| The BBC - The British Broadcasting Corporation |
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is primarily a national publicly-funded (by licence fee), broadcaster based in the United Kingdom. The BBC also operates a number of of international services (BBC World, BBC Prime, BBC America, BBC Canada, BBC Kids, BBC Entertainment, BBC Lifestyle, BBC Knowledge abd CBeebies), all are commercially funded. t is frequently heralded as the most widely respected broadcaster in the world. Sometimes affectionately known to local consumers as "the Beeb," "the Corporation," or "Auntie" the BBC was for many years the only radio and then televisual provider in the United Kingdom.
I Its motto is "Nation Shall Speak Peace Unto Nation. |
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Before the introduction of Independent Television in 1955 and subsequently Independent Radio in 1973, it held a monopoly on broadcasting. More recent de-regulation of the British television broadcasting market produced analogue cable television and satellite broadcasting and later digital satellite, digital cable and digital terrestrial television (DTT) . Today the BBC broadcasts in almost all mediums and operates an award winning internet service, bbc.co.uk, itself indicative of the corporation's continued ability to move with the times. |
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| History of the BBC |
Prior to the establishment of the BBC a number of private companies had been making experimental radio broadcasts in the UK. The Post Office (under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1904) was responsible for the issuing of broadcasting licences, but in 1919 it stopped issuing new licences due to the large number of complaints of interference to military communications from the Armed Forces.
As the number of radio receiving sets increased during the early 1920s the Post Office came under extreme pressure to allow national radio broadcasting.
A committee of radio manufacturers spent several months discussing various proposals and the result was the establishment of the BBC.
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| The BBC was founded as the British Broadcasting Company in 1922 by a consortium including Marconi, GEC, British Thomson Houston, Metropolitan Vickers, Western Electric and the Radio Communication Company. The initial remit of the company was to establish a nationwide network of radio transmitters to provide a national broadcasting service. On November 14, 1922, the first BBC station 2LO began broadcasting on mediumwave, from the roof of Selfridges department store in Oxford Street, London. The following day 5IT in Birmingham, and 2ZY in Manchester went on the air. |
| It took on its current form in 1927 when it was granted a Royal Charter of Incorporation. The form is that of an autonomous corporation run by a board of governors appointed by the incumbent government for a term of four years (formerly five years). General management of the organisation is in the hands of a Director-General appointed by the governors. |
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| Funding |
The Wireless Telegraphy Act of 1904 instituted government regulation of radio broadcasting and reception under the authority of the Postmaster General. A licence scheme was introduced whereby anyone wishing to purchase or construct radio equipment was required to obtain a licence from the Post Office. With the founding of the BBC, the radio licence fees became its principal means of funding. The household radio licence was eventually abolished in 1971 but a licence is still required for television reception.Today each household (with exemptions for the elderly and others, paid for by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport) or business in the UK using a television or other equipment to receive broadcasts has to buy an annual television licence. The licence fees are set by the government but collected by independent contractors, Capita and AMV. The fees are to ensure that the BBC is sufficiently funded to provide for the British public high quality and diverse media content designed to "educate, inform and entertain" as per the remit of its charter.
Because of this unique funding method, BBC radio and television output has been free of the constraints of commercial advertisers; programme makers are, in theory, answerable only to the licence payer, but pressure from political parties via appointments to the board of governors and by threats over changes to the amount of the licence fee as well as competition with commercial television channels for audience share are still significant factors in the corporation's output.
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The BBC has also for many years received funding from British Government departments for certain sections of its output.
For instance the World Service, which, as its name suggests, is broadcast around the world, is funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. In recent years the BBC has also received large amounts of revenue from its commercial wing, particularly by exploiting its massive back catalogue of programmes.
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| BBC News |
BBC News is the largest broadcast news gathering operation in the world, providing news through BBC network television and radio as well as BBC News 24, BBC Parliament, BBC World, BBCi and Ceefax.
BBC News is based at the News Centre at Television Centre but operates regional centres across the UK and bureaux around the world. Political coverage is based at Millbank Studios in Westminster.
The News Centre brought radio and TV news operations together for the first time and produces almost 100 hours of output every day. |
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BBC News claims the BBC's output is widely respected across the world. Within the UK BBC News faces stiff competition from Sky News and ITV/ITN however research has shown that viewers turn to the BBC for coverage of major events, e.g. Iraq War, September 11th attacks.
On July 5 2004 the BBC celebrated 50 years of television news, the first bulletin was broadcast in 1954. |
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| BBC Worldwide |
| BBC Worldwide Limited is the wholly-owned commercial subsidiary of the BBC responsible for the commercial exploitation of BBC programmes and other properties. |
| Website: BBC Worldwide |
| See also: BBC Overseas |
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| The BBC Website |
The bbc.co.uk website, formerly BBCi (and before that BBC Online), includes a comprehensive news website and archive. The website allows the BBC to produce sections which complement the various programmes on television and radio, and it is common for viewers and listeners to be told website addresses for the bbc.co.uk sections relating to that programme. The site also allows users to see and hear many of the BBC's television and radio services using streaming media.
In recent years some major on-line companies and politicians have complained that the bbc.co.uk website receives too much funding from the television licence, meaning that other websites are unable to compete with the vast amount of advertising-free on-line content available on bbc.co.uk. Some have proposed that the amount of licence fee money spent on bbc.co.uk should be reduced - either being replaced with funding from advertisements or subscriptions, or a reduction in the amount of content available on the site. |
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| BBCi |
| BBCi is the brand name for the BBC's interactive digital television services. Unlike Ceefax, BBCi is able to display full colour graphics, photographs and video, as well as allow the viewer to interact with the programme. Recent examples include the interactive sports coverage for football and rugby football matches and an interactive national IQ test. All of the BBC's digital television stations, with the exception of BBC Parliament on digital satellite, allow access to the BBCi service.
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However, the amount of content available on the digital television BBCi service does not currently match the amount available on Ceefax, which is still available on analogue terrestrial television. |
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| Visit BBC Television Centre |
| The BBC offers unique tours behind the scenes of its broadcasting studios. And when we say "unique" that's exactly what we mean; no two tours are the same, due to changing programme schedules and availability of access to studios. Some possible delights include looks backstage at favourite televsion productions like Top of the Pops or Blue Peter, and a glimse into the world of BBC News and weather. Tours must be pre-booked, and there is an age limit of at least 10 years to book a tour. VIP tours are also available by prior arrangement. Tours last approximately 2 hours and thirty minutes, and involve a lot of walking. |
Location
BBC Television Centre
Wood Lane, London
W12 7RJ
United Kingdom |
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Tel 0870 603 0304/+44 2890 535 904 (outside the UK)
BBC Website
Contact the BBC by Email |
