Asa Briggs
- Published in print:
- 1995
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780192129307
- eISBN:
- 9780191670015
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780192129307.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History, Cultural History
The chapter is concerned with the development of the BBC as a public corporation. The first Director-General of the BBC, Sir John Reith, told staff that ‘there is more in the BBC than just ...
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The chapter is concerned with the development of the BBC as a public corporation. The first Director-General of the BBC, Sir John Reith, told staff that ‘there is more in the BBC than just broadcasting’. It was made clear to them that public service in a public corporation was something very different from public service in the Civil Service. The BBC as an organization made its goal to be free of politics and, as far as possible, to be free of red tape. It needed a spirit of enterprise as well as a sense of duty coupled with the qualities of individualism and enterprise. The organizational set-up of the BBC became so successful that it was adopted by other organizations also in other countries.Less
The chapter is concerned with the development of the BBC as a public corporation. The first Director-General of the BBC, Sir John Reith, told staff that ‘there is more in the BBC than just broadcasting’. It was made clear to them that public service in a public corporation was something very different from public service in the Civil Service. The BBC as an organization made its goal to be free of politics and, as far as possible, to be free of red tape. It needed a spirit of enterprise as well as a sense of duty coupled with the qualities of individualism and enterprise. The organizational set-up of the BBC became so successful that it was adopted by other organizations also in other countries.
Simon J. Potter
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- September 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780199568963
- eISBN:
- 9780191741821
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199568963.003.0002
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History, Cultural History
During the inter-war years, BBC officers sought to encourage the spread overseas of the British approach to broadcasting, and prevent the American model of commercial network broadcasting from being ...
More
During the inter-war years, BBC officers sought to encourage the spread overseas of the British approach to broadcasting, and prevent the American model of commercial network broadcasting from being adopted around the British world. This chapter examines the nature of those two models, and how hybrid versions were devised in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The chapter also looks at how the BBC sought to apply key ideas about public-service broadcasting, first developed for use at home, to its overseas operations. The role of John Reith, the BBC's first director-general, is discussed. The chapter surveys how broadcasting was organized around the British Empire during the 1920s. It analyses in detail the BBC's plans of 1929 for an empire broadcasting service, and the reasons why the Imperial Conference of 1930 refused to provide funding.Less
During the inter-war years, BBC officers sought to encourage the spread overseas of the British approach to broadcasting, and prevent the American model of commercial network broadcasting from being adopted around the British world. This chapter examines the nature of those two models, and how hybrid versions were devised in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The chapter also looks at how the BBC sought to apply key ideas about public-service broadcasting, first developed for use at home, to its overseas operations. The role of John Reith, the BBC's first director-general, is discussed. The chapter surveys how broadcasting was organized around the British Empire during the 1920s. It analyses in detail the BBC's plans of 1929 for an empire broadcasting service, and the reasons why the Imperial Conference of 1930 refused to provide funding.
Asa Briggs
- Published in print:
- 1995
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780192129307
- eISBN:
- 9780191670015
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780192129307.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History, Cultural History
This chapter provides information regarding the BBC during the time leading up to the Second World War. The first Director-General, Sir John Reith, left the BBC in June 1938 and the Ullswater ...
More
This chapter provides information regarding the BBC during the time leading up to the Second World War. The first Director-General, Sir John Reith, left the BBC in June 1938 and the Ullswater Committee recommended in its report, which shortly followed this, full governmental control over the organization in times of crisis. Questions relating to the BBC's policies in time of war, behind the scene politics, censorship arrangements, and security concerns are also discussed. The Memorandum on Protection Against Air Attack stated that the BBC should continue its broadcasting services even in any future emergency due to its impact on public opinion. In July 1938 the technical subcommittee accepted the BBC's modified plan to limit home broadcasting to two groups of medium-wave transmitters.Less
This chapter provides information regarding the BBC during the time leading up to the Second World War. The first Director-General, Sir John Reith, left the BBC in June 1938 and the Ullswater Committee recommended in its report, which shortly followed this, full governmental control over the organization in times of crisis. Questions relating to the BBC's policies in time of war, behind the scene politics, censorship arrangements, and security concerns are also discussed. The Memorandum on Protection Against Air Attack stated that the BBC should continue its broadcasting services even in any future emergency due to its impact on public opinion. In July 1938 the technical subcommittee accepted the BBC's modified plan to limit home broadcasting to two groups of medium-wave transmitters.
