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The History of the BBCThe History of the BBCBy Si Pui and BeckyBy Si Pui and Becky

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1920s1920s The British Broadcasting Company was formed in

October 1922 by a group of wireless manufacturers.

Daily broadcasting began from a London studio on 14th

November and the next day to Manchester and

Birmingham.

By 1925 the BBC could be heard throughout most of the

UK

The General strike of 1926 saw no regular newspapers

being published, the country turned to BBC for the news

BBC announcers

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1930s1930s Throughout the thirties, eminent figures, including

writers, performers, artists and actors, were heard in

talks, plays, sport and childrens programmes.

On 2nd November 1936 the BBC opened the worlds first

regular service of high definition television.

BBC were the first to include important landmarks such

as Wimbledon coverage (1937) and the first FA Cup final

(1938)

BBC Broadcasting House

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1950s1950s On 2nd June 1953, a single event changed the course of

television history. An estimated 22 million saw the queen

crowned.

As television licence income grew, more ambitious

programmes were possible and new stars emerged such

as David Attenborough

As the ITV transmitter network expanded, the BBC lost

viewers at an alarming rate, and its share of the viewing

audience fell to 28% in 1957.

The Queen being crowned

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1960s1960s The 1960s brought more up-to-date content that

reflected the times and the expectations of audiences.

In 1960 the television and radio praised public service

broadcasting and authorised the launch of BBC Two in

1964

Colour television broadcasts began on BBC Two in

1967, and BBC One in 1969

BBC Two

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1970s1970s This was the golden age of television. Income grew as

more homes bought television licences and moreswitched to colour

In 1972 the CEEFAX text service was introduced and the

subtitling of programmes on CEEFAX began in 1979 The BBC faced many challenges from the Government

regarding programme output and as a result, this pavedthe way for the establishment of channel 4.

BBC CEEFAX

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1980s1980s Important television programmes came about including

Newsnight (1980), Watchdog (1985) and Eastenders(1985), which regularly pulled in 12 million viewers.

It was a decade of competitive and political pressure on

the BBC. Channel 4 went on air in 1982, more radiostations opened and satellite television services waslaunched.

The BBC contemplated satellite, but judged the risks andcost to be too great.

Eastenders

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1990s1990s BBC Online, an internet service which did not exist at the

beginning of the 90s, was one of the leading websites inEurope by the end of 1999

Radio 5, the first new network for 23 years, opened in

August 1990, offering sport and learning opportunities. In the face of growing competition, the BBC sought to

offer a range of programmes that commercially fundedbroadcasters would not provide.

Radio 5 launched

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2000s2000s The BBC opened the new millennium with the most

ambitious programme in its history. It lasted 28 hoursand involved 60 nations, and was seen in over 80countries worldwide

Digital expansion followed with the launch of BBC Four,Cbeebies, CBBC and BBC Three

In 2007, the BBC launched IPlayer, a service that allowspeople to download television programmes on to theircomputers to watch after the broadcast.

BBC IPlayer

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