Thought for the Day

Thought for the Day is a religious slot that, coming in the middle of the BBC Radio 4 Today programme, obtrudes itself on the general listener.  It plainly proclaims to all and sundry five days a week that reflective thoughts on the events of the day come only from people with "a faith". There are different views about the idea of a reflective slot in the middle of a current affairs programme: some see no place for it, others think it is a valuable interlude. But so long as it exists it is entirely unacceptable to exclude some speakers just because they are non-religious. We want BBC Radio 4’s Thought for the Day programme to include humanist perspectives.

As John Humphrys wrote in the Sunday Times (18 August 2002): “[Listeners] may have little time for doctrinaire religious certainties, but they do want some sort of framework within which they can find their moral bearings.  ...  They want an ethical interpretation: what is of real value; what is good; what is right and wrong?  They do not believe you need a 'faith perspective' for an ethical view of the world”.

What are we doing?

In August 2002, over 100 eminent figures in British life, all of them Distinguished Supporters of the BHA, or Honorary Associates of the Rationalist Press Association or of the National Secular Society, signed a letter to the Governors of the BBC asking that occasionally Thought for the Day should have a secular or humanist speaker.

The editors of the Today programme, into which Thought for the Day intrudes, did broadcast a one-off "alternative" Thought slot by BHA Vice President Richard Dawkins in 2002, however the BBC's official response was to brush the letter aside, first with a letter from the secretary to their Central Religious Advisory Council and then (when a formal reply from the Governors was requested) with a letter stating that the Governors were satisfied with the present policy. In June 2003 the Governors again confirmed their policy. (See our page on other "alternative" humanist thoughts for the day.)

We raised Thought for the Day with BBC Director General Mark Thompson when we met with him in late 2008 to discuss broader issues with the BBC and we will continue to press for the opening up of Thought for the Day to non-religious contributors.

In July 2009, Mark Damazer, Controller of BBC Radio 4, said that the BBC Trust is considering the inclusion of humanist contributors as well as religious ones on the Radio 4 programme ‘Thought for the Day’.

What can you do?

 You can email the BBC Trust and add your support to our campaign. Take action right now!

Contact the Today programme on today@bbc.co.uk and make the case for non-religious thinkers to be included!  Please copy your email, and any responses, to the BHA campaigns team.

You can support the BHA by becoming a member. That helps in itself, and you can help even more by supporting our campaigns  in the ways suggested above.  But campaigns also cost money – quite a lot of money – and we also need financial support. You can make a donation to the BHA.