The BBC celebrates its centenary on October 18, 2022
(Picture: PA Wire, Don Smith/Radio Times/Getty Images, PA, Anthony Harvey/Getty)Over the past century, the BBC has become a cornerstone of the world’s broadcasting – bringing us such joys as the Queen’s Christmas broadcast, to Blue Peter, Fawlty Towers, and beyond.
Now, to mark its centenary, the British Broadcasting Corporation has announced a bumper year of sport, events, and landmark commissions for TV, radio, and online, to inform, educate, and entertain the nation.
In 2022, special content has included the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, the Women’s Euros, the Commonwealth Games, and the World Cup, as well as a host of other shows, from Frozen Planet II to Radio 1’s Big Weekend. Elsewhere, the BBC has broadcast series, documentaries, and dramas, as well as a host of new programmes and comedies.
The BBC is the UK’s national broadcaster, and it is the world’s largest, employing 22,000 staff, with approximately 19,000 of them in public-sector broadcasting.
It came into existence on January 1, 1927, with John Reith at the helm.
It has one of the second-largest budgets of any broadcaster, spending 3.8 billion in 2020-21 on public service broadcasting.
With an output that includes radio, television, and now streaming, branches such as the BBC World Service provide current affairs and information in more than 28 languages and, around the world, it is available in 150 capital cities.
In the past, the BBC has also encompassed Ceefax and, in 2016, it also launched BritBox which, as of 2021, is available in the US, Canada, Australia, and South Africa.
In order to mark its centenary, the BBC will also broadcast specials of its biggest shows around its 100th birthday. Strictly Come Dancing, Doctor Who, Top Gear, MasterChef, The Apprentice, and Antiques Roadshow will all be marking the centenary in their own unique way.
The British Broadcasting Company, as the BBC was originally called, was formed on October 18, 1922, by a group of leading wireless manufacturers, including Guglielmo Marconi.
Daily broadcasting by the BBC began in Marconi’s London studio, 2LO, in the Strand, on November 14, 1922. John Reith, a 33-year-old Scottish engineer, was appointed general manager of the BBC at the end of 1922.
But what are the BBC’s top moments from its 100 years? Here’s everything you need to know.
A timeline of the BBC’s top moments in history
November 1922 – 2LO launched
Following the widespread closure of many amateur radio stations, the BBC started its first daily radio service in London, the 2LO.
After widespread discussions, the news was supplied by an agency, and music, drama, and talks filled the airways but only a few hours a day. However, it wasn’t long before radio was heard across the nation.
December 1922 – John Reith appointed
On December 14, 1992, John Charles Walsham Reith became the general manager of the BBC, at the age of 33.
There were no rules, standards, or even an established purpose to guide him, and he immediately began innovating, experimenting, and organising, with the help of his newly appointed chief engineer, Peter Eckersley.
Under their management, the service began expanding.
February 1924 - the Pips first heard
What would the BBC be without the pips! They have been heard on the radio since 1924, and the electronically generated ‘pips’ indicate the Greenwich Time Signal (GTS), and were invented by the astronomer royal Sir Frank Watson Dyson, with Reith.
The six ‘pips’ were designed to mark the start of the hour on BBC radio and today, the GTS is heard on BBC Radio 4 as well as other networks.
January 1927 - British Broadcasting Corporation established
The BBC is established by Royal Charter as the British Broadcasting Corporation, and the now Sir John Reith becomes its first director general.
November 1929 - John Logie Baird tests television
In November 1929, television pioneer John Logie Baird enables the BBC to officially broadcast its first televison programmes, after Baird’s experimental broadcasts from studios near Covent Garden, in London.
The first pictures were in black and white and were created by mechanical means, using a scanning disc, that consisted of just 30 lines of definition.
May 1932 - Broadcasting House opens
The BBC’s original location was on Savoy Hill, but it outgrew it and had to find a new home. So, it commissioned a purpose-built centre, employing leading modernist designers, and mixing functionalism with art deco style.
December 1932 - King George V addresses the Empire
King George V was the first British monarch to broadcast on the radio, and, this groundbreaking moment was used to inaugurate the start of the BBC Empire Service, a forerunner to the BBC World Service.
During the broadcast, the King’s voice was heard by millions of people simultaneously.
November 1936 - The BBC Television Service opens
The BBC was the first broadcaster to provide a regular ‘high-definition’ television service, but the outbreak of war in 1939 put an abrupt stop to the output of drama, sport, and cartoons.
May 1937 - The BBC’s first television outside broadcast
In May 1937, the BBC took its cameras to the Coronation of King George VI.
Interestingly, at the time, recording technology didn’t exist, meaning images were filmed from a television screen at the home of an employee of the Marconi Company.
January 1938 - First foreign-language broadcast - Arabic
In 1938, the announcer Ahmad Kamal Sourour Effendi was recruited from the Egyptian radio service, as the voice of the BBC’s first-ever service in a foreign language.
He became one of the most-loved presenters in the Arab world, and his appointment made the service popular overnight.
January 1942 - Desert Island Discs
Desert Island Discs was devised by Roy Plomley, who presented the first edition on January 29, 1942. It was recorded with the comedian Vic Oliver, however, the earliest programmes were scripted to comply with war-time censorship.
October 1946 - Woman’s Hour
In October 1946, the first-ever programme just for women was launched, with the earliest editions focusing on politics and women’s citizenship.
Originally, BBC managers were worried that topics like the menopause could be discussed, and issues such as ‘keeping house’ and child care were slowly phased out after the 1960s.
October 1946 - For the children, including Muffin the Mule
After the war, a children’s television service was inaugurated, with one of its earliest successes being Muffin the Mule.
