La BBC et le service public de l’audiovisuel 1922-1995

Historiography = history of history - how history has been done throughout the ages. Traditional
history (19th + 20th C more focused on dead white men; ppl in power: the military elite, the political elite,
the kings and queens). From the 2nd half pf the 20th C onwards there are a lot of types of history that
developed, including media history. So every single historian has a bias: there is no objective view of
history, ever.

Introduction: The Post-War Years and British Society

What life was like in the years coming up towards the creation of the BBC in 1922 and in the
years afterwards? How this new innovation came into a world that was changing.

A/ The effects of the war

1/ The effects of the war on the people

The war ended on 11th of November 1918. WW1 was called “The Great War.”

750k British men died and 2.5 were wounded => shock for ppl to see them come back for real / in
coffins bc during the war there has been a lot of censorship (DORA Defense Of the Realm Act) => a lot of
info about the front did not reach the ppl during the war.

It’s the first total war with a home front. Not only the army fighting, but also the whole population
was involved.

The men returned w/ bad news of what has happened + the Spanish flu (it came from the US /
China). 1917 Am soldiers who came to help w/ the fighting in Europe -> arrived in the trenches 
throughout the whole population. Called the SPANISH flu bc Spain was one of the 1 st countries to talk
about it (censorship in France and Britain).

“Surplus” women: 1M; + age of the empire

For soldiers: “Homes fit for heroes” David Lloyd George -> creation of council houses – through
Housing and Town Planning Act 1919.

For housewives: “Back to home and Duty” – a lot of men jobs taken up by women (factories, bus
drivers, postmen) and when the war ended DL George forced the women to leave the jobs for the men.

1918: Representation of the People Act: men over 21 and women over 30 could vote (if all women
given the right to vote  more women than men; they did not know which side women would vote on
-> conservative | DL George as liberal was afraid).
2/ The effects of the war on the economy

National debt gets multiplied by 10 from 1914 to 1920.

Therefore a wish to cut expenditure especially with welfare cuts after WW1.

Unemployment rises, especially in the coal industry – general strike 1926 linked w/ that.

3/ The effects of the war on the Empire

WW1 was partly fought over empire.

The treaties signed during and after the war enabled Britain to have a larger empire than before the
war.

New territories in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf

1919: HEIGHT of the British Empire – the biggest that it’s ever been before. Britain controls 1/4 th of
the world’s land and 1/5th of the world’s population.

72 countries in the Empire

BUT beginning of the end: 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin (uprising against the British – repressed very
violently) – starts the process of decolonization + war of indep + civil war.

In India Amritsar massacre in 1919.  Fuel the civil disobedience (20s

and 30s + indep in ‘47).

Even though we’re height of the empire -> we already see some seeds of what is to come.

B/ The Roaring Twenties: a new culture

1/ A wish for change after the war

Jazz age – influence from the USA (New Orleans)

Jazz clubs

The Charleston

Flappers: young women going out dancing the Charleston in Jazz clubs

Bobbed hair (Eaton crop) for women and shorter skirts (under the knee)

A new freedom: sleeveless dresses were a big hit (VS corsets, constrictive clothes)

2/ A shift in social classes

19th C + 20th C: work hours – cut down

14h/day  9h: ppl had more free time

-had better transportation: trams, London underground, train

more wish for entertainment

-growth in urban population: rural exodus: ++ ppl come to the city

-growth in income for most families

-mass media developing for all social classes (before the 20th C entertainment only reserved for the
elite: opera house, theatre)

-The Daily Mail 1986

-1900: 1.5M Britons bought a daily newspaper in 1930 it is 8.5M: newspaper is still the number one
media at the time

-more ppl go to the music hall, then the cinema (develops at the end of the 19 th C)

-1914: 3K cinemas in Britain

-1927: beginning of “talkies” (= films where you hear ppl speak)

-70% of the working class went to the cinema once a week in the 1920s (cinema was cheap)

-entertainment becomes accessible to all, not just the upper classes

Era of mass technological change

C/ Technological change and the birth of radio

1/ An age of change

First main developments:

*photography: the first photograph dates from 1836 and the first commercial cameras are sold by
Kodak in 1888

*cinema: In 1895 the Lumiere Brothers from Lyon show the first film. In the late 1890s George
Milies creates special effects. In 1906 films can be 60 minutes long. Movie theatres become
entertainment venues. 39:25

MARE INCURCATURA – DE AICI INCEP SA SCRIU 02.01.2021.

First UK cinema: The Phenix in North London “The East Finchley Picturedrome”

Electricity

● 1879: Thomas Edison produces a reliable, long-lasting electric light bulb

● 1881: first public electricity generator in Britain installed in Godalming, Surrey. First electric
street lighting.

● 1900: public transportation (such as trams) run with electricity.

● 1910s: the very wealthy have electricity in their homes. By the 1930s this has become more
widespread.

The telegraph

● 1844: Morse sent his first telegraph message, from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore, Maryland.
The message was “What hath God wrought?”

● 1866: A telegraph line is laid across the Atlantic ocean from the USA to Europe.

The telephone

● 1876: Alexander Graham Bell awarded the first U.S. patent for the invention of the telephone

● 1878: commercial telephone exchanges appear

● A telephone from 1898:

2/ The birth of the radio

● 1876: Alexander Graham Bell awarded the first U.S. patent for the invention of the telephone

● 1878: commercial telephone exchanges appear

● A telephone from 1898:

The wireless:

● 1912: 258 licences for the wireless have been handed out by the Post Office.

● 1913: The London Wireless Club opens.

● 1914: Amateur wireless enthusiasts must cease for the duration of the war

● October 1919: receiving apparatus can be used again.

Regular broadcasting

● January 1922: The Marconi Company is allowed to broadcast regularly for 30 minutes a day
including 15 minutes of speech and music. This is the first regular radio entertainment.

● They start from a hut in Writtle then move to the 2LO in London. In London they are limited to
one hour a day of broadcasting.

● May 1922: 2ZY, the Metropolitan-Vickers station in Manchester starts

● November 1922: 5IT, the Western Electric Company in Birmingham starts

Autumn 1922: 30,000 wireless licences and 50, 000 regular

I/. 1922-1927: the first years

A/ Creating the BBC

1/ The First Encounter

● The Post Office asks manufacturers of wireless apparatus to meet to discuss ways of providing
“an efficient service” with “no danger of monopoly”

● Meeting: 23 May 1922 with “The Big Six”: Marconi Company, Metropolitan-Vickers, the
Western Electric Company, the Radio Communication Company, the General Electric Company
and the British Thomson-Houston Company + a representative of the smaller firms.

● The Post Office asks manufacturers of wireless apparatus to meet to discuss ways of providing
“an efficient service” with “no danger of monopoly”

● Meeting: 23 May 1922 with “The Big Six”: Marconi Company, Metropolitan-Vickers, the
Western Electric Company, the Radio Communication Company, the General Electric Company
and the British Thomson-Houston Company + a representative of the smaller firms.

2/ Economic reasons

A wish for a new market to sell radio sets

3/ And it begins!
14 November 1922: “This is 2LO, Marconi House, London calling”

B/ The people behind the scenes

1/ John Reith 1889-1971

2/ Arthur Burrows

3/ Sir Willian Noble

● Engineer-in-chief at the Post Office, then worked for General Electrics and then the BBC.

● First chairman of the Broadcasting Committee.

● One of the first BBC directors.

4/ The audience

● Crystal sets were cheap – £2

● More expensive sets had loudspeakers

● Could be bought in many shops

● Neighbours invited to listen in

C/ The programmes

1/ The sound of music

● 16 November 1922: one hour of songs on the BBC

● 23 December 1922: first orchestral concert transmitted from Marconi House

● January 1923: The Magic Flute transmitted from Covent Garden – first outside broadcast

● Followed by a week of opera on the air.

2/ For the children and the women

Aici am ramas data trecuta 

● 5th December 1922: first Children’s Hour broadcast with A. E. Thompson as ‘Uncle Tom’, the
BBC’s first uncle. In London, Arthur Burrows was ‘Uncle Arthur’ and C. A. Lewis was ‘Uncle
Caractacus’.

3/ Religious and regional broadcasts

18.11.2020

-24th December 1922: first religious address – given by the rector of the White Chapel

Religion is gonna play a big role on the BBC. Reith’s father is a minister. Reithien view?

-January 1924: first church service broadcast

Reith wished Sundays different from week days bc he was against secularization of Sundays – he
wanted it to stay religious. In his view: he saw religion as extremely important. He did not like jazz
and variety. The first religious advisory committee created.

-October 1926: first live broadcast from Westminster Abbey

Very little entertainment on Sundays – very distinct. It’s the monopoly who enabled him to do
that.

Development of different religious branches. December of 22 5NO (Newcastle); Manchester

2ZY; 5IT ??? where? 25:26

6BN Bornmouth Oct 1923?

25:50 do not understand

BBC radio branches

By the end of 1923 – BBC Creates ??????????????????????????????????

End of 1923 low power transmittors. Everybody in Britain is able to hear the radio station well.

Simultaneous broadcasting is possible too end1923 – from BBC London. Broadcast for 5-6
days/week. One day you would listen to the BBC local branch. SO National and local broadcasting
happening.

BBC going to come across pb of politics

4/ A question of politics: controversies and the 1926 strike

 From the very beginning – BBC forced to be noncontroversial by the post master general (head of
post office). So not allowed to have speeches on controversial matters. + not supposed to have any
news on their own… 30:20 explication

Post master general told them that if they behaved in a partisan manner = if they gave more voice to
one side or to the other, their license would not be renewed (pressure).

In 1924 they are allowed to have 3 political speeches on the radio by the different party leaders.
32:08 their first challenge for this non-controversial BBC is the general strike 1926 Asquith, Ramsay
McDonald and Baldwin

Miners’ strike – 32:42 –import from other places (Poland, Germany) + development of electricity =>
didn’t need as much coal.

