable BBC radio football commentary clips for a permanent exhibit, that will be on display at the National Football Museum in Manchester when it opens later this summer.

Radio football commentary at its best can capture all the passion of the beautiful game - it can make you laugh, cry, cheer or shout. To make sure that no audio gem is missed, the BBC is asking for you to send in your suggestions via the BBC Sport website from Monday 16 April.

Which spectacular wins, Cup runs, promotions, super survivals, glorious goals or bumbling bloopers are etched on your memory? Which local or national commentator has provided a soundtrack to your club’s top moment?

The exhibit will include memorable commentary clips from every Premier and Football League team, along with highlights from the England national team.

Outstanding clips that might make it into the exhibition include the 1953 FA Cup Final, with Raymond Glendenning commentating on one of Blackpool’s and Sir Stanley Matthews’ finest moments; Peter Jones and Alan Clarke’s commentary as Manchester United became the first English team to win the European Cup in 1968; Derek Lacey, the 'voice of Carlisle,’ describes the famous last-minute goal by goalkeeper Jimmy Glass which saved Carlisle in 1999; and Abdul Osman's winning penalty as Northampton knocked Liverpool out of the League Cup at Anfield in 2010.

Commenting on commissioning the exhibition, Radio 5 live Deputy Controller, Jonathan Wall says: “This is a huge partnership between 5 live and BBC Local Radio with a chance for football supporters to help us select the favourite clips. Memories will be evoked along the way and it will result in a treasure trove of radio commentary for visitors to the museum to cherish.”

To celebrate the commentary collection, Radio 5 live and BBC Local Radio will host a live show presented by Colin Murray on 28 May at 8pm. The show will broadcast from the museum, with a special preview ahead of the official opening in July.

National Football Museum Deputy Director David Pearson says: “We are delighted to be working with BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Local Radio to bring together such an astounding collection of clips, which are so integral to football supporters’ memories and experiences of football history.

“It’s such an impressive project to undertake and will feature some of the greatest names in football commentary. We would very much like to thank the BBC for their help and assistance in compiling this fascinating collection for our visitors.

“The museum will provide a world-class home for the greatest collection of football memorabilia ever assembled, and we’re confident that it is set to become one of the biggest visitor attractions in the UK.”

The BBC Radio Football Commentary Collection will be available for football fans to enjoy in its permanent home at the National Football Museum in Manchester, which opens to the public on 6 July.

To send in your radio football commentary suggestions visit the BBC Sport homepage (www.bbc.co.uk/sport), Radio 5 live homepage (www.bbc.co.uk/5live) or your BBC Local Radio sport homepage.

BBC Radio 1 Starts the Summer Live in Torbay

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 10:42:43 +0000

BBC Radio 1 is kick-starting the summer with a festival live in Torbay on Saturday 19 May.

Radio 1 and Radio 1Xtra regulars Chris Moyles, Fearne Cotton, Zane Lowe, Pete Tong, Annie Mac, Mistajam and Danny Howard will be celebrating the beginning of the summer season with a live broadcast from Paignton, Torbay.

Alongside the Radio 1 team, there will be performances from Example, Jaguar Skills and Eric Prydz.

The event will be broadcast live on Radio 1 and Radio 1Xtra from 4pm to 11pm.

Eight-thousand tickets will be available for residents of Torbay and the surrounding areas. If you are local to Torbay and the surrounding areas keep listening to Radio 1 on 4 May for information on how you can obtain a ticket and check out the Radio 1 website for details.

Jason Carter, Event Director, says: "Radio 1 are very excited to finally be returning to the south coast. We have a great summer of events for this really special Olympic year for the UK and are delighted to be launching our summer in Torbay with such a great DJ line-up."

Men's Hour Returns to BBC Radio 5 Live

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 21:51:06 +0000

BBC Radio 5 live is delighted to announce that Men’s Hour will be returning to the station for a third series, starting on Sunday 29 April.

The programme is well known for offering a man’s perspective on life’s crucial issues such as health, emotional well-being and relationships, together with features on the economy and politics and personal stories from around the world.

Listeners to this season of Men’s Hour will be treated to a wide variety of interesting, entertaining and informative features. The first programme will feature the results of a survey exploring how men’s psyche and behaviour are being affected by the current economic situation. Other highlights include the return of Dr Mark Hamilton as the voice of men’s health issues and a unique perspective from a female to male transsexual.

Award-winning journalist Tim Samuels returns to present the show, which for this season will be produced by John Ryan for Tonic Productions.

Commenting on the third series of Men’s Hour, Radio 5 live’s Deputy Controller, Jonathan Wall says: “We have had a great audience response to the first two series, and Tim and the team have come up with some fascinating topics for series three. I am sure this will create thought provoking and compelling radio.”

Men’s Hour returns to BBC Radio 5 live on Sunday 29 April at 9pm and is made by Tonic Productions.

You can listen to BBC Radio 5 live and 5 live sports extra via digital radio, online at bbc.co.uk/5live, Digital Freeview, Sky, Freesat, Virgin Media and 909 & 693 AM.

BBC Radio Announces Details of Shakespeare Season

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:44:06 +0000

BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 4 Extra present a special season of programmes as part of a pan-BBC celebration of the work of arguably the greatest writer in the English language, world-renowned poet and playwright, William Shakespeare.

Just some of the season highlights include:

BBC Audio Drama Awards 2012 winners David Tennant and Rosie Cavaliero in Twelfth Night and Romeo And Juliet (Radio 3)
A new 20-part series presented by British Museum Director Neil MacGregor – Shakespeare’s Restless World (Radio 4)
Gareth Malone, Jools Holland, Stephen Fry, Zoe Wanamaker, Rowan Williams and many more in My Shakespeare, a series of shorts where a public figure shares their thoughts about their favourite Shakespeare moment (Radio 3 and Radio 4)

Starting on Monday 16 April (1.45pm, Radio 4) British Museum Director Neil MacGregor explores what the world was like in Shakespeare’s day using objects from the time in Shakespeare’s Restless World – with Shakespeare extracts performed by a cast of actors including: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rory Kinnear and Hattie Morahan. Shakespeare’s Restless World is made in partnership with the British Museum and is part of the World Shakespeare Festival.

In William Shakespeare’s Playlist (Sat 21 April, 10.30am, Radio 4) David Owen Norris and guests listen to Shakespeare’s favourite songs in The Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, with Stanley Wells, Greg Doran and Lucie Skeaping.

In a special edition of The Reunion (Sun 22 April, 11.15pm, Radio 4) Sue MacGregor is joined by five people who helped create Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre on London’s South Bank: Patrick Spottiswoode, the first Director of Education; Diana Devlin, who saw the project through some of its most difficult years; architect Jon Greenfield; Claire van Kampen, the first Director of Music; and Zoe Wanamaker, Sam's actor daughter who is now Honorary President of Shakespeare's Globe.

David Tennant and Rosie Cavaliero star in Shakespeare And Love: Twelfth Night and Romeo And Juliet as Radio 3 brings together two of Shakespeare’s best loved plays performed by a single company of actors cast across both productions (Sun 22 and Sun 29 April, 8.30pm, Radio 3).

Simon Russell Beale joins Suzy Klein to read one of his favourite love sonnets each day for In Tune: Shakespeare And Love (Mon 23 to Fri 27 April, 4.30pm, Radio 3).

Five writers explore the Bard’s portrayal of love in Radio 3’s The Essay: Shakespeare And Love – with Margaret Drabble, Professor Stanley Wells, Samuel West, Professor Helen Hackett and Yasmin Alibhai-Brown (Mon 23 to Fri 27 April, 10.45pm, Radio 3).

And in The Essay: Shakespeare Around The Globe (Mon 14 to Fri 18 May, 10.45pm, Radio 3), five writers from Sierra Leone, Brazil, India, Iran and China attempt to explain why a playwright from 16th century Stratford still resonates so powerfully in their own countries – with Eldred Jones, Aimara Resende, Poonam Trivedi, Narguess Farzad and Yong Li Lan.

Drama on 3 presents a new radio production of The Tempest starring David Warner as Prospero, Carl Prekopp as Ariel, Rose Leslie as Miranda and Don Warrington as Gonzalo (Sun 6 May, 8.30pm, Radio 3).

And in a special edition of Night Waves: The Tempest, Philip Dodd leads a discussion on the enduring attraction of The Tempest for directors, scholars and performers of this extraordinary play that bears continued interpretation – with Professor Helen Hackett and Jonathan Miller, amongst others (Thu 3 May, 10pm, Radio 3).

My Shakespeare presents a series of bite-sized programmes combining a personal perspective on Shakespeare by a public figure and short readings from his work.

The shorts will be broadcast across both Radio 3 and Radio 4 from Saturday 12 to Friday 25 May and the ensemble of contributors include: Gareth Malone, Kwame Kwei Armah, Bettany Hughes, Margaret Drabble, Jools Holland, David Hare, Rowan Williams, Stephen Fry and Zoe Wanamaker – with selections performed by a cast of actors including: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rory Kinnear and Hattie Morahan.

Their choices reflect broad and evocative themes, intimate anecdotes of past experiences, and provide a fascinating insight into the contributors themselves and into the lasting relevance of Shakespeare’s writing.

And there’ll be another chance to hear Radio 3’s 2011 production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream (recorded in Sussex woodland) as Lesley Sharp, Toby Stephens, Freddie Fox and Roger Allam head an all-star cast (Sun 13 May, 8.30pm, Radio 3).

Radio 4 Extra’s celebration of the Bard begins with The Reduced Shakespeare Company – Hamlet from May 1994 (Wed 18 April, 11pm). The play's the thing, as the boys try and tackle the famous Dane.

In Shakespeare: Thereby Hangs A Tale – A Celebration of the Swan of Avon (Sat 21st April, 9.00am, repeated 7.00pm), Simon Russell Beale presents a selection of shows about and inspired by The Bard: Great Lives, Shakespeare Stories, Lenny and Will, Mrs Shakespeare, Macbeth and Desmond Olivier Dingle.

In a Radio 4 Extra Debut, The Jacobean Box (Tue 24 April, 10.00am, repeats 3.00pm and 3.00am), Shakespearian academic, Brian Blake learns a large item awaits collection at a remote northern station, starring Stephen Moore.

In The Reduced Shakespeare Company – The Comedies from May 1994 (Wed 25 April, 11.00pm) – from 'Merry Wives' to a 'Merchant' – are the mixed-up Bard's comedies actually funny? And Another Shakespeare (Thu 26 April, 11.15am, repeats 9.15pm and 4.15am) is a drama inspired by the true life story of an 18th century forger of the Bard, starring Julian Rhind-Tutt and James Grout.

