''PM'', sometimes referred to as the ''PM programme'' to avoid ambiguity, is

BBC Radio 4 BBC Radio 4 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. The station replaced the BBC Home Service on 30 September 1967 and broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes from the BBC's headquarters at Broadcasti ...

's long-running early evening news and current affairs programme. It is currently presented by Evan Davis and produced by

BBC News BBC News is an operational business division of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) responsible for the gathering and broadcasting of news and current affairs in the UK and around the world. The department is the world's largest broad ...

. Launched in 1970, ''PM'' became the first radio news programme to feature its theme tune. It is known for its serious news content and occasional satirical commentary. Evan Davis has served as the lead presenter since 2018. The show also spun off a programme called ''iPM'', which allowed listeners to engage in discussions and influence content through a blog. PM has won awards at the Sony Radio Academy Awards, and its production team also work on other Radio 4 programmes.

Broadcast times

''PM'' is broadcast from 5pm to 6pm from Monday to Friday and from 5pm to 5:30pm on Saturdays. On weekdays it is followed by another news programme, the ''Six O'Clock News'', which is followed by a comedy show on Radio 4. Until 2024, the final five minutes of the weekday edition was only broadcast on the FM version of Radio 4, as the LW version broke away from the programme at 5.54pm to broadcast the teatime

shipping forecast The ''Shipping Forecast'' is a BBC Radio broadcast of weather reports and forecasts for the seas around the British Isles. It is produced by the Met Office and broadcast by BBC Radio 4 on behalf of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The for ...

History

''PM'' launched on 6 April 1970, with its first presenters, William Hardcastle and Derek Cooper, promising a programme that "sums up the day, and your evening starts here".BBC Radio 4, 2007.
PM History
" Accessed 2007-09-10. Radio 4's 10pm news programme ''

The World Tonight ''The World Tonight'' is a British current affairs radio programme broadcast on BBC Radio 4, every weekday evening, which started out as an extension of the 10 pm news. It is produced by BBC News and features news, analysis and comment on dome ...

'' was launched on the same day. ''PM'' made history for being the first radio news programme to feature its own theme tune. Three have been used, with the last ending in 1997 in the aftermath of the death of

Princess Diana Diana, Princess of Wales (born Diana Frances Spencer; 1 July 1961 – 31 August 1997), was a member of the British royal family. She was the first wife of Charles III (then Prince of Wales) and mother of Princes William ...

. The first ''PM'' theme tune was by John Baker and the

BBC Radiophonic Workshop The BBC Radiophonic Workshop was one of the sound effects units of the BBC, created in 1958 to produce Incidental music, incidental sounds and new music for radio and, later, television. The unit is known for its experimental and pioneering ...

. The second theme was written by Paddy Kingsland of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and was used from 1978, with the final one, used between 1988 and 1997, by George Fenton. Notable presenters after William Hardcastle included Steve Race, Brian Widlake, Robert Williams, Chris Lowe, Roger Cook, Joan Bakewell, Susannah Simons, Rachael Heyhoe Flint and Valerie Singleton (a former ''

Blue Peter ''Blue Peter'' is a British children's television entertainment programme created by John Hunter Blair. It is the longest-running children's TV show in the world, having been broadcast since October 1958. It was broadcast primarily from BBC ...

'' presenter – in pre-interview chats,

junior minister A minister is a politician who heads a ministry (government department), ministry, making and implementing decisions on policies in conjunction with the other ministers. In some jurisdictions the head of government is also a minister and is desi ...

s "inevitably" claimed that they still had their Blue Peter badge). During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the programme's main presenter was Gordon Clough, who would typically prepare for the programme by completing the '' Times'', ''

Guardian Guardian usually refers to: * Legal guardian, a person with the authority and duty to care for the interests of another * ''The Guardian'', a British daily newspaper (The) Guardian(s) may also refer to: Places * Guardian, West Virginia, Unit ...

'' and '' FT'' crosswords. Valerie Singleton and Hugh Sykes co-presented the show during the 1980s but had a difficult relationship. Singleton made a one-off return to ''PM'' on 29 February 2016 to co-present a special 'Leap Day' programme, alongside Eddie Mair, and proposed marriage to him at the end of the programme. On 12 April 1998, a Saturday edition of the programme was launched.

Presenters

Other past regular presenters of the programme include: Carolyn Quinn, Clare English,

Nigel Wrench Stephen Wrench, known professionally as Nigel Wrench, is a British radio presenter and reporter. In the 1980s, he reported extensively from South Africa, and later in London enjoyed a successful 20-year career with the BBC. Wrench is the only jo ...

and Dan Damon.

''iPM''

On 12 October 2007, the programme started an additional blog for a spin-off programme called ''iPM'', broadcast on Saturdays at 5:30pm (immediately after the Saturday edition of ''PM'') until 22 December and available as a

podcast A podcast is a Radio program, program made available in digital format for download over the Internet. Typically, a podcast is an Episode, episodic series of digital audio Computer file, files that users can download to a personal device or str ...

.BBC Radio 4, 2007
iPM Show Notes, 22nd December 2007
" Accessed 2008-01-08. 'Through the blog, ''iPM'' listeners could discuss ideas with the production team and comment on the stories being lined up for the following show – so what ended up on air was shaped by the listeners.

Humour

Though predominantly consisting of serious news, the programme is known for occasional satirical commentary, both from the presenters and in letters from listeners. In 2008 the programme renamed its financial news slot "Upshares, Downshares" and used the title music of the television drama '' Upstairs, Downstairs'', composed by Alexander Faris. In 2009, variations on the tune performed by ''PM'' listeners in a variety of styles from bossa nova to heavy metal became a regular feature. This ended when the UK statistically left recession early in 2010. In October 2010, a compilation was released in aid of the

Children in Need ''BBC Children in Need'' is the BBC's UK Charitable organization, charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged children and young people across the country. Established in 1980, the organisation has raised over £1 billion by 2023 through its ...

charity appeal, for which it raised over £70,000.

Production

''PM'' is currently edited by Owenna Griffiths. The production team also works on Radio 4's ''

The World at One ''The World at One'' (or ''WATO'', pronounced "what-oh") is BBC Radio 4's long-running lunchtime news and current affairs radio programme, broadcast weekdays from 13:00 to 13:45 and produced by BBC News. The programme describes itself as "Bri ...

'', '' The World This Weekend'' and ''

Broadcasting House London Broadcasting House is the headquarters of the BBC, in Portland Place and Langham Place, London. The first radio broadcast from the building was made on 15 March 1932, and the building was officially opened two months later, on 15 May. T ...

''. A ''

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...

'' poll in 2005 named Mair as the fifth most powerful person in radio.BBC News, 2005.
RT Poll
" Accessed 2007-09-10.

Awards

The programme won two accolades in the 2007 Sony Radio Academy Awards: Gold in the Interactive Programme Award, and Silver for Speech Programme.

References

External links

Video clips

''Upshares Downshares'' in the studio

''Upshares Downshares'' (electronic guitar arrangement)

TV advert

Audio clips

''Upshares Downshares'' (Dr Who Radiophonic Workshop arrangement)

PM theme tunes
{{BBC News BBC Radio 4 programmes 1970 radio programme debuts BBC news radio programmes