Ross McKibbin
- Published in print:
- 1998
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780198206729
- eISBN:
- 9780191677298
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198206729.003.0012
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History, Social History
This chapter deals with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), its relations with its listening audience, and the way in which the corporation reacted to the commercial stations. It considers ...
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This chapter deals with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), its relations with its listening audience, and the way in which the corporation reacted to the commercial stations. It considers the role of John Reith and the extent to which Reith's hopes for broadcasting and its educational function were met. It suggests that the outcome was a fair compromise. Much of what Reith wanted was achieved. At the same time, the BBC was always sensitive to the wishes of its audience, even without the competition of the commercial stations. The chapter also looks at the part radio played in domestic life. The structure of broadcasting in England was unique. Many other countries had state broadcasting systems, but few had the relative autonomy of the BBC. The BBC had a cultural freedom of manoeuvre almost unknown elsewhere.Less
This chapter deals with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), its relations with its listening audience, and the way in which the corporation reacted to the commercial stations. It considers the role of John Reith and the extent to which Reith's hopes for broadcasting and its educational function were met. It suggests that the outcome was a fair compromise. Much of what Reith wanted was achieved. At the same time, the BBC was always sensitive to the wishes of its audience, even without the competition of the commercial stations. The chapter also looks at the part radio played in domestic life. The structure of broadcasting in England was unique. Many other countries had state broadcasting systems, but few had the relative autonomy of the BBC. The BBC had a cultural freedom of manoeuvre almost unknown elsewhere.
Asa Briggs
- Published in print:
- 1995
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780192129307
- eISBN:
- 9780191670015
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780192129307.003.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History, Cultural History
In January 1927 the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) assumed the responsibilities of the four-year-old British Broadcasting Company. This chapter discusses the personalities and their ...
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In January 1927 the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) assumed the responsibilities of the four-year-old British Broadcasting Company. This chapter discusses the personalities and their performance and the official policies of the BBC in its initial period. Sir John Reith as the first Director-General of the BBC played an important role in its success. The wireless was adopted as a crucial component of the institutional apparatus of the BBC. The BBC created a niche image for itself during the 1930s as a great British institution. The chapter also briefly covers wireless and television sets of this contemporaneous time. Moreover, it also provides an introduction to the other chapters in the book.Less
In January 1927 the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) assumed the responsibilities of the four-year-old British Broadcasting Company. This chapter discusses the personalities and their performance and the official policies of the BBC in its initial period. Sir John Reith as the first Director-General of the BBC played an important role in its success. The wireless was adopted as a crucial component of the institutional apparatus of the BBC. The BBC created a niche image for itself during the 1930s as a great British institution. The chapter also briefly covers wireless and television sets of this contemporaneous time. Moreover, it also provides an introduction to the other chapters in the book.
Debra Rae Cohen
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813033495
- eISBN:
- 9780813038315
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813033495.003.0009
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
This chapter argues for a historicized model of the “radiogenic”, positing that the very contradictions and cultural tensions that surrounded the developing image of wireless under the aegis of the ...
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This chapter argues for a historicized model of the “radiogenic”, positing that the very contradictions and cultural tensions that surrounded the developing image of wireless under the aegis of the BBC had formal literary impact and helped to shape the period's distinctive generic experiments. If the BBC was, as John Reith claimed, immune by nature of its peculiar monopoly status from the imputation of commercially “debasing the currency” of broadcasting, it was all the more vulnerable to being judged by the face on its coinage.Less
This chapter argues for a historicized model of the “radiogenic”, positing that the very contradictions and cultural tensions that surrounded the developing image of wireless under the aegis of the BBC had formal literary impact and helped to shape the period's distinctive generic experiments. If the BBC was, as John Reith claimed, immune by nature of its peculiar monopoly status from the imputation of commercially “debasing the currency” of broadcasting, it was all the more vulnerable to being judged by the face on its coinage.
