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BBC Radio 4

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BBC Radio 4
BBC Radio 4 2022.svg
Logo used since 2022
  • London
Broadcast areaUnited Kingdom and BBC Sounds
FrequenciesFM: 92–95 MHz, 103–105 MHz
LW: 198 kHz
MW: 603 kHz, 720 kHz, 756 kHz, 774 kHz, 1449 kHz, 1485 kHz
DAB: 12B
Freesat: 704 (FM), 710 (LW)
Freeview: 704 (FM)
Sky (UK only): 0104 (FM), 0130 (LW)
Virgin Media: 904 (FM), 911 (LW)
Virgin Media Ireland: 910 (FM)
RDSBBC R4
Programming
Language(s)English
FormatNews, talk, comedy and drama
Ownership
OwnerBBC
BBC Radio 4 Extra
History
First air date
30 September 1967; 55 years ago (1967-09-30)
Former call signs
BBC Home Service
Former names
BBC Radio 4 UK (1978–1984)
Links
WebsiteRadio 4 on BBC Sounds

BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967.[1] It broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasting House, London. The station controller is Mohit Bakaya.[2]

Broadcasting throughout the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands on FM, LW and DAB, and on BBC Sounds,[3] it can be received in the eastern counties of Ireland, northern France and Northern Europe. It is available on Freeview, Sky, and Virgin Media. Radio 4 currently reaches over 10 million listeners, making it the UK's second most-popular radio station after Radio 2.[4]

BBC Radio 4 broadcasts news programmes such as Today and The World at One, heralded on air by the Greenwich Time Signal pips or the chimes of Big Ben. The pips are only accurate on FM, LW, and MW; there is a delay on digital radio of three to five seconds and online up to twenty-three seconds. Radio 4 broadcasts the Shipping Forecast which, in August 2017, was 150 years old.[5]

According to RAJAR, the station broadcasts to a weekly audience of 10.0 million with a listening share of 11.3% as of December 2022.[6]

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BBC

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the national broadcaster of the United Kingdom, based at Broadcasting House in London, England. It is the world's oldest national broadcaster, and the largest broadcaster in the world by number of employees, employing over 22,000 staff in total, of whom approximately 19,000 are in public-sector broadcasting.

BBC Home Service

BBC Home Service

The BBC Home Service was a national and regional radio station that broadcast from 1939 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 4.

Broadcasting House

Broadcasting House

Broadcasting House is the headquarters of the BBC, in Portland Place and Langham Place, London. The first radio broadcast from the building was made on 15 March 1932, and the building was officially opened two months later, on 15 May. The main building is in Art Deco style, with a facing of Portland stone over a steel frame. It is a Grade II* listed building and includes the BBC Radio Theatre, where music and speech programmes are recorded in front of a studio audience.

Channel Islands

Channel Islands

The Channel Islands are an archipelago in the English Channel, off the French coast of Normandy. They include two Crown Dependencies: the Bailiwick of Jersey, which is the largest of the islands; and the Bailiwick of Guernsey, consisting of Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Herm and some smaller islands. They are considered the remnants of the Duchy of Normandy and, although they are not part of the United Kingdom, the UK is responsible for the defence and international relations of the islands. The Crown dependencies are not members of the Commonwealth of Nations, nor have they ever been in the European Union. They have a total population of about 171,916, and the bailiwicks' capitals, Saint Helier and Saint Peter Port, have populations of 33,500 and 18,207, respectively.

FM broadcast band

FM broadcast band

The FM broadcast band is a range of radio frequencies used for FM broadcasting by radio stations. The range of frequencies used differs between different parts of the world. In Europe and Africa and in Australia and New Zealand, it spans from 87.5 to 108 megahertz (MHz) - also known as VHF Band II - while in the Americas it ranges from 88 to 108 MHz. The FM broadcast band in Japan uses 76 to 95 MHz, and in Brazil, 76 to 108 MHz. The International Radio and Television Organisation (OIRT) band in Eastern Europe is from 65.9 to 74.0 MHz, although these countries now primarily use the 87.5 to 108 MHz band, as in the case of Russia. Some other countries have already discontinued the OIRT band and have changed to the 87.5 to 108 MHz band.

Digital Audio Broadcasting

Digital Audio Broadcasting

Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) is a digital radio standard for broadcasting digital audio radio services in many countries around the world, defined, supported, marketed and promoted by the WorldDAB organisation. The standard is dominant in Europe and is also used in Australia, and in parts of Africa and Asia.

BBC Sounds

BBC Sounds

BBC Sounds is a streaming media and audio download service from the BBC that includes live radio broadcasts, audio on demand, and podcasts. The service is available on a wide range of devices, including mobile phones and tablets, personal computers, cars, and smart televisions. Media delivered to UK-based listeners does not feature commercial advertising.

France

France

France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. It also includes overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans, giving it one of the largest discontiguous exclusive economic zones in the world. Its metropolitan area extends from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean and from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea; overseas territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the North Atlantic, the French West Indies, and many islands in Oceania and the Indian Ocean. Its eighteen integral regions span a combined area of 643,801 km2 (248,573 sq mi) and had a total population of over 68 million as of January 2023. France is a unitary semi-presidential republic with its capital in Paris, the country's largest city and main cultural and commercial centre; other major urban areas include Marseille, Lyon, Toulouse, Lille, Bordeaux, and Nice.

Freeview (UK)

Freeview (UK)

Freeview is the United Kingdom's sole digital terrestrial television platform. It is operated by Everyone TV and DTV Services Ltd, a joint venture between the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky. It was launched on 30 October 2002, taking over the licence from ITV Digital which collapsed that year. The service provides consumer access via an aerial to the seven DTT multiplexes covering the United Kingdom. As of July 2020, it has 85 TV channels, 26 digital radio channels, 10 HD channels, six text services, 11 streamed channels, and one interactive channel.

BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. The Radio 2 about page says: "With a repertoire covering more than 40 years, Radio 2 plays the widest selection of music on the radio—from classic and mainstream pop to a specialist portfolio including classical, country, folk, jazz, soul, rock 'n' roll, gospel and blues."

Greenwich Time Signal

Greenwich Time Signal

The Greenwich Time Signal (GTS), popularly known as the pips, is a series of six short tones broadcast at one-second intervals by many BBC Radio stations. The pips were introduced in 1924 and have been generated by the BBC since 1990 to mark the precise start of each hour. Their utility in calibration is diminishing as digital broadcasting entails time lags.

Big Ben

Big Ben

Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England, and the name is frequently extended to refer also to the clock and the clock tower. The official name of the tower in which Big Ben is located was originally the Clock Tower, but it was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.

Overview

BBC Radio 4 is the second-most-popular British domestic radio station by total hours,[7] after Radio 2. It recorded its highest audience, of 11 million listeners, in May 2011,[8] and was "UK Radio Station of the Year" at the 2003, 2004 and 2008 Sony Radio Academy Awards.[9][10] It also won a Peabody Award in 2002 for File on 4: Export Controls.[11] Costing £71.4 million (2005/6),[12] it is the BBC's most expensive national radio network and is considered by many to be its flagship. There is no comparable British commercial network: Channel 4 abandoned plans to launch its own speech-based digital radio station in October 2008 as part of a £100m cost cutting review.[13]

In 2019, Mohit Bakaya replaced Gwyneth Williams, who had been the station controller since 2010.[2][14]

Music is broadcast as in documentaries relating to various forms of both popular and classical music, and the long-running music-based Desert Island Discs. Following the creation of BBC Radio 5 Live in 1994, the station has become the home of ball-by-ball commentaries of most Test cricket matches played by England. The coverage is broadcast on long wave. Consequently, for around 70 days a year, listeners have to rely on FM broadcasts or DAB for mainstream Radio 4 broadcasts – the number relying solely on long wave is now a small minority. The cricket broadcasts take precedence over on-the-hour news bulletins, but not the Shipping Forecast, carried since Radio 4's move to long wave in 1978 because long wave can be received clearly at sea.[15]

The station has a strong reputation for news, drama, and comedy. Following the Six O'Clock News from Monday to Friday, the station normally broadcasts a thirty-minute comedy programme.

The station is available on FM in most of Great Britain, parts of Ireland and the north of France; LW throughout the UK and in parts of Northern Europe, and the Atlantic north of the Azores to about 20 degrees west; MW in some areas; DAB; Digital TV including Freeview, Freesat, Sky and Virgin Media, and on the Internet. Freesat, Sky and Virgin have a separate channel for Radio 4 LW output in mono, in addition to the FM output.

The longwave signal is part of the Royal Navy's system of letters of last resort. In the event of a suspected catastrophic attack on Britain, submarine captains, in addition to other checks, check for a broadcast signal from Radio 4 on 198 longwave to verify the annihilation of organised society in Great Britain.[16][17][18]

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List of most-listened-to radio programs

List of most-listened-to radio programs

In the United States, radio listenership is gauged by Nielsen and others for both commercial radio and public radio. Nielsen and similar services provide estimates by regional market and by standard daypart, but do not compile nationwide information by host. Because there are significant gaps in Nielsen's coverage in rural areas, and because there are only a few markets where the company's proprietary data can be compared against competing ratings tabulators, there is a great deal of estimation and interpolation when attempting to compile a list of the most-listened-to radio programs in the United States. In 2009, Arbitron, the American radio industry's largest audience-measurement company at the time, said that "the job of determining number of listeners for is too complicated, expensive and difficult for them to bother with." In contrast, because most UK radio broadcasts are distributed consistently and nationwide, the complications of measuring audiences that are present in American radio are not present for British radio.

BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. The Radio 2 about page says: "With a repertoire covering more than 40 years, Radio 2 plays the widest selection of music on the radio—from classic and mainstream pop to a specialist portfolio including classical, country, folk, jazz, soul, rock 'n' roll, gospel and blues."

Channel 4

Channel 4

Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It is publicly owned but, unlike the BBC, it receives no public funding and is instead funded entirely by its own commercial activities, including publicity. It began its transmission in 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service in the United Kingdom. At the time, the only other channels were the licence-funded BBC One and BBC Two, and a single commercial broadcasting network ITV.

Mohit Bakaya

Mohit Bakaya

Mohit Bakaya is the controller of BBC Radio 4. He joined the BBC in 1993 and produced programmes such as Front Row and Night Waves before becoming the commissioning editor for factual in 2008.

Gwyneth Williams

Gwyneth Williams

Gwyneth Williams is a former controller of BBC Radio 4. She grew up in South Africa and attended St Hugh's College, Oxford.

Desert Island Discs

Desert Island Discs

Desert Island Discs is a radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4. It was first broadcast on the BBC Forces Programme on 29 January 1942.

BBC Radio 5 Live

BBC Radio 5 Live

BBC Radio 5 Live is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC that broadcasts mainly news, sport, discussion, interviews and phone-ins. It is the principal BBC radio station covering sport in the United Kingdom, broadcasting virtually all major sports events staged in the UK or involving British competitors.

Longwave

Longwave

In radio, longwave, long wave or long-wave, and commonly abbreviated LW, refers to parts of the radio spectrum with wavelengths longer than what was originally called the medium-wave broadcasting band. The term is historic, dating from the early 20th century, when the radio spectrum was considered to consist of longwave (LW), medium-wave (MW), and short-wave (SW) radio bands. Most modern radio systems and devices use wavelengths which would then have been considered 'ultra-short'.

