[RhysJR]

Songs of Praise is an interesting programme, as it has been pushed back to a very early slot, at lunchtime in recent years. Well away out of the main prime time schedule.

I do feel in years to come, Songs of Praise, Christmas and Easter ceremonies will be the only religious TV programming we will see on BBC - and of course we are a less religious society. I am not religious at all, but I do feel BBC should be providing a decent service to those people who have a belief system.

I think it has found its slot now. It is almost religously (no pun itended) at 13:15, whilst a decade or so ago, when it was early evening, the scheduling was any time between 16:00 and 18:00. So, I wold think it would be far better for everyone that it is at the same time every week, even if it is not as prominent timewise any more.

A sidenote on Songs of Praise: Pam Rhodes must be one of the current longest running presenters of the same programme at the BBC? Apparently she started in April 1987!
www.pamrhodes.co.uk 


I think the BBC's religous provisions is at a perfectly reasonable level at present. As you said, the religous makeup of society has changed (more non religious people, more people from other faiths). Looking at the schedules, Radios 4, Scotland, Ulster and Wales offer church services on Sunday morning, whilst there's also more 'fluffier' religious based programming like Good Morning Sunday (Radio 2) and Sunday Morning Live. Whether that is the best for the audience is something else though; I doubt many of those services except for Songs of Praise cater for those in non-traditional churches like gospel churches. Credit to Songs of Praise for having a wider range of religious genres in recent years.