Programme Information

BBC RADIO 2'S ELVIS SEASON
The Elvis Trail Ep 1/6

Friday 8 January

7.00-7.30pm BBC RADIO 2

Following his journeys in the footsteps of Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Bob Hope and Judy Garland, Michael Freedland takes to the road again to mark the 75th anniversary of Elvis Presley's birth with a new series, as part of BBC Radio 2's Elvis Season.

Michael's first stop is Tupelo, Mississippi, where Elvis Aaron Presley was born shortly before dawn on 8 January 1935. Here he visits the museum that has sprung up at the King's birthplace and director Dick Guyton guides listeners around the two-room shack built the year before Elvis's birth by his father Vernon and grandfather Jesse.

Michael then heads to the First Assembly of God church, where Elvis sang as a boy. Helping to tell the story of Elvis's early years are his school friends Guy Thomas Harris, James Ausborn and Azalia Moore, and his cousin Sybil Presley.

At one of the star's schools, Milam High, Michael meets up with psychiatrist Billy Welch, who used to sing with Elvis at school, and harmonica player Jimmy Gault. At the Elvis Presley Heights Museum, meanwhile, the trail leads to Bill and Linda Kinard, who have an incredible collection of Presley memorabilia, including his famous pink Cadillac.

While there, Michael talks to the policeman who was on duty the night Elvis made a legendary home performance in front of a "near riot" of Tupelo girls; Elvis's cousins Charlene Presley and Edie Hand; collector Joyce Logan; and DJ Charlie Watts, who interviewed Gladys and Vernon Presley as well as Elvis. Charlene later takes Michael out to Priceville Cemetery, where Elvis's stillborn twin brother, Jesse Garon, is buried at a secret location.

At Lawhorn School, Michael talks to school friends Don Winders and Shirley Gillentine, who beat Elvis in a talent competition. At the local cinema, one of Elvis's friends, Sam Bell, describes how they would go to the movies together and be forced to split up because of racial segregation – and how Elvis would sneak into the black section to sit with him.

The visit to Tupelo ends at the famous hardware store where Elvis was bought his first guitar. The store remains exactly as it was in 1945.

Presenter/Michael Freedland, Producer/Neil Rosser

BBC Radio 2 Publicity

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Featuring 11 top bands from the UK and the Fountain City Brass Band from America, Brass In Concert is the country's premier brass band entertainment competition.

Frank Renton presents highlights from the competition, featuring music from The Grimethorpe Colliery Band, The Brighouse And Rastrick Band, and The Fountain City Brass Band.

Presenter/Frank Renton, Producer/Terry Carter

BBC Radio 2 Publicity

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BBC Radio 2 presenter Claudia Winkleman

Claudia Winkleman welcomes listeners to a new year of arts and entertainment programming.

As part of BBC Radio 2's Elvis Season, marking what would have been Elvis Presley's 75th birthday, Claudia looks at Presley's singing career, film roles and those swivelling hips in an examination of the enduring legacy of the King of Rock 'n' Roll.

Presenter/Claudia Winkleman, Producer/Carmela DiClemente

BBC Radio 2 Publicity

Charlie Gillett introduces a session by Martha Wainwright, whose latest album is a tribute to Edith Piaf.

Growing up in Montreal and speaking French at school, Martha was totally captivated by Piaf as a child and listened to her music from the age of eight.

The album, Martha Wainwright Sings Piaf, was produced by Hal Willner and recorded over three intimate performances in New York's Dixon Place Theatre last June. The singer assembled a unique band of musicians – including long-time collaborator Brad Albetta, who produced her first two albums, pianist Thomas Bartlett and electric guitarist/multi-instrumentalist Doug Wieselman – to capture the French chanteuse's venerable catalogue, which is beautifully coupled with Martha's evocative and characterful voice.

Presenter/Charlie Gillett, Producer/James Parkin

BBC Radio 3 Publicity

NHS Punters Speak Out Ep 1/2

Friday 8 January

11.00-11.30am BBC RADIO 4

The culture of customer feedback has now extended beyond hotels and coffee chains to the NHS. In this two-part series, Liz Barclay takes dissatisfied NHS patients back to hospital to see if hospital-rating websites really work to improve treatment.

Many holidaymakers wouldn't dream of booking a hotel before they've consulted one of the many hotel-rating and review websites. This principle has now been extended to the health service, with patients invited to rate their hospital stay out of five stars and to leave comments about the care they received.

Barclay asks if the idea of online feedback really can be applied to the health service and whether it can genuinely improve standards of care. Critics suggest that the sites are merely window-dressing and that NHS patients are not "consumers". Some health professionals even claim that the sites can simply become places where personal scores are settled against NHS staff.

Presenter/Liz Barclay, Producer/Laurence Grissell

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

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Elizabeth Lewis's comedy focuses on a journalist's attempts to write a weekly family newspaper column – when his family have deserted him.

