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Life On Air

A History of Radio Four

David Hendy

Winner of the Book of the Year by Longman-History Today Awards 2007
First major behind-the-scenes history of a British cultural icon
The inside stories behind some of radio's best-loved programs, from Today to The Archers
Draws on vast BBC archives and new interviews with key personnel
Full analysis of bitter disputes between the BBC and the station's fiercely protective listeners
Offers compelling insight into the nature of British life and culture

Life On Air

A History of Radio Four

David Hendy

Description

Radio Four has been described as "the greatest broadcasting channel in the world," the "heartbeat of the BBC," a cultural icon of Britishness, and the voice of Middle England. Defined by its rich mix, encompassing everything from journalism and drama to comedy, quizzes, and short-stories. Many of its programs- such as Today, The Archers, Woman's Hour, The Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy, Gardeners' Question Time, and The Shipping Forecast--have been part of British life for decades. Others, less successful, have caused offence and prompted derision. Born as it was in the Swinging Sixties, Radio Four's central challenge has been to change with the times, while trying not to lose faith with those who see it as a standard-bearer for quality, authoritativeness, or simply "old-fashioned" BBC values.

In this first major behind-the-scenes account of the station's history, David Hendy--a former producer for Radio Four--draws on privileged access to the BBC's own archives and new interviews with key personnel to illuminate the arguments and controversies behind the creation of some of its most popular programmes. He reveals the station's struggle to justify itself in a television age, favouring clear branding and tightly-targeted audiences, with bitter disputes between the BBC and its fiercely loyal listeners. The story of these struggles is about more than the survival of one radio network: Radio Four has been a lightning rod for all sorts of wider social anxieties over the past forty years. A kaleidoscopic view of the changing nature of the BBC, this book provides a gripping insight into the very nature of British life and culture in the last decades of the twentieth century.

Life On Air

A History of Radio Four

David Hendy

Introduction
Part 1: REFORMATION: c. 1963-1976
1. September 1967
2. Reconstruction
3. Three-in-one
4. Politics and permissiveness
5. Crises
Part 2: COUNTER-REFORMATION: c.1976-1983
6. Mac the Knife
7. Theatres of the air
8. Close-up and personal
9. Under siege
Part 3: LISTENER POWER: c. 1983-1997
10. Years Zero
11. Provocations
12. A Long Wave Goodbye?
13. Pleasures
Epilogue: 1997 and since

Life On Air

A History of Radio Four

David Hendy

Author Information

David Hendy studied history at St Andrews and Oxford, before joining the BBC in 1987. For the next six years he worked in current affairs, producing series such as The World Tonight and Analysis on Radio Four. During his time at the BBC he worked on programs covering the first Gulf War and the collapse of the Soviet Union, as well as a range of domestic British political events. Since 1993, he has been teaching about broadcasting and media history at the University of Westminster in London, where he is currently Reader in Media and Communication. He continues to contribute to--and occasionally produce--radio programs in Britain and overseas.

Life On Air

A History of Radio Four

David Hendy

Reviews and Awards

"A marvelous historypainstakingly researched in the BBC Written Archives and supplemented by numerous interviews with key personnel in the unfolding account; beautifully written and, finally and most importantly, clearly and coherently organized into a compelling, unfolding narrative."--Paddy Scannell, The Journal of Radio Studies

"A fine, meticulous history."--Financial Times

"An unalloyed treat....If Radio 4 is a great four-funnelled liner, radiating serene intelligence and self-control, this is the ship's secret logbook. Life on Air is a gem."--Libby Purves, The Times (UK)

"Filled with riveting detail and anecdote. Constantly illuminating, endlessly engrossing."--Stefan Collini, Guardian Review

"Hendy charts in masterly detail the improbably evolution of a network."--John Tusa, Times Literary Supplement

"Hendy examines a many-faceted national treasure with the cool eye of a jeweller and the ardour of a proper fan."--Libby Purves, The Tablet

"Eminently readable, utterly reliable, on occasions painfully frank, it is a joy to read."--Gillian Reynolds, Radio Critic of the Daily Telegraph

"A tremendous read: impeccable research used with wit and insight about a national treasure."--Jean Seaton, Official Historical of the BBC

"By using his own 'rich mix' of impressive research, which includes BBC files previously unavailable to researchers, and extensive interviews with Radio Four personnel, David Hendy skillfully reveals how the station successfully adapted over the decades to a changing Britain."--The Historian

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Life On Air

A History of Radio Four

David Hendy

Life On Air

A History of Radio Four

David Hendy

Description

Life On Air

A History of Radio Four

David Hendy

Table of Contents

Life On Air

A History of Radio Four

David Hendy

Author Information

Life On Air

A History of Radio Four

David Hendy

Reviews and Awards

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