Programme Information

BBC Radio 1Xtra DJ Tim Westwood

For a whole week, BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra get to grips with volunteering, with Tim Westwood leading the way.

Tim is going to become a "Local Hero" for the week, taking on a different volunteering challenge each day with the help of his celebrity friends.

Throughout the week, Tim will be popping up in the daytime schedule across both networks. He will be showcasing a variety of volunteering "taster sessions" to show listeners that there are all sorts of different types of volunteering up for grabs and explaining how to get involved.

Local Hero aims to inspire listeners to get involved with volunteering and do something positive in their local communities. The campaign runs across radio and online, with bbc.co.uk/radio1 and bbc.co.uk/1xtra packed with the latest volunteering information and providing links through to opportunities and organisations within listeners' areas.

Previous Radio 1 and 1Xtra social action campaigns include an award-winning anti-bullying initiative called Bullyproof, which focused on the issue of cyber bullying, using a mix of celebrities and social networking to spread an anti-bullying message; and, last month, the stations embarked on a Body Image project, presenting before and after pictures of Radio 1 and 1Xtra talent online, highlighting the extent to which airbrushing can alter an image.

On Sunday 25 April a special edition of The Surgery With Aled, focussing on volunteering, will be simulcast on BBC Radio 1 and BBC 1Xtra.

BBC Radio 1 Publicity

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Art Of Noise is a two-part documentary following electronic music virgin and prince of Early Breakfast, Dev, as he looks for inspiration and meets some of the most extreme experimental artists and label owners in the electronic music underground. On his journey, Dev picks up key advice necessary for his challenge from BBC Radio 1's queen of experimental music, Mary Anne Hobbs; to produce an experimental electronic track to play out live on her late-night show.

In part two, Dev, whose usual music taste includes R&B and hip-hop with some Barry White thrown in for good measure, explores the outer-fringes of the experimental live music scene, by making a trip to the Mecca of all alternative music festivals – All Tomorrow's Parties.

With his guitar on his back and his music theory revision in his bag, he spends the weekend in a chalet at Butlins in Minehead, in a bid discover what it is about the festival that brings fans from all over the world to a shabby seaside resort to watch extreme noise and weird sound experiments year after year.

As the festival celebrates its 10th anniversary, Dev steps well out of his comfort zone to listen to bands like Porn, Shellac and Modest Mouse, speaks to F**k Buttons and Battles, and tracks down the elusive Nirvana producer Steve Albini by doorstepping him in his chalet. By Sunday, he is learning how to knit with Kelley Deal from The Breeders.

BBC Radio 1 Publicity

This week, Ken Bruce is joined by singer Gabriella Cilmi, who picks her Tracks Of My Years. Gabriella's choices include tracks by Led Zeppelin, Eurythmics, Cat Stevens, Curtis Mayfield, Blondie and Suzi Quatro.

Presenter/Ken Bruce, Producer/Fiona Day

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The Jeremy Vine Show

Monday 19 April

12.00noon-2.00pm BBC RADIO 2

BBC Radio 2 presenter Jeremy Vine

Ahead of the general election and after last week's outside broadcast from Wrexham, The Jeremy Vine Show is live from Wolverhampton finding out what issues matter to people there.

This broadcast is scheduled for the weeks leading up to the assumed general election date of 6 May.

Presenter/Jeremy Vine, Producer/Phil Jones

BBC Radio 2 Publicity

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Neil Sedaka –The Music Of My Life:
From Brooklyn To Brill Ep 1/2

Monday 19 April

10.00-11.00pm BBC RADIO 2

American singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka

In this two-part series, American singer-songwriter Neil Sedaka charts an incredible journey, which began in Brooklyn and is captured in conversation with Johnnie Walker at a piano in the BBC Radio Theatre.

Neil began his successful songwriting career with lyricist Howard Greenfield, and studied at the world-famous Juilliard School in New York. He then signed to Atlantic Records when he was just 16, convincing Connie Francis to record Stupid Cupid after just eight bars.

Neil's rise was stellar and he and lyricist Howard moved to the "Brill Building". It was an amazing centre for musical talent of the day, and the pair worked alongside such legends as Gerry Goffin and Carole King, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman.

Neil listened to many of the hit makers of the time and borrowed their styles, including that of Jerry Lee Lewis for I Go Ape, a hit which Mick Jagger admitted was the first record he bought.

