Article H P Lovecraft. The case of Charles Dexeter Ward. BBC Radio Podcast

[confused2]

For the last 60 years I've been listening to radio plays on the BBC ..
This one is available on 'BBC Sounds' on the Internet.
A summary of the original book is here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Case_o...exter_Ward
The play extends the original plot considerably.
The play revolves around two reporters making a podcast in real time as the plot develops
There are upwards of 30 episodes .. you have been warned.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p06w5zwg

[C C]

The Lovecraft Investigations
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Lovecr...stigations

Listener funded (in a voluntary context?) according to the narrator, which sounds akin to NPR across the pond, though this is an internet podcast rather than BBC Radio 4 via airwaves, as well him referring to only this particular program.

Nevertheless, got me wondering about if there was a radio license along with the television one. Apparently not (anymore).

Television licensing in the United Kingdom
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television...ed_Kingdom

"The radio part was abolished in February 1971."

And yet there is the puzzle of this below (I'm guessing it was only the distinction between radio and television that was dropped with respect to the licence):

BBC radio stations ‘first to close’ if licence fee replaced with subscription
https://inews.co.uk/news/media/bbc-radio...st_popular

Needless to say, the difference between how license slash licence is spelled is driving me crazy (the reflexive urge to replace all "c"s with an "s"),

How is the BBC funded and could the licence fee be abolished?
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/d...v-licences

"Non-payment of the TV licence by someone who watches live TV or uses the catch-up BBC iPlayer service is a criminal offence. TV Licensing, the arm of the BBC that enforces the charge, estimates that around 6% of British households watch TV without a valid licence."

[confused2]

My impression (could easily be wrong) is that about 20 years ago the BBC was asked to cut expenses with the result that the radio drama department was 'cut'. The BBC now commissions (probably) the same people to produce the same sort of material that the BBC has been putting out (to my certain knowledge) for at least the last 50 years as a 'Sweet Talk' production instead of 'in house'. Despite the licence fee nonsense the BBC is effectively a state controlled broadcaster - as to why there is any need for radio drama - your guess is as good as mine.