BBC Radio 4 FM Schedule Friday 9 January 2026

Schedule

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Early
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Late

Early
1. 00:00
  Midnight News—09/01/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  Overwhelmed by Claudia Hammond—4. Too Much Confidence and Imposter Syndrome
  4/5Claudia Hammond continues her new book on the 21st-century phenomenon of overwhelm.
3. 00:48
  Shipping Forecast—09/01/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
4. 01:00
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—09/01/2026
  A selection of BBC World Service news and current affairs, arts and science programmes.
5. 05:00
  News Summary—09/01/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:04
  Yesterday in Parliament—09/01/2026
  Susan Hulme reports as the government unveils its new road safety strategy.
7. 05:34
  Shipping Forecast—09/01/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
8. 05:43
  Prayer for the Day—Lifted
  Radio 4’s daily prayer and reflection, with Bishop Mary Stallard.
9. 05:45
  Farming Today—09/01/26 Politics, protests and Charlotte Church at the Oxford Farming Conferences
  We hear from the Defra Secretary and Charlotte Church at the Oxford Farming Conferences.
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Morning
1. 06:00
  Today—09/01/2026
  News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
2. 09:00
  More or Less—The Stats of the Nation, Immigration, Benefits and Inequality
  5/5Tim Harford explores the stats on some of the UK’s most potent political debates.
3. 09:30
  Illuminated—The Organ Symphony
  Five peoples' stories about their relationship with an internal organ - set to music.
4. 10:00
  Woman's Hour—Women in Iran, Chloé Zhou, The Bar Council, Lesley Sharp
  With politically motivated protests reported in Iran, we look at the women's role.
5. 11:00
  The Food Programme—Desi Pubs
  Jaega Wise visits desi pubs for food, culture and history.
6. 11:45
  Overwhelmed by Claudia Hammond—5. Good Stress and Getting Over Yourself
  5/5Claudia Hammond concludes her look into the 21st-century phenomenon of overwhelm.
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Afternoon
1. 12:00
  News Summary—09/01/2026
  The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
2. 12:04
  AntiSocial—Bikinis and AI
  Should image manipulation be allowed?
3. 12:57
  Weather—09/01/2026
  The latest weather forecast
4. 13:00
  World at One—Iran Protests Spread
  Iran’s supreme leader says protesters ‘trying to please Trump’.
5. 13:45
  Human Intelligence—Series 2, Exiles: Ovid
  Ovid was Rome’s funniest, wittiest poet. How was his mind shaped by exile?
6. 14:00
  The Archers—08/01/2026
  There's a change of heart at the Bull.
7. 14:15
  Limelight—Spores: Series 2, Episode 4. Devil’s Agent
  4/5The sudden appearance of Layla Wolf at the Sanctuary raises more questions than it answers
8. 14:45
  Materials of State—The Union Jack
  David Cannadine explores the history of the Union Jack.
9. 15:00
  Gardeners' Question Time—Firth of Tay
  Kathy Clugston and the GQT team are in the Firth of Tay.
10. 15:45
  Short Works—Morags
  A tourist receives an eerie gift during an off season visit to the Callanish Stones.
11. 16:00
  Last Word—Molly Parkin, Kristina Gjerde, Michael Barton, Eva Schloss
  Matthew Bannister on an artist, an activist, a BBC executive and a holocaust survivor.
12. 16:30
  Illuminated—Mum in a Box
  Saba Husain receives an unexpected - and life-changing - box.
13. 17:00
  PM—Iran's supreme leader vows protest crackdown
  After 12 days of unrest, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei called protesters 'a bunch of vandals'.
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Evening
1. 18:00
  Six O'Clock News—Elon Musk's social media platform limits access to its AI tool
  The tool, Grok, has been used create fake sexualised images of women and children
2. 18:30
  The News Quiz—Series 119, 1. Red, White, Blue and Green-land
  1/8The News Quiz is back and kicking off the series is guest host Ian Smith.
3. 19:00
  The Archers—09/01/2026
  The police deliver unexpected news.
4. 19:15
  Screenshot—Stephen King
  Ellen and Mark look at King adaptations, from The Shawshank Redemption to The Shining.
5. 20:00
  Any Questions?—Gerard Baker, Baroness Fall, Andrew Fisher, Baroness Hazarika
  Alex Forsyth presents political debate from M Shed in Bristol.
6. 20:55
  This Week in History—5th to 11th January
  Fascinating, surprising and eye-opening stories from the past, brought to life.
7. 21:00
  Free Thinking—Innovation
  Matthew Sweet explores the cultures of novelty.
8. 22:00
  The World Tonight—Calls to ban Elon Musk’s Grok AI tool over sexual images
  Some people have used Grok to create sexualised images of children and women.
9. 22:45
  The Wedding Suit by Rachel Joyce—5. The Hearing
  5/5A newly commissioned five-part serial by best-selling novelist Rachel Joyce.
10. 23:00
  Americast—Can the US really rebuild Venezuela’s oil industry?
  Trump says the US oil industry will be 'up and running' in Venezuela within 18 months.
11. 23:30
  Today in Parliament—09/01/2026
  Alicia McCarthy reports as peers continue to debate plans for assisted dying.
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Late
1. 00:00
  Midnight News—10/01/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  Overwhelmed by Claudia Hammond—5. Good Stress and Getting Over Yourself
  5/5Claudia Hammond concludes her look into the 21st-century phenomenon of overwhelm.
3. 00:48
  Shipping Forecast—10/01/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
4. 01:00
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—10/01/2026
  A selection of BBC World Service news and current affairs, arts and science programmes.
5. 05:30
  News Summary—10/01/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:34
  Shipping Forecast—10/01/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
7. 05:43
  Prayer for the Day—I am that I am
  A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Rabbi Warren Elf.
8. 05:45
  Materials of State—The Union Jack
  David Cannadine explores the history of the Union Jack.