Close menu

Programme Index

Discover 11,128,835 listings and 279,694 playable programmes from the BBC

The Birth of The Listener

BBC Radio 4
on BBC Radio 4 FM

Written by BARRY CARMAN
with
Narrator David Strong
Never in the history of printing can the launching of a new magazine have been greeted with such hostility as that of The Listener in 1929. 'The BBC', said the New Statesman. has quite enough power as it is. That it should seek also to invade the press seems to us a wholly intolerable and indefensible proposition. Are we presently to have a BBC Times and BBC Daily Mail?' Despite the opposition The Listener was published and now celebrates its 50th birthday today. This programme. based largely on documents in the BBC's written archives, tells the story of the magazine's hectic early days.
The 50th anniversary edition of The Listener this week includes extracts from this programme and other special features.
Producer ALAN HAYDOCK

Contributors

Written By:
Barry Carman
Producer:
Alan Haydock
Sir John Reith:
Tom Fleming
Source: Radio Times

BBC Radio 4 FM

About BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Appears in

Suggest an Edit

We are trying to reflect the information printed in the Radio Times magazine.

  • Press the 'Suggest an Edit' button
  • Type in any changes to the title, synopsis or contributor information using the Radio Times Style Guide for reference.
  • Click the Submit Edits button.
    Your changes will be sent for verification and if accepted, will appear in due course More