BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Live broadcasts from Cardiff

BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Live is the latest in a series of programmes to make Cardiff its home in line with the BBC’s ambition to see more programmes produced outside of London

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Nikki Bedi and the Saturday Live team broadcasted from the heart of Cardiff on April 1st, as the team makes the Welsh capital its home. Joined by Peter Curran as her guest co-host, guests include scientist and broadcaster Alice Roberts and Inheritance Tracks from writer and broadcaster, Elizabeth Day.

Nikki Bedi is an international television and radio broadcaster who has been covering the arts across the world for over two decades. As well as co presenting Saturday Live, she has two long-running shows on the BBC World Service; The Arts Hour which she curates, writes and presents and the monthly Arts Hour on Tour.

Nikki said: “I’m hugely looking forward to seeing the Cardiff dawn every Saturday morning and broadcasting from Central Square. Radio has no borders or boundaries and Saturday Live, with our blend of depth and mischief, will continue to have people sharing their stories each week, connecting us all, and proving that no one has an ordinary life.”

BBC Radio 4’s Saturday Live is the latest in a series of programmes to make Cardiff its home in line with the BBC’s ambition to see more programmes produced outside of London – a strategy entitled Across the UK announced by the Director-General in 2021. Cardiff already hosts Owain Wyn Evans and his early-morning BBC Radio 2 show and much of the broadcaster’s science output is also produced in the Welsh capital.

On 15 April Any Answers? presented by Anita Anand will join its sister programme, Any Questions? presented by Alex Forsyth, in being produced from Bristol and Cardiff, along with Last Word with Matthew Bannister which started last week. This new approach has seen over 25 roles created in Central Square producing a range of content in arts, classical music, drama, factual, science, topical and current affairs.

Mohit Bakaya, Director of Speech Audio and Controller of BBC Radio 4 and 4Extra says “As Saturday Live listeners will know all too well, this brilliant programme weaves great stories and fascinating people into a wonderful hour of a warm conversation and humour. Cardiff – a young capital city with a name for being friendly, fun and vibrant – is the perfect new location for the show and a great opportunity to broaden the range of voices each week.”

Rhuanedd Richards, Director BBC Cymru Wales says: “It’s fantastic to see Saturday Live’s team make Wales their home, part of the BBC’s Across The UK commitment to better reflect, represent and serve audiences where they live. The production facilities in BBC Wales’s broadcast hub in Central Square are second to none and it’s great to see so many colleagues from our network teams making great use of them. I’d like to wish Nikki and the team a very warm welcome to Wales. Croeso i Gymru!”

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Notes to Editors

• The BBC is moving creative spend and decision-making across the UK to better reflect, represent, and serve all parts of the country and ensure every household receives value from the BBC.
An extra £700m cumulatively is being spent across the UK.

• There is a significant increase in production spend outside London – TV content spend rising from 50% to 60% and Radio & Music from 40% to 50%. More than 100 new or returning Drama and Comedy titles will be made across the UK over the next three years.

• The BBC is already a catalyst for the creative industries in places like Glasgow, Cardiff and Salford – and we are seeing this happening in Birmingham and the North East now too.

• The BBC has a renewed focus on partnerships - the biggest BBC investment in the North East for decades (£25m over five years), a new production and skills partnership for the West Midlands and renewed partnerships with Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland Screen Agencies.

Source BBC Radio 4

April 4, 2023 2:00am ET by BBC Radio 4  

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