The BBC was established in 1922 as a public broadcasting service in the UK. It was founded with a mission to inform, educate, and entertain the British public. During World War II, the BBC played an important role in keeping the public informed with news, propaganda, and entertainment broadcasts. In later decades, the BBC expanded its services to include television and foreign language broadcasts, while facing increasing competition from commercial stations. Today, the BBC remains one of the world's largest broadcasters, funded by television license fees.