The BBC Shakespeare Season ‘Shakespeare Unlocked’ in partnership with the Royal Shakespeare Company, the British Museum and the World Shakespeare Festival is a pan-BBC celebration of the life and work of Britain’s best-known playwrights – for full programme information visit bbc.co.uk/shakespeare.

Fighting Talk Subject of BBC 5 Live Outside Broadcast

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:16:10 +0000

Colin Murray will host BBC Radio 5 live’s biggest ever outside broadcast at Stoke City’s Britannia Stadium. The iconic sports panel show Fighting Talk will take place in front of an audience of 6,000 on May 26.

Alongside Colin’s show, Stoke City fan Nick Hancock will host a special local celebrity edition of the show which will be broadcast on BBC Radio Stoke.

Colin Murray says: “Fighting Talk is a family. The contestants, the staff and most importantly our listeners. And this is the ultimate family get together. We will try to make this our best programme ever. Don’t be late!”

Radio 5 live Controller Adrian Van Klaveren says: “We’re working really hard to take 5 live around the country, getting as close as we can to our listeners. We’re thrilled to be coming to Stoke-on-Trent which will be a great place for our biggest audience event yet.”

Music will be provided music by The Enemy who will perform live.

And entertainment will come from self styled German Comedy Ambassador, Henning Wehn.

Details of how to obtain tickets for the event will be on bbc.co.uk/5live from Friday 30 March. Tickets cost £10 each plus booking fee.

Sir Mervyn King to Deliver 2012 BBC Today Lecture

Fri, 06 Apr 2012 14:13:39 +0000

BBC Radio 4’s Today programme has announced that Sir Mervyn King, Governor of the Bank of England will give the 2012 BBC Today Programme Lecture on Wednesday 2 May.

Sir Mervyn will be addressing an invited audience of 300 Today programme listeners at the event hosted by Evan Davis, who will also interview Sir Mervyn on the following morning’s Today programme.

The lecture will be covered by BBC News and will be broadcast in full on BBC Radio 4 at 9pm, Wednesday 2 May together with a question and answer session with the audience.

Ceri Thomas, Editor of Today, said: "I’m delighted that Sir Mervyn King has agreed to give the 2012 BBC Today Lecture. He's been at the centre of public life in this country through some of the most difficult economic times we've ever known. This is a great opportunity to hear his views and put directly to him some of our listeners’ concerns.”

Sir Mervyn King said: “I am delighted to have been asked to give the 2012 BBC Today Lecture and to have the opportunity to speak directly to a national radio audience.”

Details of how to apply for tickets to the event will be published on the Today website closer to the time.

Dave Pearce Brings Dance Music to BBC Radio 2 on Saturday Nights

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:18:07 +0000

BBC Radio 2 has announced that world-renowned DJ and broadcaster Dave Pearce is to host a brand new dance music show from Saturday, April 14.

The show, Dave Pearce: Dance Years, will broadcast on Saturday nights between 10pm and midnight. It will see Dave trawl through his vast record collection to curate a show full of his favourite tracks, celebrating some of the finest moments in UK dance history.

Alongside the latest tracks currently on the UK's dance floors, Dave will play new dance mixes, club classics from the noughties and nineties and will also uncover some lesser-known hidden gems from the 70s and 80s. Plus in a disco-tastic flashback, he’ll provide a slow jam track to stir up those last dance memories.

Dave has been working on the dance scene since playing disco on a land-based pirate radio in the late 70s and has continued going to clubs, DJ-ing and enjoying the music ever since. He hosted the legendary Dance Anthems on BBC Radio 1 for 11 years and his pioneering work in hip hop led him to, among other things, be featured on Public Enemy’s critically acclaimed album It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back.

In April 2011 Dave presented a hugely successful 13-week dance music series on Radio 2, focusing on the evolution of dance.

Dave says: “I'm delighted to be joining Radio 2 and look forward to sharing my passion for dance music with the Radio 2 audience. The show will be like one big house party with me rummaging through my record crates. There are plenty of memorable tracks from my Radio 1 Dance Anthems days alongside some hidden gems from the 70's and 80's.It’s a chance to relive and share some great memories from the dance floor. This should be a lot of fun!”

Jeff Smith, Head of Music at Radio 2 says: “A large portion of the Radio 2 audience have grown up with disco, soul and house music and Dave’s wealth of knowledge and heritage in this genre place him perfectly to provide a new dance show for Radio 2.”

Steve Lamacq, who also presents a weekday show on BBC Radio 6 Music from 4pm-7pm, moves to Thursday nights 11pm-12. The Indie King will continue to introduce the Radio 2 audience to new and emerging artists, as well as his classic tracks from his gigantic record collection.

Rihanna to Make Headline Appearance at BBC Radio 1's Hackney Weekend 2012

Wed, 28 Mar 2012 09:12:57 +0000

International superstar Rihanna has been added to the bill for Radio 1's Hackney Weekend 2012 on Sunday 24 June.

She joins an incredible line-up which has already been announced, including Jay-Z, who will headline the event on Saturday 23 June. Together they join an impressive list of artists such as Tine Tempah, Jessie J, Ed Sheeran, Florence + the Machine, Professor Green, Leona Lewis, DJ Fresh, Plan B, Flo Rida and Will.i.am.

BBC Radio 1's Hackney Weekend 2012 will be staged across two days, Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 June 2012, in East London's Hackney Marshes. The event forms part of the London 2012 Festival and will feature over 100 UK and international artists performing on six BBC stages including the Radio 1 Main Stage, Radio 1Xtra Stage, Dance Stage, In New Music We Trust Stage and the BBC Introducing Stage..

Radio 1 have made 100,000 free* tickets available for the weekend. Ticket registration has now closed. For those who have their registration number, there will be two opportunities to apply for a ticket - 11am on Sunday 25 March and 4pm on Monday 26 March, online at bbc.co.uk/radio1. The majority of tickets will be reserved for those from Hackney and the other five Olympic boroughs, with allocation on a first-come, first-served basis.

Other acts confirmed for the live event include:

Andy C, Azealia Banks, Bombay Bicycle Club, Boy Better Know Feat Skepta & JME, Calvin Harris, Chase & Status, Chip, Dappy, David Guetta, D'banj, Deadmau5, Devlin, DJ Fresh, Ed Sheeran, Emeli Sande, Eric Prydz, Flo Rida, Flux Pavilion & Doctor P, Florence & the Machine , Jack White, Jay-Z, Jessie J, Labrinth, Lana Del Rey, Leona Lewis, Magnetic Man, Maverick Sabre, Michael Kiwanuka, Mindless Behaviour, Nero, Plan B, Professor Green, Rihanna, Rizzle Kicks, Sean Paul, Sub Focus, Swedish House Mafia, Taio Cruz, The Maccabees, The Ting Tings, Tinchy Stryder, Tinie Tempah, Will.i.am, Wretch 32.

BBC Three has been confirmed as Radio 1's television partner and will be the only channel where viewers can see the whole event.

BBC Three will also produce an exciting range of additional programming in the run up to the weekend, details of which will be announced in the coming months.

A truly multiplatform experience, the event will be broadcast on Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra with a major interactive presence online and many live performances able to watch on demand.

There are some more huge names to be added to the line-up in the coming weeks - keep listening to Radio 1 and 1Xtra for details.

This special event is being produced in partnership with Hackney Council.

Radio 1 will also be embarking on a month of outreach activity in East London ahead of the main event, including the Radio 1 & 1Xtra Academy that opens on June 1st, keep listening to Radio 1 and 1Xtra to find out how to get tickets to the Academy.

BBC Radio 4 and The British Museum Explore Shakespeare's Restless World

Wed, 21 Mar 2012 20:57:40 +0000

British Museum Director Neil MacGregor presents Shakespeare's Restless World, a new series for Radio 4, (broadcast from 16 April at 1.45pm and repeated at 7.45pm) and part of a wider BBC Shakespeare Season.

The 20-part series looks at the world through the eyes of Shakespeare's audience by exploring objects from that turbulent period.

Examining these objects, Neil discusses how Elizabethan playgoers understood and made sense of the unstable and rapidly changing world in which they lived. With old certainties shifting around them, in a time of political and religious unrest and economic expansion, Neil asks what the plays would have meant to the public when they were first performed. He uses carefully selected objects to explore the great issues of the day that preoccupied the public and helped shape the works, and considers what they can reveal about the concerns and beliefs of Shakespearean England.

Gwyneth Williams, Controller, BBC Radio 4 says: “I am thrilled to welcome Neil MacGregor back to Radio 4 to present our Shakespeare series. His perspective, as you would expect, is original and inspiring and I recommend these programmes as a framework within which to approach and enjoy this special celebratory year of Shakespeare. Scholarship and a unique understanding of significant objects of the period bring alive the restless years and uncertain times in which Shakespeare wrote. Thus, through Neil’s analysis, just as we are enlightened historically, we are reminded again of our common humanity.”

Neil MacGregor, Director of the British Museum, says: “This series gives us a chance to understand what life was like in the turbulent world of William Shakespeare. Using 20 objects from the period - some grand, some everyday things - we can explore what the world looked like to the groundlings in the Globe and try to understand Shakespeare’s restless world.”

Shakespeare scholars and historians share their expertise on the wide ranging subjects raised in the series - from witchcraft and warfare to fencing and food, and from luxury trade and religion to cruelty and deception. Such experts as the eminent historians Eamon Duffy and Keith Thomas, Chief Associate Director of the RSC, Greg Doran, National Theatre Director Nicholas Hytner and fight director Alison de Burgh, discuss the issues these objects raise - everything from exploration and discovery to violence, entertainment and the plague. Bringing to life some of Shakespeare's inspiring speeches are actors, including Rory Kinnear, Don Warrington, Don Gilet, Hattie Morahan, David Warner and John Heffernan.

The objects are drawn not only from the British Museum, but from an eclectic array of collections around the country including: The National Museum of Wales, the National Museum of Scotland, The Royal Armouries at Leeds, Edinburgh University Library, Westminster Abbey, the British Library and Stonyhurst College. They vary from the magnificent to the prosaic, from ceremonial to the everyday.

Audiences will be able to follow the series, and find a wealth of extra content online. The site, built by the BBC working in collaboration with the British Museum, will follow a similar model to the award-winning A History of the World site.

The programmes will be made permanently available to listen to online and download. The objects, from the British Museum and institutions across the UK, can be viewed in deep zoom, along with in depth information about the object and their place in the culture and society of Shakespeare's world.

