Why A Forty Minute Car Journey Has Made Me Realise BBC Radio 4 Will Eventually Disappear

Hello there. Hope you're feeling well today.

I work, as I've made clear previously, mainly an afternoon evening shift. From near Penarth to Bridgend the journey time to work takes about forty minutes. And as long as there's no extreme weather it's a pleasant enough there and back the anti social hours meaning that the route is not generally heavy with traffic.

But as it stands at the moment I'm not comfortable with what I'm listening to on the radio. Basically because forty minutes is simply not long enough to get involved. I find myself flitting from station to station like a broadcasting gadfly.

Which is why I've resorted to listening to podcasts downloaded from my tablet or the BBC iplayer radio app. It's simple enough and you're always certain you're going to be listening to a subject you're interested in so problem solved. Currently am listening to Backlisted and The Minimalists podcasts

But it led me to thinking. Why does anyone ever need to listen to BBC Radio 4? After all who truly listens to one BBC Radio 4 programme live and then listens to the next one?

There surely will be a time, not yet but quicker than you think where most people would be listening to Radio stations on their tablets. Just as people used to use call boxes when out and wanting to make a call.When that time comes. (Not yet). Wouldn't it be simpler to merge BBC's Radio 4 news programmes with BBC Radio 5 Live/Sports Extra and then just put the rest of it's output on podcast?

I suspect then that taken as a whole the disappearance of BBC Radio 4 would not be missed.

Just a thought.

Until the next time.