Civilisation FM
After 40 years of having to compromise on so many of the smaller, yet significant, preferences of daily life, I found myself in a position to indulge my inclinations unimpeded. I could have gone for wine women and song, but, staying true to my nature, I was content to merely be free to have both the radio in my car and domestic residence permanently tuned to BBC Radio 4. Along with toast and marmalade, tea, and cricket on the village green, Radio 4 is an integral thread in the weave of the fabric of civilisation, or at least my kind of civilisation. I should just mention that even though I don’t have any interest in cricket, it matters to me that it’s there.
But what is it about Radio 4 that I can’t imagine living without?
Radio 4, it seems to me, is predominantly intended to appeal to an educated middle class audience; I am uneducated and working class, so, given my contrary nature, I was bound to like it. Let’s take a look at the daily schedule:
06:00. The Today Programme:
The three hour flagship daily news programme. This is my window onto what is happening in the world; I don’t read a newspaper or have a TV set. Unbiased, accurate and up to the minute reporting. Human prejudice can never be totally eliminated, but the BBC news comes as close to impartial as it gets. They don’t always give me as much detail as I would like, but I have complete confidence in what they do tell me, except when I haven’t.
10:00. Woman’s Hour
I’ve learnt some interesting stuff on Woman’s Hour. For one thing, I now know that it’s okay to talk about the clitoris at 10:00 a.m. Not that I ever have, but it’s good to know that I could if I wanted to. It can be provocative too. Many is the time I’ve found myself getting worked up at the presenter’s blatant attempts at getting somebody to blame men for something that isn’t exclusively their fault, and then found myself wearing a smirk when the interviewee wouldn’t go along with it.
12:15. You and Yours
Daily consumer rights programme. Usually about electricity prices or pension pot scams. They sometimes have a phone in, when idiots from the general public can tell their stories of how con-men have taken advantage of their stupidity.
14:00. The Archers
Daily soap about a farming community set in the West Midlands village of Ambridge. Absolute crap, yet I still listen.
18:30. Comedy
Half hour comedy slot. Although usually second rate, it is more often third rate, or even drops of the scale altogether.
19:00. Another dose of The Archers.
I can see how Radio 4 might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I love it, it’s so bloody British.