BBC Radio 4 FM Schedule Tuesday 20 October 2026

Schedule

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On air
Early
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Late

Early
1. 00:00
  Midnight News—20/10/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  Stalin's Apostles by Antonia Senior—1. The Calling
  1/5A radical new look at how the Cambridge Five spies helped Stalin build his Red Empire.
3. 00:48
  Shipping Forecast—20/10/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
4. 01:00
  On air
  Listen live
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—20/10/2026
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
  Listen live
5. 05:00
  News Summary—20/10/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:04
  Yesterday in Parliament—20/10/2026
  News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
7. 05:34
  Shipping Forecast—20/10/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
8. 05:43
  Prayer for the Day—Wisdom of the Timeless Word of God
  A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Angad Kaur.
9. 05:45
  Farming Today—20/10/26 Abattoirs, strawberry glut, apples and other top fruit
  Crofters to get new moveable abattoir service.
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Morning
1. 06:00
  Today—20/10/2026
  News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
2. 09:00
  The Life Scientific—Tom Hart on Antarctic wildlife and the power of penguin poo
  Ecologist Tom Hart on monitoring wildlife populations remotely to track key patterns.
3. 09:30
  Inside Health—How self-injecting culture is bringing new dangers
  Experts warn poor at-home injecting techniques and new drugs mean new health risks.
4. 10:00
  Woman's Hour—20/10/2026
  Women's voices and women's lives - topical conversations to inform, challenge and inspire.
5. 11:00
  Screenshot—Young People In Care
  Ellen and Mark delve into the ubiquity of the care-experienced person in film and TV.
6. 11:45
  Stalin's Apostles by Antonia Senior—2. A Devil's Pact
  2/5A radical new look at how the Cambridge Five spies helped Stalin build his Red Empire.
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Afternoon
1. 12:00
  News Summary—20/10/2026
  The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
2. 12:04
  You and Yours—Call You & Yours: What's your experience of challenging a private parking fine?
  Call You & Yours: What's your experience of challenging a private parking fine?
3. 12:57
  Weather—20/10/2026
  The latest weather forecast
4. 13:00
  World at One—20/10/2026
  News, analysis and comment from BBC Radio 4
5. 13:45
  The History Podcast—How Houdini Made Magic, 2. Find your voice
  2/11Houdini struggles through a variety of acts to cut through the 19th-century magic scene.
6. 14:00
  The Archers—19/10/2026
  One resident finds themselves in a desperate situation.
7. 14:15
  Drama on 4—Maydays, Part 2: Kronstadt
  2/3David Edgar’s powerful drama exploring idealism and revolutionary politics.
8. 15:00
  History's Heroes—History's Secret Heroes - Series 4, The Brothers Who Fought Mussolini
  9/11A band of Italian brothers fight fascism with pasta.
9. 15:30
  Heart and Soul—The woman who saved me on 9/11
  How Paul Carris helped a colleague escape the North Tower on 9/11.
10. 16:00
  Artworks—Roleplay, Lady Bracknell
  Actors on playing Oscar Wilde's lead role in The Importance of Being Earnest.
11. 16:30
  What's Up Docs?—Will we all get osteoarthritis?
  Drs Chris and Xand explore the incredibly common joint disease osteoarthritis.
12. 17:00
  PM—20/10/2026
  Full coverage of the day's news
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Evening
1. 18:00
  Six O'Clock News—20/10/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 18:30
  Heresy—Series 13, Episode 2
  2/6Discussion programme which challenges established ideas and questions received wisdom.
3. 19:00
  The Archers—20/10/2026
  Harrison tries to maintain order.
4. 19:15
  Front Row—20/10/2026
  Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
5. 20:00
  Today—The Today Debate
  An expert panel consider a topical issue in front of a live audience.
6. 20:45
  In Touch—20/10/2026
  News, views and information for people who are blind or partially sighted
7. 21:00
  Illuminated—The Mysterious Case of Annie Elizabeth
  An ancient apple tree leads to Annie Elizabeth, and a Victorian scandal.
8. 21:30
  The Bottom Line—Are Subscriptions a Good Deal?
  Subscriptions are booming. Why are companies keen to sign us up, and what makes us stay?
9. 22:00
  The World Tonight—20/10/2026
  In-depth reporting, intelligent analysis and breaking news from a global perspective.
10. 22:45
  Partita by Barbara Kingsolver—Prelude II & Toccata
  2/10The rhythms of farm life are disrupted when Livia is contacted by a figure from her past.
11. 23:00
  Air Eaters
  How a microbe pulled from an Arctic dump could help our fight against climate change.
12. 23:30
  Today in Parliament—20/10/2026
  News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
Back to top
Late
1. 00:00
  Midnight News—21/10/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  Stalin's Apostles by Antonia Senior—2. A Devil's Pact
  2/5A radical new look at how the Cambridge Five spies helped Stalin build his Red Empire.
3. 00:48
  Shipping Forecast—21/10/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
4. 01:00
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—21/10/2026
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
5. 05:00
  News Summary—21/10/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:04
  Yesterday in Parliament—21/10/2026
  News, views and features on today's stories in Parliament
7. 05:34
  Shipping Forecast—21/10/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
8. 05:43
  Prayer for the Day—Breath of Life
  A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Angad Kaur.
9. 05:45
  Farming Today—21/10/2026
  The latest news about food, farming and the countryside.