VISION: It was John Reith who first envisaged an independent British broadcaster able to educate, inform and entertain the whole nation, free from political interference and commercial pressure.
FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL: Within a year the BBC had broadcast plays, concerts of popular and classical music, talks and variety programmes from its first home in Savoy Hill. But the powerful newspaper industry successfully kept the BBC out of the news business. Bulletins were prepared by the news agencies, and could only be broadcast after 7pm – so as not to upset newspaper sales. In fact, BBC's Sir William Noble, “We want to work smoothly with the newspapers." The hope, he said, was that broadcasting would serve as "an incentive to the public to buy more newspapers. Other restrictions were there: Bulletins had to begin with the words: "Copyright news from Reuters, Press Association, Exchange Telegraph and Central News". Also, there was to be no coverage of controversial subjects - just as there were to be no live commentaries on sports events.
EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE: The General Strike of 1926 brought the BBC its first serious confrontation with the Government over editorial independence. With no regular newspapers being published, the country turned to the BBC for its news. Winston Churchill, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, urged the Government to take over the BBC, but Reith persuaded Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin that this would be against the national interest.
IMPACT OF THE WAR (Programmes): With the television service closed for the duration, it was radio’s war and the BBC nearly lost it in the opening skirmishes. In the early ‘phoney war’ millions found Lord Haw Haw, the German propaganda weapon, significantly more entertaining than the austere fare of the BBC. Listeners complained about the new Home Service, which had replaced the National and Regional programme services, and there were too many organ recitals and public announcements. As a result the BBC lightened its tone, with a new emphasis on morale-boosting entertainment. 'ITMA' attracted 16 million listeners each week. Other popular comedy shows included 'Hi, Gang!', and Vera Lynn’s programme 'Sincerely Your's won her the title of 'Forces’ Sweetheart'.
IMPACT OF THE WAR (Technical): In 1943, the BBC set up its War Reporting Unit. Its members underwent rigorous training in military survival techniques and were equipped with a new, light recording device developed by BBC engineers for use in the field of action. Distinguished BBC war correspondents, including Richard Dimbleby, Frank Gillard, Godfrey Talbot and Wynford Vaughan-Thomas, were able to bring back near-live war coverage to a nation desperate for news. The BBC emerged from the war with an enhanced reputation for honesty and accuracy in its news broadcasts. Half the population regularly listened to the 9 o’clock news. By the end of the war, the BBC was broadcasting in 40 languages. Josef Goebbels, Hitler’s master of propaganda, is said to have admitted that BBC Radio had won the "intellectual invasion" of Europe.
TECHNOLOGY: Radio continued to get the same importance even after television was brought in. Radio continued to be desirable career.
INNOVATION: BBC Programmes have always been innovative. The news programmes have always been a model. Other Example: Sincerely Yours by Vera Lynn became the model for several other heart to heart programmes. At home: Jayamala programme for the Jawans.
NO SUPPRESSION OF FACTS: Tell the truth – that's our job The first foreign broadcast found the BBC in conflict with the Foreign Office. Government officials objected when the very first bulletin included news that a Palestinian Arab had been executed on the orders of a British military court. The Foreign Office held to the view that "Straight news must not be interpreted as including news which can do us harm with the people we are addressing". But the BBC remained defiant. "The omission of unwelcome facts of news and the consequent suppression of truth runs counter to the corporation's policy laid down by appropriate authority," said a statement.
FORESIGHT: When other broadcasters are content about being on radio/tv it has forayed into internet. It seems the BBC's policy of giving plenty of content away is a perfect fit with the internet. Google, after all, has thrived with this policy. The BBC is now the biggest content creator in Britain and its web portal is the sixth most popular news site in the world.
SUBSIDISING: The licence fee it collects has allowed the BBC to greenlight projects that otherwise wouldn't see the light of day. The fees have allowed the BBC, backed by the educational and social aspects of its charter, to fund new media ventures. The broadcaster has had its rough patches, but here's the thing: it has managed to create a profitable business generating quality programmes while writing the handbook on how to take public broadcasting into the internet age.