1m miners on strike + 2m workers to support the miners – 1 st of May 1926 from TUC => defeat TUC

Gov said it was unconstitutional. Miners 9m strike = defeated.

Imp moment of 1920s – BBC report on both sides. Interviews TUC mbs -> anger the gvt: Baldwin –
interviewd by the BBC and the BBC wanted to interview the opposition leader (Ramsay Macdonald)
and Baldwin said NO. complained that the BBC was biased. Reith was angry )) scz 38:02

1st clash bw BBC and gvt – BBc had to back down and not interview Ramsay McDonald (Moodle doc
– confidential memorandum BBC staff)

D/ The Skyes and Crawford Committees

A lot of committees that take place. They’re very important (Moodle – list).

1/ Conflict with the Post-Office

-Sir William Joynson-Hicks – became post master general in March 1923. He proclaimed himself the
guardian of the public interest. He did not see eye to eye to Reith. => 1 st committee of enquiry bc they
did not agree on finances

2/ The Sykes Committee

-Major-General Sir Frederick Sykes: soldier and politician. In 1922 became the Conservative MP for
Sheffield Hallam. head of the committee. 3 other MPs: John Reith part of the committee. Do not
understanddddddddddd 43:40

We’ve got 10 diff mbs and they have 24 diff meetings. Oct 23 report published. They want: greater
freedom for broadcasting; they refused to raise that royal tax; rejected advertising bc lowered the
standard; recommended that there be one licence that cost 10 shillings and that ¾ of that money would
go to the BBC; advocated for creation of broadcasting board (complaints and proposals). 45:44

Less and less fraud for licenses.

1924 – create a program board and a control committee for the BBC

1M licenses since beg in 1924

3/ The Crawford Committee

-David Alexander Edward Lindsay, 27th Earl of Crawford and 10th Earl of Balcarres (1871-1940) –
conservative politician

Did not include Reith this time. 2 lords, 2 MPs, a musician……48:58

Reith + post office were in favor of creating a corporation not supervzed by thegkjsdgdnzgs

Moderate amount of controversial matters should be broadcast…

Conclusions:

-the American system of uncontrolled transmissions was not suited for Britain – monopoly was best

-no direct parliamentary control over the BBC!!!! – BBC + gtv difficult time together + tension

-focus on educational programs?????

-license fee founding for 10 years

-private companies … become a commission instead of being a company – ppl of jugdement and
independence, not linked to the companies. They call it corporation in the end. British Broadcasting
Corporation. In the first years it’s a company. From the Crawford Committee onwards it’s a corporation.
Authority via a royal charter – linked to politics. 1 st Jan 1927.

Crawdord committee puts down the status…?

II/. 1927-1939: the interwar years

In the USA at the same time: 55:53. Possible to have ads on the radio.

A/ From Company to Corporation

1/ The Royal Charter

 It is royal =)))) blab la blab la bla. Set up the ways the BBC would be governed.

Aims of the Royal Charter:

-Carry on a broadcasting system in the UK and Northern Ireland (excluding the republic) with a
licence fee

-Enable this broadcasting system to be impartial thanks to editorial independence.

-Support learning at all ages!!!!

-Give the highest quality output

2/ The Board of Governors

First Chairman: Lord Clarendon

Vice-Chairman: Lord Gainford

Other members: Sir Gordon Nairne, Dr Montague Rendall, Mrs Philip Snowden

5 members. Jan 1927 first meeting… 59:48 Reith is made director general + become a knight

The new Motto and coat of arms (March 1927) “Nation shall speak peace unto nation”

3/ The Ullswater Committee 1935 - 1936

The committee recommends:

-regional broadcasting decentralisation and expansion

-Government control during national emergencies

-freedom to report anti-Government views

-no funding by advertising

-increase in Licence Fee

-news programmes’ impartiality

-more Schools broadcasting

-2 more Governors

B/ The boom of radio

26: 2M licenses. In 19: 9M licenses. ~30M listeners 1:08:04 ¾ of the british population can listen to
the radio… explosion of the radio
 In 1938: 4,000 ppl work for BBC – biggest employer ib Britain of actors and musicians

1/ Sport and variety shows

-January 1927: beginning of sports commentaries live

Running commentaries = they can do it live. Prohibited before Jan 1927 bc of the newspapers who
were afraid of losing sails. Newspapers wanted bo be the 1 st ones to tell ppl. Commentators – xp…
1:13:53 they get more professional

Listening to the listeners

Variety show: mix of comedy and live music? 1:14:29 Reith against it at the beginning – high
standards and not catering what the public might want.

-1936: Listener Research Section in the Home Intelligence Department of the BBC’s Public Relations
Division was created; 25 variety shows per week -> changes thanks to the feedback of audience?

-From 1938 onwards surveys were conducted in order to give precise information on which shows
were most listened to; phoning ppl.

-In 1939 it was renamed the BBC Listener Research Department (LRD)

-In 1950 the LRD was rechristened the BBC Audience Research Department – there were television
(there were also viewers)

Took ++ into account the wishes of its audience

2/ Schools and education

-First talk to schools: January 1924

-August 1924: Central Educational Advisory Committee was set up – representative BBC, repre LEA,
representatives of teachers organizations 1:20:11

-1928: Central Council for School Broadcasting (CCSB) was established – by John Reith and Mary
Somerville

Mary Somerville (1897-1963)!!! She’s important 

Cerated links bw teachers and the BBC. Not a way to teach children, but expand children’t horizoins
and give teachers access to new material. Primary and secondary schools. Learning foreign languages in
school. Can’t do it anymoooooooooreeeeeeeeeeeee 1:22:12

++ schools listening in and buying wireless sets for students (WW2) explodes again
 Created under Mary Somerville

-1925: started working for the BBC in the Education Department

-1929-1947: Director of Schools Broadcasting

She added dramatization and sound effects – help the children to be interested in the program.

History programs for school: Boys and Girls of the middle ages; Tracing history backwards; empire
history and geography;

-1947-1950: Assistant controller to the Talks division

-1950-1955: Controller of the Talks division

3/ The Empire Service

1:30:10 can’t do it anymore.

Help to create sentimental ties bw mother country and the expatriates. Feel connected to home 
Wish to project Britishness across the seas + creating a cohesive empire as well: shared values,
resources. Difference in time zones: morning – evening. At first it was not expected to be very good.

-December 1932: beginning of the service.

-John Reith explained: “Don't expect too much in the early days; for some time we shall transmit
comparatively simple programmes, to give the best chance of intelligible reception and provide
evidence as to the type of material most suitable for the service in each zone. The programmes will
neither be very interesting nor very good.” =)))))

Big ben chining, streets in London

Reith asked the king to deliver a Christmas message via the radio.

First Christmas speech on the radio

-1932: King George V: “Through one of the marvels of modern Science, I am enabled, this Christmas
Day, to speak to all my peoples throughout the Empire.”

Speech written by Kipplin. Living in Britain + living abroad thanks to the empire service. Common
practice every Christmas. Still do it <3. Reinforce the links bw mother country and the dominions and
reinforce loyalty to the crown (important). This effect of recreating loyalty to the crown – reactivating
1953 w/ Elizabeth II coronation.

Nowadays

1938: nearly 3,000 hours for the empire versus 14,000 hours for GB
 1st broadcast in foreign language…………. 16 diff lgs in 1939

1st in Arabic… 38 haolooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Stayed in English to teach English abroad => wish to teach. In Britain: teach foreign languages – French.
-40 different languages

-Reaches an average of 210 million listeners and viewers per week (2015 figures)

In 65 renamed BBC World Service. This emperial vibe removed. Global and purely …… idk

4/ The BBC on paper

4 main publications:

*BBC Handbook (then BBC Yearbook) 1928 – 1987

-content: a review of the year’s programming with cultural and technical achievements; names of
senior staff and gvt; accounts; all info about BBC put together in a handbook 1:41:55

*The Listener 1929-1991

It’s a weekly magazine.

-a record for the reproduction of broadcast talks

-previewed major literary and musical broadcasts, reviewed new books, and printed a selected list
of the more intellectual broadcasts for the coming week

Listener was more linked w/ what was going to be the main broadcast (intellectual, artistic) –
previous broadcasts… very little advertising. Title: only for ppl listening to the radio.

*The Radio Times 1923 – nowadays

-=)))) bought by ppl who wanted to know what was going to be on air the following week: critical
programs…

-official journal

-printed 2,500 times; 8,000; 3M copies 1:45:31

*London Calling 1939-1993

1:48:02 renamed bla bla bla

Published an inhouse magazine: Ariel 36-2011 – witty magazine who gave information staff; ariel bc
on BBC broadcasting house – statue of Prospero and Ariel
 It became part of the written press as well with these publications.

C/ Changes within the BBC

1/ Women and the BBC

-First woman to work for the BBC: Isabel Shields in January 1923 (she was John Reith’s personal
secretary)

-Many women working as telephonists, typists and catering staff

-Ella Fitzgerald produced Women's Hour from 1923 to 1926

-1926: Florence Milnes is employed to run the BBC library

-Mary Somerville arrived in 1925 and from 1929 to 1947 she was Director of Schools Broadcasting

-Elise Sprott was recruited in 1926 and became Women’s Press Representative

-1927: Hilda Matheson became the BBC’s first Director of Talks. The week in Westminster 1929
program- educating women about the workings of parliament 18:00 w/ all the mbs female MPs. 1918
age 30 right to vote. 1928: 21 women vote on equal part with men. This opening of the franchise: more
women MPs. Had to be educated about politics bc they had the right to vote. Women entering the work
place w/ changes in legisl who helped them. 1918, 1920 Oxford unis opened degrees to women 20:09.
Until then they could go and listen but no exams and degrees for them.

Marriage bar

Idea: a woman could work BUT until she got married. Bc if she was single  eat. If married: husband
main breadwinner. Married women in employment would take the jobs of males who needed that job
to take care of their families. Active in civil service, teaching and other large companies – jobs men
would want.

