Programme Information

Greg James launches a brand new weekly official chart update. The chart runs in Greg's show every Wednesday afternoon between 3.30 and 4pm.

Greg reveals the hottest new tracks of the week, new entries and high climbers, building the suspense ahead of the Official Singles Chart and Albums Chart which are revealed in The Chart Show with Reggie Yates on BBC Radio 1 every Sunday between 4 and 7pm.

BBC Radio 1 and The Official Charts Company publish the full singles and album updates online at bbc.co.uk/radio1/chart.

Presenter/Greg James, Producer/Neil Sloan

BBC Radio 1 Publicity

This documentary for BBC 1Xtra takes a look at abortion from the male perspective. Many of the contributors describe how frustrated they are that they don't have more of a say when it comes to whether or not to keep a child. Some want a change in the law to give them more rights.

Neil from Bristol found out that his ex-girlfriend was pregnant. She thought about having an abortion against his wishes and he was distraught. Jamal, 18, from London, believes girls just use abortions as a contraceptive; while Josh, 20, thinks that men are relieved that they don't have a legal say.

Producer/Debbie Ramsay

BBC 1Xtra Publicity

Mike Harding presents an hour of the very best in folk, roots and acoustic music, including news from the world of folk and the latest album releases.

This week's show includes an interview with Orcadian musician and singer Kris Drever, and tracks from his forthcoming solo album, Mark The Hard Earth. It is Kris's first solo release since his debut Black Water in 2006, an album that won much critical acclaim. Kris went on to win the Horizon Award at the 2007 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

As well as chatting about the new album, Kris discusses the thriving folk scene in his home city, Edinburgh, explaining how he finds time for all of the various projects he's involved in.

Aside from his solo work, Kris is the guitarist and singer with the group Lau, who have been voted best group for the past three years at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards.

He works alongside multi-instrumentalist John McCusker and Idlewild vocalist Roddy Woomble in the trio Drever/McCusker/Woomble and also plays in a duo with banjo supremo Eamonn Coyne as well as being in demand as a session musician, appearing with the likes of Kate Rusby and Eddi Reader. He will be touring the UK in April and May.

Presenter/Mike Harding, Presenter/Kellie While

BBC Radio 2 Publicity

World-renowned conductor Sir Simon Rattle

Sir Simon Rattle conducts the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in Bach's St Matthew Passion, with the CBSO chorus and an international line-up of soloists, including Camilla Tilling (soprano), Magdalena Kozena (mezzo-soprano), Mark Padmore (tenor – Evangelist), Christian Gerhaher (baritone – Christus) and Thomas Quasthoff (baritone).

Bach's St Matthew Passion is often regarded as one of his finest achievements and as one of the pinnacles of sacred choral music. The dramatic re-telling of the events of Holy Week has a power and expressive beauty that add up to an overwhelming experience. In this concert, Sir Simon Rattle returns to Birmingham to conduct the CBSO for the first time in four years.

Presenter/Martin Handley, Producer/Janet Tuppen

BBC Radio 3 Publicity

The mother and daughter relationship is a notoriously tricky one. And yet a daughter's relationship with her mother is one which will have a profound influence. For a special feature, timed to go out just before Mothering Sunday, hundreds of women sent extraordinarily vivid and emotional stories about their experiences as mothers and as daughters.

This feature tells three exceptional stories of mothers and daughters, lost and found. Each mother and daughter talks separately and intimately before being brought together, to spend time together and to talk about what they have been through. They say things to each other that they have never been said before. The result is moving and sometimes funny.

Therese's daughter, Louise, was a nightmare teenager: attending wild parties; not coming home at night; drinking heavily; and, at times, being physical abusive. Therese, pushed to her limits, called the police. In fact, the local policeman became a fixture in the kitchen, eating flapjacks and trying to calm the distraught Therese. However, today Louise is a policewoman herself and she and her mum are planning Louise's wedding together. But not without a few sparks of the old conflict...

Mary Anne was only 11 when she left her mother and went to live with her father. Her parents hadn't spoken for years and it was a complete break with the childhood happiness she had known. She didn't see her mother again for two years. For mother Sylvie, it was a catastrophic blow. But a chance meeting with her daughter by the village post-box changed both their lives. Together, they talk movingly about losing – and finding – each other.

The third mother and daughter pair were driven apart by religious and cultural clashes. Sumedha, who came to Britain from Sri Lanka, passed on her Buddhist values to her daughter, encouraging her to study hard and to go to university. Once there, Amanthi fell in love with a British Christian. But her strict Muslim father did not approve. He kicked his daughter out of the family and for two years she was unable to talk to her mother. Amanthi was distraught. She contacted her mother and they continued their relationship in secret. And – when she got married – she smuggled her mother out for the day so she could be there. When she had a baby, her mother lied to her husband in order to be able to visit her newborn grandson. But, when her husband found the train ticket, the game was up. Mother and daughter are brought together to talk about what happened next.

On Thursday 11 March, Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4 broadcasts a special edition of the programme, picking up the themes in this feature.

Producers/Sarah Johnson and Isabel Sargent

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

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In Nick Warburton's play, life for a suburban mum and her son changes when the rabbit he brings home finishes a crossword...

Frank's dad was called Bobby. So, when Frank buys a rabbit following Bobby's death, Mum calls it Bobby in his honour.

A few days after Bobby the rabbit has been installed, Frank is looking for a crossword he hasn't quite finished. The newspaper page is missing. Mum has put it in the bottom of Bobby's cage. When Frank recovers it, he finds that the last clue has been completed. He didn't do it. Mum didn't do it. So, that leaves Bobby – could he be a rabbit with literary talent?