The site will feature video clips, along with a rich selection of related programmes from the Radio 4 archive. The audience will be invited to comment and debate on the site and across social media. The site will remain online and accessible across mobiles and tablet devices.

Myers Report Recommends Reduction to DQF Savings Target for BBC Local Radio

Wed, 29 Feb 2012 22:08:24 +0000

A review into how BBC Local Radio can maximise productivity and deliver efficiency savings conducted by the independent media consultant, John Myers, has been published today by the BBC.

John Myers recommends a significant reduction to the savings target suggested in last October's Delivering Quality First proposals. The BBC Trust has already asked BBC management to look again at the target following its public consultation. Myers says savings on scope (content) should be much reduced because they may threaten audience size but suggests that there are further savings to be made in efficiency targets.

In particular, he concludes that significant savings can be made through cutting or sharing management functions.

Myers has also concluded that the standard of journalism in BBC Local Radio is good and at times impressive and that it fulfils an important role across the UK with a range of programmes and journalism that is both appealing and highly valued.

The BBC's Controller of English Regions, David Holdsworth, said: "We are grateful to John Myers for his report which will inform our thinking as we consider the BBC Trust recommendations on savings to be made in BBC Local Radio. We value his endorsement of BBC Local Radio as an excellent service, staffed by dedicated professionals, passionate about delivering much-valued output.”

John Myers' remit was to suggest ways in which BBC Local Radio might make savings through people, management and back office functions to reduce the effort required in producing and presenting local radio without reducing the volume or quality of original journalism, material produced or adversely impacting the localness and live nature of the output.

Myers says within the report: "I believe it (BBC Local Radio) can make savings without affecting journalism or the depth of coverage that is required."

"Listeners must be served a range of distinctive programmes on local radio that offer choice and companionship and it must be delivered brilliantly and in a style that is all of its own."

"Savings can be delivered less through Scope and more through Productivity." He also raises concerns about facilities, central costs and the total cost of staff employment.

ECB and BBC Sport Agree New Six-year Deal for Live Cricket Radio Coverage

Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:17:46 +0000

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has agreed a new six-year deal with BBC Sport for the radio rights to broadcast ball-by-ball commentary on international cricket from 2014 to 2019.

The agreement, which will encompass two home Ashes series in 2015 and 2019, and tours by India in 2014 and South Africa in 2017, provides BBC radio with live and exclusive coverage of all England’s home Test, One-Day International and T20 series.

The BBC had previously agreed a four-year deal with ECB to broadcast live ball-by-ball coverage of international cricket which is due to expire at the end of the 2013 season.

David Collier, ECB Chief Executive, said: “This is excellent news for all cricket lovers. Test Match Special brings cricket into millions of homes in this country each summer and is widely recognised for its unique and world class coverage of cricket.

“The next six years are set to be exciting ones for the sport and Test Match Special’s coverage together with the regular summaries and updates provided by BBC Radio 5 live will play a significant role in promoting cricket from the playground to the Test arena.”

Barbara Slater, Director BBC Sport, said: “We're delighted to be taking cricket on the radio forward for a further six years. Test Match Special, now in its 55th year, is one of the most treasured programmes on the BBC with its unique mix of expert commentary, insight, humour and entertainment. In a new digital era the programme and its accompanying download have never been more popular with its audience.”

BBC Radio 6 Music and Radio 1Xtra Break Ratings Records

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:24:59 +0000

Digital networks BBC Radio 6 Music and BBC Radio 1Xtra have posted record listening figures in the year of their 10th anniversaries, according to data published today by RAJAR.

New figures show that the stations – launched in March and September 2002 respectively – are more popular than ever: 6 Music now reaches 1.44 million people each week – up 27% on last year, while 1Xtra attracts 1.02 million listeners – up 25% on last year and the first time the station has tipped one million. Including all listeners aged 10+, 1Xtra’s audience rises to 1.10 million.

Elsewhere. Radio 4 continues its formidable form, adding half a million listeners over the course of the year to achieve a weekly audience of10.83 million – just shy of its highest ever total of 10.85m. The Today programme now has more than 7 million listeners, with 7.15m tuning in each week – up from 6.63m last year and 6.76m last quarter. Radio 4’s digital sister station Radio 4 Extra attracted 1.55 million listeners during the period, an increase of 65% on last year’s 941,000 (as Radio 7).

RAJAR statistics also show that during the measurement period (Sept 19 – Dec 18), All BBC Radio reaches 34.94 million people every week (from 34.51m last year and 34.86m last quarter). It has a share of 55.5%, compared to 55.3% last year and 54.5% last quarter.

Tim Davie, Director BBC Audio & Music, said: “Radio is in rude health and these figures illustrate the value listeners place on high quality broadcasting. Radio 4 goes from strength to strength and proves once again that distinctive, intelligent output and broad appeal are not mutually exclusive. 6 Music and 1Xtra are unique stations which are establishing loyal and ever-growing audiences. Their record listening figures are a fitting tribute as they celebrate10 years on air.”

Radio 1 attracted 11.67 million listeners aged 15+ during the period (compared to 11.42m last year and 11.85m last quarter) and including all listeners aged 10+, this figure rises to 12.66 million (compared to 12.61m last year and 12.75m last quarter) Its share is 8.5%, from 8.8% last year and 9.1% last quarter. The Chris Moyles Show now has 7.24 million listeners every week – from 7.16m last quarter and 7.45m last year. Including 10+ listeners, this total increases to 7.77m.

Radio 2 has 14.27 million listeners – from last year’s 13.94m and last quarter’s 14.31m. It has a share of 16.3% compared to 16.2% last year and 15.9% last quarter. The Chris Evans Breakfast Show attracted 8.86 million listeners every week, from 8.72m last year and 8.86m last quarter.

Radio 3 has a weekly audience of 2.10 million listeners – compared to 2.05m last quarter and 2.22m last year. The network’s share is 1.3%, up from 1.1% last quarter and 1.2% last year.

BBC Radio 5 live posted a combined reach with sister station 5 live sports extra of 6.34 million listeners, from 6.43m last quarter and 7.21m last year during The Ashes. Share for Radio 5 live (inc. sports extra) is 4.4% (4.6% last quarter and 5.5% last year).

The BBC Asian Network’s weekly reach was 472,000, from 477,000 last year and 507,000 last quarter. BBC World Service posted a UK reach of 1.39 million – broadly in line with the figure of 1.46m last year, while BBC Local / Regional radio reached 9.60 million listeners per week - from 9.50 last quarter and 9.84 last year.

Weekly reach – BBC Radio
Reach in thousands
	Dec 10	Sep 11	Dec 11
All BBC	34,505	34,863	34,940
All BBC Network Radio	31,128	31,723	31,635
Radio 1	11,421	11,850	11,665
Radio 2	13,943	14,309	14,267
Radio 3	2,216	2,052	2,097
Radio 4	10,319	10,555	10,834
Radio 5 Live	7,093	6,237	6,227
Radio 5 Live (inc Sports Extra)	7,212	6,431	6,342
BBC Local/Regional (inc Nations)	9,836	9,499	9,604

Weekly reach – BBC Digital Radio
Reach in thousands
	Dec 10	Sep 11	Dec 11
5 Live Sports Extra	751	1,150	616
BBC 6 Music	1,137	1,229	1,443
1Xtra	816	904	1,017
BBC Radio 4 Extra	941	1,526	1,554
BBC World Service	1,459	1,501	1,388
BBC Asian Network UK	477	507	472

BBC Radio Ulster Holds Top Spot in Northern Ireland

Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:10:52 +0000

BBC Radio Ulster/ Foyle remains the most listened to radio station in Northern Ireland with an average weekly audience of 513,000 listeners tuning in each week – according to the latest RAJAR (Radio Joint Audio Research) figures for Quarter Four, 2011.

These latest RAJAR figures show a slight decrease of 11,000 listeners to the station year on year (with 524,000 listeners in Quarter Four, 2010) and 25,000 listeners quarter on quarter (with 538,000 listeners in Quarter Three, 2011).

BBC Radio Foyle, meanwhile, has an average weekly audience of 32,000 listeners. This figure shows an increase of 3,000 listeners year on year (with 29,000 listeners in Quarter Four, 2010) and is consistent quarter on quarter (with 31,000 listeners in Quarter Three, 2011).

Fergus Keeling, Head of Radio, BBC Northern Ireland, says: "I would like to thank our listeners once again for continuing to make us the most listened to radio station in Northern Ireland. It is an achievement we do not take for granted. These are increasingly competitive and challenging times and we are honoured that our listeners continue to come to BBC Radio Ulster/Foyle for their quality news, speech and specialist music programming. This is an important year in Northern Ireland’s calendar and we will continue to be at the forefront with engaging and challenging radio.”

BBC Announces Shortlist for BBC Audio Drama Awards

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:50:54 +0000

The shortlist for the first ever BBC Audio Drama Awards has been announced.

The awards aim to celebrate and recognise the cultural importance of audio drama, on air and online, and to give recognition to the actors, writers, producers, sound designers, and others who work in the genre.

The winners will be announced at a ceremony to be held on Sunday 29th January 2012 in the Radio Theatre at BBC Broadcasting House in central London and presented by actor David Tennant. In conjunction with the Society of Authors and The Writers’ Guild of Great Britain, The Imison and Tinniswood Awards will also be announced and presented by playwright and Guild President, David Edgar.