Post Office 1979??? put a marriage bar in place.

During depression – married women seen taking jobs from men / single women who needed it.

-October 1932: the BBC imposes a marriage bar – stress on jobs on that point. Worst year in the
Depression. 3M brit ppl out of work. [Their economy depended on colonies (spices, sugar, cotton).]

married women are forced to resign.

-A Marriage Tribunal is put into place between 1934 and 1937 – distinguish bw women who they
want to keep!! And the women “whose mind is not here but in their homes.”
 -1936: the marriage bar is relaxed for jobs in education – considered married women allowed to
apply in jbs educ in BBc – more knowledge in educ than unmarried women / men (stereotypes): help w/
org of Childern’s hour, broadcasting 28:07

1937 dispand marriage tribunal bc not a success: lose qualified workers; women remained celibate
than lose their work “live in sin” in order to keep their jobs =))) suspended for duration of war

-1944: the bar is abolished

2/ The end of an era

-1932: Move to Broadcasting House – from Savoy Hill. Purposed build building - accommodate the
growing staff.

-That year 1,300 staff (including 400 women)

-In 1939: 4,200 workers (including 1,300 women)

 growth in the bbc before ww2.

A change of Director General

-June 1938: Reith left the BBC – pb views concerning Hitler Germany. He admired Hitler. Discontent
w/ his position. Invited by Churchill to become chairman of Imperial Airways. 32:44 then Minister of
Information few months. BBC – able to create news during the war!!

-Replaced by Frederick Wolff Ogilvie (1893-1949): Economics academic and former Vice-Chancellor
at Queen’s University, Belfast. Not impactful – considered by historians.

3/ The war is coming

-September 1938: Munich Agreement – signed by Hitler + Neville Chamberlain

In order to prepare for this war: build armament, weapons, IRF. Early 1939 BBC buys a place outside
of London: Worcestershire – wood northen hall? In order to have a safe place to evacuate if country
goes to war.

-Chamberlain: quote =)))

-It’s That Man Again (1939 – 1949) – key program during the war

-Started in July 1939. The title is a reference to Hitler.

 The main actor delivers jokes of a war 37:49. Parody and satire of the gvt. started it just before the
war.

The war begins

-3rd September 1939: Neville Chamberlain declares war on BBC radio. 10 minutes. Scary for us now:
close down all the theatres, all cinemas, all places where ppl can assemble – major scare: bombs!!!

III/. 1939-1945: the war on the waves

25.11.2020.

DEFINE THE TERMS IN THE ESSAY QUESTION!!! Reread notes + agreg subjects -> find kew terms.
Write it in eng-fr + put a definition.

A/ A change in organization

They change the programs. 41:29 bbc national program. Bbc regional programs  crate the two

1/ Changing programmes

-1939: BBC Home Service: bbc national program. Bbc regional programs  combine the two. News,
music

-1939: BBC Overseas Service – former empire service

-1940: BBC Forces Programme – to entertain troops fighting in France – becomes popular for UK
listeners: light entertainment, music, dance. 1944it becames BBC General Forces Programme – becomes
even lighter entertainment w/ dance music. 43:44

-1941: BBC European Service – external services… + overseas. Not founded by the license fee. Paid
by the Foreign Office. Bc part of their propaganda move.

During war broadcasting pgrs fixed on particular days and hours – ppl know when to. Against Reith’s
vision. 45:30

Doubles in size during the war.

2/ A change in premises

-BBC purchased Wood Norton Hall in April 1939.

-This location was kept a secret to avoid bombings. LOVE YOU, ELEONORE! <3

???? Sept 1940. BBC staff moved to WNH  moves back to boardasting cast bc nothing was
happening. 46:44
 Wood Norton Hall

Built ???? studios. Largest center for boardasting in Europe.

Broadcasting House

Still the maing building for the BBC.

-An emergency control room was put into place in Broadcasting House before the war in the
basement. – target for the enemy. Staff slept during the war.

-Broadcasting House was bombed on the 15th October 1940 and 8th December 1940. 7 killed

Other premises:

Maida Vale (London)

-1934: symphony orchestra recording studio

-Standby centre for BBC Radio News during WW2

-Hit by an air raid and had to be completely rebuilt – BBC 3 rd program and min 51

Bush House (London)

Never mentioned by name bc Germans listening )) 51:11

-1941: BBC European Service moved to Bush House

-1944: External damage caused by a V-1 bomb.

-1958: the full BBC Overseas Service moves into Bush House.

B/ The front and the home front

1/ The war at home

-The phoney war: during the first months of the war nothing happened but many measures were
put into place.

-All theatres and cinemas were closed (fear of bombs) therefore people listened more to the BBC.

-Evacuation:

-Operation Pied Piper (1.5 million people): removed to the countryside; move all the children out of
London and main cities (Hemlin – bros Grimm) 54:17 + other ppl out
 -Evacuation of BBC personnel to other BBC sites – WNH

But come back to London bc nothing happens.

-The ‘Bore’ war: nothing was happening

Bbc add a lot of music – repetitive, not interesting, no news. Cinemas + theatres closed, listened to
BBC more bc no other entertainment. Boosting some of its propaganda.

Mass Observation data: letter =))))))) telling them how boring they were =)))

Programmes

Also helped w/ propaganda put into place by the gvt. Save food!!!

-The Kitchen in Wartime

-What Shall We Have Today?

-Feed the Brute (with Gert and Daisy – a comedy duo who turned to cooking tips during the war)

+ ‘Dig for Victory’, recruitment, etc.

Not sharing secrets w/ anyone…

Government propaganda campaign

The Battle of Dunkirk

59:51

-End of May- beg. of June 1940

-338,000 men were evacuated including 140,00 French, Belgian and Polish men

-A military defeat

- Portrayed as the “Miracle of Dunkirk” – bc able to save all of the soldiers + courage of brit army
extalled and bbc explicit in propaganda campaign

Film: Dunkirk christen nola?

 The Blitz

-The Blitz: night-time bombing from the Luftwaffe from September 1940 to May 1941

WW1 zeppelins 1:04:31

-40, 000 civilians died during the Blitz

-More than 1 million houses in London were destroyed

-Ended with Operation Barbarossa in Russia = Germans invading the Russians, move their air force
to Russia. Initial plan: invade Britain. trying to get the morale of population low so no face resistance
when invade it. USSR would break the peace pact and stab them in the back.

Throughout the blitz. Bbc key role in maintain the morale high. More women broadcasters during
the war. Soldiers enjoyed female broadcasters to keep their morale high =))

The BBC and children

-Princess Elizabeth’s speech: October 1940 – brit, empire, US. Give hope to the children and give
them a message of sympathy. U and I listen to the same programs. <3

Read: goodnight mister tom; film: l’apprantisorciere; bromplm 1:09:38

-Her first ever speech

-During Children’s Hour

The wireless in schools

Bc overcrowding in classrooms nad the disruption… made teaching harder.

-July 1939 nearly 10,000 schools had a wireless

-14,000 in 1945

-28,000 in 1960

Listen to the radio as a way to learn throughout the war- important for BBC to send out school pgs in
order for all children to follow. <3

The BBC and the government

 Mostly on the same wavelength as the gvt… 1:13:09

-Operation ‘Corona’: jamming the airwaves to stop German pilots from communicating with one
another – through radio transmitter

-Censorship: keeping the morale of the population high

-See Cécile Vallée article “La propagande cachée sur les ondes de la BBC”

BBC radio news… Big Ben’s Times…

Churchill and the BBC

C wanted to establish more control within bbc

-“The enemy within the gates” – called the BBC that.

Morale high and broadcast the truth…

may 1940 replaced John Reith with Duff cooper: establish more control over the BBC. Reputation of
integrity as they wrere able to report both good and bad news. Clash BBC and Churchill.

Orwell and the BBC

Worked as a talks producer during WW2 in the BBC.

-His resignation letter in 1943: “For some time past I have been conscious that I was wasting my own
time and the public money on doing work that produces no result … I feel that by going back to my
normal work of writing and journalism I could be more useful than I am at present.”

2/ The war abroad

???

3/ Broadcasting the truth

Turned to making their own news – broadcasting the truth.

-The war correspondent

-‘sound pictures of battle’

 Ptotected by the army: honorary title of captain. Went on the ground, on the air. 1:22:04 nb of men
missing – new item for the news

-Some censorship because the enemy was listening to the BBC: could not give info on
deception/defense techniques etcccc recccc

-A realistic taste of war through sounds

Had better equipment -> mobile studios. Go out and interview ppl in the streets. Followed the
liberation front trhough

-War Report (1944-1945) – popular 10-15M listeners tuning in. 1:23:58

C/ Overseas

-The broadcasts overseas were dealt with by the BBC External Services (Overseas, European) –
broadcasting to empire, dominion – support from across the world

-BBC General Forces Programme (February 1944 - December 1946).

-Programme staff for non-domestic output rose from 103 in 1939 to 1,472 in 1941. By the end of
1940, the BBC was broadcasting in 34 languages.

1/ Radio Londres

Was completely in French.

-Fights against the German controlled Radio Paris and Radiodiffusion Nationale

Give info to the fr public htat they would not get from their local radio stations…

-De Gaulle’s 18th of June appeal

-« Ici Londres ! Les français parlent aux français ... » broadcast from Jacques Duchesne

22 October 1944

-Last broadcast from Duchesne – thanked the BBC for enabling the free French foreces to broadcast
to the French. 1:29:03 illegal to listen to the bbc; trying to suppress it during the war…

2/ Broadcasting to the enemy

-September 1938: broadcasts in German, French and Italian start in order to respond to continental
unrest – had propaganda against german, the brit would fight until the end, the war would be in vain.
Debunk german propaganda.
 -During the war: sending propaganda to the Germans through the radio.

3/ The BBC in America and the Empire

-The BBC Overseas Service, examples of programmes:

-Red on the Map – all of the country in Brit empire colored in red.

-Dominion Commentary – speakers from dominions discuss nush ce – exterior help.

