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Inside the bbc
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- 2. 1920s Originally knownas the British Broadcasting Company, was formed on the 18th October 1922 by a group leading wireless manufactures including macaroni Daily broadcasting by the BBC began in Marconi’s London studio, 2LO, in the Strand, on November 14, 1922. John Reith, a 33-year-old Scottish engineer, was appointed General Manager of the BBC at the end of 1922 Using BBC frequencies, John Logie Baird broadcast some of his first experimental television broadcasts from studios near Covent Garden in London. Pictures were in black and white, created by mechanical means, and flickered, consisting of just 30 lines definition.
- 3. 1930s This wasthe decade that changed everything, and the BBC was aware that it might have to operate in a radically different way should war come. This didn’t stop the BBC investing and developing, and it was the first broadcaster to begin a regularly scheduled TV service, in 1936. Radio went from strength to strength with the brand new Broadcasting House opening in 1932. At the commercial microphones were very expensive so the BBC collaborated with the Macaroni Company and their own model. They called it the ‘Type A’ and over the years have further developed it as it has become the classic BBC microphone. In November of 1936 the BBC opened it television service and was the first company in the world to show ‘high definition’ television around the world After only six months of regular TV broadcasts, the BBC took its cameras to the Coronation of King George VI. Recording technology did not exist, so these images were filmed from a television screen at the home of an employee of the Marconi Company
- 4. 1940s Post wara TV news service was launched, the first post-war Olympic Games was televised, and Children’s Television began. BBC engineers invented the first means of recording live TV, and extended the corporations international presence. Desert Island Discs was devised by Roy Plomley, who presented the first edition on 29 January 1942. It was recorded two days earlier with comedian Vic Oliver, in the bomb-damaged Maida Vale Studios. The success of the programme has always owed much to its simple format, which allows for sometimes revealing interviews. The first ever dedicated women’s show was broadcasted October 1946. From early on Woman's Hour was not afraid to tackle difficult issues facing women. A ground breaking children’s television service was inaugurated after the war, and one of its earliest successes was Muffin The Mule. As interest in television grew, the demand for a dedicated news service increased. Normally voiced by famous commentator John Snagge, BBC Newsreel painted a picture of the day’s events as a filmed sequence of short reports. First Olympics televised was in London 1948. Approximately 100,000 UK households had a television in 1948, yet 68.5 hours of live Olympic coverage was broadcast by the BBC. Launched just before World War II then abandoned, regular TV weather forecasts were revived in July 1949.
- 5. 1950s Live coverageof Parliament was first discussed as part of the Woolton Committee in 1944. Described reports of the days proceedings were commonplace on national radio by 1949. An experiment to televise live debate from the Commons was considered successful, but the public could not see it. Vision Electronic Recording Apparatus –V.E.R.A., has been billed as the first video tape recorder - developed by the BBC, 1952-8. In truth this was a myth that emerged because of the BBC’s heavy promotion of the system, in spite of its obvious inferiority to rivals. The commercially successful American Ampex machine was used on air by ITV as early as May 1957. Based in the legendary Room 13 of Maida Vale studios it used an often bizarre mix of objects to create sounds. The Radiophonic Workshop created uniquely memorable electronic sounds - such as the Doctor Who theme music. Running for more than 50 years and still going strong, Blue Peter has touched numerous generations of children.
- 6. 1960s Colour TVended a long period of technological isolation for Britain, the BBC drama department produced world beating TV series with Doctor Who and The Forsyte Saga the two main successes. The first satellite broadcasts also became a reality. Designed by Graham Dawbarn, BBC Television Centre was the first purpose built television production centre in the world to be conceived. Copied in numerous countries, the building has become an iconic image of broadcasting. Videotape had only been in use for seven years when a new science fiction series was proposed by the BBC’s head of drama. Verity Lambert, Doctor Who’s first producer was quick to exploit the amazing effects the medium could achieve. Doctor Who continues to be one of the most successful sci-fi series of all time. Pictures by satellite had been received by the BBC since 1962 from the USA via Telstar. It was not possible to connect the entire world in a live broadcast by satellite until the end of the 1960s. The BBC was the first broadcaster to attempt such a programme. Although occasional programmes in colour could be watched on BBC Two as early as 1966, a full colour service was not launched until 1967. Wimbledon tennis was the first programme of the new service. After pirate radio stations were banned by the government, the BBC launched Radio 1 to meet the increasing need of the youth market. Its first DJ was Tony Blackburn, its first programme Daily Disc Delivery, and the first record played was Flowers In The Rain by The Move.
- 7. 1970s The BBCand Open University joined forces to create a long-standing partnership which transformed access to university education. This followed a desire to open up learning by Prime Minister Harold Wilson in the 1960s. John Craven was chosen to present the programme, sitting in front of a desk, not behind, so as not to remind children of a teacher! Newsround was the first sustained attempt to give children a news service which they could call their own. This ground-breaking programme captured the tensions and humour of ordinary family life in the Wilkins household. It raised controversial issues about class, race and manners in 70s England, and was the first time cameras had simply filmed daily life without direct interviews - the earliest example of 'reality TV‘ Although natural history programmes had been seen before, it wasn’t until David Attenborough started this epic series that the genre really took off. Revealing life around the globe through beautiful photography and compelling and intimate commentary, the series initially consisted of 13 episodes.