The BBC Audio Drama Awards shortlist for each category is:

Best Audio Drama:

(Judges: Lord Hall, Razia Iqbal, Sarah Sands)

• A Shoebox Of Snow by Julie Mayhew

Producer: Justine Potter, Red Production Company for Radio 4

• Lost Property – The Year My Mother Went Missing by Katie Hims

Producer: Jessica Dromgoole, BBC Radio Drama for Radio 4

• The First Domino by Jonathan Cash

Producer: Frank Stirling, Unique Broadcasting Company for Radio 3

Best Actor in an Audio Drama:

(Judges: Ian Brown, Lisa Campbell, Dame Harriet Walter CBE)

• Damian Lewis, Giovanni’s Room dramatised by Neil Bartlett

Producer: Turan Ali, Bona Broadcasting for Radio 3

• David Tennant, Kafka: The Musical by Murray Gold

Producer: Jeremy Mortimer, BBC Radio Drama for Radio 3

• Rory Kinnear, Flare Path by Terence Rattigan

Producer: Jeremy Herrin, Catherine Bailey Productions Ltd for Radio 3

• *Special Commendation* Tom Riley, Henry’s Demons by Patrick and Henry Cockburn

Producer: Karen Rose, Sweet Talk Productions for Radio 4

Best Actress in an Audio Drama:

(Judges: Michael Billington, Kate Harwood, Robin Lustig)

• Candis Nergaard, Atching Tan by Dan Allum

Producer: Charlotte Riches, BBC Audio Drama North for Radio 4

• June Whitfield, A Montrous Vitality by Andy Merriman

Producer: David Hunter, BBC Radio Drama for Radio 4

• Rosie Cavaliero, Lost Property: A Telegram From The Queen by Katie Hims

Producer: Jessica Dromgoole, BBC Radio Drama for Radio 4

Best Supporting Actor/Actress in an Audio Drama:

(Judges: Daniel Evans, Gillian Reynolds, Imogen Stubbs)

• Andrew Scott, Referee by Nick Perry

Producer: Sasha Yevtushenko, BBC Radio Drama for Radio 4

• Carl Prekopp, The History of Titus Groan dramatised by Brian Sibley

Producers: David Hunter, Gemma Jenkins and Jeremy Mortimer, BBC Radio Drama for Radio 4

• Rupert Penry-Jones, Flare Path by Terence Rattigan

Producer: Jeremy Herrin, Catherine Bailey Productions Ltd for Radio 3

Best Scripted Comedy Drama:

(Judges: Andrew Davies, Christopher William Hill, Miranda Sawyer)

• Cabin Pressure by John Finnemore

Producer: David Tyler, Pozzitive for Radio 4

• Ed Reardon’s Week by Christopher Douglas

Producer: Dawn Ellis, BBC Radio Comedy for Radio 4

• Floating by Hugh Hughes

Producer: James Robinson, BBC Radio Drama for Radio 4

Best Online Only Audio Drama:

(Judges: Nicolas Kent, Julie Myerson, Jane Thynne)

• Rock by Tim Fountain

Producer: Iain Mackness, Made in Manchester for The Independent Online

• Wild Hackney

Producer: Francesca Panetta for Hackney Podcast

Best Adaptation:

(Judges: Viv Gardner, Maxine Peak, Fiammetta Rocco)

• Alone In Berlin dramatised by Shelagh Stephenson

Producer: Eoin O’Callaghan, BBC Northern Ireland for Radio 4

• Five Days In May by Matthew Solon

Producer: John Dryden, Goldhawk Productions for Radio 4

• The History of Titus Groan dramatised by Brian Sibley

Producers: David Hunter, Gemma Jenkins and Jeremy Mortimer, BBC Radio Drama for Radio 4

Best Use of Sound in an Audio Drama:

(Judges: Kevin Brew, John Hardy, Elisabeth Mahoney)

• Bad Memories by Julian Simpson

Producer: Karen Rose, Sweet Talk Productions for Radio 4

• Can You Hear Me? by Margaret Wilkinson

Producer: Nadia Molinari, BBC Audio Drama North for Radio 4

• The History of Titus Groan dramatised by Brian Sibley

Producers: David Hunter, Gemma Jenkins and Jeremy Mortimer, BBC Radio Drama for Radio 4

Innovation Award:

(Judges: Susannah Clapp, Rupert Goold, Stephen Wright)

• Blue Eyed Boy by Helen Cross

Producer: Mary Ward-Lowery, BBC Bristol for Radio 4

• The Unfortunates adapted by Graham White

Producer: Mary Peate, BBC Radio Drama for Radio 3

• Wild Hackney

Producer: Francesca Panetta for Hackney Podcast

The shortlist for the Imison Award for Best Radio Drama Script broadcast in 2010 by a new writer is:

• Atching Tan by Dan Allum

• The Pursuit by Matt Hartley

• The Barber and the Ark by Marcia Layne

• Amazing Grace by Michelle Lipton

(Society of Author’s Broadcasting Committee: Alison Joseph, Mike Bartlett, Lucy Caldwell, Nazrin Choudhury, Christopher William Hill, Karen Liebreich, Sue Limb, Karl Sabbagh, Colin Teevan and John Taylor)

The Tinniswood Award shortlist for Best Radio Drama Script broadcast in 2010 is:

• The Climb by Andrea Earl

• Sarah and Ken by Rebecca Lenkiewicz

• Setting a Glass by Nick Warburton

• Gerontius by Stephen Wyatt

(Judges: Robert Bathurst, Paul Donovan, Nell Leyshon)

Notes to Editors (BBC Audio Drama Awards):

• The BBC Audio Drama Awards cover audio dramas first broadcast in English in the UK between 1st October 2010 and 30th September 2011 – or first uploaded/published for free listening online in the UK during the same period

• Entries were welcome from all makers of audio drama, and were not restricted to BBC broadcasts

• Each programme producer could enter up to three categories (one entry only per category)

• The audio drama had to be submitted exactly as broadcast or uploaded

• There was no entry fee

• The panel of judges taken from within and outside the BBC are:

Michael Billington, Theatre Critic, The Guardian

Kevin Brew, Producer, RTE

Ian Brown, Artistic Director, West Yorkshire Playhouse

Lisa Campbell, Editor, Broadcast

Susannah Clapp, Theatre Critic, The Observer

Andrew Davies, British Author and Screenwriter

Daniel Evans, Artistic Director, Sheffield Cruciblea

Viv Gardner, Professor of Theatre Studies, Manchester

Rupert Goold, Artistic Director, Headlong Theatre and Associate Director, RSC

Lord Hall of Birkenhead, Chief Executive, Royal Opera House

John Hardy, Composer

Kate Harwood, Controller, Series and Serials TV Drama

Christopher William Hill, Radio Dramatist and Playwright

Razia Iqbal, Journalist, BBC News

Nicolas Kent, Artistic Director, Tricycle Theatre

Robin Lustig, Journalist, BBC World Service and BBC Radio 4

Elisabeth Mahoney, Radio Critic, The Guardian

Julie Myerson, Author and Critic

Maxine Peake, Actress

Gillian Reynolds, Radio Critic, The Daily Telegraph

Fiammetta Rocco, Editor of Books and Arts, The Economist

Miranda Sawyer, Radio Critic, The Observer

Sarah Sands, Deputy Editor, Evening Standard

Imogen Stubbs, Actress and Playwright

Jane Thynne, Radio Critic, The Independent

Dame Harriet Walter CBE

Stephen Wright, Head of Drama, BBC Northern Ireland

The People's Passion on BBC Radio 4 this Easter

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:22:51 +0000

The People's Passion, to be broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in Holy Week 2012, looks at modern life in cathedrals across the land in five new dramas, documentaries and specially commissioned choral music.

Cathedrals still dominate Britain’s cities – once symbols of temporal power, technological wonder and musical heritage – The People’s Passion explores what they mean to us today.

The choral music for The People’s Passion is a mass setting and anthem specially commissioned for the project in a unique collaboration between acclaimed poet Michael Symmons Roberts and Manchester Carols composer Sasha Johnson Manning. The music, threaded throughout both the plays and documentaries, will be made freely available through the BBC Radio 4 website to choirs around the country.

Choirs across the land are invited to learn the new choral piece to be performed during Easter weekend when the piece will be premiered on Radio 4’s Sunday Worship from Manchester Cathedral on Easter Sunday morning.

The aim is to encourage choirs of all kinds – school choirs, community choirs, cathedral choirs and choral ensembles – to perform the same new music in the same week.

To register interest, download the sheet music and find out more about the project, visit the Radio 4 website.

BBC Local Radio will follow choirs in their area as they prepare for Easter, linking features about their choirs and their own local Cathedrals to The People's Passion website.

Christine Morgan, Head of Radio, BBC Religion & Ethics, said: “It’s very exciting that BBC Radio 4 have commissioned a brand new piece of music for Easter 2012 and we hope that choirs of all styles, across the country, will go to the Radio 4 website and download the music from The People’s Passion page and get singing.”

The five new plays penned by award-winning playwright Nick Warburton for The People’s Passion are set in a fictional cathedral and based on the daily life of the people who live, work and visit there – each play centres on a different character.

The dramas are accompanied by five documentaries which invite selected visitors to five of Britain’s cathedrals to engage in conversation with the themes of the dramas.

The People’s Passion is a partnership between BBC Religion and Ethics, BBC Radio Drama and BBC Local Radio.

BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra Head to Hull for Four Days of Live Broadcasts

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 19:19:24 +0000

BBC Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe has announced that Radio 1 and Radio 1Xtra are set to showcase their continued commitment to new music this January with a special four-day broadcast and exciting programme of free-ticketed live music events in Hull later this month.

From Thursday 26th - Sunday 29th January Radio 1 and 1Xtra DJ’s including Nick Grimshaw, Annie Mac , Pete Tong and Trevor Nelson will descend on the northern city along with an eclectic line-up of artists and special guests to broadcast their shows from several venues across Hull.

Radio 1 celebrated new music at the beginning of January when specialist DJ's Zane Lowe, Annie Mac, Huw Stephens and Nick Grimshaw took over the daytime schedule to take listeners on a new music journey, sharing their hot music tips for 2012 and looking back at the artists they championed in 2011, and this is set to continue when they hit the road and arrive in Hull at the end of the month.

At 7pm on Thursday 26th January specialist music DJ’s Zane Lowe and Huw Stephens will pair up to present an extended version of Zane’s evening show (7-10pm), that will see BBC Introducing artists and Pulled Apart By Horses performing in front of a live audience at the legendary Adelphi.

From 10.00pm, Nick Grimshaw takes over for a two-hour show from Fruit, where he will be joined by Youngman and special guests from the world of music, cabaret and comedy. Listeners will be able to watch Nick’s show online at bbc.co.uk/radio1.

On Friday 27th January at 7pm Annie Mac kicks off a special under 18’s event live from Fruit, with guests Red Light, Jack Beats and Joker.

Then at 9pm, Pete Tong will broadcast his show live from Hull City Hall with the likes of special guests including Julio Bashmore, Madeon and Groove Armada presents Red Light. Listeners will be able to watch Pete’s show online at bbc.co.uk/radio1.

From 11pm Radio 1 will bring listeners a special extended Essential Mix live from Hull City Hall with some of the biggest names in dance and alongside members of Radio 1’s dance family including Chuckie, Fedde Le Grand, Porter Robinson and Judge Jules.

At 4pm on Saturday 28th January Radio 1Xtra will take over Hull, with DJ’s Ace and Vis broadcasting their show from the city.

On Saturday evening Radio 1 will team up with 1Xtra for a live simulcast celebrating the very best in new black music.