But after 10 Top 10 hits in a row, the British Invasion began, and Neil's home-spun style was on the wane.

Presenter/Johnnie Walker, Producer/Julie Newman

BBC Radio 2 Publicity

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This week, Jools Holland is joined by English singer-songwriter Steve Harley. Steve joins the band on a live version of Daniel Johnston's True Love Will Find You In The End.

Presenter/Jools Holland, Producer/Sarah Gaston

BBC Radio 2 Publicity

BBC Radio 3 presenter Donald Macleod

Donald Macleod explores the life and music of the much-loved Austrian composer, Franz Schubert. This prodigiously talented composer led a very full but brief life, dying at the age of just 31, in 1828.

Schubert is probably best known for the vast number of songs he wrote throughout his life – around 600 of them, including the two song cycles Die Schöne Müllerin and Winterreise. He was an intensely prolific composer – in his 18th year alone he produced around 200 works. And in spite of immense mental and physical problems he continued working, writing some of his best-loved music in his final year.

Donald looks at the important role the colourful individuals in Schubert's social circle had on him and his music, and how his decadent lifestyle contributed to his untimely death. Schubert suffered from severe mood swings most of his adult life. When he was in his mid-twenties, they became far more extreme and his friends reported periods of dark despair and violent anger. It's hard to know at this distance, to what extent his decadent lifestyle affected his behaviour but it greatly increased his chances of succumbing to one of the major killers of the time – syphilis. From then on, his fate was sealed – although he had periods of remission, it irreparably damaged his health and if typhoid fever hadn't struck him down first, would undoubtedly have killed him.

In this first programme Donald looks at Schubert's teenage years, when he had already developed a musical maturity well beyond his years, including two of his most popular Goethe settings, a symphony written for his friends and family to play and his first mass, conducted by the composer, at the tender age of 17.

Presenter/Donald Macleod, Producer/Kerry Clark

BBC Radio 3 Publicity

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Continuing BBC Radio 3's cycle of all Mahler's symphonies performed in Manchester, the BBC Philharmonic give the first performance of Friedrich Cerha's Like A Tragicomedy as a curtain raiser to Mahler's third and longest symphony, which spans one and a half hours in six movements and is the composer's attempt to encompass the whole of creation in symphonic form.

The orchestra is joined by soprano Karen Cargill and the City of Birmingham Symphony Chorus and Youth Chorus and conducted by their chief guest conductor Vassily Sinaisky. However it is the orchestras recently appointed conductor/composer, H Gruber, who opens the concert, conducting a specially commissioned work by 84-year-old Viennese composer Friedrich Cerha, Like A Tragicomedy, written to complement this performance of Mahler's symphony.

Presenter/Ian Skelly, Producer/Janet Tuppen

BBC Radio 3 Publicity

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Jez Nelson presents the London première of Northumbrian Sketches – a rarely heard work by the late British trumpeter and composer Ian Carr, for jazz ensemble and string orchestra. A year after Carr's death, friends, family and fans come together for a one-off concert at London's Queen Elizabeth Hall to celebrate his life and music.

Conducted by Mike Gibbs, this performance features trumpeter Guy Barker, Tim Whitehead on bass clarinet, Phil Todd on soprano saxophone, Rob Statham on bass guitar and strings led by violinist Sonia Slany.

Ian Carr, who died on 25 February 2009 aged 76, was best known for forming Nucleus, the most celebrated home-grown British jazz-rock band of the Seventies. However this was only small part of his creative output; he was also a prolific composer and a gifted teacher and writer, most famously of Miles Davis: The Definitive Biography.

Presenter/Jez Nelson, Producer/Peggy Sutton

BBC Radio 3 Publicity

Book Of The Week – Manhood For Amateurs Ep 1/5

Monday 19 to Friday 23 April

9.45-10.00am BBC RADIO 4

Manhood For Amateurs is Michael Chabon's moving, warm and witty new memoir about life as a husband, father and son. Read by Jason Butler Harner, the memoir explores what it means to be a man today.

At the centre of a large and complex family, and with four young children, Chabon evokes memories of his childhood, of his parents' marriage and divorce and of moments of painful adolescent comedy.

In the first episode, an encounter in a supermarket leads him to remember his own father and considers the changing nature of fatherhood today. He questions why is it that, even as a father completely involved in the day-to-day lives of his children, so much less seems to be expected of him than of his wife.

