Who listens to radio 4?

Radio 4 is my go to radio station every day. Its my haven of sanity in this crazy world. I can't be doing with wall to wall pop music on some other channels, or the adverts on commercial stations. I like the Today, World at one, and PM news programs, though they can make you feel down with all the bad news. Womens Hour has changed from the cosiness of Jenni Murray, and yes some of the comedy leaves me cold, but I enjoy Mark Steel and that one with the police sergeant-its hilarious. Don't like the Archers, so can't comment on it.
Posters on this thread seem to be complaining that it's not as good as it used to be. Well we change as people, and the media changes as well, so no surprise that we sometimes feel dis-engaged.

I was listening to that on the radio today, Varian frightening.

I think the best things on radio 4 are the documentary and discussion programmes and podcasts.

I am looking forward to "More or Less" starting again tomorrow and I also enjoy series like "All in the Mind", "The Life Scientific" , "Great Lives" , "The Moral Maze"and "File on Four"

I have just finished listening to "The Coming Storm" which traces the origins of the storming of the US Capitol a year ago and the intertwined conspiracy theories which are shaping US politics. Quite scary!

Ambridge never sounds very rural to me M0nica
I suppose being stuck in by snow, sick cattle and avian flu are not very sexy.

Galaxy I listened to it until the 60th aniversary episode which was grossly overhyped as having something truly cataclysmal happening - and then ended up in killing another character, even before they had fully played out the plot from the previous premature death, and asking us to believe that 2 feminist characters, mother and daughter, had never heard or been warned of pre-eclampsia.

My children's generation were having children around that period and when I ran that plot line passed DDiL, she was incredulous.

Somehow, it switched a switch in my mind and I have never listened to The Archers since. Mind you, I do not criticise it either since I have no idea what happens on it. For all I know the whole area could be covered in brick by now and turned into an inner city estate.

Poor stella. There was so much angst during Ruth's last affair that I just wanted to shout just do it for pitys sake

Oh no - not Ruth please, let Stella seduce Alice who realises her drinking is linked to repressing her true self. Alice can now live happily ever after - so can ruth

I've just read that there's a story line coming up with Ruth and Stella starting to kindle "a relationship" because they met up for a pint in The Bull! And Stella is, allegedly, gay because she named her cat after Sigourney Weaver! What about Dayveeeed? And the Spring heifers? And didn't Ruth already have a fling, a few years back, with a young farm hand? Oh my giddy aunt!

Theres a massive archers thread on MN so I use that for my Archers needs. The one on here isnt used much. I criticise the archers endlessly to other archers fans however if people dont listen to it and criticise it I want to kill them, slowly.

There used to be a huge Archers thread on here.
Whatever happened to it?
I can remember my mum listening to it.

I started listening to R4 when I was 15! Strange teenager! Hitchhikers guide to galaxy got me hooked. Then the archers. These days, I’m in and out of of it. Some great bits. Others not so good. Archers has got weird. Not keen, but I persevere. Sounds app great for picking the best bits.

I have Radio 4 on from the minute I get up until around 7 o'clock when the telly goes on. I am not listening consciously to every word but I find I absorb a lot through osmosis and often pick up on something really interesting to listen to properly. Can't see the point of Woman's Hour in this day and age and find it patronising that we have to have a special programme just for women. Doesn't sit well with the continuing quest for equality. My bugbear at the moment is the constant use of glottal stops by presenters and others - it seems to have become a fashion not to pronounce the letter 't' and is mightily irritating. And another thing is the use of the word 'underestimate' when what is meant is 'overestimate'. E.g., 'you cannot underestimate how tough it was for her in those days' - heard the other day. No! It's 'overestimate '. This blunder happens all the time. For heaven's sake, what has happened to education?

Only listen to the Archers these days but have heard the popular Conversations from a long marriage with Joanna Lumley & Roger Alum on Sounds. It's very funny & does ring really true. I've also caught up with Bill Nighy's louche out of work actor/would be sleuth - most entertaining. Otherwise I listen to my own music playlists on Spotify.

Prefer daytime tv. Slightly more entertaining in the background and good knowledge for entering game shows if Covid allows.

I listen less than I used to , I find woman’s hour irritating at times now and the plays not my taste . However I always listen to the podcasts Fortunately which I love and often catch up on BBC sounds with the excellent science and medical, money and advice programmes .Radio 4 extra is often better.

I have been a radio 4 listener for many years but now I'm a selective listener. I pick and choose via podcasts these days and listen to radio 4 extra too. I've just been bought a year's Audible subscription for my birthday which I'm over the moon with as I'm an insomniac and listening relaxes and distracts me wonderfully. There are lots of fantastic free podcasts out there too, so much better than TV.