Staring at 7pm Trevor Nelson will be joined by DJ Target to present his weekly show live from the Asylum at Hull University, featuring a live performance from Emeli Sande.

The simulcast continues at 9pm when MistaJam takes over the decks, delivering a huge line-up from the bass world including Sub Focus, Knife Party, DJ Fresh, Jakwob and Hudson Mohawke.

At 9pm on Sunday 29th January The Surgery rounds off the long weekend of fun in Hull with a simulcast show across both networks. Co hosted by Aled Haydn Jones and Gemma Cairney, a panel of experts will be on hand to answer questions from a live studio audience made up of students from Hull University.

Keep listening to Radio 1 to find out how to get tickets.

Nick Grimshaw, Radio 1 DJ says: “I'm really excited to be taking the show up north. We'll be packing loads of exciting new music into our Radio 1 road trip and my show will be full of guests, comedy and music. It's gonna be good!”

Neil Wyatt, Editor of Radio 1 & 1Xtra Live Events says: “Radio 1 will be kicking off a huge year of live music in style live from Hull, with some of the hottest new artists around joining the Radio 1 DJ family as we take over the city. We're looking forward to celebrating the city's thriving new music scene with a series of special free events from the city's best bars, clubs and venues - its going to be big!”

BBC Trials Surround Sound for Headphones

Sat, 24 Dec 2011 12:41:43 +0000

BBC Radio is launching an experiment that will offer surround sound through standard headphones.

A Christmas service from the BBC archives will be available online in a ‘binaural’ format that creates realistic immersive (or ‘surround’) sound through ordinary headphones.

The Radio 3 website will offer a recording of Nine Lessons and Carols from 2007 in binaural sound until the end of the Christmas period. The service was recorded in surround sound as an experiment by BBC engineers and processed to create binaural audio by BBC Research and Development.

Listeners can simply plug their standard headphones into any computer with a stereo output and then stream the specially processed audio, which should make them feel as if they are hearing the music from speakers around them, not just their headphones. There are six different surround settings to choose from, to suit different types of headphones and head shape.

Tim Davie, Director of BBC Audio & Music, said: “We have stepped up our innovation within the BBC so that listeners can enjoy an even better experience of radio. If successful, our intention is to offer surround sound on a whole range of BBC programmes. This is part of an exciting series of trials such as HD Sound, and personal control of crowd versus commentary audio during events such as Wimbledon.”

Rupert Brun Head of Technology BBC Audio & Music said: “This experiment is an attempt to enhance the standard ‘stereo’ sound headphone users have had for over 50 years and, although it is only a trial at this stage, if listener feedback is positive it could offer a significant improvement to audio quality in the future.”

At the same time, both the 2007 recording and a pioneering experimental stereo recording of Nine Lessons and Carols from 1958 will be available in a surround sound format suitable for loudspeakers, such as those used as part of a home cinema system. The 1958 stereo recording has been converted to surround sound using technology from Fraunhofer IIS in Germany.

Harald Popp, Head of Department Multimedia Realtime Systems at Fraunhofer IIS, said: "We are glad to support the BBC's efforts through underlying technologies such as the MPEG Surround audio codec, that allow the creation and delivery of natural surround mixes from original stereo or surround recordings. The multi-channel audio stream is encoded in the most efficient way, backward compatible to stereo players."

The pieces were chosen as King's College Cambridge – where the recordings took place – has a rich reverberant acoustic and the location of choir, organ and congregation offers good opportunities for surround sound. The recordings also offer listeners a seasonal opportunity to hear this famous annual event.

The trial is part of BBC Radio’s continuing innovation in audio, including the launch of HD Sound, the Wimbledon NetMix experiment and ongoing trials of ‘3D Sound’ technology.

This year’s ‘Nine Lessons and Carols’ will be broadcast live on Radio 4 on Christmas Eve and will also be available online in HD Sound.

BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra Appoint Head of Programmes and Network Manager

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:42:32 +0000

Ben Cooper, Controller, BBC Radio 1 and 1Xtra, announced today that Rhys Hughes has been appointed Head of Programmes for Radio 1 and 1Xtra and Nicola Di Tullio has been appointed as Network Manager also working across both stations.

As Head of Programmes, Rhys will become the day-to-day editorial lead for both stations.

Rhys has been an Executive Producer at Radio 1 since 2000. Currently responsible for The Chris Moyles Show, Fearne Cotton and Dev, he has worked across both mainstream and specialist output, overseeing shows including Scott Mills, Pete Tong, Trevor Nelson and Tim Westwood.

Since joining the station Rhys has picked up three Sony Awards and has been instrumental in Radio 1 and 1Xtra's link up with BFBS, broadcasting live from Camp Bastion in 2010 and again in 2011.

In addition, Rhys has been responsible for the recruitment of hot music talent to the station including Annie Mac, Mike Davies, Bobby Friction and in 2009 he bought Toddla T to Radio 1 and then in 2011 he introduced Skream - both of them he signed to the In New DJ's We Trust line-up.

Rhys Hughes says: "I'm delighted to be taking on the role of Head of Programmes for Radio 1 and 1Xtra and leading the editorial direction of both stations and I'm excited about the challenges that we face to move both youth networks forward in the digital world."

Ben Cooper says: "Rhys is passionate about new music, and making great radio for young audiences. I believe his experience, energy and ideas will support me in driving both networks forward."

In the role as Network Manager, Nicola Di Tullio will be responsible for the business and operational running of both stations which includes staffing and finances.

Nicola is currently Business Manager for Radio 1 and 1Xtra which she had been doing since 2003. Currently managing the move of both radio stations to BBC Broadcasting House, which will be an ongoing project until late 2012, she has also been responsible for the staffing of both networks. Prior to becoming Business Manager she worked closely with previous controller Andy Parfitt as Project Manager, before that she worked in the BBC Press Office before joining Radio 1 as a publicist.

Nicola Di Tullio said: "It will be my pleasure to ensure that the business is run in the most effective and efficient way to ensure the best for our young listeners. Not only do I have the personal and professional passion for the stations, but I care enormously for the people who work here."

Ben Cooper said: "In Nicola I have a first class leader and someone that can inspire and motivate our teams. In addition to the safe keeping of our budgets, she is skilled at managing large scale organisational change, like the smooth transition to Broadcasting House which will take place next year - this will be a really big moment in Radio 1's history."

The role of Head of Programmes will replace Ben Cooper's previous role as Deputy Controller at the station.

The appointment of the Network Manager follows the news that the stations' current Managing Editor, Tarrant Steele, is to leave after 15 years at the end of December to take up the role of Operations Director at Participle.

Rhys Hughes and Nicola Di Tullio take up their new positions from immediate effect and will report directly into Ben Cooper.

BBC Radio 4 to Broadcast Series Exploring the Impact of Sport on British Culture

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 14:24:26 +0000

Clare Balding will present a major 30-part Radio 4 series charting how Britain has shaped sport and how sport has shaped the British.

In Sport And The British, Clare will look at the vital and unique role sport has played, and continues to play, in British national life.

The narrative history series, which begins on Radio 4 on Monday, 30 January 1.45-2pm, has been made with support from the team at the International Centre for Sports History and Culture at De Montfort University in Leicester.

Clare said: “For me sport has always been at the centre of my existence. Horse racing isn’t just a hobby for my family, it’s a way of life. And having embraced all games as a child and ridden as an amateur jockey, I have presented and commentated on sport for nearly all of my adult years.

“I’m intrigued and fascinated by how this great triviality is so central to our culture. With the help of the academic team at the International Centre for Sports History and Culture, at De Montfort University, we are going to discover how and why Great Britain defined sport and sport defined Great Britain.”

Professor Tony Collins, Director of the International Centre for Sports History and Culture at De Montfort University, said: "We are extremely pleased to work with Clare and the BBC on Sport And The British and take the history of sport to a much wider audience. Our goal is always to bring the very best historical research to the general public – and thanks to the tremendous work of the BBC production team the series will be a landmark in sports history."

Themes explored in the series will include: the origins of modern sport within the world of aristocracy; sport in the Victorian era; how sport spread throughout The Empire; the relationship between class, race and sport; the power of sport to unite a nation; the rise of women in the world of sport; how sport went global via television; and the future of sporting Britain.

In the opening programme, Clare looks at the birth of the modern Olympics movement by the French nobleman, Pierre de Coubertin who had been inspired to re-kindle the Olympic flame by a visit to Rugby School. Clare examines what lessons can be drawn from the games since 1896 and what they can tell us as we approach 2012.

The series, which broadcasts each weekday until Friday, 9 March, has been made in partnership with The International Centre for Sports History and Culture at De Montfort University, lead by Prof Richard Holt and Prof Tony Collins. The series was produced in BBC Birmingham by Garth Brameld, Sara Conkey and Lucy Lunt.

BBC Radio Celebrates Billionth Podcast Download

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 13:14:59 +0000

More than a billion BBC radio programmes have been downloaded since the launch of the BBC’s podcast service in 2007.

To mark the occasion, the BBC is launching a special podcast, One Billion Downloads: A Selection Box, which features BBC presenters introducing their favourite free downloads from the BBC. Contributors include: Lauren Laverne, Matt Edmondson, Steve Punt and Hugh Dennis, Stuart Maconie and Richard Bacon.

The billion total is made up of monthly, daily, weekly and ad hoc downloads. There are 320 titles available from BBC Radio. These include a wide range of content such as World Service Documentaries, Rhod Gilbert’s Best Bits from BBC Radio Wales, Steve Bunce’s Boxing Show on BBC London and archive collections like Desert Island Discs.

News programmes have been the most downloaded daily podcasts over the period – with Global News leading the way (89 million downloads since 2007) followed by NewsPod (45m) and the Today Programme (41m) – while The Archers has amassed 35 million downloads, Radio 4’s History Of The World In 100 Objects has drawn 25 million downloads since 2010 and Radio 1’s Scott Mills Daily has notched up 31 million.

Amongst weekly titles, The Best Of Chris Moyles / Best Of Moyles Enhanced has been downloaded most (50 million combined), followed by Radio 4’s Friday Night Comedy (47m), Kermode & Mayo’s Film Reviews (24m) and Melvyn Bragg’s In Our Time (20m).

