''Free Thinking'' is a
radio programme broadcast on
BBC Radio 3
BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...
as part of their "After Dark" late night programming. The programme is a rebranded version of ''Night Waves'', "Radio 3's flagship arts and ideas programme". ''Night Waves'' was broadcast every Monday to Thursday evening, except during
the Proms season.
BBC Radio 3 rebranded ''Night Waves'' as ''Free Thinking'' from 7 January 2014 and reduced the number of first-time broadcasts per week from four to three (plus one repeat).
Format
Programmes usually included a mix of interviews, reviews, previews, discussions, commissioned writing and reports. Some episodes included a single interview with a prominent figure in the worlds of arts or ideas. The programme's presenters include
Matthew Sweet,
Philip Dodd,
Rana Mitter
Shantashil Rajyeswar Mitter (born 1969), known as Rana Mitter, is a British historian and political scientist of Indian origin who specialises in the history of republican China. He is Professor of the History and Politics of Modern China at t ...
,
Shahidha Bari and
Anne McElvoy
Anne McElvoy (born 25 June 1965) is a British journalist, contributing to ''The Economist'', London ''Evening Standard'', and the BBC.
Early life
McElvoy attended St Bede's RC Comprehensive School in Lanchester, County Durham, and read German ...
.
Reception
''
The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' said in May 2010 "...the king of radio arts programmes is undoubtedly ''Night Waves'', a programme so clever that it regularly makes me stand still and listen, usually halfway to the dishwasher with a plate in my hand...It's the desire to untangle arguments, to lift up their corners and see what lurks there. There's a gleeful range of references too...and a relish for intelligent debate."
[Elisabeth Mahone]
"Radio head: Night Waves"
''The Guardian'' (blog entry), 19 May 2010
References
External links
*
*
BBC Radio 3 programmes
1992 radio programme debuts
{{UK-radio-show-stub