Michael Chabon is the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of seven novels including The Adventures Of Kavalier & Clay and The Yiddish Policeman's Union.

Reader/Jason Butler Harner, Producer/Jane Greenwood

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

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Woman's Hour Drama – Writing The Century Ep 1/5

Monday 19 to Friday 23 April

10.45-11.00am BBC RADIO 4

Writing The Century, the series which explores the 20th century through the diaries and correspondence of real people, returns with a touching, coming of age tale: Amanda Whittington's drama, set in 1979, tells the story of Steven, a gay teenager from a Nottinghamshire mining town, and his two flamboyant best friends who live as girls.

Based on the 1979 diary of an 18-year-old miner's son, Once Upon A Time is the story of three teenage boys looking for love and acceptance, each hoping for their own happy ending.

Steven lives with his father, who knows and accepts that his son is gay. The rest of the world isn't quite so accommodating. It's 1 January: Steven feels confused, excited and frightened at what 1979 might bring. His best friends are Chrissy and Gloria, two unemployed boys of the same age, who are living down the road as girls and dreaming of a glamorous new life.

All three live for the weekend, when they go to Nottingham's only gay club in search of adventure. But it has its dark side. What Steven really wants is a loving relationship but, in his world, it seems like an impossible dream.

The cast includes Joe Dempsie as Steven, Karl Davies as Gloria and Joe Doherty as Chrissy, with Nicolai Abrahamsen composing the series theme tune.

BBC Radio 4 has commissioned Writing The Century to bring real people's stories to the air and make history come alive. The letters and diaries come from a broad mix of society – housewives, politicians, council workers, soldiers, lawyers, teenagers, prisoners, entrepreneurs.

The series often uses unpublished material from unknown voices, found through appeals on-air and in the press to the British public and archive collections.

Listners are encouraged to find out more about the series by accessing bbc.co.uk/radio4/arts/writing_the_century.shtml or by emailing writingthecentury@bbc.co.uk.

Writing the Century is linked to the Memoryshare website where the public can post diary extracts.

Producer/Gemma Jenkins

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

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John Waite found himself hosted by The Moonies on a trip to America in 1973

In 1973, John Waite was offered a free trip to America. Being a young student, he leapt at the chance, only later realising his hosts were the group making headlines as The Moonies.

When he and a plane load of other students arrived at a large estate in upstate New York, they discovered that the people footing the bill were the Unification Church, known to tabloid readers across the world as The Moonies.

Over the course of the following days and weeks, John and the students were kept on the estate as the Church tried to win them over, in order that its message might be taken back to Britain with these bright young things.

In Fly Me To The Reverend Moon, John goes back for the first time to tell the story of what happened to him and the rest of the students when they were taken in by one of the most controversial religious groups of the day. He meets up with people who went on the trip with him, as well as former Church members who were active in the organisation at the time – and reflects on how the experience as a young man ready for adventure has shaped him in the ensuing decades.

Presenter/John Waite, Producer/Geoff Bird

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

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How To Make Your First Billion is a drama documentary following the fortunes of a start-up internet company in Silicon Valley.

Jake is 28, and a serial entrepreneur who has yet to succeed with a start-up company. Subash is 26 and a technical whizz from India with whom Jake studied at college. Combining Subash's ideas and technical know-how with Jake's entrepreneurial flair, the two decide to go into business together with a vision for an internet business, which they believe will change the world.

Fuelled by the track record of other small, home-grown businesses that have made their mark in Silicon Valley and become billion dollar businesses, they believe they can do the same.

The drama follows the pair as they attempt to get the business off the ground, attracting investment and dealing with the trials and tribulations of trying to build a business.

The story echoes many of the real-life stories of entrepreneurs who started out from nothing, to create iconic brands and features real-life entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley, offering advice to the two characters as they try to launch their business, these include: Gideon Yu, previously chief financial officer of Facebook and YouTube; Michael Arrington, founder of Techcrunch, a blog covering Silicon Valley; Jerry Yang, co-founder and former CEO of Yahoo; David Filo, co-founder of Yahoo; Ron Conway, an early stage investor in Google, Ask Jeeves and PayPal; Susan Wojcicki, Google's first marketing manager; Biz Stone, co-founder and creative director of Twitter; David Weekly, founder of PBWorks; and James NcNiven of Bucks Restaurant where the idea for many famous start-ups were born.

