British Radio Oddities

As I fall asleep or am wide awake in the early hours (as I've been lately) I usually occupy myself by listening to the radio, specifically BBC Radio 4 or Radio Scotland. There's many things to like about Radio 4, which can be likened to NPR in the States. The programs range from straight news and documentaries to quiz shows and dramas.

Then there are some distinctly British features, which harken from the early days. Here are a few I encounter:

Top of the Hour: The news is always preceded by five electronic beeps ("The Pips") to indicate top of the hour. At midnight, the beeps are replaced by the bells of Big Ben, relayed live!

Bells on Sunday: "The sound of church bells ringing on Sunday from around the country" It's a different church each Sunday, and the number of bells and various technical details (weight and key) are given before they play. It all sounds like cacophony to my ears.

Today in Parliament: When Parliament is in session, there is a roundup of sound bites (along with the narration of a news reader) of all the action in the House of Commons or Lords. At first, I found it very boring since I wasn't 'into' the political news here. It's definitely grown on me, and I especially like the back-and-forth debates and name-calling that passes for political discourse. The rhetoric is smarter than that of US Congressional debates.

The Shipping Forecast: Now this will put you to sleep, if nothing else will. I'm sure this is helpful for many, as this is an island nation. First, they divide the surrounding ocean into 31 different sections with special names, like 'Viking', 'Dogger', and 'Rockall'. Then the forecast is listed for categories of Wind, Sea State, Weather, and Visibility.

But, because you would be in the 'know' as a sailor, they don't say "The Wind is 50 MPH". Instead, it's just "Northwesterly 4 or 5, occasionally 6 at first, decreasing 3 at times later." So I've come to learn that these are 'Force' numbers and correspond to levels of wind. Sea State would be plainly reported as, "Moderate or rough becoming slight or moderate." Add this up for all 31 sea areas, read by a monotone news reader, and you've got a sleep-inducing miracle.

Prayer of the Day: This is early in the morning, included as part of the news program - time of 'reflection and prayer.' A religious leader says a short homily, then a 10 second 'prayer' to whatever god they serve. If you're lucky enough to get a Christian, they may not even mention Jesus' name. Usually, it makes my mind boil enough to get me out of bed.

For a more comprehensive description of Radio 4, check out this link.