The Today programme: The "radio show that one in eight of us now tune in to"

Jon Henley's written a profile of Radio 4's Today programme in The Guardian:

The Today programme is, of course, a legend, but now we know it has never been more popular: the latest figures put its audience during the first three months of this year at 7.03 million, 600,000 more than last year and an absolute (if slightly controversial) record.

This seemed like enough reason to publish a few pictures from the earlier days of the programme.

Caption reads: "Today : 1959 07/05/1959 © BBC picture shows - L-R: Robert Craddock, producer, John Sykes and Maureen Milton-Dinnis, studio manager. The comperes view from the studio into the control cubicle, as the time-check clock shows that the programme is about to finish."

Caption: "Today : 1986 (Radio 4) 16/12/1986 © BBC Picture shows the new line up for Radio 4s early morning Today programme (l-r) Jenni Murray ; John Humphrys and Brian Redhead."

Caption: "John Timpson, Jack de Manio and Pat Simmons, on the Today Programme, 1971 14/05/1971 BBC Library file, dated 14-05-1971. TIM, alias Pat Simmons, tells the time on the Today Programme, presented by Jack de Manio (left), and co-presenter John Timpson."

Caption (with original typos): "Today (R4) 05/07/1974 © BBC Picture shows - Robert Robinson pours a drink for co-presenter John Timpson at Robert Robinsons farewell breakfast part on Friday 5th July, the day he left BBC Radio 4s 'Today' programme. Des (Desmomd) Lynam, occasional co-presenter of the programmew, looks on. 'Today', Radios 4s regukar early morning news programme, can be heard every day except Sunday."

Paul Murphy is the acting editor of the Radio 4 blog