BBC Radio 4 FM Schedule Thursday 5 March 2026

Schedule

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Early
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Late

Early
1. 00:00
  Midnight News—05/03/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  This Is the Door: Notes from a Body in Pain by Darcey Steinke—Episode 3: Heart
  3/5Elizabeth McGovern reads Darcey Steinke’s new book about the body and pain.
3. 00:48
  Shipping Forecast—05/03/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
4. 01:00
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—05/03/2026
  A selection of BBC World Service news and current affairs, arts and science programmes.
5. 05:00
  News Summary—05/03/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:04
  Yesterday in Parliament—05/03/2026
  News, views and features on yesterday's stories in Parliament
7. 05:34
  Shipping Forecast—05/03/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
8. 05:43
  Prayer for the Day—Out of the Shadows
  A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with the Very Rev Dr Sarah Rowland Jones.
9. 05:45
  Farming Today—05/03/26 Bird flu vaccine, impact of Middle East conflict, water storage.
  The first trial of a bird flu vaccine for the UK.
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Morning
1. 06:00
  Today—05/03/2026
  News and current affairs, including Sports Desk, Weather and Thought for the Day.
2. 09:00
  In Our Time—Margaret Beaufort
  How one woman helped her son survive the Wars of the Roses to become the first Tudor king.
3. 09:45
  Strong Message Here—Get Real (with Hugo Rifkind)
  Who is a 'real person' in politics? How do politicians use language to change reality?
4. 10:00
  Woman's Hour—Allergy training, A Woman of Substance, Ramadan & 'sandwich generation', Model Charli Howard
  Schools in England to provide allergy awareness training for staff in new guidance.
5. 11:00
  The Body Politic—Assisted dying
  Sonia Sodha explores thorny ethical questions around the beginning and the end of life.
6. 11:45
  This Is the Door: Notes from a Body in Pain by Darcey Steinke—Episode 4: Suffering
  4/5Elizabeth McGovern reads Darcey Steinke’s new book about the body and pain.
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Afternoon
1. 12:00
  News Summary—05/03/2026
  The latest national and international news from BBC Radio 4.
2. 12:04
  The Bottom Line—Entrepreneurs: Your Questions Answered
  Three top entrepreneurs answer your questions about starting and managing a business.
3. 12:32
  Sliced Bread—Dough - Trains
  Could ticketless travel be coming to our future rail network? Greg Foot investigates.
4. 12:57
  Weather—05/03/2026
  The latest weather forecast
5. 13:00
  World at One—War widens in the Middle East
  A well-known dissident inside Iran tell us he is not hopeful the regime will fall.
6. 13:45
  Artworks—Waugh: What Is He Good For?, 4. A Handful of Dust - The Cheating Game
  4/7Russell Kane delves into seven of Evelyn Waugh’s most important works: A Handful of Dust.
7. 14:00
  The Archers—04/03/2026
  There’s an upset at Bridge Farm.
8. 14:15
  Drama on 4—Good People, 4. The Miracle
  4/6The group is making waves, with Abbie's help. But they need funding. And fast.
9. 15:00
  Open Country—Hedgerow havens
  Martha Kearney finds out about hedgerows, learning about their history and their ecology.
10. 15:27
  Radio 4 Appeal—Build It International
  Supporter Liseli Sumbwanyambe makes the Radio 4 Appeal on behalf of Build It International
11. 15:30
  Feedback—News Avoidance, Counterpoint, and Ukrainecast Follow-Up
  Andrea Catherwood discusses news avoidance, the conflict in Iran and positive news.
12. 16:00
  The Briefing Room—Why did the US and Israel launch a war with Iran, and what comes next?
  What will happen to the Iranian regime now?
13. 16:30
  BBC Inside Science—How is war being fought in space?
  Space warfare, space manufacturing and satellite data at Space Comm Expo
14. 17:00
  PM—Keir Starmer defends his approach to Iran war
  The prime minister says he has provided "calm, level-headed leadership" in response.
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Evening
1. 18:00
  Six O'Clock News—Sir Keir Starmer rejects criticism of his response to war in the Middle East
  The prime minster says the UK is sending four fighter jets to Qatar
2. 18:30
  Stand-Up Specials—Randy Feltface, 4. Water
  4/4Randy Feltface cries a river.
3. 19:00
  The Archers—05/03/2026
  It all comes down to head or heart for Helen.
4. 19:15
  Front Row—Review: The Bride! Maggie Gyllenhaal's film about the bride of Frankenstein
  Plus Bad Fiction by Rebecca Sarah Ley and award-winning film Sound of Falling.
5. 20:00
  When It Hits the Fan—The Generation Game
  David Yelland and Anoushka Mutanda-Dougherty on the struggle to cut through to Gen Z.
6. 20:15
  The Media Show—Media coverage of Middle East conflict, Green Party’s by-election victory chances "missed" by journalists? Nonagenarian podcast
  Media reporting of the Middle East conflict, Green Party victory "missed" by journalists?
7. 21:00
  Loose Ends—Joanna Scanlan, Adèle Anderson, Faye Tozer, Elles Bailey, ERNIE
  Stuart Maconie and guests with an eclectic mix of conversation, music and comedy.
8. 21:45
  Strong Message Here—Get Real (with Hugo Rifkind)
  Who is a 'real person' in politics? How do politicians use language to change reality?
9. 22:00
  The World Tonight—Trump tells Iranian diplomats to defect
  President Trump tells Iranian officials to leave their posts and apply for asylum
10. 22:45
  Fire Ready by Jane Rogers—Murmuration
  4/5A spaceship returns to Earth after a long journey seeking other habitable planets.
11. 23:00
  Radical with Amol Rajan—The Decline of Marriage: Why We Need to Prioritise Family Life (Ed Davies)
  Marriage rates have fallen to historic lows, but what are the consequences?
12. 23:30
  Today in Parliament—05/03/2026
  Susan Hulme reports on plans to help Britons stranded in the Middle East.
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Late
1. 00:00
  Midnight News—06/03/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
2. 00:30
  This Is the Door: Notes from a Body in Pain by Darcey Steinke—Episode 4: Suffering
  4/5Elizabeth McGovern reads Darcey Steinke’s new book about the body and pain.
3. 00:48
  Shipping Forecast—06/03/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
4. 01:00
  Selection of BBC World Service Programmes—06/03/2026
  A selection of BBC World Service news and current affairs, arts and science programmes.
5. 05:00
  News Summary—06/03/2026
  National and international news from BBC Radio 4
6. 05:04
  Yesterday in Parliament—06/03/2026
  Sean Curran reports from Westminster as the government faces questions on the Middle East.
7. 05:34
  Shipping Forecast—06/03/2026
  The latest weather reports and forecasts for UK shipping
8. 05:43
  Prayer for the Day—World Day of Prayer
  A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with the Very Rev Dr Sarah Rowland Jones.
9. 05:45
  Farming Today—06/03/26 Bird flu vaccine cost prohibitive for chickens, data storage in the countryside, AI in farming in Cornwall
  Why UK chickens are unlikely to be vaccinated against avian flu.

Friday 6 March 2026