radio 4. I don`t enjoy it any more

Lilyflower are we still to live in the dark ages then? Do you dismiss all research done at our universities and laboratories?

I think we'd better believe it about climate change. How can we possibly go on like we are doing, cars, aeroplanes, concrete everywhere etc etc, and not harm the environment?

No one says you have to not eat chocolate, sugar, etc. It's just advice, produced from, mostly high quality, research. Do you want all tht research kept away from us? We have the internet now so we can read about these things. Good thing IMO.

I don't think any one religion is better protected than others in this country. Our security people act for everyone. The third world people you mention are most likely here because of wars in their own countries, which we started. Do you look down on french, dutch, german, etc people living here. Or is just the ones you consider to be "third world peasants".

No. I don't like your post. It gives older people the labels we too often have - being narrow minded and ignorant.

Great comment from Lilyflower

I agree with a lot of posters, particularly about Women’s Hour which I used to love when my children were small and I was doing the housework. I listen to Radio 4 extra mainly, just finished listening to a repeat of Cabin Pressure which I like a lot. Riverwalk, I like David Sedaris too.

I listen to radio 5 Live when I wake at around 6 am - ‘breakfast with Rachel Burden and Nikki Campbell’. It’s current affairs of course but the tone is more informal than ‘Today’ and often makes me smile. And at bedtime again, it’s 5 Live again - from 22.30 the late night presenter Phil Williams (Mon-Wed) is such a great listen, IMO the best presenter on air. Then Stephen Nolan takes over Fri - Sun which is usually a good listen. I’ve omitted Thursdays as the excitable Adrian Chiles is on, hosting Question Time Extra Time. He’s loud and the guests are pretty lightweight in their opinions. Sadly Phil Williams is leaving the BBC in May - a huge loss.
I listen on and off to R4 during the day - avoiding the monotonous Women’s Hour - if I do tune in, Jane Garvey is a redeeming factor for me.

I miss Libby Purves and her midweek programme.

lilyflower well said, I hope someone in authority at bbc radio sees your post

(although I do agree with your choice of good programmes. It's not all bad)

Sorry Riverwalk, I meant to say Watermeadow!

Completely agree with Lilyflower and Riverwalk. It would be lovely to think that someone at the Beeb would see this thread, but I doubt they would ever acknowledge our existence.

Bravo Lilyflower, well said.

Ditto to so much of that, Lilyflower!

Radio 4, like the Church of England, in trying to interest a younger audience, has alienated its core supporters and still failed to appeal to the young.
It’s obsession with political news, dominated by its presenters, is infuriating. I shout at the radio every time someone is interviewed (sometimes at 6 in the morning) and after five minutes of the presenter the expert is given five seconds to respond.

Well said Lilyflower

I used to listen to Radio Four all the time but, one by one, I have given up my favourite programmes beacuse of the political correctness and left wing bias.

I do not want to be told to be ashamed of my glorious country, to atone for the sins of others, that every damn third world peasant is better, nice and wiser than me, that I must give up my car, sugar, my house, my garden. meat, alcohol, butter, chocolate and everything else that makes life worth living. I do not agree with the broadcasters that old people should immolate themselves to give everything to young folks or that homelessness is caused by some fascist group called the Tories.

I don't believe half the tosh broadcast about climate change. I am sick of hearing things that I know from my own experience and reading to be virtually the opposite of what is the case. I don't want to be told that a man can be a woman just by saying so or that children should be given a choice to be deformed and drugged into another shape and gender before they have grown out of pretending to be a unicorn or Barbie. I do n ot believe that meat is evil or that less than one per cent of the population, the vegans, should be pandered to in their attacking the rest of the 99%.

As for religion, I am an atheist and find all religions irrational, but even I am appalled at how one religion is now held above all others and those other centuries old institutions trashed and insulted to appease it.

I am fed up with victims and victimhood, snowflakery, emotionalism and ignorance.

