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New wave - Radio 4 prepares for change

Devotees of the BBC station are bracing themselves for the overhaul, which has sparked uproar among some traditionalists.

Time-honoured programmes such as Kaleidoscope, Breakaway and Mediumwave have been axed in favour of new ideas.

Several other favourites, including You and Yours, Does He Take Sugar? And Farming Today are either moving or changing.

Radio 4 is the UK's leading speech-based national radio station and the BBC's flagship network on the airwaves.

When news of the radical shake up was announced last summer, station controller James Boyle was accused of trying to "dumb down" Radio 4 for in an effort to attract a new, younger audience. Currently the average age of listeners is 53.

But Mr Boyle has resolutely defended the changes, claiming that a shake-up was necessary to ensure the survival of the station, which has been losing listeners.

"It's the richest schedule ever," he proudly proclaimed at a press launch last month.

Mr Boyle says the new schedule is the result of extensive public consultation.

"We needed to persuade more people that more of Radio 4 is worth listening to. But I've got to maintain the intelligence and variety of programmes, otherwise it wouldn't be Radio 4."

He described the new schedule as "Reithian", a reference to the BBC's founding father who committed the corporation to a triple mission to inform, educate and entertain.

Among Mr Boyle's sternest critics has been the union Bectu, which says 70 people will lose their jobs because of rationalisation brought about by changes at the station.

He has also drawn criticism from MPs, angry at proposals to switch the station's coverage of Parliament from the FM waveband to longwave.

Radio 4 plans to spend £1 million on marketing the new schedule, using a new logo.

Already the most expensive of BBC's five network stations, Radio 4 has a £40m budget that has been boosted by another £2m this year.

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