-Palm and Pine – aimed at the brit, sense of exoticness

-Brush Up Your Empire – quiz show

-Traveller’s Tale

Documentaries (=features)

BC develpooed brit… empire…

4/ Transcription service

-Started in the mid-1930s: it licenses BBC Radio programmes to overseas broadcasters who were
authorised to broadcast the programmes for a set period, usually two or three years.

-During the war they sent BBC Radio programmes to 500 different radio stations in 19 different
languages.

D/ From war to peace

1/ Transformations

Sir William Haley

-In 1945 BBC Light programme replaced the BBC General Forces Programme. This station broadcasts
music and entertainment.

Ot’s light entertainemtn and music. easy frequency easy to hear.

1:38:54

-The BBC Home Service keeps its name. till 67 => radio one

-The General Overseas Service has to reinvent itself.

End of the empire – challenge brit presence on their soil. Brit was not home anymore

2/ Creations
 -1946: creation of the BBC Third Programme: high-brow arts and culture with classical music, plays,
poetry readings, talks and documentaries.

In 1967 => BBC Radio 3 (still nowadays). Highbrow and elitist. Audience limited. Hard to tune in if
living in fringes of UK, impossible to her from Paris. = audience becomes more fragmented.

IV/. Introducing television

02.12.2020

A/ The pre-war years

1/ Experimentation and the Selsdon committee

-John Logie Baird (1888-1946): scot innv, innovator, electric engineer – the first one to make a TV to
be commercialized

-1924: creates analogue television

-Baird television company – showed to the public in 1926.

-1929: beginning of experimentation by the BBC. 1929-32: BBC transmitters. 32-35 BBC produce
programs in their own studio. Baird producing programs at the time; also independently from the BBC.

BBC + Baird – trying things out, enabling ppl to watch television

Moving image produced by Baird’s “televisor” in 1926

Marconi-EMI system (Electric and musical industries)

-1934: Partnership between the Marconi Company and EMI (Electric and Musical Industries)

-Created the 405-line television system (also called Marconi-EMI system)

-Analogue television broadcasting in black and-white (=monochrome)

-High-definition (more than 240 lines) <3

Lines on television (TLV)

 Lines compared to height. Marconi’s invention was higher definition than Baird’s – bc more lines
behind the screens.

The Selsdon committee (1934-1935)

-Aim of the committee: “To consider the development of Television and to advise the Postmaster
General on the relative merits of the several systems and on the conditions under which any public
service of Television should be provided.” (Marconi EMI VS Baird – which one they should use)

-Chaired by Lord Selsdon

Committee recommendations:

-High-definition television (more than 200 lines)

-A standing advisory committee (responsibility of the BBC)

-A London station should be established, with the Baird Company and Marconi-EMI alternately
operating the television system, and supplying the apparatus for it (the rest of the country would be
served later) – in London only

-The cost of the service should be taken out of the existing ten shillings radio licence fee, and shared
between the Treasury and the BBC. - so no extra funds. Reith not a fan of the television. ????? ~13gvt?

2/ Regular service

-November 1936: First regular service launched from Alexandra Palace with Elizabeth Cowell
famously stating “This is direct television from Alexandra Palace…”

-Adele Dixon sang a song entitled “television”

Elizabeth Cowell on The Radio Times

“Television” song

-First paragraph of the song: “A mighty haze of mystic, magic rays Is all about us in the blue. And in
sight and sound they trace Living pictures out of space, To bring a new wonder to you.” (Idea of the
time, sth coming out like a magic there happening; sth magical about television).
 Alexandra Palace

-Rented by the BBC since 1935

-Studio A had the Marconi-EMI system – more flexible and better quality, kept until 1960s

-Studio B, the Baird system

-1937: Baird system abandoned

Television before the war

1936-1939:

-4h of broadcasts a day (20h per week) – afternoon, evenings

-12,000 to 15,000 television receivers – restaurants and pubs started buying TVs for customers

-A 1938 ad for a Marconi-EMI set with a small screen

Marconi 707

Marconiphone 709

What could you watch?

-Sports (Wimbledon tennis in 1937, in Oxford and Cambridge Boat race in 1938, FA Cup final in
1938) – restaurants and pubs started buying TVs for customers

-Cartoons (Mickey Mouse in 1939)

-Science-fiction (1938)

-Television programmes (Picture Page 1936-39 and 1946-1952)

-Quiz shows (Spelling Bee in 1938)

-Plays (first play, The Underground Murder Mystery in 1937, first Shakespeare: Twelfth Night in
1937)

-Musicals (1939)
 -1937: the coronation of the king on TV (first outside broadcast) <3 – Elizabeth II’s father

Could watch TV if you were a max of 30 miles away from Alexandra Palace: Londonish 24:16

3/ The end of the beginning and WWII

-1 September 1939: Television ends at midday. It stops after a Mickey Mouse cartoon  still picture
and stop.

-Reason: it was feared bombers could lock onto the signal and bomb London (it was a very strong
signal). A Palace - strongest signal in Europe.

Hankey Television Committee (1943-1944) – during the war think about TV

-Chaired by Lord Hankey

Recommended:

-BBC monopoly of television services

-television in the regions (only London at the beginning)

-high-definition television on 405 lines

-television receiver standards

-more coordinated research & development

-television’s financial independence –getting ppl to pay; they want a separate license fee 27:59

e (puiut <3)

B/ The post-war rebirth

June 1946: BBC television is back

-it resumes after the war

-Jasmine Bligh quote

The Postmaster General:

-songs…

-quote – advertising TV as sth positive for the ppl

 Orchestras, snging and dancing, plays, children’s programs (very important for BBC – radio and tv),
etc.

Muffin the Mule (1946-1955)

-popular children’s program. Annette Mills and a puppet

-puppet dancing while Annette played the piano; stopped when she died

2005-2008: CBeebies

-recreated again, just for kids; it’s a cartoon now, not a film

Toddler’s Truce

-Piece of legislation: Transmissions were to terminate for an hour each weekday between 6.00pm
and 7.00pm — until the end of children's broadcasting and the start of the evening schedule — so that
young children could be put to bed. =)))))))))))))))))<3<3<3  BBC saved money bc did not have to
broadcast anything for an hour

-Abolished in 1957 (because of pressure from I.T.V.) – wanted to put programs in that slot bc
thought big audience at that time. ITV is to make money. BBC to make a public service.

Viewers

1940s: main media: still RADIO

-14,500 households paying a combined licence (radio + television) in 1946 (=0,02% of people) 35:41
paying for TV and radio at the same time; small amount of ppl had a TV.

-In June 1946 the price of a licence went up from 10 shillings for a radio licence to £1 and a
television monochrome licence cost £2 (beginning of licences for television).

Start to introduce elements to interest people. 38:57

-For television this went up to £3 in 1954.

1/ The creation of news on screen

-Newsreel on television from 1948

 -A newsreel is a form of short documentary film, containing news stories and items of topical
interest, that was prevalent between the 1910s and the mid-1970s. Typically presented in a cinema,
newsreels were a source of current affairs, information, and entertainment for millions of movie-goers.
– ppl used to it, bc it was in the cinema before – now you don’t have to go to cinema anymore to watch
it

-July 1954: First TV news programme. The newsreaders are invisible. – somebody reading the news
but it’s only the voice – different facial expression  reveal personal ideology

-1955: Newsreaders become visible but there are no teleprompters- ITV brings in visual
newsreaders; looked strange bc looking at their notes instead of you

-September 1955: ITN (Independent Television News) starts. – journalists w/ strong personalities in
front of a camera. BBC had to align with these changes. BBC strives to remainpolitically independent
43:51 – tis went against gvt orders!!! Hungarian Revolution –tried to show both sides

Mai devreme putin, n-am prins44:46 30 minutes – from ’68…

2/ The coronation of the century <3

-June 1953: the coronation of Queen Elizabeth the II.

-Day-long event: watched by millions of ppl on TV

-Sales of televisions rocketed. By 1954: 3 million households paying the combined licence
(TV+radio).

Huge boom (compared w/ 14K ppl before…just in one year). Reinforced link bw expatriates and
mother country.

First televised Christmas speech

-Christmas 1957

-“Twenty-five years ago my grandfather broadcast the first of these Christmas messages. Today is
another landmark because television has made it possible for many of you to see me in your homes on
Christmas Day.”

-8 min, queen sitting at her writing desk

 3/ New programmes and new competition

Circle:

More audience = more revenue = more programs to be broadcast

More programs = more audience

-1950: Up to 35 hours of broadcasting / week.

-1955: 50 hours / week.

-‘Era of scarcity’ [30s-70s] [few channels, few hours] (John Ellis) (then ‘era of availability’ [many tv
channels compete for audience and broadcast all day all night 80s and 90s] and then ‘era of plenty’ [tv
always available 2000-2010s) – beg of tv 50:00

Television in the 1950s

-bigger than the previous ones, still B&W

Programmes:

-Andy Pandy (1950-1970) part of Watch With Mother - for children

-15 minute episodes with a narrator narrating the adventures of Andy Pandy (a puppet), Looby Loo
(a rag doll), and Teddy.

Andy Pandy 2002-2008 for children

-came back on CBeebies

-Same characters but this time is very different (cartoon, not film)

Panorama (1953 – present)

-Fortnight (every 15 days) magazine on art, celebrities and news, then weekly programme from
1954.

-“television’s window on the world”

Debates 54 H-bomb, 63:25

 -Covered political crises.

-Hosted by Richard Dimbleby (1955-1965)

Panorama firsts

-First programme to use the F-word on television (1956) in an interview with Brendan Behan.
=))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))) FUCK

-First birth shown on television (1957)

-First interview with a member of the royal family: Duke of Edinburgh in 1961 (aka queen’s
husband), interview w/ Lady Diana 46:49 horrible marriage, her husband cheating on her

Fitness pg: Keep Fit

Blue Peter (1958 – present) for children

-Created for children between 5 and 8.