The Top 10 daily and weekly titles since the service began are as follows:

Entire World Top 10 Daily Podcasts (millions)

1 Global News (World Service) 89

2 Documentaries (World Service) 77

3 NewsPod (Radio) 45

4 Best Of Today (Radio 4) 41

5 The Archers (Radio 4) 35

6 Scott Mills Daily (Radio 1) 31

7 A History Of The World In 100 Objects (Radio 4) 25

8 5 live Football Daily (5 live) 16

9 Business Daily (World Service) 14

10 World Business Report (World Service) 11

Entire World Top 10 Weekly Podcasts (millions)

1 Friday Night Comedy from BBC Radio 4 (Radio 4) 47

2 Best Of Chris Moyles (Radio 1) 29

3 Mark Kermode And Simon Mayo's Film Reviews (5 live) 24

4 Peter Day's World of Business (Radio) 23

5 Best Of Chris Moyles Enhanced (Radio 1) 21

6 In Our Time with Melvyn Bragg (Radio 4) 20

7 From Our Own Correspondent (Radio 4) 19

8 6 Minute English (World Service) 17

9 Chris Evans Breakfast - The Best Bits (Radio 2) 16

10 The English We Speak (World Service) 12

Mark Friend, Controller of Multiplatform and Interactive, BBC Audio & Music, says: “BBC Radio’s one billionth download shows how audiences value being able to listen to audio when and where they want. Downloadable content draws in new listeners to a wide range of content with nearly a third of people who download podcasts listening to radio programmes they hadn’t previously listened to. Downloadable content is good for our listeners and good for the industry.”

Podcasting has proved a popular way for radio audiences to listen to their favourite programmes. 8.5 million adults in the UK have downloaded a podcast, according to figures published by RAJAR in 2011 (Radio Joint Audience Research Ltd.), nearly double the 4.3 million in 2007.

BBC Radio 4 Releases Results of Poll on Parenting in Britain

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 12:19:05 +0000

A poll for BBC Radio 4 indicates that it is widely believed that parents in Britain are losing control of how their children behave.

Seventy-five per cent of people asked in the survey agreed with the statement “British parents are losing control of their children’s behaviour”.

The survey also suggested that more than 75 per cent of people quizzed think the way parents raise their children in Britain has deteriorated in the past 10 years. Sixty-five per cent of respondents feel that teenage gang culture in Britain is a result of poor parenting. And more than 80 per cent feel parents should be held responsible for their children’s bad behaviour.

The phone poll of more than 1,000 people, carried out by ComRes, features in the first programme of the new series of Radio 4’s Bringing Up Britain (Wednesday, December 14, 8pm) which asks if parents have lost control of their children.

Presenter Mariella Frostrup and a panel of guests discuss whether parents today feel they are unable to discipline their children because they are afraid of repercussions by the authorities, or because their children are simply physically too strong to discipline. The programme also asks if children have too many rights and what steps parents can take to try and control unruly children.

The poll indicated that more than 70 per cent of people think parents are afraid to discipline their children physically because they think it is illegal, and more than 60 per cent think parents lack the necessary skills to discipline children.

The panel for the first programme includes: headteacher and advisor to the Department of Education, Charlie Taylor; Sheldon Thomas, founder of Gangsline, which helps youngsters caught up in gangs; Clem Henricson, social policy analyst and Member of the University of Oxford Centre for Research into Parenting and Children; and journalist Zoe Williams.

Other programmes in the series explore: how parents can broach the subject of sex when talking to their children; how to deal with pester-power in an ever more materialistic world; if parents are giving their children enough sense of independence.

BBC Radio 1 Announces Changes to Dance Music Line-up

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 13:44:31 +0000

BBC Radio 1 has announced that it has signed five new exciting specialist music DJs and will also be creating a brand new show - BBC Radio 1 Residency.

Skream & Benga, Toddla T, Charlie Sloth and Friction will all be hosting their own shows on the station from April 2012.

Friday night will continue to be the weekly destination for dance music fans and the biggest duo in Dubstep will be added to the line-up with Skream & Benga being given the 11pm-1am show. They will be added to the prestigious Friday night dance music line-up and follow Annie Mac (7pm-9pm) and Pete Tong (9pm- 11pm) who will remain in their current slots.

Benga said: "This is a massive honour and we're going to make the show really special. I'm so excited to get started and everyone is going to have a lovely time on Fridays!"

Toddla T, who has been on the In New DJ’s We Trust line-up since 2009 will be broadcasting his very own permanent show on Friday mornings (2am-4am).

Toddla T said: "Wowza! So so happy to have been given the chance to broadcast on Radio 1 every week. I’m looking forward to bringing the best in party club music from around the world to listeners!"

Thursday night (12midnight-2am) will also see the addition of a brand new show called the BBC Radio 1 Residency which will be presented by an impressive roster of DJs including Heidi, Chuckie and Kutski on a weekly rotation.

In New DJs We Trust, Radio 1's showcase for new DJ talent and new dance music will continue every Thursday evening (9pm-10pm) and early next year a brand new line-up of four cutting edge DJs will be revealed.

In addition to the changes to the dance music line-up, Charlie Sloth, who currently presents a hip-hop show on 1Xtra will be fronting his own show on Radio 1 on Tuesdays (2am-4am) and Friction* will be joining the station to host his own drum & bass show on Mondays (2am-4am).

Ben Cooper, Controller of Radio 1, said: "It’s important that Radio 1 continues to develop new talent and the station keeps evolving for our young listeners. These changes to our evening schedule will strengthen the range and depth of the specialist music offering on the network."

These changes mean that Judge Jules, Gilles Peterson, Kissy Sell Out, Fabio & Grooverider will be leaving Radio 1 next year.

Ben added: "We’d like to thank Jules, Gilles and Fabio & Grooverider for over a decade of hard work and commitment to music at Radio 1, and also to Kissy Sell Out his contribution over the last three years. All are incredibly talented and we wish them the very best for the future.’’

Judge Jules said: "I’ve had an incredible time over the last 14 years at Radio 1. I’m going to continue DJ’ing and I’m having a bit of a career change - I’m off to become an Entertainment Lawyer at Sheridans."

Gilles Peterson said: "I’ve had an amazing 13 years at Radio 1 - to be able to get away with the radical music that I’ve pushed out has always surprised me and I thank Radio 1 for giving me the freedom to do that. I’m looking forward to continuing my work in the BBC family some time in the future."

Gilles is currently talking to Radio 6 Music about future projects. The new schedule will come into effect from Monday 2nd April 2012.

Zane Lowe and Nick Grimshaw Announce BBC Radio 1's Festive Festival 2011 Line-up

Sat, 10 Dec 2011 09:37:28 +0000

BBC Radio 1 is set to get it's listeners in the Christmas spirit on Monday 12th December (7pm-midnight), as the Festive Festival returns to the legendary BBC Maida Vale Studios for a night of celebrations and live performances from some of 2011’s rising stars hotly tipped for big things in the New Year.

Kicking off at 7pm, specialist music hosts Zane Lowe and Nick Grimshaw will introduce an eclectic line-up of artists they have been championing this year, including Bring Me The Horizon, Emeli Sande, Keaton Henson and Dot Rotten.

These much anticipated performances in front of a live audience will be complemented by live mixes from some of dance music’s freshest talent getting behind the decks to showcase some of their latest productions - Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, Unicorn Kid, Jakwob and Gemini.

From 10pm, Nick presents a post party show with Radio 1 DJs and some of the performers popping in as guests.

The 2010 Festive Festival also came live from the Maida Vales Studios and included performances from several breakthrough acts from that year including The Vaccines, Katy B, Wretch 32 and James Blake.

Nick says: “I can't wait to do another Festive Festival live from Maida Vale next week, it's one of my favourite Radio 1 events of the year. Joining me and my friend Zane will be a whole bunch of my favourite bands from 2011 – ones who have shaped the year in music and some artists that are going to be massive next year!”

BBC Radio 4 Illuminates Long History of the Monarchy in New Series, The Art of Monarchy

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:58:58 +0000

A collaboration between BBC Radio 4 and the Royal Collection. To mark Her Majesty The Queen's Diamond Jubilee, BBC Radio 4 illuminates the long history of the Monarchy in a new eight-part series, The Art Of Monarchy.

Presented by BBC Arts Editor Will Gompertz, the programmes explore the monarchs who have ruled these islands through the works of art they have acquired.

Travelling from Balmoral Castle in Scotland to the Royal Library at Windsor and from the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace to Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, Will speaks to historians, academics and Royal Collection curators, all of whom share their expertise and explain how the chosen objects illustrate the subjects examined in the programmes, including faith, progress, war and legacy.

Among the objects featured in the series are:

Henry VIII’s defence of Roman Catholicism, which led him to receive the title Defender of the Faith, before his break with the Roman Catholic Church
A memorial ring with a miniature of Charles I, intended as a token of reward for those who supported the loyalist cause
‘The secret picture’. Commissioned by Queen Victoria as a surprise for Prince Albert and showing her in an intimate pose with her hair unravelled

Gwyneth Williams, Controller, Radio 4 says: “As we approach the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, The Art Of Monarchy will give Radio 4 listeners an insight and deeper understanding of the Monarchy through a whole range of works of art from the Royal Collection.

"It is a unique opportunity to understand more about this fascinating collection and the monarchs who created it, whose history also spans the globe. Will Gompertz is the perfect guide, probing beneath the surface to draw out the stories, whilst reflecting on what art has meant to Kings and Queens through the ages. We hope listeners will enjoy listening to the programmes and take the opportunity to see the works online.”

Jonathan Marsden, Director of the Royal Collection, says: “Just as the British Monarchy is one of the defining characteristics of this country, so the Royal Collection is the physical embodiment of that history. It is also a collection that is ‘in use’. So in this series Will discovers works of art ‘in the wild’, not in the captive conditions of a museum. And the settings, from the Highlands of Scotland to the Tower of London, contribute to the power of this series.”

Will Gompertz says: “The Royal Collection has a unique place in the world’s great art collections. It is extraordinarily rich both artistically and historically – including works from internationally renowned old masters, to intimate keepsakes belonging to the royal family over the centuries. The idea behind the series is to use the collection as a prism through which to better understand the art of being a monarch, through the objects acquired by those monarchs.”

The Art Of Monarchy will be broadcast in eight episodes on BBC Radio 4 from February 2012 (Saturdays, 10.30-11.00am).

BBC Radio 5 Live Announces Christmas 2011 Line-up

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:55:31 +0000

BBC Radio 5 live has announced its Christmas and New Year 2011 schedule, which features a host of news, current affairs and sports specials, including several Olympic-themed programmes commissioned to usher in 2012.

Regular 5 live voices such as Peter Allen, Richard Bacon and Rachel Burden, will be joined by special guest presenters and contributors throughout the Christmas schedule including sporting stars Graeme Swann and Jimmy Anderson. Plus Maggie Philbin and Dr Chris Smith take part in 5 live’s first Science Night.