FM broadcasting

FM broadcasting

FM broadcasting is the method of radio broadcasting that uses frequency modulation (FM). Invented in 1933 by American engineer Edwin Armstrong, wide-band FM is used worldwide to transmit high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. FM broadcasting offers higher fidelity—more accurate reproduction of the original program sound—than other broadcasting techniques, such as AM broadcasting. It is also less susceptible to common forms of interference, having less static and popping sounds than are often heard on AM. Therefore, FM is used for most broadcasts of music and general audio. FM radio stations use the very high frequency range of radio frequencies.

Azores

Azores

The Azores, officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores, is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal. It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atlantic Ocean, about 1,400 km (870 mi) west of Lisbon, about 1,500 km (930 mi) northwest of Morocco, and about 1,930 km (1,200 mi) southeast of Newfoundland, Canada.

Medium wave

Medium wave

Medium wave (MW) is the part of the medium frequency (MF) radio band used mainly for AM radio broadcasting. The spectrum provides about 120 channels with more limited sound quality than FM stations on the FM broadcast band. During the daytime, reception is usually limited to more local stations, though this is dependent on the signal conditions and quality of radio receiver used. Improved signal propagation at night allows the reception of much longer distance signals. This can cause increased interference because on most channels multiple transmitters operate simultaneously worldwide. In addition, amplitude modulation (AM) is often more prone to interference by various electronic devices, especially power supplies and computers. Strong transmitters cover larger areas than on the FM broadcast band but require more energy and longer antennas. Digital modes are possible but have not reached momentum yet.

Digital Audio Broadcasting

Digital Audio Broadcasting

Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) is a digital radio standard for broadcasting digital audio radio services in many countries around the world, defined, supported, marketed and promoted by the WorldDAB organisation. The standard is dominant in Europe and is also used in Australia, and in parts of Africa and Asia.

History

Logo of Radio 4 until 2007
Logo of Radio 4 until 2007
Logo of Radio 4 used from 2007 until 2022
Logo of Radio 4 used from 2007 until 2022

The BBC Home Service was the predecessor of Radio 4 and broadcast between 1939 and 1967. It had regional variations and was broadcast on medium wave with a network of VHF FM transmitters being added from 1955. Radio 4 replaced it on 30 September 1967, when the BBC restructured and renamed its domestic radio stations,[1] in response to the challenge of offshore radio. It moved to long wave in November 1978, taking over the 200 kHz frequency (1,500 metres) previously held by Radio 2 - later moved to 198 kHz as a result of international agreements aimed at avoiding interference (all ITU Region 1 MW/LW broadcast frequencies are divisible by 9). At this point, Radio 4 became available across all of the UK for the first time and the station officially became known as Radio 4 UK, a title that remained until 29 September 1984.

For a time during the 1970s Radio 4 carried regional news bulletins Monday to Saturday. These were broadcast twice at breakfast, at lunchtime and at 17:55. There were also programme variations for the parts of England not served by BBC Local Radio stations. These included Roundabout East Anglia, a VHF opt-out of the Today programme broadcast from BBC East's studios in Norwich each weekday from 6.45 a.m. to 8.45 a.m.[19] Roundabout East Anglia came to an end in August 1980, ahead of the launch of BBC Radio Norfolk.[19]

All regional news bulletins broadcast from BBC regional news bases around England ended in August 1980, apart from in the southwest as until January 1983 there was no BBC Local Radio in the southwest so these news bulletins and its weekday morning regional programme, Morning Sou'West, continued to be broadcast from the BBC studios in Plymouth on VHF and on the Radio 4 medium wave Plymouth relay until 31 December 1982.

The launch of Radio 5 on 27 August 1990 saw the removal of Open University, schools programming, children's programmes and the Study on 4/Options adult education slot from Radio 4's FM frequencies. Consequently, the full Radio 4 schedule became available on FM for the first time. However, adult educational and Open University programming returned to Radio 4 in 1994 when Radio 5 was closed to make way for the launch of BBC Radio 5 Live and were broadcast on Sunday evenings on longwave only.

Between 17 January 1991 and 2 March 1991 FM broadcasts were replaced by a continuous news service devoted to the Gulf War, Radio 4 News FM, with the main Radio 4 service transferring to long wave.

In September 1991 the main Radio 4 service transferred from long wave to FM coverage had now extended to cover almost all of the UK - Radio 4 did not become available on FM in much of Scotland and Wales until the early 1990s. Opt-outs were transferred to longwave: currently Test Match Special, extra shipping forecasts, The Daily Service and Yesterday in Parliament. Longwave very occasionally opts out at other times, such as to broadcast special services, the most recent being when Pope Benedict XVI visited Britain in 2010.

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BBC Home Service

BBC Home Service

The BBC Home Service was a national and regional radio station that broadcast from 1939 until 1967, when it was replaced by BBC Radio 4.

Medium wave

Medium wave

Medium wave (MW) is the part of the medium frequency (MF) radio band used mainly for AM radio broadcasting. The spectrum provides about 120 channels with more limited sound quality than FM stations on the FM broadcast band. During the daytime, reception is usually limited to more local stations, though this is dependent on the signal conditions and quality of radio receiver used. Improved signal propagation at night allows the reception of much longer distance signals. This can cause increased interference because on most channels multiple transmitters operate simultaneously worldwide. In addition, amplitude modulation (AM) is often more prone to interference by various electronic devices, especially power supplies and computers. Strong transmitters cover larger areas than on the FM broadcast band but require more energy and longer antennas. Digital modes are possible but have not reached momentum yet.

Offshore radio

Offshore radio

Offshore radio is radio broadcasting from ships or fixed maritime structures. Offshore broadcasters are usually unlicensed but transmissions are legal in international waters. This is in contrast to unlicensed broadcasting on land or within a nation's territorial waters, which is usually unlawful.

BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 2

BBC Radio 2 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It is the most popular station in the United Kingdom with over 15 million weekly listeners. Since launching in 1967, the station broadcasts a wide range of content. The Radio 2 about page says: "With a repertoire covering more than 40 years, Radio 2 plays the widest selection of music on the radio—from classic and mainstream pop to a specialist portfolio including classical, country, folk, jazz, soul, rock 'n' roll, gospel and blues."

Geneva Frequency Plan of 1975

Geneva Frequency Plan of 1975

The Geneva Frequency Plan of 1975 is the internationally agreed frequency plan which was drawn up to implement the provisions of the Final Acts of the Regional Administrative LF/MF Broadcasting Conference held in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1975. It covers radio broadcasting in the long and medium wave bands outside the Americas.

BBC Local Radio

BBC Local Radio

BBC Local Radio is the BBC's local and regional radio division for England and the Channel Islands, consisting of forty stations.

BBC East

BBC East

BBC East is one of BBC's English Regions covering Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire, northern Buckinghamshire, and the majority of Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Essex. It is headquartered in The Forum, Norwich since 2003. It was also separated into two areas, one with the East area covering mostly in Norfolk, Suffolk & Essex, and another from the West area which covers from Cambridge, serving mostly Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire and the three counties.

Norwich

Norwich

Norwich is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about 100 mi (160 km) north-east of London, 40 mi (64 km) north of Ipswich and 65 mi (105 km) east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with one of the country's largest medieval cathedrals, it is the largest settlement and has the largest urban area in East Anglia.

BBC Radio Norfolk

BBC Radio Norfolk

BBC Radio Norfolk is the BBC's local radio station serving the county of Norfolk.

Morning Sou'West

Morning Sou'West

Morning Sou’West was a regional programme broadcast in south west England as an opt-out from BBC Radio 4. It was broadcast on weekday mornings between 6:30 am and 8:35 am, rejoining Today for Yesterday in Parliament when Parliament was sitting - the programme was extended by eight minutes when Parliament was in recess, ending at the same time as the Today programme. The programme was supplemented by five-minute regional news bulletins at 12:55 pm and 5:55 pm. Morning Sou’West was not broadcast at the weekend although regional news bulletins did air on Saturdays at 6:55 am, 7:55 am, 12:55 pm and 5:55 pm. No regional news bulletins were broadcast on Sundays.

BBC Radio 5 (former)

BBC Radio 5 (former)

BBC Radio 5 was a national radio station that broadcast sports, children's and educational programmes. It ran from 1990 to 1994 and was transmitted via analogue radio on 693 and 909 kHz AM.

Open University

Open University

The Open University (OU) is a British public research university and the largest university in the United Kingdom by number of students. The majority of the OU's undergraduate students are based in the United Kingdom and principally study off-campus; many of its courses can also be studied anywhere in the world. There are also a number of full-time postgraduate research students based on the 45 hectares university campus in Milton Keynes, where they use the staff facilities for research, as well as more than 1,000 members of academic and research staff and over 2,500 administrative, operational and support staff.

Programmes and schedules

Daily schedule

An online schedule page lists the running order of programmes.[20]

Production

Many programmes are pre-recorded. Programmes transmitted live include Today, magazine programme Woman's Hour, consumer affairs programme You and Yours, and (often) the music, film, books, arts and culture programme Front Row. Continuity is managed from Broadcasting House with news bulletins, including the hourly summaries and longer programmes such as the Six O'Clock News and Midnight News, and news programmes such as Today, The World at One and PM, which by early 2013 had returned to Broadcasting House after 15 years at BBC Television Centre in White City.[21] The news returning to Broadcasting House has also meant that newsreaders can provide cover for continuity, which regularly occurs at 23:00 each night and 16:00 on a Sunday. This has reduced the total number of continuity announcers required each day down from four to three.

The Greenwich Time Signal, popularly known as "the pips", is broadcast every hour to herald the news bulletin, except at midnight and 18:00, and 22:00 on Sunday, when the chimes of Big Ben are played. There is no Greenwich Time Signal at 15:00 on Saturday or 10:00 and 11:00 on Sunday due to the Saturday Afternoon drama and the omnibus edition of The Archers respectively. Only pips broadcast on FM, MW and LW are accurate. On digital platforms there is a delay of between three and five seconds, and up to 23 seconds online.

Programmes

Radio 4 programmes cover a wide variety of genre including news and current affairs, history, culture, science, religion, arts, drama and light entertainment. A number of the programmes on Radio 4 take the form of a "magazine" show, featuring numerous small contributions over the course of the programme—Woman's Hour, From Our Own Correspondent, You and Yours. The rise of these magazine shows is primarily due to the work of Tony Whitby, controller of Radio 4 from 1970 to 1975.[22] The station hosts a number of long-running programmes, many of which have been broadcast for over 40 years.

Most programmes are available for four weeks after broadcast as streaming audio from Radio 4's listen again page[23] and via BBC Sounds. A selection of programmes is also available as podcasts or downloadable audio files.[24] Many comedy and drama programmes from the Radio 4 archives are broadcast on BBC Radio 4 Extra. Due to the capacity limitations of DAB and increasing sport broadcasts on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra, BBC Radio 4 DAB has to reduce its bit rate most evenings, such that after 7 p.m. its DAB output is usually in mono, even though many of its programmes are made in stereo (including its flagship drama "The Archers"), these can be heard in stereo only on FM, Digital TV on Freeview & Freesat (Ch. 704), Sky, Virgin and on line via BBC Sounds. BBC World Service, which uses BBC Radio 4 FM & DAB frequencies between 01:00 and 05:20, is in stereo, but only on Radio 4 FM & DAB and not on its own dedicated DAB channel. BBC Radio 4 Extra broadcasts in mono on DAB, but has always been in stereo on Digital TV (Freeview / Freesat Ch 708), Sky, Virgin and online.

