PM and The World Tonight

On 6 April 1970 BBC Radio 4 news substantially increased its output with the introduction of two new programmes. PM, at five o’clock and The World Tonight at 10. They joined existing news to provide a service suitable for a 24-hour world. The changes came hand in hand with a major re-organisation across the radio networks. They also shaped the Radio 4 schedules in a way that remains to this day.

PM was produced by the same team that made The World at One, but by becoming the first radio news programme with a theme tune, it immediately showed it was different. The first presenters were William Hardcastle and Derek Cooper, who introduced "the programme that sums up the day and your evening starts here." In contrast, The World Tonight was described in the BBC Handbook as catering for "the relaxed listener who is prepared for a fuller, more leisurely survey of what has been in the day's news".

Both programmes are still going strong on Radio 4, with their distinct personalities. PM is augmented by its interactive spin-off iPM, with its content dictated by the listeners. News is now available right round the clock via the BBC website and News Channel, but PM and The World Tonight both provide an opportunity to review the day’s events in more depth.