Abc Radio 4 History

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BBC Radio 4 was first aired in 1967, however, it’s history goes further back as an evolution of what was previously known as The Home Service. According to the Radio 4 Service Remit, the aim of the station is to provide a mixed-speech service that should appeal to listeners seeking more thought-provoking programs, in the form of dramas, readings, comedy, factual and magazine programs, whilst also broadcasting in-depth news and current affairs. Audiences feel that the key drivers of quality for Radio 4 included; the knowledge and passion of the presenters, the variety of programming, the high standards of production, and the serious, yet intelligent tone in the programming (BBC Trust, 2011).
Each station must seek to explore the BBC’s Six Public Purposes within their programing, beginning with their aim to ‘sustain citizenship and civil society’. BBC Radio 4 boasts their effectiveness of this through 2500 hours of news and current affairs programs. Political, as well as consumer affairs programs, such as Today in Parliament and You and Yours, have nine out of ten listeners agreeing that news being broadcast is made to be interesting (BBC
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However, the demographic of younger and possibly more influenced viewers to whom education will be valuable is incredibly low compared to that of older generations. Therefore, the station may wish to seek possible ways of interpolating those audiences.
Radio 4 broadcasts 600 hours of original Drama and Readings, along with 180 hours of original comedy, with the aim of ‘stimulating creativity and cultural excellence’. Although many audience members agreed that angles presented on the news by broadcasters were thought provoking, the question can be raised as to who decides what is ‘culturally excellent’, and are their opinions affecting the range of works that audience members are being subject