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Today (BBC Radio 4)

Today (BBC Radio 4)

Today, colloquially known as the Today programme, is the BBC's long-running morning news and current-affairs radio programme on Radio 4. Broadcast on Monday to Saturday from 6:00 am to 9:00 am, it is produced by BBC News and is the highest-rated programme on Radio 4 and one of the BBC's most popular programmes across its radio networks. In-depth political interviews and reports are interspersed with regular news bulletins, as well as Thought for the Day. It has been voted the most influential news programme in Britain in setting the political agenda, with an average weekly listening audience around 6 million.

Front Row (radio programme)

Front Row (radio programme)

Front Row is a radio programme on BBC Radio 4 that has been broadcast regularly since 1998. The BBC describes the programme as a "live magazine programme on the world of arts, literature, film, media and music". It is broadcast each weekday between 7:15 p.m. and 7:45 p.m., and has a podcast available for download. Podcasts consisted of weekly highlights until September 2011, but have been full daily episodes since. Shows usually include a mix of interviews, reviews, previews, discussions, reports and columns. Some episodes however, particularly on bank holidays, include a single interview with prominent figures in the arts or a half-hour-long feature on a single subject.

Continuity (broadcasting)

Continuity (broadcasting)

In broadcasting, continuity or presentation is announcements, messages and graphics played by the broadcaster between specific programmes. It typically includes programme schedules, announcement of the programme immediately following and trailers or descriptions of forthcoming programmes. Continuity can be spoken by an announcer or displayed in text over graphics. On television continuity generally coincides with a display of the broadcaster's logo or ident. Advertisements are generally not considered part of continuity because they are advertising another company.

Broadcasting House

Broadcasting House

Broadcasting House is the headquarters of the BBC, in Portland Place and Langham Place, London. The first radio broadcast from the building was made on 15 March 1932, and the building was officially opened two months later, on 15 May. The main building is in Art Deco style, with a facing of Portland stone over a steel frame. It is a Grade II* listed building and includes the BBC Radio Theatre, where music and speech programmes are recorded in front of a studio audience.

Greenwich Time Signal

Greenwich Time Signal

The Greenwich Time Signal (GTS), popularly known as the pips, is a series of six short tones broadcast at one-second intervals by many BBC Radio stations. The pips were introduced in 1924 and have been generated by the BBC since 1990 to mark the precise start of each hour. Their utility in calibration is diminishing as digital broadcasting entails time lags.

Big Ben

Big Ben

Big Ben is the nickname for the Great Bell of the Great Clock of Westminster, at the north end of the Palace of Westminster in London, England, and the name is frequently extended to refer also to the clock and the clock tower. The official name of the tower in which Big Ben is located was originally the Clock Tower, but it was renamed Elizabeth Tower in 2012 to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Elizabeth II.

The Archers

The Archers

The Archers is a British radio soap opera currently originally broadcast on BBC Radio 4, the corporation's main spoken-word channel. Broadcast since 1951, it was famously billed as "an everyday story of country folk" and is now promoted as "a contemporary drama in a rural setting". Having aired over 19,500 episodes, it is the world's longest-running present-day drama by number of episodes.

List of BBC Radio 4 programmes

List of BBC Radio 4 programmes

This is a list of current and former programmes broadcast on BBC Radio 4.

From Our Own Correspondent

From Our Own Correspondent

From Our Own Correspondent is a weekly BBC radio programme in which BBC foreign correspondents deliver a sequence of short talks reflecting on current events and topical themes in the countries outside the UK in which they are based. The programme offers the BBC's correspondents around the world a chance to give a personal account of events from the epoch-making to the inconsequential.

BBC Sounds

BBC Sounds

BBC Sounds is a streaming media and audio download service from the BBC that includes live radio broadcasts, audio on demand, and podcasts. The service is available on a wide range of devices, including mobile phones and tablets, personal computers, cars, and smart televisions. Media delivered to UK-based listeners does not feature commercial advertising.

Download

Download

In computer networks, download means to receive data from a remote system, typically a server such as a web server, an FTP server, an email server, or other similar system. This contrasts with uploading, where data is sent to a remote server. A download is a file offered for downloading or that has been downloaded, or the process of receiving such a file.

BBC Radio 4 Extra

BBC Radio 4 Extra

BBC Radio 4 Extra is a British digital radio station from the BBC, broadcasting archived repeats of comedy, drama and documentary programmes nationally, 24 hours a day. It is the sister station of BBC Radio 4 and the principal broadcaster of the BBC's spoken-word archive, and as a result the majority of its programming originates from that archive. It also broadcasts extended and companion programmes to those broadcast on Radio 4, and provides a "catch-up" service for certain programmes.

Notable continuity announcers and newsreaders

Announcers carry out the following duties from Broadcasting House:

  • Provide links (or junctions) between programmes
  • Read trails for programmes
  • Provide reassurance to listeners during a programme breakdown
  • Read the Shipping Forecast (except the 05:20 broadcast, which is covered by BBC Weather)
  • Read the BBC Radio 3 news summaries at 13:00, 17:00 and 18:00 on weekdays

Newsreaders read hourly summaries and longer bulletins from New Broadcasting House.[25][26] In 2012 the BBC announced that it would be reducing its main presentation team from 12 to ten.[27]

BBC

Freelance

Former

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BBC Weather

BBC Weather

BBC Weather is the department of the BBC responsible for both the preparation and the broadcasting of weather forecasts.

BBC Radio 3

BBC Radio 3

BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also featuring. The station describes itself as "the world's most significant commissioner of new music", and through its New Generation Artists scheme promotes young musicians of all nationalities. The station broadcasts the BBC Proms concerts, live and in full, each summer in addition to performances by the BBC Orchestras and Singers. There are regular productions of both classic plays and newly commissioned drama.