-Two presenters: Christopher Trace (actor), and Leila Williams (Miss Great Britain)

-Very traditional gender roles: "Leila played with dolls; Chris played with trains" (Briggs, 1995)

Featured different competitions, documentaries, cartoons and stories. 15 mins at first; 20 minutes

Blue Peter today: CBBC

The Black and White Minstrel Show (1958-1978) – famous but very controversial now

-A weekly variety show: sing and dance

-A cast of white men performing traditional American minstrel, country songs and music hall
numbers in blackface.

15M viewers

-18 million viewers at its peak

Nowadays – racist and not ok to broadcast… 72:50 so they blackened white ppl’s faces? fmm
 -1967: Petition launched against it

BBC tried to change the show… but continued it.

-Only removed in 1978.

Documentaries: how whites stole black ppl’s music…

Independent Television (I.T.V.)

-Television Act 1954 – enables commercial tv to exist

-1955: launch of ITV, the commercial television

Promised features, varieties, dramas, personalities, children’s programs 76:00

Ads: 23 the first evening: chocolate brand, Esso (petrol), toothpaste

Evening of the launch: BBC tried to sabotage it by having a special event happening on BBC radio:
the Archers – had a fire happened at the exact moment of ITV launch. =)))

-New competition: BBC need to run up their game. Need to make content to compete w/ ITV – 1956
ITV starts the European song contest (Eurovision), BBC launched top of the pops. Keep up w/ the
competition.

Independent Television News (I.T.N)

-Introduces ‘Newscasters’ – popular. Force BBC to do the same

-New reporting style: politicians being actively questioned – more aggressive interviews being done,
esp w/ politicians. BBC let politicians speak for longer, less controntation type of style. ITV coming back
on things, multiple questions, more interesting for the audience.

-More human interest stories

-‘Vox Pops’ – voice of the ppl; interviewed ppl on the street to get their opinion

C/ The 1960s on screen

1/ Hugh Green’s vision

-Hugh Green (1910- 1987), BBC Director General: 1960-1969.

 -Was director of news and current affairs.

-Increased the BBC’s audience

54-96 ITV upper hand???????? 82:39

BBC outperform ITV thanks to Hugh Green. BBC 2…….

-Allowed more sexual content and bad language

Programmes in the 1960s

-1960: Start of Ten O’Clock news and current affairs programme

-1961-present: Songs of Praise – church and portray different hymns 84:17

-1962-1963: That Was the Week That Was – short lived bc satirical television program –
groundbreaking bc starts to make fun of politics. But important program.

Doctor Who (1963-1989 and 2005 – present)

-Radio Times that week announced "a new Saturday afternoon television series of adventures in
time and space"

Daleks, TARDIS, William Hartnell

The Wednesday Play (1964 – 1970)

-BBC 1

-Contemporary social dramas and brought issues to attention to mass audience, issues not often
discussed on television

-Cathy Come Home (1966) Ken Loach – poverty and homelessness. Very important pg of the week.

-See article Jonathan Bignell “The Spaces of the Wednesday Play: Production, Technology and Style”

-Top of the Pops (1964-2006) – get a hand on ITV.

 -The Magic roundabout (1965-1977) – stop motion children’s program 5 minutes long. Also watched
by adults bc double meanings – characters on drugs… =)))))

-Dad’s Army (1968-1977) – sit com about the home guard (ppl too old to go out fighting; defend the
island if Germans invaded)

July 1969: man on the moon <3

One of the biggest tv events IN HISTORY. <3

-Armstrong declared: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

-650 million viewers worldwide <3<3<3<3<3<3<3 – boosted the sales of television

-First all-night British broadcast

-Broadcast on BBC and ITV

2/ Colour, comments and BBC2

-Television centre opens in 1960. First purpose-built television studio.

-1969: the BBC leave Alexandra Palace
People’s main source of information. Newspaper  radio  television.

1 – BBC1; 2 – BBC 2; 3 – IVT ????99:47 cateva minute inainte

BBC2: April 1964

-Power-failure on D Day (20th April)
-Re-launched on the 21st
-First programme: Play School (for children)
Not everybody able to watch BBC2.

-625 line television needed (most had a 405 line TV)

-The Forsythe Saga (1967) – concentrate on tv series. Based on famous novel published in 1920.
-First channel in Europe to regularly broadcast in color

Color television
-1967: beginning of color television on the BBC for Wimbledon. First only on BBC 2. Ppl still have
B&W TV. 101:59
-1968: beginning of the color licence fee: £10 (£5 for a monochrome and £1.25 for radio only)
The BBC and politics
Many pol upheavals around the world that BBC covered (+Panorama) – bbc reaction interesting 
shows the tense rels it had w/ the British gvt
-1956: Hungarian Revolution: BBC television – nationwide rev in Hungary against the ppl’s republic
and its soviet imposed policies – student protest spread quickly and gvt in hung collapsed. Soviets:
send in sov army. BBC’s view: send in TV cameras + Panorama covered these. Neither BBC news nor
ITV was able to go behind and cover – glued ppl on to BBC: first hand coverage of the event
unfolding on panorama. Impprtant for them to get that coverage – behind the iron curtain.
-1956: Suez Crisis:
Canal on E of Egypt (fr + eng constructed to get from the medit sea out of India). Egypt
nationalized the suez canal to get bacj the control. Brit and fr did not like that bc that canal: direct
route to Asia. Both + Israel: invade Egypt to get back control over this canal. Political pressure (FR +
Brit + Isr) by USA, USSR, UN to remove the troops. BBC – objective view of this military fisasco
instead of only British view of it. Antony Even – unhappy w/ this type of coverage. 1m pounds in cuts
and stop – pui. Put pressure on bbc – never put into practice. HERE HERE HERE. Panorama also
covered the Suez crisis.
BBC under rule nothings that was to be debted on parlm published in order not to influence public
debate… BBC under 14 day rule: what supposed to be discussed in parlm can’t be discussed on tv.
Panorama dembley got around this rule by broasdcasting the reaction around the world and not in
rbitain … skirted the rule to get their show on the air . after this suspended the 14 days rule…. Never
reapplied again. HERE HERE.
-1962: Cuban Missile Crisis
On panorama. Reported on it. Special on it w/ 12M ppl tuning in – one viewer called: safe for
daughter to go to school tomorrow? Cold to Hot war?

-1955-1975: Vietnam War

Encourage ppl. Messenger blamed
-1960s-1990s: the Troubles in Northern Ireland
Issue: bbc reporting on sth happening in own country => no exacerbate tensions…  objectivity
on journalists

3/ The Vietnam war and Northern Ireland

09.12.2020

V/. A clash of cultures

Come dancing

Young ppl dancing to rock music in Tokyo – transmitter

A/ The BBC and their new competitors

ITV
 1/ The Beveridge and Pilkington committees

-Beveridge committee: 1949-1950

-Chaired: Lord William Beveridge (British economist and Liberal politician who was a progressive and
social reformer, famous for his 1942 Beveridge Report [created the labor policy of 1945-51 – 4 giants
blocking B’s path to a better future])

Aim of the committee:

“to consider the constitution, control, finance and other general aspects of the sound and television
broadcasting services of the United Kingdom […] and to advise on the conditions under which these
services and wire broadcasts should be conducted after 31 December 1951."

Conclusions

-Acknowledges the importance of broadcasting

-Wishes to see more decentralisation with specific programmes for Wales, Northern Ireland and
Scotland

-Wished to see more minority views expressed on the BBC and more political broadcasting

-One of the members of the committee argued in favour of introducing competition for the BBC

Dec 1950 signed by all but one mb: wrote a minority report

Minority Report

=))))) Tom Cruise =))))))) <3

The real Minority report

-A minority report = A committee report written by one or more members of a committee to

officially state a position counter to the committee's majority

-John Selwyn-Lloyd wrote a minority report = "The Father of Commercial Television”

– a rebel =))) competition help to raise standards: ITV see the light of day
 Pilkington committee (1960- 1962)

-Chair: Sir Harry Pilkington (English glass manufacturer and former President of the Federation of
British Industries)-

Discussed the future of television and radio

Conclusions of the committee

-renewal of BBC Charter and Licence Fee funding

-extended radio hours

-adult education broadcasting

-second television channel

-colour television on 625 lines

-local broadcasting

-better commercial television regulation

The report also

-Criticised commercial television for triviality (especially Westerns): “Those who say they give the
public what it wants begin by underestimating public taste, and end by debauching it”

-Refused commercial radio

-Wanted to promote local BBC radios instead

Outcomes

-1964: BBC 2 television station

-1967: Colour television (BBC 2)

-1967: BBC local radios

-1969: Open University

2/ The corporation
 ?????

I.T.V.

-Bitter debates in parliament

-Reasons (according to Andrew Crisell, History of British Broadcasting, 2002):

-Deficiencies in the TV service at the BBC

-Change in the socio-economic climate (but only 36% in favour of commercial TV in 1953)

-Change in the economy (Macmillan 1957 “most of our people have never had it so good”.) more
money for consumer goods… 2 tv channels – make ppl purchase more consumer goods

growth for advertising space. Competing for creating of tv channel

Lord Woolton, July 1951

-From the House of Lords: “I admit at once that on this question of monopoly I have both prejudice
and fear. I do not like monopolies of any sort whether Government or private. I share that point of view
at least with noble Lords opposite. I dislike the effect which monopolies have on the people in charge of
them.”

-“I have come to the conclusion that the B.B.C. should be retained in full possession of their present
powers, except that they should not have, for any long period, the exclusive right of broadcasting in this
country.

-Under the powers which the Postmaster-General now possesses, I think that, within a reasonable
distance of time from now, some station should be either leased or created that would permit of
sponsored programmes; but from this station, or from any other station except the B.B.C., I would
prohibit Party political broadcasts or broadcasts overseas. I want the B.B.C. to continue to be "the Voice
of Britain" overseas.”

