I was promised freshly-brewed coffee and croissants at the end of their last run but when I went to Feedback to talk to R4 listeners - alas - I got a lovely welcome but just the usual BBC water... I did, however, get a chance to answer some listeners' questions and to put some of my early thoughts about Radio 4 to Roger Bolton. I was also interviewed by Ben Dowell from Media Guardian and his article is published today.

In my first three months as Controller of Radio 4 I have been travelling around meeting producers - and I have still to meet many, both in-house and in the independent sector. I have been overwhelmed by the commitment and quality that I encounter from programme-makers everywhere so I am determined to try and simplify our commissioning processes. Radio 4 has good audience figures and rings with intellectual rigour so if we cannot take a few creative risks now, when can we? In terms of strategic direction, I want to emphasise Radio 4's more forward-looking, modern side to complement our deserved reputation for history coverage and I am keen to encourage a more international sensibility across all programmes- I don't mean more foreign programmes but a subtle understanding that what happens in the world affects our local decisions and everyday lives, in culture, economics, health and most things.

From October I plan to launch a new 9 a.m. science programme - not about the ideas of science which Melvyn Bragg covers regularly in the brilliant In Our Time - but about science and working scientists, about the scientific method, across a range of subjects: physics, biology, engineering, technology, natural history. The Science Department will lead the work on developing this and I have been talking to various people, among them Jim Al-Khalili, a scientist and an experienced broadcaster, about possibly presenting it. I also want to broadcast a fifteen-minute interview strand in which some of our best journalists can be led by their passions and interests in choosing subject matter and interviewees. I hope to entice Lyse Doucet, Robert Peston, Bridget Kendall, John Humphrys, Lucy Kellaway and others to give it a try. I have been talking to the poet Ruth Padel about the possibility of presiding over a series of poetry masterclasses that will travel around Britain to tap into the current explosion of interest in poetry. And there will be new comedy on Sunday evening to cheer us at the end of the weekend and build on Radio 4's record of championing talent. Look out too for new satire from Rory Bremner.

This does not come without some sadness: Taking a Stand, On the Ropes, The Choice and Between Ourselves will go from October to make way for science. I launched Taking a Stand myself some twelve years ago with its talented producer. The programme was award-winning; I have one, for an interview Fergal Keane did with Rufus May, that I have kept with me and is now hanging on the wall of my new office in Broadcasting House. I have not made this change without a lot of thought and I can assure you that, in different ways, these much-loved presenters will still grace the airwaves of Radio 4.

Gwyneth Williams is Controller of BBC Radio 4 and Radio 7

Radio 4's press release on the schedule changes will be published this morning on the BBC Press Office web site. Ben Dowell's news story about the changes and his interview with Gwyneth in The Guardian.
The picture shows noctilucent clouds photographed by John Rowlands, a finalist in Radio 4's 'So You Want to be a Scientist' project. John continues to track noctilucent clouds here.

Editor's note: Jane Berthoud is in charge of radio comedy at the BBC. Here's a speech she made on Tuesday in which she announced some interesting new comedy pilots for Radio 4 - SB

Miranda Hart, Genius, I've Never Seen Star Wars, Little Britain, League of Gentlemen, Goodness Gracious Me, Alan Partridge, Mitchell & Webb... the list of comedy transfers from radio to TV is long and impressive. So do we have the next one lined up for you tonight?

As many of you know, BBC Radio Comedy makes over 160 hours of original comedy each year, from some of the country's best new writers and performers. Our topical comedy podcast remains top of the charts with over 1.4 millions downloads every week. Currently on Radio 4, North by Northamptonshire by Katherine Jakeways with Sheila Hancock, McKenzie Crook and Kevin Eldon is delighting both press and punters.

Micky Flanagan's recent series at 6.30 on Radio 4 was outstanding. Funny. Warm. A real treat which resonated with the audience in a very special way. As a direct result of this, TV has now signed a development deal with Micky. And I have every confidence that a second Radio 4 series will be commissioned in the not too distant future. I can also announce now, new commissions at 6.30 on Radio 4 from Lucy Montgomery and Tom Wrigglesworth, both of whom I'm delighted to be working with.

The unique relationship radio comedy has with TV comedy - we are one department - means we are able to do some very interesting things together. One of these is a series which starts to transmit on Radio 4 on Tues 20th July and this is Happy Tuesdays. This is jointly commissioned by TV & radio - i.e. by Cheryl Taylor (Controller, Comedy Commissioning) and myself.

Happy Tuesdays is a series of five scripted comedy pilots in which some of the most exciting comedy talent around have been given the chance to try out new ideas and formats on Radio 4. These may then be picked up by radio and/or TV. In this series Justin Moorhouse has written his first audience sitcom, with Jim Poyser, in which Justin is newly divorced and sleeping in his father-in-law's spare room. In this episode he starts dating again, but somehow, everything seems to have changed since he last tried. Anne Reid is fantastic alongside Justin, playing his Gran and Lloyd Langford makes a great work colleague.

And I'm sure Justin will tell you more later. In another of the shows, ex burger van owner and Greek immigrant, Angelos, who you will know from Shooting Stars, has his own spoof chat show, and again the cast is great. As well as Dan Renton Skinner playing Angelos we also have Katherine Jakeways (again) with Katy Wix and Rufus Jones. Then there is Mr & Mrs Smith, an audience sitcom about a couple, Will & Annabell, who've only been married for a year but following an unimaginative birthday present - a draining rack - Annabelle (played by Sarah Hadland) signs them up for a course of marriage counselling.

Pauline Pepys' Dowry is the fourth in the series. By Beth Chalmers and Amy Shindler, with Olivia Coleman playing Pauline, Samuel Pepys' sister and David Mitchell playing Samuel. Apart from anything else, this has one of the best openings of a script I've read in a long time as Pauline and her friend chat about men they are dating whilst at an outing to the gallows, and yet another execution takes place in front of them. Also starring Sharon Horgan and Katherine Parkinson.

And finally a show that is still being cast, but written by two former in-house Radio Comedy writers, Gareth Gwynn and John-Luke Roberts, a very silly sitcom set in an antique shop, with Arthur Matthews script editing and Tim Mcinnerny playing one of the lead roles.

So to summarise, on Radio 4, a second series commissioned from Micky Flanagan, and brand new series from Lucy Montgomery and Tom Wrigglesworth. But coming up before all that, starting in July, five great new scripted comedy pilots, any of which may get picked up by Radio 4 or TV - what more do you need?

Jane Berthoud is head of radio comedy at the BBC

Chortle, the comedy news web site, covered the Happy Tuesdays story.
The BBC Comedy blog is a good source of laughs and behind-the-scenes stuff, quite a lot of it from Radio 4 and they've put a webcam in Angelos Epithemiou's flat.
BBC Comedy has a Facebook page and they're on Twitter.

The Radio 4 Blog Feed

Some changes to the Radio 4 schedule

New Radio 4 comedy pilots