Frank calls the Town Hall and informs them of the miracle. One department speaks to another and Frank and Mum are promptly summoned to discuss the matter. They meet Mr Vincent, who sees Bobby very much as his responsibility.

Frank is played by Mackenzie Crook with Emerald O'Hanrahan playing Miss Bradfield. Kate Layden plays the role of Mum with Tessa Nicholson playing Sophie. Mr Vincent is played by Bruce Alexander.

Producer/Peter Kavanagh

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

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Party Ep 1/ 4

Wednesday 10 March

6.30-7.00pm BBC RADIO 4

From the perils of electing a leader and choosing a party name through to the finer intricacies of Foreign and Environmental policy, this new sitcom satirises the ambitions, hypocrisy and naivety of those who choose to try to change the world.

Party stars an array of comedy talent, including: Tim Key; Johnny Sweet; Anna Crilly; Katy Wix; Nick Mohammed; and Tom Basden.

Party is written by Tom Basden and is based on his 2009 Edinburgh play which won a Fringe First Award.

Producer/Julia McKenzie

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

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This week's Lent Talks looks at the Quilliam Foundation, the world's first Islamic counter-extremism think tank of which Maajid Nawaz is co-founder and co-director.

Formerly part of the UK national leadership for global Islamist party Hizb ut-Tahrir – for which he served four years in an Egyptian prison as an Amnesty International "prisoner of conscience" – Maajid's opinions changed before he finally renounced the Islamist ideology and accepted traditional Islam and inclusive politics.

In this programme, Maajid argues that the only way society will develop is through an acceptance of pluralism, including secularism.

Presenter/Maajid Nawaz, Producer/Simon Vivian

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

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Mark Whitaker reports on research in key centres in Britain and the USA into ways of removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or reducing the amount of sunlight reaching the Earth – exploring the technical, financial and political hurdles they face.

Last September, the Royal Society concluded in a study that while early and effective action to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases was preferable, geoengineering could be useful and subject to more detailed research and analysis.

In this programme, Mark Whitaker visits some of the major US institutions, including Nasa, which are now looking seriously at these techniques. He sees some of the research already underway at places like Columbia University in New York, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute in Cape Cod.

Some of the proposals sound like science-fiction – launching giant mirrors into space for example – but other ideas, including "fertilising" the oceans so they absorb more carbon dioxide, involve enormous cost, effort and risk. The climatic consequences can't be accurately predicted, so some countries may be damaged and rainfall patterns will be changed, but no one knows exactly how.

The programme also examines the political and legal complexities that may be an even greater challenge. Geoengineering must be a global strategy, therefore it needs an authoritative global agency to oversee it. The programme questions whether the UN can do this and asks if states like the US and China accept international restraints.

Presenter/Mark Whitaker, Producer/Mike Hally

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

5 Live Sport

Wednesday 10 March

7.00-10.30pm BBC RADIO 5 LIVE

Mark Pougatch has all the day's sports news and from 7.45pm Champions League commentary of the second leg of the first knockout round match between Manchester United and AC Milan, live, from Old Trafford.

Presenter/Mark Pougatch, Producer/Ed King

BBC Radio 5 Live Publicity

The Kissaway Trail join Lauren Laverne for a live session.

Currently on a tour of the UK and moving on to play at the South By South West festival, the Danish five-piece play tracks from the new album, Sleep Mountain.

Presenter/Lauren Laverne, Producer/Gary Bales

BBC 6 Music Publicity

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Gideon Coe digs deep to find Leicestershire's Young Knives going local at Summer Sundae 2007 and Janis Joplin, live, in 1968.

Archive sessions from the BBC span the decades with The Beatles, Richard Hawley, The Sisters Of Mercy and Blonde Redhead.

Presenter/Gideon Coe, Producer/Frank Wilson

BBC 6 Music Publicity

Simran thinks she and Jaggy deserve a celebration after their recent troubles, as the drama continues. Later, Dr Masud shops for a birthday present for Shazia.

Rozena has another futuristic nightmare and is horrified to discover who the "boss" really is. She awakes to Sameer telling her to check on Jibran.

Later, Imran reveals his plans for the newly purchased gym space. Has Rozena thought any more about getting her own project off the ground? Rozena decides he's right; it's time to do something.

Simran is played by Balvinder Sopal, Jaggy by Jay Kiyani, Dr Masud by Saeed Jaffrey, Rozena by Pooja Ghai, Sameer by Alex Caan and Imran by Narinder Samra.

BBC Asian Network Publicity

Dating websites are springing up all over the world and are gaining popularity. Rajini Vaidyanathan goes behind the scenes at India's leading matrimonial websites to find out how they work and the effect they are having. Is the traditional role played by "Auntie-Ji" in decline or is it just the urban elite who go online to find their spouse?

Netrimony is part of Superpower, a major season on BBC World Service, BBC World News and bbc.com, exploring the extraordinary power of the internet.

BBC World Service Publicity

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BBC technology correspondent Rory Cellan Jones looks at the science behind new developments across the world wide web.

In a special edition of BBC World Service science documentary series Discovery, Rory explores some of the latest developments in communications technology. Web 3.0 now promises a world where people and objects are seamlessly connected through an all-pervasive network – a truly mobile and global network. Computers may no longer be controlled through devices such as mouse and keyboards but rather through speech, gestures and even thoughts.

The programme looks at the reality behind web 3.0 and asks how such an all-pervasive network will work and how it could be made safe and secure against attacks and corruption. The programme examines whether big business or the community might ultimately control the web and finds out how these technological advances impact on the developing world.

Discovery – The Future Of The Internet is part of Superpower, a major season on BBC World Service, BBC World News and bbc.com, exploring the extraordinary power of the internet.

Presenter/Rory Cellan Jones

BBC World Service Publicity