On 18 October, the BBC marks the 100th birthday of its foundation (one month before it started regular radio broadcasting). It will be hoping the celebrations make the case for its continuation, amid discussions with the government over the broadcaster’s form and funding after the current agreement runs out in 2027.
Given political pressure for the BBC to become more commercial, there’s an irony that it was exactly that a century ago. The British Broadcasting Corporation, state-owned under royal charter, has only existed since 1 January 1927. From 18 October 1922 until then, it was the British Broadcasting Company – a consortium of wireless receiver manufacturers.