FIGHTING FOR SURVIVAL: Within a year the BBC had broadcast plays, concerts of popular and classical music, talks and variety programmes from its first home in Savoy Hill. But the powerful newspaper industry successfully kept the BBC out of the news business. Bulletins were prepared by the news agencies, and could only be broadcast after 7pm – so as not to upset newspaper sales. In fact, BBC's Sir William Noble, “We want to work smoothly with the newspapers." The hope, he said, was that broadcasting would serve as "an incentive to the public to buy more newspapers. Other restrictions were there: Bulletins had to begin with the words: "Copyright news from Reuters, Press Association, Exchange Telegraph and Central News". Also, there was to be no coverage of controversial subjects - just as there were to be no live commentaries on sports events.
EDITORIAL INDEPENDENCE: The General Strike of 1926 brought the BBC its first serious confrontation with the Government over editorial independence. With no regular newspapers being published, the country turned to the BBC for its news. Winston Churchill, then Chancellor of the Exchequer, urged the Government to take over the BBC, but Reith persuaded Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin that this would be against the national interest.
IMPACT OF THE WAR (Programmes): With the television service closed for the duration, it was radio’s war and the BBC nearly lost it in the opening skirmishes. In the early ‘phoney war’ millions found Lord Haw Haw, the German propaganda weapon, significantly more entertaining than the austere fare of the BBC. Listeners complained about the new Home Service, which had replaced the National and Regional programme services, and there were too many organ recitals and public announcements. As a result the BBC lightened its tone, with a new emphasis on morale-boosting entertainment. 'ITMA' attracted 16 million listeners each week. Other popular comedy shows included 'Hi, Gang!', and Vera Lynn’s programme 'Sincerely Your's won her the title of 'Forces’ Sweetheart'.
IMPACT OF THE WAR (Technical): In 1943, the BBC set up its War Reporting Unit. Its members underwent rigorous training in military survival techniques and were equipped with a new, light recording device developed by BBC engineers for use in the field of action. Distinguished BBC war correspondents, including Richard Dimbleby, Frank Gillard, Godfrey Talbot and Wynford Vaughan-Thomas, were able to bring back near-live war coverage to a nation desperate for news. The BBC emerged from the war with an enhanced reputation for honesty and accuracy in its news broadcasts. Half the population regularly listened to the 9 o’clock news. By the end of the war, the BBC was broadcasting in 40 languages. Josef Goebbels, Hitler’s master of propaganda, is said to have admitted that BBC Radio had won the "intellectual invasion" of Europe.
TECHNOLOGY: Radio continued to get the same importance even after television was brought in. Radio continued to be desirable career.
INNOVATION: BBC Programmes have always been innovative. The news programmes have always been a model. Other Example: Sincerely Yours by Vera Lynn became the model for several other heart to heart programmes. At home: Jayamala programme for the Jawans.
NO SUPPRESSION OF FACTS: Tell the truth – that's our job The first foreign broadcast found the BBC in conflict with the Foreign Office. Government officials objected when the very first bulletin included news that a Palestinian Arab had been executed on the orders of a British military court. The Foreign Office held to the view that "Straight news must not be interpreted as including news which can do us harm with the people we are addressing". But the BBC remained defiant. "The omission of unwelcome facts of news and the consequent suppression of truth runs counter to the corporation's policy laid down by appropriate authority," said a statement.
FORESIGHT: When other broadcasters are content about being on radio/tv it has forayed into internet. It seems the BBC's policy of giving plenty of content away is a perfect fit with the internet. Google, after all, has thrived with this policy. The BBC is now the biggest content creator in Britain and its web portal is the sixth most popular news site in the world.
SUBSIDISING: The licence fee it collects has allowed the BBC to greenlight projects that otherwise wouldn't see the light of day. The fees have allowed the BBC, backed by the educational and social aspects of its charter, to fund new media ventures. The broadcaster has had its rough patches, but here's the thing: it has managed to create a profitable business generating quality programmes while writing the handbook on how to take public broadcasting into the internet age.