BBC Radio 4 FM Schedule Friday 21 August 2026

Schedule

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Early
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Late

Early
1. 00:00
  Midnight News—21/08/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4.
2. 00:30
  The Fire in the Mountain: Sicily, Etna and her People by Helena Attlee—Episode Four - Into the Woods
  4/5Life in the shadow of Mount Etna, Sicily’s most dangerous and alluring landmark.
3. 00:48
  Shipping Forecast—21/08/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
4. 01:00
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—21/08/2026
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
5. 05:00
  News Summary—21/08/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4.
6. 05:04
  The Briefing Room—20/08/2026
  Combining original insights into major news stories with topical investigations.
7. 05:34
  Shipping Forecast—21/08/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
8. 05:43
  Prayer for the Day—21/08/2026
  Radio 4's daily prayer and reflection.
9. 05:45
  Farming Today—21/08/2026
  The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.
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Morning
1. 06:00
  Today—21/08/2026
  News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
2. 09:00
  Desert Island Discs—Chaka Khan, singer and songwriter
  Chaka Khan, singer and songwriter, shares the soundtrack of her life with Lauren Laverne.
3. 10:00
  Woman's Hour—21/08/2026
  Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.
4. 11:00
  The Food Programme—Fork and Knife
  Jimi Famurewa explores how history has shaped the many different ways in which we eat
5. 11:45
  The Fire in the Mountain: Sicily, Etna and her People by Helena Attlee—Episode Five - Sicilian Emeralds
  5/5Life in the shadow of Mount Etna, Sicily’s most dangerous and alluring landmark.
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Afternoon
1. 12:00
  News Summary—21/08/2026
  The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
2. 12:04
  Rare Earth—Volcano
  Helen Czerski and Tom Heap investigate the environmental impact of volcanoes.
3. 12:57
  Weather—21/08/2026
  The latest weather forecast.
4. 13:00
  World at One—21/08/2026
  News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4.
5. 13:45
  Human Intelligence—Provocateurs, Elinor Ostrom
  Elinor Ostrom challenged economics and reimagined shared human cooperation.
6. 14:00
  The Archers—20/08/2026
  Robert is pushed to the limit.
7. 14:15
  Limelight—Central Intelligence: Series 3, Episode 7
  One of the CIA’s most daring operations: the hunt for Che in the Bolivian jungle.
8. 14:45
  Living on the Edge—Portrush
  Lisa Abernethy shows Richard King around the RNLI station in Portrush.
9. 15:00
  Gardeners' Question Time—21/08/2026
  Horticultural programme featuring a group of gardening experts.
10. 15:45
  Short Works—Song of The Ocean by Natasha Carthew
  A young Cornish lad named Jago dares to dream of a life beyond the small fishing village.
11. 16:00
  Last Word—21/08/2026
  Radio 4's weekly obituary programme.
12. 16:30
  Sideways—The Stranger
  The remarkable power in all of us to help complete strangers.
13. 17:00
  PM—21/08/2026
  Full coverage of the day's news.
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Evening
1. 18:00
  Six O'Clock News—21/08/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4.
2. 18:30
  The People Have Spoken—Episode 2
  Ian Smith tasks Ashley Storrie, Bella Hull and an Edinburgh audience to take on the news.
3. 19:00
  The Archers—21/08/2026
  There’s a surprising development for Lily.
4. 19:15
  Add to Playlist—David Arnold, Nadine Shah and Charlotte Harding celebrate the BBC Proms
  Nadine Shah, David Arnold and Charlotte Harding celebrate the BBC Proms.
5. 20:00
  Any Questions?—21/08/2026
  Topical discussion posing questions to a panel of political and media personalities.
6. 20:55
  This Week in History—19/08/2026
  Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
7. 21:00
  Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics—Series 12, Roman True Crime
  Hallie Rubenhold, author of The Five, joins Natalie to solve the murder of Regilla in Rome
8. 21:30
  Shadow World—Breakin' the Cycle, 4. A New Direction
  4/6Colin takes over directing, but the lines between gangland fact and fiction begin to blur.
9. 22:00
  The World Tonight—21/08/2026
  In depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.
10. 22:45
  Mr Sidhu's Post Office by Amman Brar—Episode Five
  5/10Set in 2007, this is a heartwarming tale of community and change.
11. 23:00
  Americast—21/08/2026
  Join Americast for insights and analysis on what's happening inside Trump's White House.
12. 23:30
  Illuminated—All Under One Magnetosphere
  Discover the magic of ‘natural radio’ - a hidden electromagnetic soundscape.
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Late
1. 00:00
  Midnight News—22/08/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4.
2. 00:30
  The Fire in the Mountain: Sicily, Etna and her People by Helena Attlee—Episode Five - Sicilian Emeralds
  5/5Life in the shadow of Mount Etna, Sicily’s most dangerous and alluring landmark.
3. 00:48
  Shipping Forecast—22/08/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
4. 01:00
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—22/08/2026
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
5. 05:30
  News Summary—22/08/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4.
6. 05:34
  Shipping Forecast—22/08/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
7. 05:43
  Prayer for the Day—22/08/2026
  A spiritual comment and prayer with Rev'd Dr Mariama Ifode-Blease.
8. 05:45
  Living on the Edge—Portrush
  Lisa Abernethy shows Richard King around the RNLI station in Portrush.

Saturday 22 August 2026