The Past and Present of the BBC

The course takes a primarily historical approach to the introduction of one of the pillars
of the British social fabric, which has also played and continues to play a defining role
among the global media networks. The diachronic approach of the first 8 sessions will be
complemented during the last 4 classes by a more synchronic introduction to the current
programmes, structure, ethos and role of the British Broadcasting Corporation. Whenever
possible the contents will be illustrated by historic or recent sound and video recordings.
Hereunder follows the syllabus of the course:

1. The Birth of British Broadcasting

a) The airwaves come alive, the new invention of Radio: coils, crystals, valves and
resonating circuits (1901-1914)
b) Amateurs and Professionals, Marconi, Fleming and John C. W. Reith
c) The First World War;
d) The Post Office and the Wireless, a Company is formed 1914-1922.
2. Broadcasting and Society
a) The power of Radio: Facing the Nation, 1922-1926
b) Entertainment, education or information?
c) Comparisons with the United States.
d) From Company to Corporation, 1926-27
e) The Charter and Programming
f) The Listeners.
g) Funding structure: the Licence Fee
3. The Golden Age of Wireless: 1927-1939
a) Programmes and the public
b) Audiences at home: the social impact of a national service;
c) Abroad: The BBC Empire Service is launched in 1932
d) Organisation: the growth of an institution
4. Early experiments with Television
a) Photo-sensitive electro-chemicals and the Television Company of 1925
b) 1930: Ramsay MacDonald watches the first TV broadcast in 10 Downing Street
c) Tiny audience: the fight for survival
d) Baird Company and E.M.I.: rivals or essential collaborators?
e) November 1936: regular broadcasts begin
f) Kingsley Wood (Postmaster General) and BBC television
g) Television and politics: Director-General John Reith on the Committee of Imperial
Defence
h) Alexandra Palace station is closed on 1 September 1939

5. The War of Words 1

a) 1938: a new Director-General is chosen: Professor F.W. Ogilvie
b) Autonomy and Freedom in Wartime
c) Before Churchill: a fighting arm run by the government or an entertaining diversion?
d) Churchill and the BBC: the English language is sent into battle
e) J.B. Priestley and the new vision for Britain
f) Sounds of War: the Battle of Britain in the living room. The trusted voices: Alvar
Liddell (1908-1981), John Snagge (1904-1996)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolradio/history/worldwar2audioclipslibrary_clip14.shtml
http://www.whirligig-tv.co.uk/radio/announcers.htm

6. The War of Words 2

a) The World Map of Radio: Bush House; The BBC Overseas Service (November 1939);
BBC European Service (1941); the African and Pacific services.
b) De Gaulle and the BBC: Ici la France
c) Propaganda and Intelligence: Caversham Park
d) Reorganisation in 1941
e) 1944: a year of climax
7. The BBC and a New Society
a) Reconstruction and Politics: the transition 1945-1952
b) The Silver Jubilee
c) Patterns of control
d) Home, Light, and Third; the Regions
e) ITMA and The Goon Show
f) Richard Dimbleby and Malcolm Muggeridge
g) The Brains Trust (1941-1949) and A.J.P. Taylor
h) The Overseas Service becomes the World Service (May 1965)
i) Reorganisations: The Government, the Board and the Director-General
j) The nations new flagship broadcasting station: BBC Radio 4 (1967)
8. Television Resurrected
a) Alexandra palace reopens in 1946
b) The Television Advisory Committee; outside broadcasts begin
c) Programme Planning, Films, Theatre, Comedy and News
d) Growing audience: three-fold increase in eight years; new faces on both sides: new
viewers, new broadcasters
e) The end of deference: David Frost and That Was the Week that Was (1962)
f) The changing technology
g) Harold Wilson and the Open University
8/a. The Competition
aa) The Independent Television Authority: ITV is launched (1955)
ab) Independent Television News
ac) Granada, Carlton, ITV plc and B Sky B

9. BBC News and Current Affairs

a) Radio News from the beginnings to the Today Programme; From Our Own
Correspondent,
b) Royal Broadcasts since 1932
c) 50 years of BBC Television News, 1954-2004; Question Time; Newsnight
d) Charles Wheeler, John Humphrys, Kate Adie, David Dimbleby, Jonathan Dimbleby,
Jeremy Paxman and John Simpson
10. BBC Culture, Science and Entertainment
a) One-man university: Melvyn Bragg, In Our Time and the history of ideas
b) David Attenborough and the natural world
c) Television History: A.J.P. Taylor, David Starkey, Simon Schama, Richard Holmes,
Jeremy Paxman, David Dimbleby, Andrew Marr Boris Johnson (?)
d) Ian Hislop, Paul Merton and Have I Got News for You?
11. BBC Online and Digital
a) The growth of Internet presence
b) Current online structure and uses, regulations, domestic and overseas
c) BBC iPlayer, downloads, podcasts
12. The BBC and the Politics of Our Age
a) The Gilligan Affair: a chill over all journalism
b) Parliament, the Government, and the Opposition on the BBC
c) UKIP and the BNP on Question Time