I listen to In Our Time as a podcast :-) It's actually better than the radio-broadcast version because it includes 10-15 minutes of extra time with the guests where they have a bit more discussion.

(rss feed: https://podcasts.files.bbci.co.uk/b006qykl.rss)

Right but that's still paid for by the 'TV licence' and it's made by the same people.

'Today' is tabloid bilge and has played a big part in the dumbing down of political discourse in the UK. It's hard to take any of the rest of your recommendations seriously when they start with Today.

Certainly there are other BBC programs that are better, and a small number that are very good, but at this point I honestly don't think they are enough to make up for how awful BBC News is and how much damage it's doing to UK society. In the past I would have made excuses for the regressive way the BBC is funded, but it's really hard to do that now.

No idea what any of those shows you listed are. My interests are science, history, computing, polictics - and there are numerous podcasts covering these subjects. To name just a few in case anyone is intersted:

* Dan Snow's History Hits

* Triggernometry

* Lex Fridman Podcast

* Atomic Hobo

* Jason Scott Talks his way out of it

* Darknet Diaries

* Omega Tau

* Rob Reid After On

* Anatomy of Next

* page 94 - Private Eye Podcast

* Command line heroes

* Full Fact

* Guido Talks

* Dan Carlin's Hardcore History

* The Bellingcat Podcast

* On The Metal

Some of these podcasts have won awards (See Bellingcat, Page94). My point being that given the shear number of high-quality content out there, I felt it wasn't worth paying £120 to the BBC every year.

> No idea what any of those shows you listed are ... My interests are science, history, computing, polictics

Well I don't know what to say apart from that absolutely astounds me. They're the background noise of many British homes and you're severely missing out if these are your interests.

For example, In Our Time alone is 900 45-minute episodes each about an individual topic of science, history, maths, politics, art, culture, religion, etc, sometimes even computing, with genuine experts coming to discuss and debate it starting with a basic introduction anyone can follow and then going into the details.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_In_Our_Time_programmes

I think literally nobody else in the world produces this kind of super-high-quality and enduring intelligent spoken-word content. Even the NPR in the US is very poor in comparison.

And have you really never heard of the Today Programme or are you exaggerating for effect? It really sets the national daily political agenda in the UK like nothing else. I can't practically understand how you can follow politics and never had heard anyone say 'they said on the Today Programme...'

> I felt it wasn't worth paying £120 to the BBC every year

...but you don't have to, for radio.

In Our Time does indeed sound very good - I'll have to check it out - thanks.

> And have you really never heard of the Today Programme or are you exaggerating for effect?

I've heard of it - never seen an episode so couldn't say what it was about (although the name probably gives it away). Traditionally I've not really watched much "broadcast" TV, even as a kid. I spent most my childhood in front of a computer...

> ...but you don't have to, for radio.

True, but does feel like free-loading a little?

I would very strongly recommend you invest a day or two in trying Radio 4 - just put it on in the background all day, and see what you find.

Careful though, they might stumble on The Archers or one of those terribly over acted radio plays that are on in the afternoon.

...and find they get hooked on the goings-on in Ambridge, and lose 15 minutes of their life every day?

> No idea what any of those shows you listed are.

They are almost exclusively BBC Radio 4 programs, many of which are available as podcasts. I can heartily recommend The Moral Maze and In Our Time.

> No idea what any of those shows you listed are. My interests are ..., politics

_Today_ and _PM_ are amongst the most influential media in the UK. Not knowing about them is almost wilfully ignorant -- other media will report that "on the _Today_ programme this morning, Minister for Vaccines, Nadhim Zahawi, said…"

Like I said elsewhere, I don't watch much broadcast TV, honestly have better things to do with my time. I've been successful in life so I don't see why you are insisting I need to watch this show.

I get my news and current affairs elsewhere.

Edit: I'd also like to add that no one in my circle has ever asked me "hey did you see that thing on the Today Programme last night?". In fact very little conversation about TV programmes in general. Rather conversation involves "have you watched xyz on Netflix yet". Perhaps this is a generations thing? (I'm 40.)

> Like I said elsewhere, I don't watch much broadcast TV

Today is a radio programme - this whole thread is about radio. So you won't 'see' anyone on it and it wasn't ever on 'last night'.

> In fact very little conversation about TV programmes in general.

Again... it's a radio programme. And I'd bet my life on the fact that whatever political media you consume actually does frequently has conversations about what happened on the Today programme.

> honestly have better things to do with my time

I think you're thinking it's an evening chat show? Today is essentially the nation’s daily standup, and it's in the morning. You’ll usually get a robust interview with a couple of ministers and often the Prime Minister. It’s a major way we have to interact with the Government daily. The Today programme will often be a primary source for whatever secondary source political media you are using.

Yes you are right - I was convinced it was a TV show. Thanks.

I am not insisting you listen to it. I don't listen to it; I prefer to read news rather than listen or watch it.

I do expect anyone who lives in the UK to be aware it exists, including people 10 years older than me.

> An almost comedic interview on the Today Programme this morning had Home Secretary Priti Patel attempting to defend the Government’s new rules on ‘mingling’ ...

https://order-order.com/2020/09/15/mingling-banned-under-dra...

> Nigel tells the Today programme “it's been an appalling few weeks” for UKIP...

> Radio 4 sources are loudly and widely sharing concerns that Sarah Sands is planning big changes at the Today programme.

> For the first time Guido can remember, this morning's Today programme included "major websites" in its paper review

https://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Aorder-order.com+%22to...

I think the point people are making is that much of the news you read will be a summary of what happened on Today that morning. That’s where a lot of political interviews happen, for example.

Lots of political live blogs etc just repeat it. That does of course mean that you don’t need to actually listen to it, unless you want to hear from the horse’s mouth.

I listen to most of those too, but as podcasts. The BBC has a very good selection of Radio 4 podcasts.

> I listen to most of those too, but as podcasts

I don't understand what practical difference you think that makes... it's the same shows, made by the same people, how you listen to it doesn't make any difference.

You might be confused because you have, for some reason, interpreted my comment as an attempt to argue against your points.

It was, in fact, a simple statement of information I thought might be useful to people who are not aware of the BBC's podcasts.

Especially since listening to the radio doesn't require a TV license anyway, so it's not like only watching catch-up TV to avoid needing one.