In addition to continuous live news and sports coverage, programme highlights over the festive period include:

News and Current Affairs

Friday 23rd December

6.00pm-7.00pm: Breadlines and Tinsel

(Repeat 25.12.11, 12.00am-1.00am)

With the season of eating, drinking and being merry upon us what is Christmas really like for the estimated four million Britons who are going hungry? Geoff Bird uncovers stories of the people who never thought they and their families would go hungry and be dependent on food hand outs.

Christmas Eve, Saturday 24th December

9.00am-11.00am: Chart The Year

(Repeat 25.12.11, 5.00am-7.00am)

Richard Bacon and special guests, including show regular Sam Delaney, look back on the year, discussing the top 20 most talked about stories from 2011.

10.00pm-11.00pm: One Week In August

BBC Radio 4 Commissions Commedy from 2011 Edinburgh Festival

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 19:38:17 +0000

BBC Radio 4 has announced new comedy commissions hand-picked from the myriad balmy cooped-up venues at the Edinburgh Festival in August and released into the giddy expanse of the Radio 4 airwaves to brighten up the gloomy winter months.

These sunny new comedy highlights include four half-hour pilots direct from the Fringe written by and starring: 2011 Foster Awards nominee, Chris Ramsey; The Penny Dreadfuls, Thom Tuck; comedian and poet, John Osborne; and Peep Show star and irrepressible songstrel, Isy Suttie.

Caroline Raphael, Commissioning Editor, Radio 4 Comedy and Entertainment, says: "Radio 4 is pleased to be able to bring four really original gems and stand out performances from this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival to a wider audience. We scour Edinburgh each year for new voices but are also always on the look out for beautifully written and constructed shows that we think can work in their own right on the radio."

Jane Berthoud, Head of Radio Comedy, says: “We are delighted to be working with all these extremely talented acts. Edinburgh is a vitally important showcase for performers and can provide the start of a very fruitful relationship between them, our producers and Radio 4.”

Upon their new series on Radio 4:

John Osborne says: “After winning a box of records from John Peel's shed in 2002 I always wanted more people to be able listen to some of the tracks in the collection. To be able to talk about the records and about music, radio and John Peel to an enthusiastic Radio 4 audience is such a pleasure and I hope people enjoy it in their living rooms, cars and baths on 21st December.”

John Peel's Shed (Wednesday 21st Dec, 11.30am)

Isy Suttie says: “I'm overjoyed to be doing my Edinburgh show on Radio 4. Having spent a month playing to audiences who'd been rained on all day, some of them dashing in late, I advise listeners to wrap up warm, eat a hearty meal and leave enough time for the journey from the sofa to the radio.”

Isy Suttie: Pearl And Dave (Wednesday 11th Jan, 6.30pm)

Thom Tuck says: “I am honoured, after two series and two plays on the radio with The Penny Dreadfuls, to be stepping out in radio comedy on my own. It's been a lovely process: despair at losing visual jokes giving way to joy at how beautiful the band sounds. It's a show that I adore performing and, so far, people have enjoyed experiencing. Perhaps the most thrilling thing is that this, a show about heartbreak, is to be broadcast on Valentine's Day."

Thom Tuck Goes Straight to DVD (Tuesday 14th Feb, 11pm)

Chris Ramsey says: “I’m very chuffed to have been added to a great list of comics who’ve had their Edinburgh shows adapted for Radio 4. I’ve really enjoyed listening to them all so I’m looking forward to recording my own.”

Chris Ramsey: Offermation (Thursday 22nd Mar, 6.30pm)

Accompanying these Edinburgh shows, 2011 Edinburgh Comedy Award winner Adam Riches has been given a pilot script commission.

Further to these Edinburgh pilots, Radio 4 is also pleased to announce more new comedy series for 2012.

In the new year, a new six-part series, I, Regress (Tuesday 3rd Jan, 11pm), written by and starring Matt Berry as a twisted regression therapist, who take his patients on a surreal and unsettling journey into their unsuspecting sub-conscious. The cast includes Katherine Parkinson, Morgana Robinson, Simon Greenall, Jack Klaff, Tara Flynn, Alex Lowe and Playschool's Derek Griffiths.

Meanwhile, It's Will & Greg (Thursday 5th Jan, 11pm) is a surreal new-three part sketch show with a twist, featuring the award-winning Greg McHugh (Gary Tank Commander and star of Fresh Meat) and Will Andrews.

Tina C's Global Depression Tour (Wednesday 11th Jan, 11pm) is the Olivier Award-winning country and music singing creation of writer and performer Chris Green. In this series Tina C turns her fearsome charm on sorting out the world recession.

BBC Radio 1 to Open Academy for Young People Ahead of Hackney Weekend 2012

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 08:07:47 +0000

BBC Radio 1 and BBC Learning have announced that they are to embark on an ambitious programme of local engagement and outreach activity in the lead up to BBC Radio 1’s Hackney Weekend, which will include the creation of an Academy, which every young person in the area will be invited to.

Radio 1 and BBC Learning will be partnering with a number of organisations in Hackney and its surrounding boroughs to build a series of unique collaborations and a comprehensive programme of work in the local area which will inspire, educate and create opportunities for the young people of East London.

Opening its doors on 1st June 2012, the Academy will be Radio 1 & 1Xtra's base in Hackney until the main event starts on 23rd June and will offer a programme of workshops and sessions on a range of subjects including business, the arts, career development and media skills, including radio production and journalism.

Four first class ambassadors are involved and will champion the event – they are international music artist Leona Lewis who grew up in Hackney; East London’s award-winning artist and actor Plan B; Radio 1/1Xtra DJ Trevor Nelson MBE and Former World and European Triple Jump Champion Phillips Idowu, both of whom were born in Hackney.

Other plans for the outreach work include:

Inspiring and Celebrating Young UK

Radio 1 will work with youth organisations across the UK to identify inspiring young people. 2012 tickets to the Hackney Weekend will be given to young people who have done some brilliant and inspirational work for their communities, friends and families.

Celebrating East London Art & Music

Radio 1 will be shining a spotlight on young East Londoners, giving them a platform to showcase their talents by handing over the creative look and feel of the Hackney Marshes site to the young people of East London. Working with local artists, art groups and schools from across the six East London Boroughs, Radio 1 will give them the space and support to be able make their own mark on the main event. In addition, every single space on the line up of the BBC Introducing stage will be filled by unsigned & undiscovered East London musicians & acts.

There will be many other initiatives happening around Radio 1's Hackney Weekend including Community radio partnerships, volunteering opportunities and a festival in June which will be curated by the young people of Hackney.

The outreach work will take place throughout June, before the BBC’s biggest ever free-ticketed live music event which takes place on Hackney Marshes on 23rd and 24th June 2012 for the opening weekend of the London 2012 Festival.

Jason Carter, BBC Radio 1’s Event Director for 2012, said: "Our activity in Hackney will be the most ambitious programme of events in the station's history, and our work across the community, is as important as the main live music concert in the park. This year we have spent time consulting with many young people from East London to understand what is important to them and how Radio 1, in the lead up the event, can give them opportunities and something of lasting value."

Abigail Appleton, BBC Learning said: ‘’We work with some of the BBC’s biggest brands to create powerful learning opportunities for all our audiences. I am thrilled to be working so closely with Radio 1 to ensure their Big Weekend in Hackney is not only an extraordinary musical event but an inspiration and catalyst for young people to learn new skills and ideas.’’

More details about the programme of events will be announced early 2012.

BBC Radio 1Xtra Announces new Documentary Commissions

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 08:05:04 +0000

BBC Radio 1Xtra has announced details of three new documentaries which will air in November and December as part of the station’s 1Xtra’s Stories strand (Sundays 9-10pm).

To coincide with 1Xtra Live – which visits four cities (Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and London - Brixton) over four consecutive nights – the station will broadcast 1Xtra Live – Story of the Cities on November 27th.

The documentary features two artists from each area, taking a look back at its musical history and how it has influenced their sound and music. They also look forward to the sounds that will be coming out of the city in the future, the artists breaking through on the local scene and why their home town is so important to them.

In The Story of the Classic UK Clubs, which airs over two episodes on December 4th and 11th, 1Xtra DJ Ronnie Herel looks back at the last three decades of UK club culture and selects six club nights that had a genuine impact on the world and changed the course of black dance music history in Britain.

In part one Ronnie finds out about three classic nights that build the foundations for today’s music culture, covering Soul II Soul (at the Africa Centre), Wild Bunch and Metalheadz. Part two showcases Sidewinder, Niche and FWD>> and shows how they helped create dubstep, grime and bassline.

On December 19th It’s Grime Up North, presented by 1Xtra’s Charlie Sloth looks at why Northern MC and rappers are still not breaking through on the scene. Sloth investigates whether the artists themselves or the industry is to blame, travelling from Newcastle to Liverpool and Manchester to Sheffield in a quest to find out.

It’s Grime Up North will also be Radio 1 and 1Xtra’s first cross-platform documentary, airing both on 1Xtra and streamed online in video on the 1Xtra website and on the BBC Red Button.

Piers Bradford, Commissioning Editor for Radio 1 and 1Xtra said: “This is a really exciting collection of documentaries, showcasing Radio 1Xtra's ability to delve deeper into the interests of our young listeners.”

Over the past 12 months, 1Xtra Stories have covered everything from youth homelessness and steroid use to the life and influence of J Dilla and taken a look at the lack of openly homosexual rappers.

BBC Radio 1Xtra will continue its commitment to documentaries next year, with around 40 brand new commissions going out in the Sunday night slot.

1Xtra Live – Story of the Cities is produced by ChiChi Izundu (BBC); The Story of the Classic UK Clubs is produced by Emma Warren (Folded Wing) and It’s Grime up North is produced by Sam White (BBC).

BBC Radio 2 Celebrates Christmas with Comedy and Music Selection Box

Mon, 28 Nov 2011 08:01:49 +0000

BBC Radio 2 will be celebrating Christmas in style with a veritable feast of star names, music and comedy.

A series of programmes will look back at the stories behind some of the most iconic Christmas songs including The Story of White Christmas, an exploration of how one song revolutionised Christmas, hosted by actor Martin Sheen and the tale behind another Christmas classic - The Fairytale Of New York - presented by Dermot O’Leary.