Alan Smith (radio presenter)

Alan Smith (radio presenter)

Alan Smith is a presenter and newsreader on BBC Radio 4, who also appears on sister station Radio 4 Extra. Born in the Simpson Memorial Maternity Pavilion, Edinburgh, Scotland, he moved with his family to Cumbria when he was two.

John Hammond (weather forecaster)

John Hammond (weather forecaster)

John Michael Hammond is a meteorologist and an English weather forecaster for the BBC. For a long time he could be seen presenting weather forecasts on the BBC News channel, BBC Red Button and BBC World News. He was the main weather presenter on BBC News at One and on the BBC News at Ten, Countryfile and BBC News at Six. At the weekend he also presents the weather on BBC Radio 5 Live. He is currently presenting for the BBC in Birmingham, including the regional news programme Midlands Today.

Chris Aldridge

Chris Aldridge

Chris Aldridge is a continuity announcer and newsreader for BBC Radio 4.

Andrew Peach

Andrew Peach

Andrew Peach is a radio presenter in the United Kingdom. He presents a daily news and phone-in show on BBC Radio Berkshire which was named 'Best Local Radio Show in the UK' at the 2021 Radio Academy ARIA Awards. He also presents network programmes such as PM and the Six O'Clock News on BBC Radio 4, Newshour and The Newsroom on BBC World Service and reads news bulletins on BBC Radio 2. Peach celebrated 30 years on BBC Radio on 10th October 2022. He received messages from Theresa May, Zoe Ball, Jane Hill, Jeremy Vine, Tim Davie and Dermot O'Leary.

Alice Arnold (broadcaster)

Alice Arnold (broadcaster)

Alice Arnold is a British broadcaster and journalist. She was a newsreader and continuity announcer on BBC Radio 4 for more than twenty years until the end of December 2012.

Carolyn Brown (newsreader)

Carolyn Brown (newsreader)

Carolyn Brown is a former BBC Radio 4 newsreader and continuity announcer.

Harriet Cass

Harriet Cass

Harriet R M Cass is a freelance broadcaster, best known for her work on BBC Radio 4 as a senior announcer, with responsibility for newsreading and continuity.

Corrie Corfield

Corrie Corfield

Coriona Kear Ware Corfield is a radio broadcaster and producer known especially for her newsreading and continuity announcements on BBC Radio 4.

Charlotte Green

Charlotte Green

Charlotte Green is a British radio broadcaster and a former continuity announcer and news reader for BBC Radio 4.

Astley Jones

Astley Jones

Astley Jones is a newsreader and continuity announcer on BBC Radio 4. After beginning his career as a PE teacher, he took up work as a BBC Sports correspondent. He has followed a freelance career since 1975, working on Radios 2, 3, 4 and World Service as well as a stint in television. He has also worked for the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS). He also had a bit part in the Blake's 7 Season 1 episode - "Seek Locate Destroy" as a scientist working on a Federation Base.

Frequencies and other means of reception

Radio 4 is broadcast on:[28]
Broadcast Type Frequency
FM 92–95 MHz FM in England
94.6–96.1 and 103.5–104.9 MHz in Scotland[29]
92.8-95.5 and 103.5-104.9 MHz in Wales

93.2–96.0 and 103.5–104.6 MHz in Northern Ireland

Longwave 198 kHz (Droitwich, Burghead, and Westerglen)
Medium wave 603 kHz in Newcastle upon Tyne
720 kHz in London, Derry and Belfast
756 kHz in Redruth
774 kHz in Plymouth and Enniskillen
1449 kHz in Aberdeen
1485 kHz in Carlisle
DAB Standard FM content and subsidiary LW content, where applicable
Freeview channel 704 (FM only)[30]
Internet BBC Sounds live streaming
Digital satellite Freesat channel 704 (FM) and Freesat channel 710 (LW)
Sky channel 0104[31] (FM) and Sky channel 0143[31] (LW)
Virgin Media channel 904 (FM), channel 911 (LW)
Virgin Media Ireland channel 910 in Republic of Ireland
TalkTalk TV channel 604

Discover more about Frequencies and other means of reception related topics

FM broadcasting

FM broadcasting

FM broadcasting is the method of radio broadcasting that uses frequency modulation (FM). Invented in 1933 by American engineer Edwin Armstrong, wide-band FM is used worldwide to transmit high-fidelity sound over broadcast radio. FM broadcasting offers higher fidelity—more accurate reproduction of the original program sound—than other broadcasting techniques, such as AM broadcasting. It is also less susceptible to common forms of interference, having less static and popping sounds than are often heard on AM. Therefore, FM is used for most broadcasts of music and general audio. FM radio stations use the very high frequency range of radio frequencies.

Droitwich Transmitting Station

Droitwich Transmitting Station

The Droitwich transmitting station is a large broadcasting facility for long-wave and medium-wave transmissions, established in 1934 in the civil parish of Dodderhill, just outside the village of Wychbold, near Droitwich in Worcestershire, England. The site is the location of the British Broadcasting Corporation's most powerful long-wave transmitter, which together with the two Scottish long-wave transmitters at Burghead and Westerglen forms a network broadcasting on the same frequency. The masts can be seen to the east from the M5 motorway, between Droitwich and Bromsgrove, as well as to the west from the Herefordshire/Worcestershire border. At night, the two sets of aircraft warning lights are visible from a long distance. Due to the bright red lights illuminated at night, some locals have renamed the site "the devil horns of Wychbold". The station is owned and operated by Arqiva.