Charlie writes a column entitled Family Matters, which revolves around the comings and goings of his family – his Welsh wife, Carys, their young children and their pet rat, Mr Rafferty.

However, Charlie is left in charge of Mr Rafferty and his irrepressible father-in-law, Marmaduke, when his wife announces out of the blue that she is taking the children to Italy to stay in the holiday home of her marketing manager, Orlando.

He is, as he mournfully describes himself, "a husband without a wife, a father without children and a columnist without a column". For, without his family, Charlie's inspiration deserts him and the column resolutely refuses to write itself.

Beset with fears that his wife's relationship with Orlando may be a threat to his marriage, Charlie simply cannot concentrate on writing. As the deadline for his column approaches, and his editor turns from pleading to threatening, he sees his life unravelling before him. A randy 75-year-old father-in-law and a rat with an injured tail are not the companions he would have chosen to witness this disintegration.

Philip Jackson plays Charlie and Howell Evans is Marmaduke in Lewis's comedy of dysfunctional family life.

Producer/Kate McAll

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

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The News Quiz Ep 1/8

Friday 8 January

6.30-7.00pm BBC RADIO 4

The popular topical panel show returns for a 70th series in this, its 33rd year on air. Joining host Sandi Toksvig are the usual regulars – Jeremy Hardy, Andy Hamilton, Fred MacAulay and Francis Wheen – as well as guests including Sue Perkins, Jack Dee and Ed Byrne.

Presenter/Sandi Toksvig, Producer/Sam Bryant

BBC Radio 4 Publicity

BBC Radio 5 Live presenter Colin Murray

Colin Murray is joined by Pat Nevin and Perry Groves for Kicking Off With Colin Murray, previewing all the weekend's action, including Arsenal versus Everton, Hull versus Chelsea and Liverpool versus Tottenham.

From 9.30pm, Tim Lovejoy is in the studio for Murray And Lovejoy's Sports Express. Colin and Tim take a quick-fire look at the latest burning issues in sport.

Murray And Lovejoy's Sports Express is also available as a podcast to download at bbc.co.uk/5live.

Presenter/Colin Murray, Producer/Louise Sutton

BBC Radio 5 Live Publicity

BBC 6 Music presenter Lauren Laverne

A range of opinion formers from the worlds of music and journalism have taken part in the BBC poll to identify the most hotly tipped bands of 2010 and today Lauren Laverne reveals the act that has reached the top spot.

Lauren speaks to the winner about their accolade and hears them play live, as they demonstrate why they truly are The Sound Of 2010.

Presenter/Lauren Laverne, Producer/Gary Bales

BBC 6 Music Publicity

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Friday Rock Show favourites Killswitch Engage return to the studio to play a selection of blistering rock tracks that have moved and motivated them over the years.

The five-piece from Massachusetts are led by charismatic front man Howard Jones. Hugely popular, they're renowned for their versatile fusion of aggression, melody, rock and metal.

They chat to Bruce Dickinson about their current self-titled record and what it was like working with super producer Brendon O'Brien (AC/DC, Rage Against The Machine and Pearl Jam).

Presenter/Bruce Dickinson, Producer/Ian Callaghan

BBC 6 Music Publicity

Darren wins the Golden Crown's raffle prize of a "bottomless pint", at the end of another week in Silver Street. Mary gives Deepika a drink on the house to reward her for organising the New Year event and, later, Sean is woken up by a drunken Deepika. However, she isn't alone...

Over at the poker game, Jaggy wins three games in a row and the stakes get higher. Jaggy puts his Santorini villa on the line but will his lucky streak hold out?

Darren is played by Samuel Kindred, Mary by Carole Nimmons, Deepika by Babita Pohoomull, Sean by Lloyd Thomas and Jaggy by Jay Kiyani.

BBC Asian Network Publicity

Africa Kicks Ep 1/4

Friday 8 January

8.00-8.30pm BBC WORLD SERVICE

In 1977, Pelé predicted that an African nation would lift the World Cup by the century's end. As the African Cup of Nations begins in Angola and preparations step up in South Africa for the 2010 World Cup, presenter Farayi Mungazi asks whether his prediction could soon be a reality.

Africa Kicks explores the rich and complex history of African football. Farayi begins with the story of Ghana's first leader, Kwame Nkrumah, who fought to create the Organisation of African Unity and saw football as an essential tool in projecting a pan-African identity.

With the World Cup to be held in Africa's newest democracy this year, Farayi explores the very particular history of football in South Africa. It is thought that it was here that football first came to the continent but it was also where apartheid denied many of the nation's best footballing talents access to the world stage. Indeed, football became the ultimate expression of freedom for the prisoners on the rocky confines of Robben Island, where apartheid was directly challenged on the pitch.

Presenter/Farayi Mungazi, Producer/Mark Burman

BBC World Service Publicity