Kylie Minogue pays a very personal tribute to jazz artist Blossom Dearie in Kylie On Blossom, while much-loved tenor Alfie Boe joins Radio 2 to host a show dedicated to the songs that have most influenced him. West End star Justin Lee Collins makes an appearance on Christmas Day with his lounge music special. And Craig Charles also looks at the soulful side of yuletide songs, playing some festive soul favourites.

Christmas comedy comes in the form of seasonal stalwart David Jason as he hosts David Jason’s Comedy Xmas, examining festive television and radio. French and Saunders make a welcome return to the station for more rib tickling shows, and in Jon And Miranda’s Secret Santa, Miranda Hart and Jon Holmes provide more laughs, celebrity guests and chat.

Finally, in an intimate and revealing programme, Radio 2 gives iconic broadcaster Sir Jimmy Savile the last word on his remarkable life with a documentary featuring newly discovered - and mostly never heard before - archive of his final in-depth interview recorded in February 2011.

Radio 2 Christmas highlights (in chronological order) include:

Kylie On Blossom - Thursday 22nd December 10.00-11.00pm

Kylie Minogue pays a personal tribute to one of the most unique jazz artists of the last 50 years; Blossom Dearie. A 'musician's musician', Dearie was an iconic figure on the cabaret circuit in New York, Paris and London. Citing her as a major influence - indeed the two singers met shortly before Blossom died in 2009 - Minogue explores, first hand on both sides of the Atlantic, her fascinating musical career.

The White Christmas Story - Friday 23rd December 10.00-11.00pm

US actor Martin Sheen tells the story of how one song revolutionised Christmas.

Seventy years previously, Irving Berlin proclaimed, “I’ve just written the best song I ever wrote… the best song anybody ever wrote.”

His declaration has proven eerily accurate. And once recorded, at Berlin’s insistence by one of the world’s best loved performers, Bing Crosby, who starred alongside Fred Astaire in the film Holiday Inn, Berlin created a platform for White Christmas to become one of the best loved songs of all times. And it’s the best-selling with over 50 million copies sold worldwide.

When Crosby first performed White Christmas in public on Christmas Eve 1941 his words struck a chord with war-weary soldiers and those they left behind, all collectively longing for when days were indeed ‘merry and bright’. Today, it represents a truly universal piece of music, being recorded in over 500 different languages, as Sheen explores how one song can still, more than any other, sum up the Christmas season.

Jon And Miranda's Secret Santa - Friday 23rd December 12.00-2.00pm

Jon Holmes and Miranda Hart don red hats and a big white beard as they host a warm and lively Christmas show with celebrity guests and festive chat. They hold a Secret Santa for the nation, inviting listeners to sit on their knee and tell them what they want. Delightful (inexpensive) gifts will also be doled out of a Radio 2 sack to some of the year's biggest names; just wait till you see what they've bought for Wills and Kate.

Jon and Miranda comment: "We're delighted to be sharing some mulled Radio 2 with listeners over Christmas and promise to both ding and dong merrily - not just on high either, but all over the place. It's our Christmas gift to the nation. Although we have kept the receipt, just in case."

Behind The Fairytale (of New York) - Saturday 24th December 10.00-11.00pm

Dermot O’Leary presents the moving and multi-layered story behind the Christmas classic Fairytale Of New York.

The song resonates with Irish history and the Irish folk tradition in songs - such as The Rare Mountain Dew and Galway Bay - and found further associations following the tragic death of Kirsty McColl in 2000 and the atrocities of 9/11, when it was adopted as an anthem by the New York Police Department. Written by Pogues frontman Shane McGowan and banjo player Jem Finer in 1987, the programme discovers how Kirsty McColl came to sing the vocals by accident, recalls public reaction (including a temporary ban on the lyric 'faggot') and assesses the lasting legacy of the song to this day.

French and Saunders - Christmas Day 2.00-4.00pm

Comedians Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders bring listeners the first of three seasonal specials with a Christmas Day show. Guests in this short series will include, amongst others, Michael Palin, Tracey Emin and Clare Balding and her Mum. Last year, Miranda Hart's mother told a story about how Miranda broke wind in front of the local vicar. What tales will Clare's mother have?

Their two further shows can be heard on New Year’s Day (1.00-3.00pm) and Sunday 2nd January (2.00-4.00pm).

Presenter/ Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders, Producer/ Julia McKenzie

In the Lounge with Justin Lee Collins - Christmas Day 4.00-6.00pm

Justin Lee Collins’ love for big-haired 80s rock is well documented and he can currently be found championing this genre every night on the West End stage. But relaxing at the other end of the musical spectrum is another JLC favourite, the rather more understated lounge.

But what exactly is lounge music? Is it the hotel lounge and piano bar soundtrack which emerged into the spotlight when The Rat Pack ruled Vegas? Or, did Sinatra swing too far, and should lounge be something altogether more relaxing? JLC tries to define “lounge”, with the help of James Pearson, Artistic Director at Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. Sitting at the piano, with James and special guests, he hears how a simple change of rhythm can transform a song.

The music selection is all-embracing, from Mel Tormé and Dean Martin, to Astrud Gilberto, Doris Day, and modern day crooners like Richard Hawley; with JLC sharing some of his particular favourites.

Presenter/ Justin Lee Collins, Producer/ Anthony Cherry

David Jason's Comedy Christmas - Saturday 25th December 6.00-7.00pm

David Jason’s Comedy Christmas will bottle the spirit of Christmas and serve up classic moments from an array of British television and radio programmes past and present.

Whether it’s The Goon Show, Morecombe and Wise, Only Fools And Horses or The Royle Family, the Christmas edition of a hit comedy show has always been a hugely anticipated occasion.

As well as clips from the nation’s favourites, the series will also feature new interviews with a host of stars, writers and executives involved in the commissioning and production of these comedy classics – including contributions from the likes of Bill Pertwee and Ronnie Corbett.

David says: “Christmas always seems to be a great time for comedy, I suppose it's because it brings people together. I used to love the sheer lunacy of whatever The Goon Show did at Christmas and then of course Morecambe and Wise - well I can't imagine Christmas without them. Christmas is the one time that the whole family - grandad, aunty and the rest, sit down together with the TV or Radio and if you can make them all laugh it's really something special.”

Jimmy Savile - In His Own Words - Sunday 25th December 9.00-10.00pm

In this intimate and revealing programme, Radio 2 gives iconic broadcaster Sir Jimmy Savile the last word on his remarkable life.

Using newly discovered - and mostly never heard before - archive of his final in-depth interview recorded in February 2011, plus other rare and forgotten interviews given by Sir Jimmy, this programme understands the man who by his own admission was "odd".

From reading telegrams to those who'd lost loved ones in the Second World War, his relationship with his mother ' The Duchess', his charity work and his life in the limelight - Sir Jimmy reflects on his life and even admits when asked about his own mortality, he's not going anywhere.

From the launch of Top Of The Pops, to Jim'll Fix It, plus his attitude towards fame and fortune, this is the life of Sir Jimmy Saville as seen and experienced by the man himself.

Brother In Lawford - Wednesday 28th December 10.00-11.00pm

Radio 2 tells the story of Peter Lawford, the man who brought together The Kennedys, The Rat Pack, The Mob and Marilyn Monroe, and rose to the summit of showbiz but died alone and in poverty.

English born, the debonair Lawford enjoyed a reputation as a jet-setting playboy and a devoted party animal. In 1954, Lawford married Patricia Kennedy and Sinatra's gaze fell on Lawford as the "Brother-In-Lawford" who had JFK's ear; the conduit who could get Sinatra into the political inner circle. For three heady years as a close "pal" of Sinatra, his showbiz fortunes prospered, but after an explosive falling out Lawford was forcibly estranged from Sinatra’s “Rat Pack”.

Contributors to this documentary include Christopher Lawford, Stefanie Powers, Joan Staley Sheets, James Spader, Robert Osbourne and Michael Winner.

Alfie Boe - Friday 30th December 8.00-10.00pm

Britain's favourite tenor Alfie Boe, who is currently singing the role of Jean Valjean in the West End production of Les Miserables, joins Radio 2 for this two hour special featuring a selection of his favourite music.

Alfie's earliest musical memories are of listening to his father's record collection of the great operatic voices - such as Richard Tauber, Jussi Bjoerling, Maria Callas and Enrico Caruso - all featured in the programme. Alfie also plays classical favourites including music from Ma Vlast by Smetana, the Intermezzo from Cavalleria Rusticana plus favourite film themes from Midnight Cowboy(John Barry), The Big Country(Elmer Bernstein) and The Godfather (Nino Rota).

Stompin' At The Savoy - Saturday 31st December, 10.30 pm - 12.30am

On New Year's Eve Radio 2 broadcasts live from London's historic Savoy Hotel. Patrick Kielty hosts the night as the nation builds to midnight and listeners will be entertained by performances from rat packer Buddy Greco, Tony Christie, Paloma Faith, Beverley Knight and the Anthony Strong Trio, supported by the 30-piece Guy Barker Orchestra.

Gwyneth Williams Reveals Some Major Forthcoming Highlights for BBC Radio 4

Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:12:01 +0000

Speaking at The Radio Festival in Manchester, BBC Radio 4 Controller Gwyneth Williams revealed some major forthcoming highlights for the network.

Radio 4 will broadcast special programmes celebrating the art of sound, storytelling and listening from the More Than Words Festival in Bristol; a Melvyn Bragg series telling the story of the written word; and programmes to mark the 45th anniversary of Just A Minute.

Gwyneth announced that Radio 4 and St George’s concert hall in Bristol will host the More Than Words Festival next March. Several Radio 4 programmes will be broadcast from St George’s, and the festival will feature a host of other events celebrating creativity, culture, journalism and the art of listening. Radio 4 will also broadcast a special five part poem by Owen Sheers - a poetic re-telling and updating of Homer’s Odyssey set in modern–day Bristol.

Melvyn Bragg’s series, Written World, details the story of the written word, from its origins in the Middle East 6,000 years ago to the present day. The series will explore how writing has enabled the dissemination of thought worldwide and, featuring works from the British Library and input from its curators, will detail how writing has enabled different civilisations to pass on ideas, knowledge and culture.

Radio 4 also plans to broadcast a series of programmes to celebrate 45 years of Just A Minute (JAM).

A documentary presented by chairman Nicholas Parsons and regular panellist Paul Merton will explore JAM’s popularity in India. Just A Minute: A Crazy Adventure In Time will reveal JAM clubs which have sprung up all over the country, playing a team version of the game.

And the series will also include two special editions of JAM, chaired by Nicholas Parsons, to be recorded in India with Paul Merton, another regular panellist and two Indian guest panellists.