Burghead Transmitting Station

Burghead Transmitting Station

The Burghead transmitting station is a broadcasting facility near Burghead in Scotland for long wave and medium wave radio transmission that started service on 12 October 1936. The site is owned by Arqiva and houses a long wave radio transmitter on 198 kHz broadcasting BBC Radio 4 and two medium wave radio transmitters, broadcasting BBC Radio 5 Live on 693 kHz and BBC Radio Scotland on 810 kHz. The long wave transmitter is part of a network transmitting on the same frequency, the other transmitters being Droitwich and Westerglen.

London

London

London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a 50-mile (80 km) estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a major settlement for two millennia. The City of London, its ancient core and financial centre, was founded by the Romans as Londinium and retains its medieval boundaries. The City of Westminster, to the west of the City of London, has for centuries hosted the national government and parliament. Since the 19th century, the name "London" has also referred to the metropolis around this core, historically split between the counties of Middlesex, Essex, Surrey, Kent, and Hertfordshire, which since 1965 has largely comprised Greater London, which is governed by 33 local authorities and the Greater London Authority.

Derry

Derry

Derry, officially Londonderry, is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The old walled city lies on the west bank of the River Foyle, which is spanned by two road bridges and one footbridge. The city now covers both banks.

Belfast

Belfast

Belfast is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom and the second-largest in Ireland. It had a population of 345,418 in 2021.

Enniskillen

Enniskillen

Enniskillen is the largest town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is in the middle of the county, between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,823 at the 2011 Census. Enniskillen Castle was built in the 15th century as a stronghold of the Maguires, before coming under English control in the early 17th century. The castle and town were expanded during the Plantation of Ulster. It was the seat of local government for the former Fermanagh District Council, and is the county town of Fermanagh.

Aberdeen

Aberdeen

Aberdeen is a city in North East Scotland, and is the third most populous city in the country. Aberdeen is one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas, and has a 2020 population estimate of 198,590 for the city of Aberdeen, and 227,560 for the local council area making it the United Kingdom's 39th most populous built-up area. The city is 93 mi (150 km) northeast of Edinburgh and 398 mi (641 km) north of London, and is the northernmost major city in the United Kingdom. Aberdeen has a long, sandy coastline and features an oceanic climate, with cool summers and mild, rainy winters.

Digital Audio Broadcasting

Digital Audio Broadcasting

Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) is a digital radio standard for broadcasting digital audio radio services in many countries around the world, defined, supported, marketed and promoted by the WorldDAB organisation. The standard is dominant in Europe and is also used in Australia, and in parts of Africa and Asia.

Freeview (UK)

Freeview (UK)

Freeview is the United Kingdom's sole digital terrestrial television platform. It is operated by Everyone TV and DTV Services Ltd, a joint venture between the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Sky. It was launched on 30 October 2002, taking over the licence from ITV Digital which collapsed that year. The service provides consumer access via an aerial to the seven DTT multiplexes covering the United Kingdom. As of July 2020, it has 85 TV channels, 26 digital radio channels, 10 HD channels, six text services, 11 streamed channels, and one interactive channel.

BBC Sounds

BBC Sounds

BBC Sounds is a streaming media and audio download service from the BBC that includes live radio broadcasts, audio on demand, and podcasts. The service is available on a wide range of devices, including mobile phones and tablets, personal computers, cars, and smart televisions. Media delivered to UK-based listeners does not feature commercial advertising.

Freesat

Freesat

Freesat is a British free-to-air satellite television service, first formed as a joint venture between the BBC and ITV plc and now owned by Everyone TV. The service was formed as a memorandum in 2007 and has been marketed since 6 May 2008. Freesat offers a satellite alternative to the Freeview service on digital terrestrial television, with a broadly similar selection of channels available without subscription for users purchasing a receiver.

Criticisms

Criticism voiced by centre-right newspapers in recent years have a perceived left political bias across a range of issues,[32][33][34] as well as sycophancy in interviews, particularly on the popular morning news magazine Today[35] as part of a reported perception of a general "malaise" at the BBC. Conversely, the journalist Mehdi Hasan has criticised the station for an overtly "socially and culturally conservative" approach.[36]

There has been criticism of Today in particular for a lack of female broadcasters.[37] In September 1972, Radio 4 employed the first female continuity announcers—Hylda Bamber and Barbara Edwards. For quite some time, the introduction of female newsreaders led to complaints from listeners; women discussing topics of feminist interest led to similar complaints.[38] In addition, there has been long-running criticism by atheist and humanist groups of Thought for the Day, a slot dedicated exclusively to religious discussion during Radio 4's flagship morning news programme.[39][40][41]

Radio 4 has been criticised for being too middle class and of little interest to non-white listeners.[42][43]

Discover more about Criticisms related topics

Sycophancy

Sycophancy

In modern English, sycophant denotes an "insincere flatterer" and is used to refer to someone practising sycophancy. The word has its origin in the legal system of Classical Athens. Most legal cases of the time were brought by private litigants as there was no police force and only a limited number of officially appointed public prosecutors. By the fifth century BC this practice had given rise to abuse by "sycophants": litigants who brought unjustified prosecutions. The word retains the same meaning ('slanderer') in Modern Greek, French, and Italian. In modern English, the meaning of the word has shifted to its present usage.

Mehdi Hasan

Mehdi Hasan

Mehdi Raza Hasan is a British-American political journalist, broadcaster and best-selling author. He has presented The Mehdi Hasan Show on Peacock since October 2020 and on MSNBC since February 2021.

Social conservatism

Social conservatism

Social conservatism is a political philosophy and variety of conservatism which places emphasis on traditional power structures over social pluralism. Social conservatives organize in favor of duty, traditional values and social institutions, such as traditional family structures, gender roles, sexual relations, national patriotism, and religious traditions. Social conservatism is usually skeptical of social change, instead tending to support the status quo concerning social issues.

