Some BBC programmes to be ‘online first’

A selection of new BBC programmes will be available to listen to online before their traditional outlets.

The programmes will be available for up to seven days before their broadcast on BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 4, BBC Radio 5 live and BBC 6 Music. They will be available in the BBC iPlayer radio app and the station websites.

New television programmes from the BBC have been available online before their first broadcast, such as Peter Kay’s Car Share. It’s the first time that radio programmes have been made available in this way. In some cases a whole weeks’ worth of episodes will be available at once.

A new three-part series about the legal world is one of the first programmes to be launched in this way. The BBC Radio 5 live programme is presented by criminal barrister and TV judge Rob Rinder. It will be joined by new BBC Radio 4 series ‘Peter Snow Returns To The Future’, BBC Radio 2’s Comedy Showcases and Home Front.

Helen Boaden, Director of BBC Radio, says: “I’m delighted that we are developing new ways of listening that can bring our unique and brilliant speech content to an even wider audience. Live radio is still how the vast majority of us listen but innovations like this give audiences more choice, control and convenience in how they get the radio they love.”