Woman's Hour

Woman’s Hour, a long-running BBC Radio 4 daily magazine programme, serves as a vital case study for public service broadcasting (PSB) and gender representation. First broadcast in October 1946, the show originally focused on the restricted domestic role of the "housewife". However, it has since evolved to cover hard-hitting political and social topics such as equal pay and domestic violence, alongside lighter features on culture and fashion.

As part of the BBC, the programme is funded by the licence fee, which allows it to remain an independent, impartial broadcaster free from the commercial pressures of advertisers. This funding model enables the production of "niche" content that targets a specialised female audience with unadorned dialogue and intellectual vocabulary—elements a commercial station might find economically risky. This supports Curran and Seaton’s theory by illustrating how socially diverse patterns of ownership can lead to more varied and adventurous productions.

Modernization is central to the programme's current identity. The transition from analogue to digital audio broadcasting (DAB) and the launch of the BBC Sounds app allow for "listening without limits" through podcasts and audio-on-demand. To maintain audience diversity, the BBC introduced new presenters in 2020: Emma Barnett, known for her "iron confidence," and Anita Rani, whose documentaries on Partition and Bollywood help fulfill the BBC's remit to serve the diverse communities of the UK.

The show is regulated by Ofcom, but the BBC also practices self-regulation, as seen when it removed a controversial interview with Zara Mohammed from digital platforms following complaints of bias. Theoretically, Woman's Hour challenges Van Zoonen’s idea that stereotypes only change when more women appear in and produce media, while also addressing bell hooks’ concerns by featuring guests that reflect diversity beyond a white, middle-class perspective