Cultural conservatism

Cultural conservatism

Cultural conservatism is described as the protection of the cultural heritage of a nation state, or of a culture not defined by state boundaries. It is usually associated with criticism of multiculturalism, and opposition to immigration. Cultural conservatism is sometimes concerned with the preservation of a language, such as French in Quebec, and other times with the preservation of an ethnic group's culture such as Native Americans.

Middle class

Middle class

The middle class refers to a class of people in the middle of a social hierarchy, often defined by occupation, income, education, or social status. The term has historically been associated with modernity, capitalism and political debate. Common definitions for the middle class range from the middle fifth of individuals on a nation's income ladder, to everyone but the poorest and wealthiest 20%. Theories like "Paradox of Interest" use decile groups and wealth distribution data to determine the size and wealth share of the middle class.

Source: "BBC Radio 4", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, March 21st), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_Radio_4.

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References
  1. ^ a b "History of the BBC: 1960s" (PDF).
  2. ^ a b "BBC - Controllers for Pop Music, BBC Sounds and Radio 4 have been appointed - Media Centre". bbc.co.uk.
  3. ^ "Radio stations ranked by listeners weekly UK 2018 | Statistic". Statista. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  4. ^ "RAJAR". www.rajar.co.uk. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  5. ^ "Radio 4's Shipping Forecast reaches 150-years-old". BBC News. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
  6. ^ "RAJAR".
  7. ^ "Listening Figures – Quarterly Listening – All Individuals 15+ for period ending March 2012" (PDF). RAJAR. April 2012. Archived from the original on 31 May 2012.
  8. ^ Guardian 12 May 2011 Retrieved 16 May 2011]
  9. ^ "The Sony Radio Academy Awards: Winners 2004". Archived from the original on 6 October 2007. Retrieved 13 May 2004.
  10. ^ "Sony Radio Academy Awards — Winners 2008". Radioawards.org. Archived from the original on 9 January 2009. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  11. ^ 62nd Annual Peabody Awards, May 2003.
  12. ^ "BBC Annual Report and Accounts 2005/2006, page 106" (PDF). Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  13. ^ John Plunkett (10 October 2008). "Channel 4 has abandoned its entire radio project, as it seeks to make £100m in savings". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  14. ^ "Gwyneth Williams appointed BBC Radio 4 controller" The Guardian, 15 July 2010, Retrieved 15 July 2010
  15. ^ "Met Office Shipping Forecast key". Metoffice.gov.uk. 11 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  16. ^ Rosenbaum, Ron (9 January 2009). "Nuclear apocalypse and the Letter of Last Resort". Slate Magazine. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  17. ^ "Radio silence puts subs on nuclear alert" 28 November 2003 Manchester Evening News Retrieved 11 February 2018
  18. ^ BBC Press Office. "The Today Programme". BBC. Archived from the original on 25 May 2006. Retrieved 27 July 2010.
  19. ^ a b "BBC Radio Norfolk's 25th anniversary". BBC. 9 September 2005. Retrieved 10 February 2012.
  20. ^ "Radio 4 Daily Schedule page". BBC. 8 February 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  21. ^ "New era for Broadcasting House". BBC News. London. 31 October 2000. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  22. ^ Hendy, David (2007). Life on Air: A History of Radio Four. Oxford University Press. pp. 78–79. ISBN 9780199248810.
  23. ^ "Radio 4: Listen Again". BBC. Archived from the original on 21 August 2019. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  24. ^ "Radio 4 – Downloading and Podcasting". BBC. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  25. ^ "Being a newsreader by Harriet Cass". BBC. 30 April 2008. Archived from the original on 28 June 2008. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  26. ^ "List of BBC Radio newsreaders". BBC News. London. 11 July 2007. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  27. ^ "Cass and Green to leave Radio 4". Bbc.co.uk. 5 September 2012.
  28. ^ "How to Listen". BBC. 11 February 2018. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  29. ^ "Radio transmitters Scotland FM transmitters" (PDF). BBC. Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 March 2016. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  30. ^ "Get Freeview Play". Freeview.co.uk.
  31. ^ a b "Free Channels on the Sky Digital Satellite Platform". Wickonline.com. Archived from the original on 5 April 2010. Retrieved 19 March 2010.
  32. ^ Fisk, Tracy (6 February 2007). "Is Radio 4 alienating its core audience?". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  33. ^ BBC report damns its ‘culture of bias’ – Times Online Archived 26 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  34. ^ Leonard, Tom (27 October 2006). "The BBC's commitment to bias is no laughing matter". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  35. ^ "Stephen Pollard: I don't want bias with my cornflakes — Commentators, Opinion". The Independent. London. 20 October 2003. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  36. ^ Hasan, Mehdi (27 August 2009). "Bias and the Beeb". New Statesman. Retrieved 5 November 2009.
  37. ^ Barnett, Emma (16 July 2013). "Another woman on Radio 4's Today programme? The BBC ain't joking". The Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  38. ^ Hendy, David (2007). Life on Air: A History of Radio Four. Oxford University Press. pp. 99–100. ISBN 9780199248810.
  39. ^ Sherwood, Harriet (13 November 2018). "BBC faces renewed calls to open Thought for the Day to atheists". The Guardian. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  40. ^ Davies, Gareth (2 October 2019). "Radio 4's Thought for the Day should be scrapped because it is discriminatory, says John Humphrys". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  41. ^ "BBC once more rejects non-religious voices on Thought for the Day". National Secular Society. 3 July 2013. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  42. ^ Midgley, Neil (8 February 2011). "BBC Radio 4 'too middle class and London-centric'". The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 12 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
  43. ^ Mair, John (22 February 2008). "Am I bovvered that Radio 4 is too middle class? No!". The Guardian Organ Grinder Blog. Retrieved 4 January 2014.
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