John Reith, May 1952

-From the House of Lords: "Somebody introduced Christianity into England and somebody
introduced smallpox, bubonic plague and the Black Death. Somebody is minded now to introduce
sponsored broadcasting ... Need we be ashamed of moral values, or of intellectual and ethical
objectives? It is these that are here and now at stake."

-sponsor tv and black death parallel

Television Act 1954

-Independent Television Authority (ITA) [called Independent Broadcasting Authority after 1972] to
regulate the industry and award franchises.

Regulations

-No ads during broadcasts featuring the royal family: good taste – 1953 the B shocked Eli 2 nd
coronation was interspersed w/ ads in the USA

-Must provide religious programmes - same as BBC

-Must respect “Toddler’s Truce” (until 1957)

-Not allowed to disrespect anyone alive

-Obliged to inform, educate and entertain – just like the BBc

These rules closed to BBC rules. “burrowed lg from BBC”

Gvt could decide to pull any tv channel off the air if did not respect these rules. ITV not
completely independent w/ these rules even tough commercially funded

ITV timeline

So: regulate the news channels + give out franchises

-1954: 6 franchises awarded = London, the Midlands and the North of England for weekdays and
weekends. – both for week days and weekends

-1955: London’s franchise (Associated Rediffusion) starts broadcasting – Sept 1955

-1956: Midlands and North England start broadcasting

= during first year ITV could be viewed by Londoners

Each of these franchises broadcasted on both channels. Press 2: ITV. BBC television / ITV (each
franchise is going to create different programs). Some pgs nationally bu it came from one particular
company. Local ones for local news… created by ITN… all separate companies. All companies
broadcasting on the same channel.
 ITA more franchises…

-1962: By this date there are 14 franchises and the whole country is covered.

Operated by a nb of licenses… since 2016 the 15 licenses held by 4? Companies…

The BBC corporation

-1966 = 22,000 people worked for the BBC (exploded VS beg of class)

-Licence fee rose (combined licences)

Ppt figures – all of these increases linked to technological innovations… color tv, BBC 2 on air

-1967: BBC gets £20 million from radio fees and 51 million from combined fees (tv + radio) – gets a
third of its income through radio fees – 1 year later stop radio fees and had only combined licenses –
explosions of houses w/ tv

-1971: No more licence fee for non-television households

-Today: £154.50 for a colour TV and £49 for a monochrome television

-Listener and viewer surveys: 800,000 interviewed / year.

Over evaluate and only positive feedback. ITV less biased result

1967: BBC Radio 1, 2, 3 and 4

-September 1967: Creation of BBC Radio 1 “The swinging new radio service” (Radio Times)

-Radio 2, Radio 3 and Radio 4 replaced the old Light, Third and Home Service respectively

3/ I.T.V.

B/ To educate and entertain

1/ Education

-Schools:

-1957: Beginning of TV broadcasting for schools

 -BBC School Radio (on BBC Radio 4): 90% of schools listening in the early 1970s.

-Children:

1972: John Craven’s Newsround: television news magazines aimed specifically at children

Newsround: then and now

Adult education

-Learning English: not for white brit audience but diff kind: overseas 1943 english by radio; same for
ppl in Britain – bbc 1 – teaching English to new arrivals (the English we speak)

-1943: English by Radio

-1967: Look, Listen and Speak: English for Immigrants by Television

60:55 and I did not understood a damn thing

Foreign languages

-1969: Wie Bitte? (to learn German)

Learning French

-1984: A Vous La France: Conversational French + French culture

-Most episodes take place in Grenoble

Open University

-1969: Opened in Alexandra Palace

-1971-2006: Course-based television broadcasts on BBC Television

More opportunity for the population to learn. Distance learning. Uni diploma after the classes.
Give them better access to degrees if lived outside town… min 69
 2/ Make ‘em laugh

-The Goon Show (1951- 1960) on BBC Home Service

-Created by Spike Milligan (right on the picture)

Radi show with surreal and satirical comedy. Pounds, sound effects, parody of life in Britain.
popular show – boomed satire…

That Was the Week That Was (1962-1963)

-Targeted the PM Harold Macmillan as well as the monarchy, the British empire and the BBC itself
with its parody of The Black and White Minstrel Show.

Satirical program. Attracted many complains by those targeted

Monty Python’s Flying Circus (1969-1974)

-Sketch comedy series created by the Monty Python group: Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle,
Terry Jones, Michael Palin and Terry Gilliam.

-On BBC 1

Became popular w/ many of the sketches till known today:

Most famous sketches

-“The Ministry of funny walks”, the “argument clinic”, “nudge, nudge”, “the funniest joke in the
world”, “The Lumberjack song”, “Spam” and the “Dead Parrot sketch”

Fawlty Towers (1975 and 1979)

-Sitcom broadcast on BBC 2

-Written by John Cleese and Connie Booth

-Characters: Basil Fawlty, Sibyl Fawlty, Polly and Manuel

Running of a hotel. Quotes well known: don’t mention the war (the Germans episode season 1)

Entertainment
 -Woman’s Hour (1946- present): on BBC radio – educate + entertain women listeners – not the same
as WomEn’s Hour

Still around, very famous. Broasdcast beg of afternoon to catch housewife while working around
the house + educated and entertained. Teaching housewife about politics

-Twenty Questions (1947-1976): radio show – parlor game: one player thinks about sth and the
others have to think about what he thinks about. Yes/no questions. Popular show on the radio. Can
participate as audience bc can guess the answer

-Doctor Who (1963- nowadays)

-Top of the Pops (January 1964-2006)

Entertainment, keep the audience entertained

The Archers (1951-present)

The world’s longest running radio drama series.

-15 minute episodes, 5 episodes / week on BBC Light Programme, the BBC Home Service (BBC Radio
4)

-Life of 3 farmers: Dan Archer (efficient farmer), Walter Gabriel (inneficient) and George Fairbrother
(only for taxes)

-1955: 20 million people were listening

-Mid 1970s: audience of 3 million

The Moonstone (1972)

-Mystery television series

-Adapted from Wilkie Collins’s novel

-BBC 1

-Re-created in 2016

Poldark (1975-1977)

-Adaptation of Winston Graham’s novel

-BBC 1
 -Romantic saga

-Ross Polkark’s love life, as his fiancée marries his cousin =)))

Readapted in the last few years

C/ The 1960s and 70s: Sex and Drugs and Rock and Roll vs the BBC

Time of massive cultural shifts – many things changing in society as regards sex, laws passing to
make abortion legal, homosexuality, change in culture in the music industry

1/ Local BBC stations

-Consequence of the Pilkington report

-Frank Gillard (BBC Director for Western Regions) wanted to develop local radios. 2 year experiment
founded by local council

-November 1967: First local radio in Leicester – local news and traffic  BBC 1

-8 local stations: Leicester, Durham, Sheffield, Leeds, Merseyside, Nottingham, Brighton and Stoke-
onTrent: sports, news, local features… some of the staff never worked on radio before. Less scripted
than national bbc

Phone-ins: audience phoning Nottingham. Local radios more immediate than national stations.

-1969: Funded by the licence fee and 20 local stations

2/ Pirate radios

-Radio Caroline (1964-1991)

He wanted one of his musicians to be broadcast but couldn’t bc too small for BBC to accept.
Broadcast his musician – do it himself. As BBC had monopoly, this was illegal. “national boundaries” –
place it at sea and can broadcast his radio <33333333333333333

-“Radio pirates defied the power of government, making a mockery of the system of law” Kimberley
Peters in Sound, Space and Society: Rebel Radio, 2018.

They were commercial radios. Upbeat music, provocative lyrics…

-1965: European Agreement for the Prevention of Broadcasts Transmitted from Stations Outside
National Territories – European Law
 -1967: Marine and Broadcasting (Offences) Ac – illegal to listen to them and for advertisers to ad
their products on these stations… 95:24 Radio Caroline continues even though they lose revenues due
to lack of ads

Radio Caroline

photo

Radio Luxembourg

-1933: Beginning of the English-language service of Radio Luxembourg

-10% of Britons listened to it

RTL called in French

Illegal radio but u could listen to it

Commercial radios

Yes to LOCAL commercial radios (not national commercial radios)

-July 1972: Sound Broadcasting Act: IBA (independent broadcasting authority). London and Glasgow

-19 contracts granted between 1973 and 1976

-1 st local station: Capital Radio for London

Annan Committee (1974-1977)

-Chair: Lord Annan (Noel Annan), British military intelligence officer, author, and academic

-Committee needed to discuss the United Kingdom broadcasting industry, including new
technologies and their funding, the role and funding of the BBC, Independent Broadcasting Authority
and programme standards

Conclusions of the committee

-BBC funding by Licence Fe

- fourth, independent television channel

 -long-term restructure and diversification of broadcasting

-establishment of Broadcasting Complaints Commission

-privatisation of local radio

-independence from direct political control

-increase in independent production

3/ Viewer opposition

-1964: “Clean Up TV Campaign” set up by Mary Whitehouse and Norah Buckland

-1965: Becomes the “National Viewers’ and Listeners’ Association”

- Considers that the BBC spreads ““the propaganda of disbelief, doubt and dirt […] promiscuity,
infidelity and drinking” whereas it should “encourage and sustain faith in God and bring Him back to the
hearts of our family and national life”

Even though this opposition is marginal: fear that B moral values were eroding in the 1960s.

4/ New technologies

-Transistor radios from 1957: car, beach, office, factory – huuuge change in paradigm changes way
is listened to

-New audience: teenagers and young adults

-Cheaper than the voluminous radio sets

Remote controls

-Invented in the 1950s

-Widely available from the 1970s

Ceefax (1974-2012)

-Teletex information service

-TV listings, headlines, weather

Videocassette recorder (VCR)

 -Early 70s: Cassettes can be bought and played on a VCR

-1977: Beginning of VHS (Video Home System): it is possible to record videos from home

Stop here

D/ The BBC and minorities

1/ Women in the BBC

-Mary Somerville: controller of the Talks Division from 1950 to 1955

-Divorced in 1945 and was kept on

-Retired in 1955

-Nan Winton (1925- 2019)

-1960: First female newsreader to read national news on BBC television

- Stopped reading the news in 1961 because of negative response

Winton interview Daily Mail, 1964

-“I believe there is certainly discrimination against women in this country. There were times when I
was doing the announcing when I wanted to shout aloud like Shylock 'hath not woman eyes, ears,
senses? In Italy and Spain they have women newsreaders who are beautiful and sexy too. We're afraid
of that here.”