Jürg R. Schwyter
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780198736738
- eISBN:
- 9780191800399
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198736738.003.0002
- Subject:
- Linguistics, English Language
The early BBC was meant to entertain and to educate the masses, according to John Reith, its first managing director. This led, in 1926, to the establishment of the Advisory Committee on Spoken ...
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The early BBC was meant to entertain and to educate the masses, according to John Reith, its first managing director. This led, in 1926, to the establishment of the Advisory Committee on Spoken English, comprising members of Britain’s social elite (Robert Bridges, Logan Pearsall Smith, G. Bernard Shaw, Daniel Jones, Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson, and Arthur Lloyd James), with a remit, initially, of advising its broadcasters and, soon after, also the BBC’s audience on ‘correct’ pronunciation, principally via the Radio Times. The Committee established itself as the absolute authority for regulating a uniform pronunciation both for announcers and the audience. Eventually this led to a ‘listening BBC’, which nonetheless vetted and approved the language that was being transmitted; and to the publication of the widely successful booklet series Broadcast English. However, communicating a standard via the medium of radio cannot be successful, because changes in pronunciation require interaction with interlocutors.Less
The early BBC was meant to entertain and to educate the masses, according to John Reith, its first managing director. This led, in 1926, to the establishment of the Advisory Committee on Spoken English, comprising members of Britain’s social elite (Robert Bridges, Logan Pearsall Smith, G. Bernard Shaw, Daniel Jones, Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson, and Arthur Lloyd James), with a remit, initially, of advising its broadcasters and, soon after, also the BBC’s audience on ‘correct’ pronunciation, principally via the Radio Times. The Committee established itself as the absolute authority for regulating a uniform pronunciation both for announcers and the audience. Eventually this led to a ‘listening BBC’, which nonetheless vetted and approved the language that was being transmitted; and to the publication of the widely successful booklet series Broadcast English. However, communicating a standard via the medium of radio cannot be successful, because changes in pronunciation require interaction with interlocutors.
Asa Briggs
- Published in print:
- 1995
- Published Online:
- October 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780192129307
- eISBN:
- 9780191670015
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780192129307.001.0001
- Subject:
- History, British and Irish Modern History, Cultural History
This is the second volume of a four-volume history of broadcasting in the United Kingdom. This volume covers the period from the beginning of 1927, when the BBC ceased to be a private company and ...
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This is the second volume of a four-volume history of broadcasting in the United Kingdom. This volume covers the period from the beginning of 1927, when the BBC ceased to be a private company and became a public corporation, up to the outbreak of war in 1939. The acceptance of wireless as a part of the homely background of life and the acceptance of the BBC as the ‘natural’ institution for controlling it, distinguish this period from that covered in the first volume. From 1927 to 1939 the system of public control that had evolved from the early struggles was never seriously in jeopardy and the one big official inquiry, the Ullswater Report, favoured no major constitutional changes. The main theme of the second volume, therefore, may be called the extension and the enrichment of the activity of broadcasting. Different chapters deal with the programmes and programme-makers; the listeners and the ways in which their needs were (or were not) met as the system expanded; public attitudes to the BBC and the increasing complexity of its control and organization; the coming of television and the early experiments of Baird and others; and the retirement of Sir John Reith — not only the end of a regime but the end of an era. The volume ends with preparations for war.Less
This is the second volume of a four-volume history of broadcasting in the United Kingdom. This volume covers the period from the beginning of 1927, when the BBC ceased to be a private company and became a public corporation, up to the outbreak of war in 1939. The acceptance of wireless as a part of the homely background of life and the acceptance of the BBC as the ‘natural’ institution for controlling it, distinguish this period from that covered in the first volume. From 1927 to 1939 the system of public control that had evolved from the early struggles was never seriously in jeopardy and the one big official inquiry, the Ullswater Report, favoured no major constitutional changes. The main theme of the second volume, therefore, may be called the extension and the enrichment of the activity of broadcasting. Different chapters deal with the programmes and programme-makers; the listeners and the ways in which their needs were (or were not) met as the system expanded; public attitudes to the BBC and the increasing complexity of its control and organization; the coming of television and the early experiments of Baird and others; and the retirement of Sir John Reith — not only the end of a regime but the end of an era. The volume ends with preparations for war.
