rewind.
In 2022, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) celebrated its 100th anniversary. Today, 85% of British adults engage with its content each week. This centenary provides an ideal moment for reflection on the world’s oldest and largest public broadcaster, and its 10-decade-long story of broadcasting Britain.
The BBC began its life in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company Limited. Run by a coalition of leading wireless manufacturers, daily emissions consisted of a few broadcast plays, a mix of popular and classical music, and talks and variety programmes. Some news was aired, but only after 7 p.m. to avoid upsetting newspaper sales. The company enjoyed a broadcasting monopoly but struggled due to limited financing and DIY radio sets bypassing licensing fees.
In 1926, the BBC got its big break. During the United Kingdom (UK) General Strike, print unions brought nationwide newspaper production to a standstill. With restrictions on news bulletins temporarily lifted, the BBC became the primary news source during the crisis, cementing its status as a trusted national broadcaster. By the end of the year, the British Broadcasting Company Limited was dissolved and replaced by the BBC as a non-commercial, Crown-chartered organisation. The modern British Broadcasting Corporation was born.
The following decade brought the BBC’s defining early moment. On 3 September 1939, Neville Chamberlain issued Britain’s declaration of war via radio. For the next 6 years, with television (TV) broadcasting suspended for fear of German interception, BBC radio once again became the nation’s source of news – and hope – during a period of crisis. Churchill's famous wartime speeches reached into homes across the country, uniting the nation during its ‘finest hour’.
The BBC’s charter has been renewed 7 times since 1945, spanning major developments of the twentieth century. Nearly 22 million Britons tuned in to watch Queen Elizabeth II’s colourised coronation in 1953, with many buying television sets for the occasion. In 1969, the BBC pioneered TV standards to bring audiences 27 hours of moon landing coverage. Live Aid exploded onto screens in 1985. The event raised £92 million, and with an estimated global audience of 1.6 billion, reached nearly 40% of the world’s population.
The BBC has continued to play a prominent role in the twenty-first century. In 2012, it provided extensive coverage of the London Olympics, while 2022 was defined by the broadcast of the Queen’s state funeral. From CBeebies to Open University programming, Eastenders to Bake-off, the BBC strives to keep its founding values alive. To ‘inform, educate, and entertain’.
Of course, the BBC has not always lived up to its stated aims. In 2003, the broadcaster aired allegations that the government had ordered the falsification of intelligence regarding weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. The ensuing fallout saw the BBC’s source, Dr. David Kelly, publicly identified, and ultimately his tragic death by suicide. More recently, the Jimmy Savile scandal remains prominent in public memory. The BBC was condemned not only for systemic failings enabling Savile’s abuse, but also for attempts to downplay its scale after his death in 2011.
Recent scandals have spelled a period of crisis for the BBC. In March 2023, it came under scrutiny for suspending sports presenter Gary Lineker after he publicly commented on the government’s asylum policy. Though reinstated, questions were raised about BBC Chairman Richard Sharp’s ties to the Conservative Party.
Four months later, the broadcaster was embroiled in an even bigger scandal, when allegations emerged that Huw Edwards, prominent face of BBC News for 20 years, had solicited inappropriate photos from a young person. Set against the backdrop of ongoing debates about licence fee reform, the scandals have cast uncertainty over the broadcaster’s future.
In many respects, however, the BBC seems more important now than ever. In the digital age, a national broadcaster is crucial in combatting the rise of disinformation and polarisation. In 2024, the ‘year of elections’, fair and free political coverage is priceless. And amidst fierce debates about national identity, the broadcaster has a key role to play in defining exactly what it means ‘to be British’.
For 100 years, the BBC has documented and defined British history. Few can remember life without the broadcasting behemoth. Looking ahead to the renewal of its charter in 2027, it seems unclear what the future of public broadcasting will bring. The BBC’s century ahead appears much less assured than the one it has left behind.
Bibliography
‘1927 Charter’ (1927), BBC, <http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/regulatory_framework/charter_agreement/archive/1927.pdf>
‘BBC Annual Plan 2024/5’ (2024), BBC, <https://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/documents/bbc-annual-plan-2024-2025.pdf>
‘BBC Group Annual Report and Accounts 2023/24’ (2024), BBC, <https://www.bbc.co.uk/aboutthebbc/documents/ara-2023-24.pdf>
‘Copy of Royal Charter for the continuance of the British Broadcasting Corporation: December 2016’ (2016), BBC, <http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/bbctrust/assets/files/pdf/about/how_we_govern/2016/charter.pdf>
Seaton, Jean, ‘BBC at 100: A Century of Informing, Educating, Entertaining – and Trying to Keep Politicians Honest’ (2022), The Conversation, <https://theconversation.com/bbc-at-100-a-century-of-informing-educating-entertaining-and-trying-to-keep-politicians-honest-192514> [Accessed 1 Nov 2024]
Seatter, Robert, ‘BBC 100: History, Celebration, Inspiration’ (2022), RTS London Podcast<https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/rts-london-podcast/id1505371113?i=1000590745312> [Accessed 26 Oct 2024]