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landmarks
This chronology is indicative only. It covers -
Context is provided by the broader communications and
media timeline on this site.
beginnings
1904 Wireless Telegraphy Act 1904 identifies
Post Office (PO) as regulator of UK radio transmissions
1919
PO suspends licencing of experimental radio stations
1920 PO forbids domestic broadcasting by Marconi
1922
British Broadcasting Company formed by radio manufacturers
1922 station 2LO (broadcasting from roof of Selfridges
department store) is first BBC station, followed by 5IT
in Birmingham and 2ZY in Manchester
1922 John Reith appointed General Manager
1922 first UK broadcast orchestral concert, regular news
bulletin, dance music and play written for radio (The
Truth About Father Christmas)
1923 first UK outside broadcast (broadcast from Covent
Garden)
1923 first daily weather forecast
1924 first Big Ben daily time signal, royal broadcast
and UK disk jockey programme
1923 first relay from France and from US
1927 British Broadcasting Corporation replaces the Company,
nationalizing radio manufacturers' holdings
1928 experimental television transmissions
1929 The Listener first published
1930 BBC acquired news agency tape machines and began
editing the news bulletins
1930 first UK experimental television play: The Man
with the Flower in his Mouth
Reith at the peak?
1930 BBC Symphony Orchestra established
1932 first UK shortwave service
1933 first BBC female announcer
1936 start of BBC television service (world's first regular
high definition service)
1937 Wimbledon tennis televised for first time
1938 first BBC foreign language service begins (Arabic)
1938 FA Cup Final first televised
1938 Reith leaves BBC
1938 Hulton Picture Library founded as archive for Hulton
Picture Post magazine
War years
1939 television broadcasting suspended for defence reasons
1940 Forces programme, precursor of Light Programme
1942 first daily news bulletin in Morse code transmitted
for resistance in Continent
1946 radio licence increased to 1 Pound, with combined
television and radio licence at 2 Pounds
1946 launch of Light Programme
1946 first UK children's television programme
1948 Olympic Games televised from Wembley
1948 first Reith Lectures
1949 first television weather forecast
1950 first live television from Continent
1952 television coverage 81% of UK
1953 first television broadcast of coronation
rise of commercial tv
1954 Television Act establishes Independent Television
Authority (ITA)
1955 start of UK colour television test transmissions
1955 start of independent (ie UK commercial) television
1955 television available to 91% of UK population
1955 BBC television devotes 10% of schedule to arts programmes
and 25% to children
1957 television for UK schools starts
1958 Ampex video-recording equipment used by BBC for first
time
1958 BBC buys Hulton Collection
1960 first female BBC television newsreader
1962 first live television from US by satellite
1962 start of experimental stereo radio broadcasts
1964 Radio 1 introduced (existing BBC networks renamed
Radios 2, 3 and 4)
1964 BBC2 television network launched
1967 first BBC radio local station
1969 Armstrong's landing on moon televised
1971 Open University programs began on radio and television
1971
radio receiver licence fee abandoned
1971 Reith dies
1973
BBC loses radio monopoly, with authorisation of Independent
Radio
1974 start of regular CEEFAX (teletext) service
1984 BBC buys Evening Standard and Express newspaper picture
libraries
in search of a mission
1986 Peacock Report
1986 BBC Enterprises established
1988 BBC External Services renamed BBC World Service
1988 sells Hulton to cable entrepreneur Brian Deutsch
for £1.5m
1990 Broadcasting Act requires channels to buy at least
25% of their programming from independent producers
1990 BBC Subscription Television created as a separate
company within BBC Enterprises
1990
Radio 5 network created
1996 BBC split into two main divisions: BBC Production
(develops and makes programmes) and BBC Broadcast (commissions,
schedules them and transmits programmes)
1998 BBC Resources incorporated as a separate subsidiary
1999 BBC establishes commercial internet service provider
Beeb.net
2001 BBC ends shortwave services to North America and
Australia
2001 launch of Eve monthly women's magazine
2004
BBC Technology sold to Siemens
2005 Eve sold to Haymarket publishing group
2005 BBC Magazines forms joint venture with Bennett
Coleman to publish Filmfare and Femina
in India
2005 BBC ends shortwave services to South America
2005 BBC Broadcast (BBC commercial multimedia division)
sold to Australia's Macquarie
Bank consortium for £166m
2007 BBC Worldwide pays est £1m for 25% of Australian
production house Freehand Group
2007 BBC announces closure of online education service
BBC Jam
2007 BBC Worldwide buys 75% of Lonely Planet for up to
£100m
2008 BBC ends shortwave services to Europe
2008 closes Beeb.net
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