Radio 4 listeners are you here ?

[Helenluvsrob]

Discussing with ds

Who listens to r4 and your demographic. Me now typical middle aged middle class but I have listened since teenage in my own right.

How about you ?

Early fifties, middle class I suppose (if one has to categorise but left UK to avoid all of that), enjoy The Archers and The News Quiz and various podcasts but have defected from The Today Prog (which I think has become terribly wearisome and dull since the departure of Evan Davies - plus I loathe John Humphreys) to Radio 5 Live early morning news.

Have totally gone off Woman's Hour too which I find incredibly "worthy" and miserable most of the time (and find Jenni Murray's delivery incredibly irritating).

And (with a few exceptions) cannot bear many of the afternoon dramas featuring arch middle class actresses trying to play working class characters.

Enjoy the Kitchen Cabinet though!

I'm 35, middle class, academic. I've listened to R4 for many years. I'm forever trying to persuade my students that they should listen to R4 but they never do.

I like the factual programming, particularly Thinking Allowed, but hate the drama.

50, listen to some.
working class roots. Grew up listening to local radio and radio1 but recall hearing book recommendations from radio4 as a teen so I had found it on the dial. Parents did not use radio.

Favourite bits : In Our Time, Desert Island Discs.
I find Today annoying now. I used to like it but it's not that I now find it right wing or left wing I think I find it preachy and argumentative and I learn nothing.
I keep switching it off anyway.

Stopped laughing at a lot of the comedy. I used to love listenign to Linda Smith. Cabin pressure was v good recently.

Lovely to hear from everyone !
I'm also a r4 extra devotee and am loving stuff like the navy lark for driving into work in my new shiny car with its new shiny dab radio :) I've gone off the today programme too!

41, working class SAHM with high earning working class DH. Tuned in since mid 20s when a job I had required a lot of driving to different locations and it kept me awake. I love the Archers. But I do turn onto R2 for Pop Master in the morning.

38, working class background but would prob be considered middle class now. Love the factual programmes and book adaptions. Didn't grow up listening to it- went from Radio 1/ Capital to Radio 2 and then Radio 4 when started to do long car journeys.

Me and I love it.

Keeps me happy in my tractor cab.

Furrin but lived in England decades. almost 50yo. Can't define my class. I also quite like R5L.

47
I love Ed Reardon, Just a minute, Heresy, Kitchen Cabinet, GQT, John
Finnemore and have a love/hate thing about the Archers.

Woman's Hour has got annoyingly sniffy so I try not to listen to it.

I spend more time listening to audio books and tune in specially to listen to something now rather than having background chunter.

42, from working class roots. I wouldn't call myself middle class now but I guess other people might (job wise anyway).

Grew up with local radio, moved to R2 in late teens, discovered R4 as a uni student when fiddling with the tuner and came across laughter - it was Rainer Hershes (totally mis-spelled) guide to classical music. I was hooked on this new style of radio station and have listened ever since.

Love: Front Row, Saturday review, from our own correspondent, the archers , some comedies, womens hour, discussion programmes like beyond belief, the life scientific etc.
Used to like in our time but I think Melvin Bragg is now incredibly rude o guests to the point that think he might be going a bit dotty.

Also listen to R6 (Sean keveney, and sometime Cerys Matthews as I love that she plays random songs, tunes, classical).

R2 when r4 a bit boring.

Got DH into R4 and son is used to hearing it also so fingers crossed he will enjoy it when he's older.

I am 52, and listen to Radio 4, and I'm from the States. Thanks to apps I can listen to it easily and free. We have nothing like this unless you count NPR which I find utterly depressing most days. American radio is crap in my opinion. Bbc & Cbc are so much better!

Sorry meant to add I'm university educated, worked 16 years as a civil servant before having ds. I now work part time and dh is a high earner in a white collar job.

did anyone hear dead ringers this week ? was v funny

30, working class professional. Not all the programming is to my taste (I loathe women's hour), but I enjoy most of it. I listen to the world service a lot too.

I'm as old as The Archers. We have listened since R4 was the Home Service (just that name conjures up my childhood) . We are Lower\middle MC, college and university educated also auto didacticism is very popular in our family .

Everyone should listen to the Food Programme this week, it's completely fascinating.

29, teacher, switch between r4, r1 and r2. Often listen to r4 podcasts. My family only ever listened to local radio or r2.

28, middle class professional, liberal political beliefs. Will listen to all of it apart from The Archers and some of the dramas.

I was brought up with Radio 2 and still listen to it occasionally. Listen to Heart/ Kiss when I just want music.

Listened to Radio 4 since first maternity leave, for Woman's Hour. Still listen every day, as do my sons who are now early 20s.
As a family, I would say middle class, they would say working class, all lefties.

27, originally working class now middle I suppose. Currently bf'ing and it's one of the few things keeping me sane during the nighttime feeds (although having it on through the night is leading to some bizarre dreams filtering through!)

I love R4.

I am very definitely from a working class background, but started listening to R4 in my late teens, to try to keep up with world affairs - am completely hooked now.

I have to use my car for work sometimes for house visits, and time the visits for when a favourite programme will be on. I love moneybox, the archers, desert island discs, all the health programmes, question time and woman's hour.

Early fifties in middle management. Didn't go to university but obsessed with studying!

40s middle class always - it was just always on in our house. I had a radio with a one hour timer so if I was still awake I'd add another hour. I was an insomniac and from around the age of 7 I knew it was late when book at bedtime was on and very late when it became World Service. (I think that's why I really dislike and am sad hearing Sailing by.) I had woken up too early if Farming Today was on but I love the R4 theme so now have it downloaded.

I switch R5 for sport, sometimes local radio. Particular favourites are the Now Show, cabin pressure, desert island discs and Saturday Review. Pet hates Woman's Hour and PM (especially aspects such as upshares downshares).

45 year old chartered accountant & lecturer. My day starts with the Shipping Forecast, I doze until Today. If I'm working from home I'll have WH, the Archers repeat, the afternoon play and odds & ends like Ramblings in the background. We cook & eat with PM, 6 o'clock news and the comedy, before The Archers (which cannot be disturbed). I see what's on at 11 and may drift off to the midnight news. I suppose it's the background hum to my life.

36 working class degree educated sahm. Dm always had it on to keep the dogs company. I started listening a couple of years ago properly. Now a fan of the archers, gqt (we've just got an allotment) and most of the afternoon dramas.

41year old ex teacher now working in an education related role.

I've never retuned since I was told to listen to a programme that related to the A level Politics course I was taking and captivated by the following programmes.

During the twenty years I lived alone, I switched it on when I got home each day and off when I left for work the next morning. Overnight radio on low helped muffle sudden noise from traffic and neighbours although a number of odd dreams I'd had surprised me by turning out to be overnight World Service programmes. I only found this out when one was featured on Pick of the Week!

Just heard this edtion of the life scientific. Might be worth a listen!
www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b07j4jg8