BBC 7, launched in December 2002, is the principal broadcasting outlet for the BBC's vast archive of spoken-word entertainment. The schedule spans the decades, from 1950s classics like the Goon Show to recent Radio 4 shows.
It is also required by its license to carry children's programming, which currently consists of two strands: The Little Toe Radio Show, for under fives, runs for one hour and can currently be be heard at (UK time) 07:00 and 15:00 daily, while The Big Toe Radio Show, for older children, runs from 16:00 to 18:00 daily. These programmes, unlike the rest of BBC 7's output, consist almost entirely of original material.
BBC 7 can be heard worldwide on the Internet, in Britain, Ireland and parts of France, Belgium and The Netherlands via the Astra 2D satellite, and in the UK on DAB digital radio, cable television, and Freeview digital terrestrial television.