Almost an entire day on Radio 4 was taken over by a dramatic airing of War and Peace at the start of the year. For some listeners it was a joy that kept them glued to their radios - for others it was a rude interruption to the schedule. Radio 4's Commissioning Editor for Drama, Jeremy Howe, explains why the network decided to broadcast wall-to-wall Tolstoy at the expense of regular programmes.

Also, the BBC's Director General Tony Hall has weighed into the ongoing debate about changes to The Archers. Jeremy Howe gives his reaction to the DG's intervention.

And is the BBC's news output little more than a barrage of bleak and dismal events? Is there space - or even a need - for more good news stories? Professor Charlie Beckett explored this question in his programme, Good News is No News. It generated debate on social media with many people saying they felt overwhelmed by negative news. So is it time for the BBC to give more focus to positive news stories?


Producer: Will Yates
A Whistledown production for BBC Radio 4.