To expect the radio not to discuss certain topics at 4.30pm?

[TheDetective]

I was listening to local BBC radio on the way home this evening. 9 year old DS sat in the car with me.

On the radio was Sue Townsend - author of Adrian Mole. I can't remember exactly was the discussion was - but me, and DS, clearly heard her say "I found out Santa wasn't real, and the tooth fairy wasn't real".

DS just looked at me - we both knew there were no words. His father told him FC didn't exist last year, and I spent this year working hard to encourage him to believe - children grow up so quickly. But that is it. Now he has heard another adult say the words - its over.

AIBU to say fuck you BBC Radio Lancashire, and fuck you Sue Townsend! And to be unreasonably angry that this was broadcast at 4.30pm when children could be listening, or present.

Gutted :(

I also think there are some subjects that should always be after the watershed.

This one not.

I have some sympathy with the posters objecting to Sue Townsend at 4pm. However, if it was pre-recorded, blame the radio station, not Ms Townsend.

Radio 4 - It's a 100% adult station. There should not be a watershed on radio 4. They can't choose programming on the basis that your young children might be ill at home.

The Detective, I agree with you! Any child of any age could have been listening so it should not have been broadcast.

So your husband told him there was no father Christmas when he was eight, but you managed got convince him there is? Why?

Do you know, I thought exactly the same thing, as the interview was on Radio 4 this morning at 10 to 9. I'd just dropped my DS off at school, but thought there would probably be loads of little children in cars on the school run who would have heard it. I love Sue Townsend (and Radio 4) but was quite miffed by it. So no, YANBU.

Why has this thread become about the rights and wrongs of whether the OP's child believes or not? That's neither here nor there, the question was about whether the BBC should have broadcast what they did.

Yanbu me and 5yr old dd are often in the car at that time. I would have been gutted if she'd heard that.

In response to posters saying "let him grow up" - hes only 9 - believing in Santa at 9 doesnt mean hes going to be tied to the apron strings all his life!

My DS is 9 and believes in Santa - and he also goes out to play alone and various other things that I'm fairly relaxed about that I read here that cotton wool mothers don't do - so no way do I accept that a 9 year old believing in Santa is not letting them grow up... there's plenty time for that.

OP YANBU yes your DS is 9, but he might have been 6 or I could have been listening to it with my 5 yo DD.

I don't think they do consider that children might be listening.

Interestingly, the BBC editorial guidelines might say they are in the wrong too -

"We must take extra care when different generations may be listening together. This typically applies during the morning and afternoon school runs or during school holidays. Unexpected or challenging material should be clearly signposted to avoid causing unjustifiable offence."

So, although there is no watershed, they do have to consider whether children are likely to be listening in, Radio 4 or not.

Actually the radio should have thought this through and not played it at school run time. That's just common sense tbh. And yes, it would irk me too. It's just unnecessary.

As for 9yo still believing. I know of lots of children this age who still believe, or at least pretend to believe. Nothing wrong with that imo. And tbh quite nice - much rather have a little innocence than expecting children to grow up so fast. They grow up faster and faster as it is.