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Though appropriating a similar timeslot and set of presenters as Today (Radio 4's daily morning news programme), it takes a lighthearted approach, including such items as "The Donald Rumsfeld Soundbite of the Week" and "Martin Jarvis Reads 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'".
The latter was the six words: "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" read aloud by Martin Jarvis. This is a good example of the subtle satire that the program employs. At the time, media attention was very focussed on Harry Potter, and Radio 4 had recently replaced a large part of its schedule to accomodate a reading or dramatisation of the work. They drew attention to the percieved over-hype by continually referring forward to it, and introducing the announcer who introduced Martin Jarvis who read the text. Martin Jarvis is something of an institution on Radio 4.
Other such jokes included a regular slot where a Scottish woman on a remote island was rung up once a week for a formal chat about how she had been 'surviving' that week. (Referring so obliquely to ITV's Survivor TV show, that it could easily have been missed by a casual listener)
Apart from the News Headlines, the programme always has a review of the Sunday papers. Frequent guests reviewers include Giles Brandreth and Tim Bentinck who plays David Archer in The Archers, BBC Radio's longest-running soap opera.
There are occasional competitions, including some ground-breaking 'audio art', which specialists in the field judge. Selected letters and e-mails are read as they arrive. The selection tends to favour correspondents who share the programme's subtle sense of irony and sarcasm.
Broadcasting House started out with Eddie Mair as presenter. In the intervening time since it was launched it has used an occasional guest presenter (including Giles Brandreth). It currently seems to be in the hands of Fi Glover who has steered the programme in a more sombre fashion.