Mark Thompson, the director general of the BBC, is in discussions with Vatican officials over the pope contributing to Radio 4's Thought for the Day religious slot.

Mark Damazer, the controller of Radio 4, revealed today that Thompson, who met senior Vatican officials in Rome earlier this month, is personally leading negotiations with the Vatican in the hope of securing a contribution from the leader of the Catholic church.

"Mark's better qualified then me on two grounds," Damazer said, referring to the fact that Thompson is a devout Catholic as well as being the BBC's most senior executive. "Mark knows of my aspiration," he added.

Damazer joked that he would not leave his job at Radio 4 until the pope had contributed to the Today programme's Thought for the Day strand, which is produced by the corporation's religious affairs department in Manchester.

Pope Benedict XVI is due to visit the UK later this year. Thompson discussed BBC coverage of his visit with Vatican officials during his visit to Rome on 3 February.

It is not clear whether the Pope would record a Thought for the Day during his UK visit, but it is possible he could be persuaded to make a longer contribution that could be aired elsewhere in the schedule.

Damazer is also bringing back What the Papers Say as a Radio 4 show as part of its general election coverage, renamed What the Election Papers Say. The long-running newspaper review format was dropped from TV two years ago.

He said the programme would continue after the election and may return for good if it proves popular.

Damazer's station will also air a selection of early radio shows recorded by Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise over the coming month.

They were discovered by Wise's wife when she moved home. Wise bought the recordings from a BBC employee soon after they were made in the 1950s and the corporation has restored them. "It's comedy history and BBC history," Damazer said.

They include performances of some sketches which would later be reprised on the duo's TV shows in their 1970s heyday.

Other Radio 4 programming highlights in the coming months include a one-off show about Byron written and narrated by comedian David Walliams and a David Hare play about Craig Murray, the former British ambassador to Uzbekistan.

Damazer also said Radio 4 will broadcast another James Bond story – Goldfinger – following its successful version of Ian Fleming's Dr No novel. Ian McKellan will star as Goldfinger, with Toby Stephens playing Bond.

Television historian Simon Schama has agreed to present A Point of View, which is currently in the old Letter from America slot on Friday evenings. He is confirmed for the next three months, or 10 programmes.

Stephen Poliakoff has written Playing With Trains, a two-part play about the advertising industry, for Radio 4.

The Now Show, the vehicle for comedians Punt and Dennis, will be renamed The Vote Now Show, for the duration of the election campaign and broadcast every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.

Radio 4 will also transmit a recording of Lenny Henry playing Othello, a role which won the 51-year-old best newcomer at the London Evening Standard theatre awards last year.

What the Papers Say, which features guest journalists discussing the last week's press coverage, was originally screened by ITV but switched to Channel 4 in 1982 and then to BBC2 in 1989.

The BBC decided to drop the show, and the annual screening of the What the Papers Say newspaper awards, but ITV Productions, which made it, said at the time it hoped to find a new home for the programme.

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