Ralph Desmarais
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- January 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780719090981
- eISBN:
- 9781526115133
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Manchester University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7228/manchester/9780719090981.003.0013
- Subject:
- History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
During the 1930s, in fulfilment of its adult education obligations as a public service monopoly organisation, the fledgling British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) aired more than a hundred domestic ...
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During the 1930s, in fulfilment of its adult education obligations as a public service monopoly organisation, the fledgling British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) aired more than a hundred domestic radio programmes which addressed the relations of science and society. This chapter examines governance challenges confronting the Corporation in these ambitious programmes, with a focus on three controversial science-related topics of particular salience to this turbulent decade: religion, eugenics and war. Having elected to disseminate the diverse, contentious, and often conflicting views held by the scientific community on these crucial issues, the BBC encountered a succession of difficulties arising from varied political stances amongst its speakers, other scientists, and its own staff alike. Nonetheless, through an array of effective governance mechanisms, the BBC helped to sustain modern science’s widely-accepted high stature, and uphold scientists’ reputation as leading contributors to Britain’s public good.Less
During the 1930s, in fulfilment of its adult education obligations as a public service monopoly organisation, the fledgling British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) aired more than a hundred domestic radio programmes which addressed the relations of science and society. This chapter examines governance challenges confronting the Corporation in these ambitious programmes, with a focus on three controversial science-related topics of particular salience to this turbulent decade: religion, eugenics and war. Having elected to disseminate the diverse, contentious, and often conflicting views held by the scientific community on these crucial issues, the BBC encountered a succession of difficulties arising from varied political stances amongst its speakers, other scientists, and its own staff alike. Nonetheless, through an array of effective governance mechanisms, the BBC helped to sustain modern science’s widely-accepted high stature, and uphold scientists’ reputation as leading contributors to Britain’s public good.
Michael Coyle
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- September 2011
- ISBN:
- 9780813033495
- eISBN:
- 9780813038315
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813033495.003.0011
- Subject:
- Literature, Criticism/Theory
Historians often use the outbreak of war to mark breaks in historical development, but Eliot's radio work suggests the extent to which even the cataclysm of war should be understood in terms of ...
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Historians often use the outbreak of war to mark breaks in historical development, but Eliot's radio work suggests the extent to which even the cataclysm of war should be understood in terms of longer historical duration. At precisely the same time Horkheimer and Adorno, responding to the ways that National Socialism had seized German radio, were developing a hermeneutics of suspicion, Eliot continued to understand both radio and the culture to which he saw it as servant in idealist terms. For all the differences between John Reith and Eliot, they shared the conviction that the ideals of “culture” could and must remain untainted by politics. This chapter suggests that this development in Eliot's cultural-critical position could only have happened using the medium and genre of the radio talk.Less
Historians often use the outbreak of war to mark breaks in historical development, but Eliot's radio work suggests the extent to which even the cataclysm of war should be understood in terms of longer historical duration. At precisely the same time Horkheimer and Adorno, responding to the ways that National Socialism had seized German radio, were developing a hermeneutics of suspicion, Eliot continued to understand both radio and the culture to which he saw it as servant in idealist terms. For all the differences between John Reith and Eliot, they shared the conviction that the ideals of “culture” could and must remain untainted by politics. This chapter suggests that this development in Eliot's cultural-critical position could only have happened using the medium and genre of the radio talk.
Amanda Wrigley
- Published in print:
- 2015
- Published Online:
- January 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780199644780
- eISBN:
- 9780191760150
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199644780.003.0003
- Subject:
- Classical Studies, Literary Studies: Classical, Early, and Medieval, Plays and Playwrights: Classical, Early, and Medieval
Chapter 2 discusses significant contexts in which radio programmes drawing on ancient Greece may productively be considered. Factors such as John Reith’s formative idea to broadcast the nation’s ...