Mary Adams (1898-1984)

-Joined the BBC in 1936

-First female television producer

-1954: Head of Television Talks

-1958: Retired

Woman’s Hour (1946-present)

 -Mainly female production team: Eileen Molony (first formal Editor), Evelyn Gibbs and Janet Quigley

-Aimed at women

-Wished to educate women about a host of different topics, specifically politics – a bit about home.
Know how Westminster works –> educational wish behind the program

-See Kristin Skoog article “Neither worker not housewife but citizen: BBC’s Woman’s Hour 1946-
1955”

2/ Cultural minorities and the BBC

-First LGBTQ+ discussion in 1955: ‘Homosexuality and Christianity’ broadcast at 7.30 on a Tuesday
evening on the BBC Third Programme. Addressed the ‘problem’ of homosexuality. – addressed the “pb”
of homosexuality. It had a religious background.

-1967: Documentary entitled ‘Man Alive, Consenting Adults 1: The Men’ – look at homosexuality
from pov of homosexuals. Gave them a voice. Did one for lesbians as well. More progressive.

-1986: Eastenders character, Colin Russel, is gay – he kisses his boyfriend in 1987 on screen. 1 st gay
kiss on TV  changed ppl’s mind frame on sexuality. 1980s = AIDS (stigma put on homosexuals). The kiss
reduces that stigma (bc Colin Russel was not depraved)…

The BBC and racism

-The Black and White Minstrel Show (1958-1978): very racist show

-Till Death Us Do Part (1965-1975): Alf Garnett, the main character has racist views which are
debunked by his progressive son – both racist and anti-racist at the same time. Mixed reviews bc it was
supposed to be anti-racist but it backfired.

-Gavin Schaffer article, “Till Death Us Do Part and the BBC: Racial Politics and the British Working
Classes 1965- 1975”, 2010

Simon Cottle article, “Making ethnic minority programmes inside the BBC: professional pragmatics
and cultural containment,” 1998

16.12.2020

VI/. The 1980s and 90s on screen and radio

Historiography
 Things change in research as well. ++ research being done on TV and media studies in general.
Media studies  analyze and understand the info given to the public

-1966: Centre for Mass Communication Research opened at the University of Leicester by Joseph
Trenaman (ex-BBC Further Education Unit)

-1982: Alastair Hetherington (ex-controller of BBC Scotland) became research professor in media
studies at Stirling University (Scotland)

Journalist values change the ways they portray stories. 80s and 90s: when media studies hay day.
Booming media studies. Did not just stay in the academics field.

A/ The BBC, Margaret Thatcher and politics

Margaret Thatcher (1925-2013)

-Studied Chemistry at Oxford where she became the first woman presidents of the Oxford University
Conservative Association

-Then studied law (barrister in tax law)

-Ran for parliament in 1950 (unsuccessful) 

1959: became MP in the House of Commons for Cons party=)))

-1970–74: secretary of state for education and science under Heath gvt (“Thatcher the Milk
Snatcher”) =)))) removed a popular policy which gave free milk for school children (too expensive)

-1975: Became leader of the Conservative Party

-1979-1990: Prime Minister with 3 successive elections (1979, 1983 and 1987)

Thatcher’s politics

-Developed a liberal economy:

-greater independence of the individual from the state

-privatization of state-owned enterprises (BBC – she didn’t like the BBC)

-sale of public housing to tenants

-reductions in expenditures on social services (health care, education, and housing)

-legal restrictions on trade unions

dramatic increase in unemployment from 1.3M in ‘79 to 3M in ‘86

 1/ Thatcher in the media

Written press more favorable to the Conservative. For TV, she preferred ITV but used the BBC too.

-1975: Thatcher on Blue Peter 26:15 TV

-1977: Thatcher on Desert Island Discs Radio show

-Appeared 14 times on the Jimmy Young Programme (BBC Radio 2 - 1973-2002) – news and current
affair program.

Thatcher interview, January 1979 – famous: “ Jimmy, some of the unions are confronting the British
people. They are confronting the sick, they are confronting the old, they are confronting children. I am prepared to
take on anyone confronting those, and confronting the law of the land, and who is confronting the liberties of the
country. It’s about time that more people did. If someone is confronting our essential liberties, if someone is
inflicting injury, harm, or damage on the sick, by God, I’ll confront them. There are some things in which we need
an iron Government, and upholding the law is one of them. ” - Winter of discontent. Lab gvt and unions go on
strike bc gvt had cut paid rises. She played w/ that to get elected, giving herself a very positive role.

ITV victory speech – unbiased view (BBC too left-wing). ITV not very king as they created:

Spitting Image (1984-1996)

-ITV satirical show – satirized entertainment, sports, popular culture… 15M viewers at its peak.
Thatcher: monster / masculinized figure on the show. It’s pretty harsh.

-Exaggerated puppets

2/ The Falklands War and the Troubles

The Falklands War

-La guerre des Malouines

-Falkland islands = Islas Malvinas

Opposed Argentina to Britain. Argentina claimed sovereignty on Falkland Islands from beg 19 th c
onwards. 1833 Brit invaded island and kicked them out. 1833-1982: discussions bw the 2 gvts bc
Argentina considered it was still their island.

-Leopoldo Galtieri (Argentinian President): stopped negotiations and invaded it. Success against
Britain would unite his country behind him. British sent troops. Supported by US and NATO and other
European nations

-War: early April to mid-June 1982

 Beg of sateliteTV and mobile… 38:33 no photos? Gvt managed the news and stifle what was
happening there and not enable info to go out. BBc tried to stay unbiased and this angered Thatcher.

Angered Thatcher the troubles and BBC’s cover:

The Troubles (1960s-1998)

-1960s: Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) wants to end discrimination against
nationalist minorities m-a pierdut 40:30

-Brutally suppressed by the British

-1969: British troops are deployed

-‘Peace Walls’ were built

-1972: Bloody Sunday – 14 dead: protest march British army opened fire  demonstration of
entailment w/o trial  fuel to the fire: IRA vs loyalists???

-3,500 people died in the conflict

-1998: Good Friday Agreement

The Troubles, Thatcher and the media

-1974: Prevention of Terrorism Act – banned public display of support for IRA  couldn’t talk about
anything that would support IRA = journalists couldn’t either. Harder for BBC and others to give both
sides of the story bc couldn’t’ publically show support. Issue for BBC: finding the right balance bw saying
things that would make the situation worse and informing the ppl about what was happening. 48:44

-1984: Brighton hotel bombing where Thatcher was staying

-July 1985 we “must try to find ways to starve the terrorist and the hijacker of the oxygen of
publicity on which they depend” Thatcher – if you don’t give them publicity, tejy won’t continue this.
She thought BBC was not playing by the rules.

-July 1985: At the Edge of the Nation on BBC1 with Martin McGuiness (Member of the IRA and Sinn
Féin) – Government reaction against it.

Put pressure on BBC to ban the documentary.

-October 1986: the documentary is finally aired

 Show IRA bomb victim… 51:47

MI5 – hiring and firing BBC employees for years – looking at backgrounds before employing ppl =
scandal (bc you’re not supposed to)

Articles:

-John David Viera article, “Terrorism at the BBC: The IRA on British Television”

-Elodie Gallet article “La BBC et l’information sur le conflit en Irlande du Nord (1960-1995)”

3/ Thatcher’s relationship with the BBC

BBC did not back MT in her campaigns (what they’re supposed to do). She did not like that and
wanted to reform it. And everything in UK politics =)))

-January 1984: Maggie’s Militant Tendency on Panorama (broadcast): claimed she had links w/ 4…
groups?... 54:41 prove that panorama had gone too far – not linked w/ ultra-right groups

-MPs: Neil Hamilton, Harvey Proctor and Gerald Howarth

Television and parliament

-1983: Television experiment in the House of Lords.

-Lord Soames: stated television had become the " most important and influential medium of
communication – and certainly not one to be ignored if we wish attention to be paid by the general public to our
business in this House". – Favorable for the cameras to be brought inside House of Lords. It would be
more democratic.

-1985: Thatcher banned cameras in the House of Commons (bc did not back her enough…) can’ttttt

Pushed for debates HoC not to be televised bc the other one was better than her on TV. Neil Kinnock

Alastair Milne (1930-2013)

-BBC producer then controller of BBC Scotland and BBC Television's director of programmes

-1982-1987: Director General of the BBC

-Under his time in office: Breakfast Time (1983-1989), Live Aid (1985), EastEnders (1985-present)
and Casualty (1986- present) among others. – casual approach to news… more fun approach. He also
promoted Shakespeare’s plays.

-Forced to resign in 1987 – gtv pressure due to political differences he had w/ Thatcher
 -June 1987: Thatcher interview with Sir Robin Day on Panorama – premiership campaign. Addressed
him w/ Mister instead of Sir. Incisive for BBC…

January 1988: BBC Radio 4 mini-saga – parodying T’s liberal economy. Controversial – title (final
solution – reference to Nazi) ++ ppl who died… he’s taking the ideas of T’s liberal economy to the
extreme, showing he horrible things behind T’s vision. She did not react directly to it, but her husband
did:

Letter from Denis Thatcher to Marmaduke Hussey: he’s unhappy

4/ The Hunt and Peacock committees

The Hunt committee (1982)

-Discussed: The organisation and future of cable broadcasting (started in 1950s for ppl who
couldn’t get enough signal on TV)

Recommended:

-a cable regulatory authority

-cable providers able to make programmes

-BBC and ITV programmes carried free

Outcome: expansion of cable broadcasting, eventually overtaken by satellite broadcasting

The Peacock committee (1985- 1986)

-Chair: Alan Peacock (British economist)

-Aim: to review the financing of the BBC. Thatcher wanted the television licence fee to be
removed and replaced by advertising.

