Radio 4 in partial U-turn over cut in short stories

BBC Radio 4 prompted an outcry from listeners including Stephen Fry and Joanna Lumley after it announced it was going to axe the number of short stories it broadcasts from three to one a week, writes John Plunkett in The Guardian.

Now the station appears to have performed at least a partial U-turn after confirming it would retain a second weekly slot for the short story format.

Fry and Lumley were among more than 5,000 people who signed a petition against the dropping of the thrice-weekly afternoon slot, a casualty of Radio 4 controller Gwyneth Williams's desire to extend The World at One.

The BBC initially said the number of short stories would be "reduced from three to one a week on Radio 4", with extra readings on digital station, BBC Radio 4 Extra.

Now the corporation has said it will broadcast two short stories a week on Radio 4, in two permanent homes on Friday afternoon and Sunday evening. It will also broadcast another 25 stories on Radio 4 Extra.

To read the rest of the article, visit: http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/28/radio-4-u-turn-short-stories

To sign the petition, visit: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/noshortstorycuts/