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Chapter 2 discusses significant contexts in which radio programmes drawing on ancient Greece may productively be considered. Factors such as John Reith’s formative idea to broadcast the nation’s cultural wealth, the marginalization of ancient Greek in university curricula, and the concurrent project to establish English literature as the foundation stone of British national culture supported radio’s achievement of an unprecedented public identity for ancient Greece beyond schools and universities—a radical, if subtle, political act in relation to the prior educational and cultural status of classics within Britain. The different priorities of BBC Radio’s Drama and Features departments are outlined. Overwhelmingly, however, the personal preferences of radio practitioners, and their creative collaboration with freelance workers such as scholars, translators, writers, and composers, were crucial in giving shape and intention to programmes. Such collaborations on programmes forged strong relationships between radio and other intellectual and creative professions.Less
Chapter 2 discusses significant contexts in which radio programmes drawing on ancient Greece may productively be considered. Factors such as John Reith’s formative idea to broadcast the nation’s cultural wealth, the marginalization of ancient Greek in university curricula, and the concurrent project to establish English literature as the foundation stone of British national culture supported radio’s achievement of an unprecedented public identity for ancient Greece beyond schools and universities—a radical, if subtle, political act in relation to the prior educational and cultural status of classics within Britain. The different priorities of BBC Radio’s Drama and Features departments are outlined. Overwhelmingly, however, the personal preferences of radio practitioners, and their creative collaboration with freelance workers such as scholars, translators, writers, and composers, were crucial in giving shape and intention to programmes. Such collaborations on programmes forged strong relationships between radio and other intellectual and creative professions.
Jürg R. Schwyter
- Published in print:
- 2016
- Published Online:
- August 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780198736738
- eISBN:
- 9780191800399
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780198736738.001.0001
- Subject:
- Linguistics, English Language
In the early years of the BBC under John Reith, its Advisory Committee on Spoken English (1926–39) was established to settle the pronunciation of doubtful words, particularly foreign words. But the ...
More
In the early years of the BBC under John Reith, its Advisory Committee on Spoken English (1926–39) was established to settle the pronunciation of doubtful words, particularly foreign words. But the Committee, comprising members of Britain’s social elite and leading linguists, took it upon itself to ‘educate the masses’ on how to pronounce ‘properly’ and thus attempted to standardize spoken English on the basis of a fixed variety of Received Pronunciation. Its deliberations and findings were communicated to the public via the Radio Times. Protracted discussions about the pronunciation of various words revealed the elitist and prescriptive nature of the Committee. Linguistically, the Committee as a whole proved incapable of accepting linguistic descriptivism and multiple, equally valid, varieties of pronunciation. Eventually they began using the International Phonetic Alphabet when giving advice, increasingly listened to opinions of the BBC’s audience, and incorporated an ever-expanding circle of foreign language experts into their deliberations. By 1937, however, the BBC had stopped publishing its pronunciation advice in the Radio Times and returned to the original remit of the Committee—to instruct only announcers and newsreaders about its findings. The outbreak of the Second World War provided a welcome opportunity to suspend the Committee. After the war, instead of reactivating the Committee, the BBC established its own in-house professional BBC Pronunciation Unit. The Committee’s activities over time contributed to the emergence of what was perceived to be an objective ‘broadcast English’ variety, and succeeded in raising awareness of language issues among the general population.Less
In the early years of the BBC under John Reith, its Advisory Committee on Spoken English (1926–39) was established to settle the pronunciation of doubtful words, particularly foreign words. But the Committee, comprising members of Britain’s social elite and leading linguists, took it upon itself to ‘educate the masses’ on how to pronounce ‘properly’ and thus attempted to standardize spoken English on the basis of a fixed variety of Received Pronunciation. Its deliberations and findings were communicated to the public via the Radio Times. Protracted discussions about the pronunciation of various words revealed the elitist and prescriptive nature of the Committee. Linguistically, the Committee as a whole proved incapable of accepting linguistic descriptivism and multiple, equally valid, varieties of pronunciation. Eventually they began using the International Phonetic Alphabet when giving advice, increasingly listened to opinions of the BBC’s audience, and incorporated an ever-expanding circle of foreign language experts into their deliberations. By 1937, however, the BBC had stopped publishing its pronunciation advice in the Radio Times and returned to the original remit of the Committee—to instruct only announcers and newsreaders about its findings. The outbreak of the Second World War provided a welcome opportunity to suspend the Committee. After the war, instead of reactivating the Committee, the BBC established its own in-house professional BBC Pronunciation Unit. The Committee’s activities over time contributed to the emergence of what was perceived to be an objective ‘broadcast English’ variety, and succeeded in raising awareness of language issues among the general population.