Recommendations

-licence fee continues, indexed to the RPI (Retail Price Index)

-removal of cable and satellite broadcasting restrictions

-Radio 1 and 2 privatisation

 -More broadcasting hours

-Pensioners should be exempt of the licence fee

-Independent production quotas of 40% for the BBC and ITV

Outcomes

-Charter renewal and licence fee (although increase was less than the BBC had hoped)

-BBC staff cuts and efficiency drives

-night-time broadcasting

-independent production sector growth,

-deregulation of ITV

-satellite broadcasting

1990 Broadcasting Act

-Consequence of the European Council Directive of 1989 and the Peacock report

-Effects:

-Independent Broadcasting Authority replaced by the Independent Television Commission and

Radio Authority (these had less power)

-Allowed for the creation of a fifth analogue terrestrial television channel in the UK (Channel 5 in
1997)

-Forced the BBC to commission at least 25 percent of its original production from independents
(most shows had been in-house before that)

-Allowed three independent national radio stations to launch: Classic FM in 1992, Absolute
Radio in 1993 and Talksport in 1995.

B/ The monarchy

1/ The Royal weddings and scandals

 -July 1981: The Royal wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer

-global television audience of 750 million in 74 countries

-28.4 million watched on BBC and ITV (mostly on the BBC)

-BBC Two provided live subtitles for hearing impaired viewers (Palantype system)

Prince Andrew’s wedding

-July 1986: Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson

-500 million viewers worldwide

1992: Annus Horribilis

-January: Sarah Feruson was revealed having an affair

-March: Sarah and Andrew reveal they are separating

Queen – 71:00 neagtive light

-April: Princess Anne divorced

-June: Diana: Her True Story comes out (book): she suffered from bulimia, tried to commit suicide,
her husband was committed w/ his ex-girlfriend. She did not write the book but she gave the info

-August: Audio tape of Diana and her lover comes out

-November: Audio tape of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles: reveals the Prince would like to
be reincarnated as Camilla’s tampon.

-Diana and Charles separate

The vision of the royal family changed in 1992. Before: fairytale family. Revered to hated, esp prince
Charles and the Queen. Aahhhhhh changed the way BBC showed them on TV and radio

2/ Princess Diana

-November 1995: Panorama special interview with Princess Diana and Martin Bashir

-“there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded”

-22.8 million viewers  shockwaves around the country

 [Nowadays: controversy – how did he get the interview? ]

Divorced 1 year after this interview. Charles married Camilla in 2005.

Interview – controversial within the BBC – few ppl knew it was going to air before it aired. Wtf I
don’t understand be careful on how this interview was going to air: political power MT + Royal family
and BBC unfolded in 80s and 90s

C/ The programmes

Channel 4

-Direct consequence of the Annan report (1977): he wanted a new tv channel…

-November 1982: Channel 4 and S4C (Welshlanguage channel) are launched

-“publisher-broadcaster” = buys programmes from other companies

-Broadcast for minority interests and for specific groups (teenagers with T4)

-American imports: Friends, Sex and the City, South Park etc.

it created more competition for the BBC and they had to keep up with the times as well

1/ A new kind of humour

-Situational comedy (sitcom) (imported from the US)

-Dark sides too

-Only Fools and Horses (1981-1991): Del and Rodney Trotter –comedy but dark episodes (poverty)

-BBC 1

-Peak: 24.3 million viewers

The Young Ones (1982-1984)

-BBC 2

-Sitcom about four students and their landlord

Blackadder (1983-1989)

-BBC 1
 -Pseudo-historical sitcom

Rowan Atkinson as Edward Blackadder

Yes, Minister (1980-84) and Yes, Prime Minister (1986-1988)

-Political satire sitcom

-James Hacker, Minister for Administrative Affairs, Sir Humphrey Appleby (Permanent
undersecretary) and Bernard Woolley (Private secretary)

-See Pierre-François Peirano article “La représentaiton des jeux de pouvoir par la BBC: l’exemple de
la série Yes, (Prime) Minister” 2021

Education + entertainemnt (BBC)

Television programmes and shows

-The Late Show (1989-1995): arts magazine programme on BBC 2

-Have I got news for you (1990-present) on BBC 2

2/ Soap operas

-EastEnders (1985- present) – BBC1 (Plus Belle la Vie) created to compete with ITV

-Casualty (1986- present) – Medical drama. Pro NHC and anti-Thatcher tv series ad first

3/ Viewer implication

-BBC Children in Need (1980-present)

-Pudsey bear

-Blush bear

Crimewatch (1984 – present)

-reconstructs major unsolved crimes in order to gain information from the public which may assist in
solving the case

Watchdog (1985-present)
-consumer investigative journalism programme

-BBC 1

The National Lottery (1994-present)

-BBC 1

-25 million viewers

The Clangers (1969-1972 and 2015- present)

-BBC 1 then Cbeebies

-Small creatures who live on the moon

-Soup Dragon

The Wombles (1973-1975) then 1996-1998 on ITV

-BBC 1

-On Top of the Pops in 1974

Paddington (1976-1980)

-BBC 1

-Three dimensional teddy-bear in a twodimensional background

-Goes to ITV in 1989

Postman Pat (1981-2017)

-BBC 1

-Story of a postman, his cat, Jess, and the inhabitants of Greendale

 Eggs ‘n’ Baker (1988-1993)

-BBC 1

-Music and cookery show

4/ Radio programmes

-1990: BBC Radio 5 is added

-sports and education station

-Replaced in 1994 by BBC Radio 5 live: live news and sports station

Technological and policy changes

-Cable TV: 1984 Sky Channel, Screensport, Music Box and Premiere

-Satellite TV: 1982 Satellite Channel (Sky One)

-BBC Research and development (technical research department of the BBC): teletex and DAB
(Digital Audio Broadcasting) – 1995 for the BBC.

John Birt

-BBC Director-General (1992-2000)

-Restructured the corporation

-Producer’s choice

Conclusion: the BBC after 1995

I/ Major Changes in the BBC (1995-2020)

New Channels

-1997: BBC News channel with 24/7 news.

-1997: Channel 5
 -1998: The BBC bought the Parliamentary Channel (a cable channel since 1992) and made it into BBC
Parliament.

-1998-2003: BBC Choice. It was a mix of BBC 1 and 2 programming and only started at 7PM every
day. It also covered live music festivals

-2002: Cbeebies and CBBC They run from 6 AM to 7 PM

-2002: BBC 4 television from 7 PM to 4 AM. A television channel focused on arts, history,
documentaries and music.

-2003: BBC Choice became BBC 3 (channel aimed at the 16 to 34 year-olds). Aired from 7 PM to 4
AM and shared a bandwidth with CBBC

-2007: BBC iPlayer: catch-up service on the internet

The Davies Committee (1988- 1999)

-Discussed: Funding of the BBC until Charter Review in 2005-6.

-Chaired by Gavyn Davies (multi-millionaire who then became BBC chairman from 2001 to 2004)

The Committee recommended:

-licence fee frozen after 2001

-licence fee sole income for domestic services

-new money from efficiency savings

-digital services funded by a Licence Fee supplement

-sale of part of BBC Worldwide and Resources Ltd.

Outcome:

-digital Licence Fee plans were dropped because of Government opposition – instead funding was
incorporated into the main Licence Fee
 II/ Controversies and questions

The controversies

-2003: Hutton enquiry

-Judicial enquiry into the death of Dr. David Kelly, a biological warfare expert after the BBC had
published an interview of him in which he said that the UK government had “sexed up” information
relating to the weapons of Mass Destruction which were supposedly owned by Iraq and which formed
the main reason for invasion.

-The enquiry criticised the BBC and led to chairman Gavyn Davies and director-general Greg Dyke
resigning

Child abuse scandal

-Jimmy Saville had been a TV host on Top of the Pops, Jim'll Fix It (1975-1994) among others

-2012: reports surfaced one year after his death (2011) that he had sexually abused hundreds of
children and adults

2017 and 2018

-Gender-gap controversies as it was revealed that male presenters earned significantly higher wages
than their female counter parts.

A question of definitions

- What is the BBC today?

-Is the BBC a Quango? (Quango: Quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation)

-Not according to the UK Parliament: https://www.parliament.uk/globalassets/documents/com

mons/lib/research/key_issues/Key-Issues-Quangos.pdf

The BBC Today

 -Public service broadcaster

-World’s oldest national broadcaster

-Largest broadcaster in the world with 22,000 employees

-Established under Royal Charter and operates under its Agreement with the Secretary of State for
Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

-Funded by the licence fee charged to all British households, companies, and organisations using any
type of equipment to receive or record live television broadcasts and iPlayer

-Also funded by BBC Studios (formerly BBC Worldwide), which sells BBC programmes and services
internationally

Dad Jokes (Facebook), 2020

!!!!!!essay question – in English

 This afternoon!!!

Methodology

Historiography

-positive thing to add in essay/commentary

-agreg externe: quote from somebody – able to say what type of historical current he/she is part of

-ppt

-main currents on historiography

-primary sources: quotes from them. Jouralists wrote as well

-first historiography current: official Institutional history

Asa Briggs: ordered by the BBC director general of the time 50s: asked to write history of the
BBC

-traces history of BBC 20s to 50s: men – traditional, values of institution – very positive about
the BBC

2/ The Cultural turn

1970-2000s

Question social norms

Use this paradigm to view the bbc – looked at programs

3/ gendered history, social history

Look at ppl and the social dynamic bw ppl: ethnicity, class, gender (women’s history)  late
twentieth century
 4/ BBc and public service

Liberal narrative foot… identifies main historians of this current + criticizing the public service and
the bbc: limits

5/ questioning the bbc

Left.