The BBC celebrates its centenary on October 18, after 100 years of technological innovation, ambitious programming – and controversy.
– 1922: the first steps –
The BBC was officially founded on October 18, 1922 by a group of entrepreneurs, but it was not until November 14 that the first radio program was broadcast.
At 6:00 p.m. a newscast started and the first words – “This is 2LO, Marconi House, London Calling” – crackled over the radio.
“It was read once and immediately repeated at half speed because the technology wasn’t great,” said James Stirling, who is responsible for the centenaries.
Ten years later, in 1932, technology was so advanced that King George V was able to address the British Empire on the radio for the first time.
That was the start of the BBC Empire Service – the forerunner of the BBC World Service.
The voice of the king was heard by millions of people at once for the first time.
Television programs began in 1936.
– Second World War –
British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain announced the start of the war on September 3, 1939 on the BBC.
During the conflict, the BBC became a major source of news, and not just for Brits.
On June 18, 1940, exiled French General Charles De Gaulle launched his call to resist the Nazi German invasion on the BBC airwaves.
“Radio Londres” also broadcast the program “Les Français parlent aux Français” (“The French are talking to the French”) and in early June 1944 a coded message calling for the sabotage of railway facilities prior to the D-Day landings.
– coronation –
The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on June 3, 1953 was the first to be televised live.
“This is such a pivotal moment in the history of the BBC, including on the airwaves,” Stirling said.
Some 20 million people across Europe watched, while viewers in the UK gathered with friends and neighbors to catch the spectacle on TV.
My grandparents bought a television for the occasion,” Stirling said. “It’s very important historically and technologically.”
In 1981, the wedding of then-Prince Charles – now King Charles III – to Lady Diana Spencer was seen by 750 million people around the world.
– 1995: Diana –
Other records were broken in 1995 when the BBC aired an explosive interview with Princess Diana.
“There were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded,” she told the Panorama program, referring to Charles’ affair with Camilla Parker Bowles.
Diana also spoke of her own infidelities when the couple’s marriage fell apart, how she thought Charles was unfit to be king and that she wanted to be “a queen of people’s hearts.”
A report published last year revealed the fraudulent methods used by journalist Martin Bashir to secure the interview and criticized the BBC for its handling of the matter.
– 2007: digital –
In 2007, the BBC launched its streaming and on-demand website, BBC iPlayer, to complement its traditional broadcasting.
The platform has evolved in line with competition from other services like Netflix and Disney+ that have transformed viewing habits.
– 2012: Jimmy Savile –
Eccentric presenter Jimmy Savile had been a fixture on children’s television since the 1960s, but scandal erupted in 2012, a year after his death.
Savile, who regularly hosted the hit music show Top of the Pops and had his own program Jim’ll Fix It, was exposed as a predatory pedophile who had raped and molested minors for decades.
Accused of the cover-up, the BBC apologized and launched an independent investigation which in 2016 concluded that a culture of fear and respect for celebrities had enabled Savile’s activities.
