BBC Radio

One of my summer highlights this year is the garden party to mark BBC Radio York’s 40th birthday. I began my BBC career with the station and can’t wait to catch up with fellow Yorkies.

When I ask the BBC’s director of news, Fran Unsworth, if the first year in her new role has lived up to her expectations, she gives a hollow laugh.

“I always knew it was going to be a challenging job, let’s put it like that,” she admits. “But quite how challenging it turned out to be – pretty quickly into it – I possibly hadn’t anticipated.

Airing on Saturday and Sunday mornings, it will feature live music and different celebrity guests discussing arts and culture, including books, theatre, TV and podcasts.

Sara Cox presented The Radio 1 Breakfast Show between 2000 and 2003, and is the current host of Drivetime, BBC Radio 2’s flagship music and chat show.

Speaking about her new ITV weekend show, Cox commented: “I can’t wait to keep people company on a weekend morning as they mooch about in their jamas, making crumpets and sorting the kids out.”

The BBC will mark the 70^th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day) with a range of coverage on television and radio.

Kirsty Young will anchor live coverage of the commemorations on Saturday 15 August in VJ Day 70: The Nation Remembers (BBC One, from 10.30am, with highlights on Sunday 16 August at 5.30pm on BBC Two), with James Naughtie commentating on events and Dan Snow speaking to veterans and their families.

By many people's reckoning, Armando Iannucci is one of our greatest and funniest TV satirists. The political classes and the grammar and conceits of television have proved fertile ground for Iannucci's wit and his team of gifted collaborators, notably Steve Coogan, Rebecca Front and Chris Morris.