In two years, it seems that the BBC will no longer function as it is today. It has been the state broadcaster since its inception in 1922. This means that it is the longest-running public sector broadcaster in the world. It is also the largest employer. It’s funded by the payment of a TV licence. In simple terms, if you own a TV and can pick up and receive BBC programmes, you have to pay the fee to use it. However, a recent announcement from the Government has frozen the fee for the following years to debate its future. So, where did this noble institution start? You’ve always needed an excellent reception to view its programs, and a TV aerial repair Bristol based company like https://aerial-installations-bristol.co.uk/ can be the provider of that.
The BBC is under a royal charter. Unlike every other broadcast organisation, the licence fee funds it. This is set by the Government and is even debated and agreed upon by Parliament. However, the BBC is committed to being a balanced and impartial reporter, something that it gets accused of not being on both sides of the political spectrum.
During the Second World War, its continued broadcasting and support of the nation won the affection of the whole country. Whilst this is probably wearing out now as the generations age, “Auntie Beeb”, as it is lovingly known, continues to prove a stalwart addition to how the Nation gets its information, entertainment and news.
The BBC was created with three fundamental principles. It still tries to maintain and live up to them today. The BBC seeks to “educate, entertain and inform” in all of its content. This was laid down by its founder Lord Reith. It’s still determined to live up to this high value, so much so that it is inscribed into every show and programme it attempts to make. Reith and the BBC saw television as a force for social good and a way to create an informed and educated populace. It’s also the reason that the early presenters and announcers all spoke in an upper-class accent. Regional dialects were not welcome.
Reith, as Director-General, had total power and control over the content. He was supported in this by the Crown and Government, who entrusted him to deliver. Any potential presenter or programme made was heavily censored by Reith to make sure that anyone could take no offence. The novelist and socialist Raymond Postgate were told that the benchmark for any producer and creative was to imagine that they were making something that would be shown to a member of the clergy or an elderly participant of the congregation.
How times have changed!
