Life On Air

A History of Radio Four

David Hendy (Reader in Media and Communication, University of Westminster)

$37.95

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Oxford University Press
01 September 2008

Radio; Social & cultural history; Media studies; Radio & television industry

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 programmes - 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, the book provides a gripping insight into the very nature of British life and culture in the last decades of the twentieth century.

By: David Hendy (Reader in Media and Communication University of Westminster)
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 233mm, Width: 156mm, Spine: 28mm
Weight: 1g
ISBN: 9780199550241
ISBN 10: 0199550247
Pages: 550
Publication Date: 01 September 2008
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

David Hendy studied history at St Andrews and Oxford, before joining the BBC in 1987. For the next six years he worked '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 programmes 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 programmes in Britain and overseas.

Reviews for Life On Air: A History of Radio Four

`The story of 'The Archers', the 'Today Programme', 'Home Truths' and much more, told with an easy enthusiasm that is hard to resist.' Daily Telegraph. `Review from previous edition '...meticulously documented... a magnificent chronicle.' ' - Laurie Taylor, THES `' 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 `'Filled with riveting detail and anecdote, constantly illuminating ... endlessly engrossing.' ' - Stefan Collini, Guardian Review `'Hendy's book will certainly sort the sheep from the goats among listeners' ' - Kate Chisholm, Daily Telegraph `'Hendy charts in masterly detail the improbable 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 Historian of the BBC `'Revelatory.' ' Ned Sherrin `'[A] fine, meticulous history' ' - Financial Times