BBC Radio 4 FM Schedule Friday 17 April 2026

Schedule

Skip to:

On air
Early
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Late

Early
1. 00:00
  Midnight News—17/04/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  City of Lies: Love, Sex, Death and the Search for Truth in Tehran by Ramita Navai—Leyla
  4/5Revealing portraits of the challenges ordinary people face in the Islamic Republic of Iran
3. 00:48
  Shipping Forecast—17/04/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
4. 01:00
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—17/04/2026
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
5. 05:00
  News Summary—17/04/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:04
  Yesterday in Parliament—17/04/2026
  News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
7. 05:34
  Shipping Forecast—17/04/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
8. 05:43
  Prayer for the Day—Stepping out of your Expertise
  A reflection and prayer to start the day with Andrea Rea.
9. 05:45
  Farming Today—17/04/26 Uplands review, The Peak District National Park.
  New report suggests ways to transform uplands to support communities and landscapes.
Back to top
Morning
1. 06:00
  Today—17/04/2026
  News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
2. 09:00
  The Reunion—The Iraq War Peace Bus
  Kirsty Wark reunites peace campaigners who travelled to Baghdad to act as human shields.
3. 10:00
  Woman's Hour—17/04/2026
  Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.
4. 11:00
  The Food Programme—A Day in the Life of a Hospital Chef
  Frank Fiore is the chef leading a new approach at Milton Keynes hospital. This is his day.
5. 11:45
  City of Lies: Love, Sex, Death and the Search for Truth in Tehran by Ramita Navai—Asghar and Pari
  5/5Revealing portraits of the challenges ordinary people face in the Islamic Republic of Iran
Back to top
Afternoon
1. 12:00
  News Summary—17/04/2026
  The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
2. 12:04
  AntiSocial—Super skinny celebs
  What does Hollywood’s ultra-thin trend mean for body positivity?
3. 12:57
  Weather—17/04/2026
  The latest weather forecast
4. 13:00
  World at One—Should Ollie Robbins have been sacked from the Foreign Office?
  His close friend questions whether he did anything wrong.
5. 13:45
  About the Girls—5. Friendship
  5/5Girls in the UK talk to Catherine Carr about their friendships and friendship groups.
6. 14:00
  The Archers—16/04/2026
  Pip goes to her appointment.
7. 14:15
  Limelight—Sabine, Episode 3
  3/5After a terrifying night, Elly is sure she knows who killed Sabine.
8. 14:45
  Life Without—Life Without North America
  What would happen to the world if the USA disappears?
9. 15:00
  Gardeners' Question Time—Bolton
  Kathy Clugston and the panel visit the outskirts of Bolton in Lancashire.
10. 15:45
  Short Works—All the Brightest Colours by Rebecca F John
  Life's full of beauty and hardship for Annie, on the remote Welsh coast. By Rebecca F John
11. 16:00
  Last Word—Asha Bhosle, Sir Neil Cossons, Professor Harold Ellis, Daphne Selfe
  Matthew Bannister on a singer, a curator, a surgeon and a model.
12. 16:30
  Life Changing—40 years to find my birth father
  Dr Sian Williams talks to a woman whose long search for her birth father ends just in time
13. 17:00
  PM—Did the prime minister lie to parliament?
  Sir Keir Starmer denies he knew Lord Mandelson failed security checks ahead of US posting.
Back to top
Evening
1. 18:00
  Six O'Clock News—Paul Quinn found guilty of rape that saw an innocent man jailed
  Andrew Malkinson was wrongly convicted for the crime and spent 17 years in jail
2. 18:30
  The News Quiz—Series 120, 1. Messiah or Doctor?
  1/8After six weeks off air, Andy is back with a brand new series. What have we missed?
3. 19:00
  On air
  Listen live
  The Archers—17/04/2026
  Alice thinks she needs to take action.
  Listen live
4. 19:15
  Screenshot—Boxing
  Ellen and Mark explore cinema's most heavyweight genre, 50 years on from Rocky.
5. 20:00
  Any Questions?—Andrew Griffith MP, Danny Kruger MP, Helen Morgan MP, Baroness Smith
  Alex Forsyth presents political debate from Adastra Hall, Hassocks, West Sussex.
6. 20:55
  This Week in History—April 13th to April 19th
  Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
7. 21:00
  Archive on 4—Sinéad O'Connor - A Life in Ten Songs
  Jo Whiley looks back at the artist's music and legacy.
8. 22:00
  The World Tonight—17/04/2026
  In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective
9. 22:45
  Few and Far Between by Jan Carson—Episode 5
  5/10Alex learns more about Sandra.
10. 23:00
  Americast—Have the Democrats found a new strategy to scare Trump?
  Why an oyster fisherman with a controversial past is splitting the Democrats
11. 23:30
  Today in Parliament—17/04/2026
  Alicia McCarthy reports on the rush to make new laws before the parliamentary session ends
Back to top
Late
1. 00:00
  Midnight News—18/04/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  City of Lies: Love, Sex, Death and the Search for Truth in Tehran by Ramita Navai—Asghar and Pari
  5/5Revealing portraits of the challenges ordinary people face in the Islamic Republic of Iran
3. 00:48
  Shipping Forecast—18/04/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
4. 01:00
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—18/04/2026
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
5. 05:30
  News Summary—18/04/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:34
  Shipping Forecast—18/04/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
7. 05:43
  Prayer for the Day—Building peace
  A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Elizabeth Rawlinson-Mills.
8. 05:45
  Life Without—Life Without North America
  What would happen to the world if the USA disappears?