BBC Radio 4 FM Schedule Monday 19 October 2026

Schedule

Skip to:

Early
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Late

Early
1. 00:00
  
  Midnight News—19/10/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:15
  
  The Artificial Human—Can the UK go it alone on AI?
  
  Aleks and Kevin ask whether the UK can stay sovereign in the global AI race.
3. 00:45
  
  Bells on Sunday—The Church of All Saints and Saint Lawrence, Evesham in Worcestershire
  
  Bells on Sunday comes from the Church of All Saints and Saint Lawrence, Evesham
4. 00:48
  
  Shipping Forecast—19/10/2026
  
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
5. 01:00
  
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—19/10/2026
  
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
6. 05:00
  
  News Summary—19/10/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
7. 05:04
  
  Yesterday in Parliament—19/10/2026
  
  Sean Curran reports as MPs discuss the first-ever severe drought recorded in the UK.
8. 05:34
  
  Shipping Forecast—19/10/2026
  
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
9. 05:43
  
  Prayer for the Day—Breast Cancer Awareness
  
  A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Angad Kaur.
10. 05:45
  
  Farming Today—19/10/26 Defra secretary on organic farming and sustainable farming incentive; cider apples
  
  How will the government avoid a repeat of this year's funding application chaos?
11. 05:57
  
  Weather—19/10/2026
  
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for farmers
Back to top
Morning
1. 06:00
  
  Today—19/10/2026
  
  News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
2. 09:00
  
  Start the Week—Napoleon’s marshals and President Trump’s civil servants
  
  Who keeps institutions functioning when power, loyalty and trust break down?
3. 09:45
  
  Café Hope—Water refill revolution
  
  How teenagers in one village are trying to get people to stop using plastic water bottles
4. 10:00
  
  Woman's Hour—Dr Mary-Ann Stephenson, Chair EHRC, Dame Harriet Walter, Grey divorce, PMDD
  
  Dame Harriet Walter as Brutus in an all-female Julius Caesar touring secondary schools.
5. 11:00
  
  Another Country with James Rebanks—Woolsery
  
  James Rebanks explores the lives of rural workers in and around three English villages.
6. 11:45
  
  Stalin's Apostles by Antonia Senior—1. The Calling
  
  1/5 A radical new look at how the Cambridge Five spies helped Stalin build his Red Empire.
Back to top
Afternoon
1. 12:00
  
  News Summary—19/10/2026
  
  The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
2. 12:04
  
  You and Yours—House Prices, Luxury Watch Repairs, Clothes Shopping
  
  Rightmove data shows that property asking prices dropped 7% in September.
3. 12:57
  
  Weather—19/10/2026
  
  The latest weather forecast
4. 13:00
  
  World at One—France's Prime Minister asks some cities to impose partial curfews
  
  The political fallout in France after a weekend of violent protests.
5. 13:45
  
  The History Podcast—How Houdini Made Magic, 1. Find your motivation
  
  1/11 Houdini’s arrival in America as a poverty-stricken immigrant lights a fire beneath him.
6. 14:00
  
  The Archers—18/10/2026
  
  It’s Pip and Stella’s wedding day.
7. 14:15
  
  Whatever Happened to Baby Jane Austen?—Series 2, 3. Lucy Lassoes the Moon
  
  3/4 To Florence’s horror, someone has reprinted her first novel. Selina’s in EastEnders.
8. 14:45
  
  Ten Second Showdown—Florence Griffith Joyner
  
  Speed, style - and suspicion.
9. 15:00
  
  A Good Read—Raymond Antrobus and Guy Gunaratne
  
  Find reading inspiration when two guests share favourite books with Harriett Gilbert.
10. 15:30
  
  Curious Cases—Series 25, Yawn Chorus
  
  3/13 Hannah Fry and Dara Ó Briain try to stay awake long enough to explore contagious yawning.
11. 16:00
  
  Currently—Childline at 40
  
  An exploration of 40 years of Childline.
12. 16:30
  
  Artworks—Art That Conquered the World, David
  
  James Fox asks how Michelangelo's David became so famous.
13. 17:00
  
  PM—Curfews in France following riots
  
  We examine the forces driving protests in France and beyond.
Back to top
Evening
1. 18:00
  
  Six O'Clock News—Temporary curfews implemented across France
  
  The French government is trying to prevent a repeat of the weekend's violent disorder
2. 18:30
  
  Room 101 with Paul Merton—Series 4, Laura Smyth
  
  2/6 Paul asks comedian Laura Smyth about her pet peeves and worst nightmares.
3. 19:00
  
  The Archers—19/10/2026
  
  One resident finds themselves in a desperate situation.
4. 19:15
  
  Front Row—Taika Waititi on adapting Kazuo Ishiguro's novel Klara and the Sun for the big screen
  
  Plus Tony award winning Broadway actor Jonathan Groff takes on Shakespeare.
5. 20:00
  
  The Briefing Room—How will climate change affect our farms?
  
  Will we still be able to grow enough food as temperatures rise and rain patterns change?
6. 20:30
  
  BBC Inside Science—The climate changing power of 400 billion toasters
  
  How can we to compete against a natural force with the power of 25 atomic bombs?
7. 21:00
  
  Start the Week—Napoleon’s marshals and President Trump’s civil servants
  
  Who keeps institutions functioning when power, loyalty and trust break down?
8. 21:45
  
  Café Hope—Water refill revolution
  
  How teenagers in one village are trying to get people to stop using plastic water bottles
9. 22:00
  
  The World Tonight—French cities impose curfews after weekend of rioting
  
  Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu blamed the protests on the ‘ultra-left’
10. 22:45
  
  Partita by Barbara Kingsolver—Overture
  
  1/10 A novel of love, longing and music from Pulitzer Prize-winner Barbara Kingsolver.
11. 23:00
  
  Limelight—Cobalt, Episode 4
  
  4/5 News about Dad comes through, and Maita and Julian decide to drive to Nigeria.
12. 23:30
  
  Today in Parliament—19/10/2026
  
  Sean Curran with the highlights from the Commons and the Lords.
Back to top
Late
1. 00:00
  
  Midnight News—20/10/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  
  Stalin's Apostles by Antonia Senior—1. The Calling
  
  1/5 A radical new look at how the Cambridge Five spies helped Stalin build his Red Empire.
3. 00:48
  
  Shipping Forecast—20/10/2026
  
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
4. 01:00
  
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—20/10/2026
  
  BBC Radio 4 joins the BBC World Service.
5. 05:00
  
  News Summary—20/10/2026
  
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:04
  
  Yesterday in Parliament—20/10/2026
  
  Alicia McCarthy reports on an intense debate about the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill.
7. 05:34
  
  Shipping Forecast—20/10/2026
  
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping.
8. 05:43
  
  Prayer for the Day—Wisdom of the Timeless Word of God
  
  A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Angad Kaur.
9. 05:45
  
  Farming Today—20/10/26 Abattoirs, strawberry glut, apples and other top fruit
  
  Crofters to get new moveable abattoir service.

Tuesday 20 October 2026