Written by Matthew Solon, the cast includes Thomas Lazur, Zafar Karachiwala, Katie Rubin, Jake Armstrong, Subash Chakrabati, Cassidy Brown, Tim Kniffin, Gabriel Marin, Peter Matthews, Ogie Zulueta, Kip Baldwin, Julia Brothers, Brian Rivera, Lindsey Gates, Julia Brothers and Arwen Anderson.

Producer/John Dryden

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

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In The Footsteps Of Giants Ep 1/5

Monday 19 April

3.45-4.00pm BBC RADIO 4

Scientist Sue Blackmore explores the unique connecting point between herself and LSD pioneer Albert Hofmann.

Having admired Hofmann for decades, she shares her personal audio archive of her meeting with the Swiss scientist and discusses how he influenced her own research into consciousness.

In the series, In The Footsteps Of Giants, today's scientists walk in the footsteps of famous predecessors whose lives have fascinating similarities to their own.

Presenter/Sue Blackmore, Producer/Lucy Adam

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

5 Live Sport

Monday 19 April

7.00-10.30pm BBC RADIO 5 LIVE

Mark Chapman has all the day's sports news and is joined by special guests for the Monday Club discussing the latest big issues in football.

From 8pm, there's Premier League commentary of Liverpool versus West Ham United live from Anfield

From 10pm Tim Lovejoy joins Mark for Chapman and Lovejoy's Football Express, a quick-fire football knockabout.

Presenter/Mark Chapman, Producer/Clare Ackling

BBC Radio 5 Live Publicity

Football

Monday 19 April

7.40-9.45pm BBC RADIO 5 LIVE SPORTS EXTRA

Uninterrupted Championship commentary of Plymouth Argyle versus Newcastle United comes live from Home Park.

Producer/Jen McAllister

BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra Publicity

Steve Mason joins Lauren Laverne for a live session in the BBC 6 Music studios. The former lead singer of the brilliant Beta Band, Steve releases his debut solo album Boys Outside in May. It was produced by Steve himself and Richard X after being written entirely on acoustic guitar.

Presenter/Lauren Laverne, Producer/Gary Bales

BBC 6 Music Publicity

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Manchester lads The Travelling Band are live in session. The band are Adam Gorman, Jo Dudderidge, Steve "Snaf" Ballinger, Steve Mullen, Chris Spencer and Nick Vaal.

The Travelling Band recently featured on the soundtrack to the Ian Dury biopic Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll (the only band other than The Blockheads to do so), subsequently finding a fan in director Mat Whitecross and leading to him directing the video for their new single Sundial.

The band's fans now include the likes of Michael Eavis: "The Travelling Band take me back to my musical roots ... marvellous music to savour and enjoy"; Rolf Harris; Mani: "future Manc classics"; and BBC 6 Music's very own Marc Riley: "if you consider the term Mancunian Americana to be an oxymoron, try listening to the Travelling Band... brilliant."

They come in to play their new single Sundial, which is released on 26 April.

Presenter/Marc Riley, Producer/Michelle Choudhry

BBC 6 Music Publicity

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Oxford shoe-gaze pioneers Ride are in concert from 1991 along with Derby's Cable at Reading in 1995. Sessions come from reggae band Culture, Pete Wylie's Wah! Heat, That Petrol Emotion and Peggy Sue playing for Marc Riley earlier this year.

Presenter/Gideon Coe, Producer/Frank Wilson

BBC 6 Music Publicity

The BBC Asian Network publishes the results of one of the biggest surveys of Asian voters ever undertaken in the UK. Recent research shows that Asians could hold the key in many marginal constituencies and this survey attempts to reveal whether it's true that turnout is much higher in Asian communities.

This Asian Network Reports aims to highlight the concerns that are most important to Asians in the upcoming election; whether a new government should be tougher on immigration and which party understands Asian issues best.

The report is repeated at 6pm.

BBC Asian Network Publicity

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Gagan Grewal speaks exclusively to iconic and legendary actress Hema Malini – Bollywood's "Dream Girl". Malini is one of Indian cinema's most successful female stars and her latest film, Sadiyaan, is released this month. She talks to Gagan about life, love and what the future holds.

BBC Asian Network Publicity