So, instead, I listen to Four Extra and dramas which I listen to on catchup.

(Sorry for the rant. Rather got into my pontificating stride there!)

It's just struck me that R4 has a lot in common with M&S - they don't listen to their core market, apparently don't want do, and don't care what they think.

I listen very little now - largely because of the endless B word. I know there's some good stuff, but too much of the other. From Our Own Correspondent is still usually excellent.
I wish they'd have some good comedy again - used to love Clare In The Community - so deliciously un PC!

Haven't listened to Woman's Hour for years. Can't stand Jenni Murray - I find her so smug - not to mention one of those Jobs For Life bods at the Beeb.

And every time I switched it on, they seemed to be talking breast cancer - yet again. Yes, I know it's important, but they were apparently obsessed with it.

I once bought a Joanna Trollope novel because on the first page or two, the main character switched off Woman's Hour because they were talking breast cancer - again!
I really identified with that.

When I lived in England, Radio 4 was my only station and I missed it so much on coming back to NZ.

Then the Auckland Radio Trust began re-broadcasting the World Service which had a lot of Radio 4 content and I was happy again.

Mum recorded The Archers on cassette and sent them out for a few years too.

Then the BBC revised everything and from a once-an-hour news update (which I had always switch off) they went to every 30 mins...plus in-depth analysis.
.
The other content changed too in order, they said, to attract a younger age group. So the BBC and I parted company.

For all its faults there's still much to like on Radio 4 e.g.

The Life Scientific
Great Lives
From Our Own Correspondent
Sorry I Haven't a Clue
The News Quiz
The Week in Westminster

I'm so pleased to see the return of David Sedaris!

Blueskies there is not a morning when I don`t listen to Steve Allen for a while. I wake up between 4 .30 and 6 and have half an hour lie in, I just put my hand out and switch him on via the remote. I love his melodic voice. I listen to LBC when I have gone to bed, between 9 and 10, I put the timer on for 30 minutes and never hear the end. Enough conversation or interest from the lawyer or doctor or a good presenter, enough to focus my mind away from swirling around and keeping me awake

Agree about Radio4. I only like Farming Today and A Good Read. Hate all the boring news and the bores that go on about it.
I have changed to listening to Podcasts so I can choose when and what I listen to. They download automatically and you do not need internet to listen to them. Heaven is a good walk with earphones in and a great podcast to listen to. Recommend it.
When I was at work I could never listen to Woman’s Hour. Now I can and I hate it.

Cannot see how BBC are affected by cuts, given that they have access to the copious funds extracted from listeners' pockets.
LBC fan which I listen to through my TV. Excellent on current affairs and politics - all sides. I enjoy the phone ins from people on the sharp end of the subject being discussed.

I do enjoy the short readings and dramas as often they provide an opportunity for new writers to receive some exposure. Just enough to listen to on a short journey. Home Front was a four year long favourite at about twelve minutes an episode.

A lot of the 18:30 comedy is not to my taste but I do enjoy Just a Minute, ISIHAC and Ed Reardon's Week.

Great to find others feeling as I do. I used to have Radio 4 on most of the day, changing to Radio 3 every evening.
I know the unwelcome changes are mostly due to cost-cutting ( same as council services, education, NHS, police etc) but a big part of my enjoyment in life has gone.
I switch off every news bulletin, fed up to the back teeth with Brexit, and also the many many too many 15 minute readings and dramas. Then I miss half of the next programme. Oh sorry, they’re now SHOWS, not programmes!
Can't stand Woman’s Hour or most of the unfunny comedy programmes except the old favourites.
I want to be informed and educated as I used to be.

I too stopped listening to Woman's Hour when they changed it from afternoon to morning. It was always followed by the afternoon play which I loved. Just wasn't convenient any more.

I have found the same problem - just not interested in it any more, mostly listen to radio 3 or classic Fm now too - but there are a few R4 favourites i still tune into - what happens to our brains though.