Hearing aids
Our hearing is the first of our senses to develop while we are in the womb. It’s the first connection…
Four years of war
Kate Chisholm on the BBC’s ambitious new radio series
Commonwealth connections
What’s been missing from the schedules during the Commonwealth Games has been a straightforward reminder about who makes up the…
Staying in tune
Where next for Radio 3? Last Friday was the First Night of this year’s Proms season but it was the…
Visceral voices
You might (if you’re over a certain age) still think it pretty amazing that TV not only allows you to…
The lady vanishes
It seems incredible now but when the BBC’s youth station, Radio 1, was launched in 1967 there were no female…
It’s all Danish to me
Out there in the great ether there’s a whole new world of radio beyond the stations of the BBC and…
Out of this world
First, a confession. Even an ardent radio addict can enjoy a fortnight away from the airwaves, disconnected, switched off, unlistening.…
Listen and learn
Much praise has been lavished on Radio 2’s 500 Words short-story competition, the winners to be announced on Friday’s Chris…
The lives of others
Tucked away in the schedules, just before midday, just after midweek (on Thursday), just four lines in the Radio Times,…
Lines of beauty
A rustle of paper as the sleeve is removed. A clunk and click as the needle arm is swung across.…
Bedtime stories
There I was trapped in the bathroom at 10.55 p.m., unable to leave for fear of missing anything. The time…
Dumped by Tom
Did you hear those bloodcurdling screams from Kirsty? Those long-drawn-out wails that echoed horrifically through the ancient walls of St…
From the heart
It’s a shame Dolly Parton has never gone into politics. She’s someone who’s lived her life very much in the…
Easter thoughts
Given the decline of Christian belief in the UK, it’s surprising to discover there’s quite so much about the Easter…
The way we were
Four could have been dubbed the Frank Radio network this week as the sharp skills of Sue MacGregor, Alan Dein…
Walk on the wild side
After a walk in Richmond Park beset by rush-hour traffic, the Heathrow flight path and a strange swarm of flying…
The 5 Live effect
It’s amazing to think that it’s 20 years since the launch of Radio 5 Live. But it was bright and…
The lives of others
It’s such a simple idea. Take a tape recorder. Hang around at the entrance to a railway station or in…
Landscapes of sound
When the BBC proposed to do away with 6 Music a few years ago, the media-savvy fans of the station…
Edge of darkness
It doesn’t take long for an international event of historic importance to fall off the news agenda. Ukraine is still…
Phwhoof!
‘Phwhoof!’ exclaimed Evan at 8.27, before reluctantly turning us over to the sport report on Saturday morning’s Today (Radio 4).…
Remaking history
What does freedom mean to you? That’s the question the BBC World Service has been asking of us through its…
Crossing continents
‘Brown is very good — no Cameron. David Cameron no good,’ he said. Just in case we weren’t sure what…
Dramatic week
A double dose of BBC1 drama at the weekend (Silent Witness, Casualty) left me wondering whether there’s a link between…
