1. Radio 4

2. Conception and Origin Originally, BBC Radio 4 was the ‘BBC Home Service’, which broadcast for 28 years until 1967. In 1967, other BBC radio programmes were split into Radio 1, 2 and 3. The BBC Home Service became Radio 4. BBC Radio 4 continued to use the term ‘Home Service’ to refer to regional programming and scheduling.

3. Audience The BBC has always been thought to be aimed at white, middle-class citizens. It has received criticism in the past for its selections in employees as being, also, white and speaking with received pronunciation, or the now coined term, ‘BBC accent’. BBC Radio 4 is no different. Its longest running radio drama, ‘The Archers’ is undoubtedly listened to by WASPs near-exclusively, and almost every character in it also belongs to this category.

4. Popular shows Book at Bedtime –offers fiction including modern classics, new works by leading writers and literature from around the world. Books are usually abridged and serialised each evening for two weeks, sometimes one and occasionally three, if it's a very long book. They are read by well-known actors.abridgedserialised

5. I’m Sorry I Haven’t a Clue –Radio comedy panel game, which consists of four comedians, split into two teams and "given silly things to do" by a chairman. The programme has won the Gold Sony Radio Comedy Award three times

6. Desert Island Discs –A long-running BBC Radio 4 programme. It is the longest running factual radio programme in the history of radio. Celebrity guests are asked to choose eight pieces of music and other items to take with them if they were marooned on a desert island. Discussion usually leads to an interesting autobiographical account of what these objects and pieces of music mean to them.

7. Criticism and Controversy The main controversial theme of Radio 4 is their politically left-wing orientation, voiced by some newspapers, especially in accordance to their take on current events such as the Iraq war, and obvious bias during interviews. However, these statements are much less widely stated since the station’s recent changes under newer controllers.

8. Role in Society Radio 4 comes only after Radio 2 in popularity – the second most popular British radio station. It was named “Uk Radio Station of the Year” in 2003, 2004 and 2008. It is the most expensive radio network, costing over 71 million. It is the only station of its kind. The station is available to those in most of the UK and Northern Europe.

9. If all other stations were forced to close, Radio 4 would continue to broadcast as the UK’s national broadcaster. During the Cold War, additionally, commanders of nuclear-armed submarines were required to check occasionally whether they could still hear Radio 4 – if they couldn’t it would mean the UK was the subject of an attack and they would retaliate.