I still think Radio 4 has good varied content when compared to speech radio alternatives and has the advantage of be able to so other things while listening. I live on my own and like to hear the human voice especially during lockdown.
I enjoy some of the comedies such as I'm sorry I haven't a clue, dead ringers and the news quiz, the unbelievable truth. If Mark Steel in aTown has visited a town near you, he dies a very entertaining take on its history and culture. I also like desert Island discs, Last Words, and Women's Hour, the Money Programme, And sometimes the book at bedtime. I really enjoyed the smooth dulcet tones of both Joanna Lumley and Roger Allum in Conversations in a Long Marriage but I really, really can't stand Any Answers.

I’m in my mid 60’s and remember well listening to the Home Service with my mother as a child. I too loved the Children’s program on just after lunch and could follow at a certain level the morning news program. Anyone remember Jack de Manio and later on, Brian Redhead? I listened to the Today program for about 30 years but once new presenters came on I felt the program was more about them than the interviewees. Now I only listen to The Archers omnibus, the News Quiz and Dead Ringers on R4.

Switched to Times Radio a few months after they first aired. Really like Matt Chorley’s morning show.

Another sad Radio 4 listener here.

What are they trying to do? From announcers linking the programmes (all from Hoxton speaking 'mockney' and seemingly unable to pronounce the last letter of any word) to dire programming, they are shrinking their older listeners' numbers in droves but perhaps that it what they are trying to do?

Where are the comedy programmes that make one laugh? The interesting, well-acted plays. Instead we have woke this and that which have now become intensely annoying.

The BBC Radio 4 timetabling/commissioners are all, I would bet, under 35 and know nothing of their wider world. Everything is so politically correct that it hurts: especially as they are not my politics!

I still enjoy some: the Now show, Last Word, Money Box, Dead Ringers, Gardeners' Question Time and some of Women's Hour where I actually think that Emma Barnett actually does give her interviewees a chance to answer her questions whereas Jenni Murry used to cut them off mid sentence most of the time (and seemed to practice misandry to boot).

It has actually come to the stage where I do not trust the BBC with their news output and I never ever thought that it would be possible to write such a sentence.

However, who to trust....?

Times radio for me although even with a DAB radio reception isn’t always great.
Phil Williams Monday to Thursday evenings always interesting and good human input.

I listen to it less and less. I still listen to The Archers and a few other things. I now have 4extra, 5live, Boom Radio, Virgin Radio or World Service. I used to love the afternoon plays but now I find them rubbish!

Don't tend to do R4 at all! Always sounds dry as dust whenever I venture a go! Although R2 with the screeching babbling Zoe Ball and winklepicker? Drive me bonkers? Suvvern twang at 100mph , and talking about what? Exactly? Some in-joke or how they've just bought/sold/eaten something hellishly expensive that only they think is worth gushing on about. Lost for decent radio now, miss wogan so much , gentle clever humour. And why does BBC think youngsters(under50) listen to radio at all? They're so out of touch and I feel desperate to justify keep robbing us of compulsory fee!

Been listening to R4 for donkeys years. I have learnt so much over the years and been entertained by plays and comedy. (Saw Count Arthur Strong tour live a couple of times - pulled a muscle from laughing.) some podcasts I catch like Fortunately with Fi and Jane. Used to listen to the Today programme while walking the dog but they lost me during the Brexit referendum and negotiations. BBC news generally is a drag with unnecessary speculation, analysis and hysteria. No better than the paparazzi. I get my news from the i newspaper. The plays on Radio4 are too “worthy” and serious so I’m quite picky. I love some of the comedies, Woman’s Hour, 4 Extra, Any Questions, Any answers, Rutherford and Fry, In Our Time, GQT, Roger Allum and Joanna Lumley, Bill Nighy. I did once complain about one new presenter of an early morning programme who gabbled and didn’t listen to the people he was talking to - had to turn him off. He has improved over the months but he’s everywhere now. Luckily for the stuff I can’t get on with there’s an off button. Anyone know of a free to air Blues/Rhythm and Blues station (no commercials)?

I don’t listen to Radio 4 as much as I used to. Just certain programmes. Desert Island discs, Just a Minute, From our own Correspondent, Sorry I haven’t Clue, The Money programme and the News.
Things and tastes have certainly changed since I first listened to the crystal set through headphones. The thirties were the best with Big Band music. Henry Hall, Ambrose etc.

I listen to it. I like it on in the background and often find very interesting stuff, but there are also several programmes where I listen actively. I am an Archers fan I also enjoy other drama and the books read aloud. More or Less is excellent and explains statistics in an unbiased and understandable way. I have also enjoyed Jon Ronson's Things Fell apart. Which has been very interesting. I also like to listen to Woman's Hour, Money Box, Saturday Live, Just s Minute, The News Quiz, unbelievable truth,.