Muffin was a loveable puppet, whose antics were accompanied on the piano by Annette Mills, with the duo running for nine years.
January 1948 - News comes to the television service
In January 1948, the BBC Newsreel launched the first news broadcasts, fronted by John Snagge, with short filmed broadcasts.
London 1948 - The first televised Olympic Games
Approximately just 100,000 UK households had a television in 1948, yet 68.5 hours of live Olympic coverage was broadcast by the BBC.
July 1949 - A first for the weather
Live TV weather broadcasts were launched before World War II, but then they were abandoned, before being revived in July 1949.
In 1954, George Cowling was hired as the BBC’s first ‘weatherman’, with the Met officer interpreting the map in vision.
May 1950 - The Archers
The Archers is the world’s longest-running soap opera and is set in and around the fictitious village of Ambridge.
The first broadcast was on the Midlands Home Service, initially with the intention of promoting good agricultural practice, with the experiment ending on June 2.
It was then broadcast across the UK, and it became a national institution.
October 1950 - Democracy on TV
Live coverage of Parliament was first discussed as part of the Woolton Committee in 1944, and reports of the day’s proceedings became commonplace on national radio by 1949.
Regular live proceedings by TV were not broadcast until November 1989.
June 1953 - The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
For the first time ever, a coronation was seen live.
This event changed the history of television, and massively boosted the sale of black and white television sets.
More than 20 million people across Europe watched the event, with many clustered around friends’ and neighbours’ TV sets.
April 1958 - The Radiophonic Workshop is established
The BBC’s Radiophonic Workshop has created some of the world’s most memorable sounds, from the Doctor Who theme tune to 20th-century electronic music.
October 1958 - Blue Peter starts its five-year run
Blue Peter has been running for more than 50 years and has entertained numerous generations of children.
Now, the programme is broadcast from studios at Salford Quays, Greater Manchester.
June 1960 - Television Centre opens
Television Centre opened in June 1960, and now, countless shows have been made there, from Fawlty Towers to Monty Python’s Flying Circus, and Strictly Come Dancing.
November 1963 - First episode of Doctor Who
Videotapes had only been in use for seven years when Doctor Who was suggested to the BBC’s head of drama.
The science-fiction show continues to be one of the most successful series of all time.
January 1967 - The Forsyte Saga
The Forsyte Saga became a huge hit, and the 26 episodes were adapted from John Galsworthy’s novels, revolutionising costume drama.
June 1967 - Our World
Our World was the first programme to connect the entire world in a live broadcast by satellite, and it consisted of live, non-political contributions from participating countries, including the Beatles singing All You Need is Love.
July 1967 - BBC Two - the first full-colour TV service in Europe
BBC Two became the first-ever full-colour service - with Wimbledon tennis the first programme.
Colour was extended to BBC One and ITV by 1969 and, by 1976, the colour network was complete.
September 1967 - Radio 1 goes live
Radio 1 was launched in 1967, with its first DJ, Tony Blackburn. Its first programme was Daily Disc Delivery, and the first record ever played was Flowers in the Rain by The Move.
April 1972 - The first children’s TV news bulletin with Newsround
Newsround was the first news service for children.
It broke two major stories: an assassination attempt on Pope John Paul, and the loss of the Space Shuttle Challenger in 1986.
John Craven was chosen to present the programme, sitting in front of a desk, not behind, so as not to remind children of a teacher.
April 1974 - The Family
The first fly-on-the-wall documentary, this ground-breaking programme captured the every-day highs and lows of ordinary family life in the Wilkins household, in the earliest example of ‘reality TV’.
It raised issues around race, class, and manners in Seventies Britain.
September 1974 - Ceefax– a step towards the digital world
Ceefax, derived from ‘see-facts’, was the first teletext service in the world.
Its information was wide-ranging, and it included news, weather, and sport.
It was last broadcast in October 2012.
January 1979 - Life On Earth – the nation is hooked
Initially consisting of 13 episodes, Life on Earth by David Attenborough revealed animal life around the globe through beautiful photography and compelling commentary.
July 1981 - The Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer
Charles and Diana’s wedding had an estimated global TV audience of 750 million, making it the most popular programme ever broadcast at the time.
It is one of the most iconic moments in television and was one of the BBC’s biggest outside broadcasts of the decade.
January 1983 - Breakfast Time – the UK’s first breakfast TV service
Breakfast Time was launched ahead of ITV’s breakfast service, and was presented by Frank Bough, Selina Scott, and weatherman Francis Wilson.
February 1985 - EastEnders - the BBC’s most-watched programme ever
EastEnders is one of Britain’s most successful television soap operas, with the first episode broadcast on Christmas Day 1986, immediately garnering viewing figures of 30 million, a record for BBC One that still stands.
July 1985 - Live Aid - a new global campaign phenomenon
Live Aid was a multi-venue rock music concert organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, to raise funds for Ethiopia famine relief.
It had an estimated 400 million viewers across 60 countries, one of the largest satellite link-ups and television broadcasts ever.
November 1997 - The BBC News 24 Channel
The BBC’s first rolling TV news service was launched as BBC News 24 and was the second 24-hour news service in Britain.
Now available across a number of digital platforms, the channel continues to win awards for its hard-hitting stories and investigations.
May 2004 - Come Dancing returns as Strictly
The original Come Dancing ran between 1949 and 1998, but only reached cult status when it was relaunched as the celebrity competition Strictly Come Dancing in 2004.
Placing well-known celebrities outside their comfort zone, and seeing them come through a tough competition and selection process, has had people viewing in their millions.
July 2007 - BBC iPlayer – See what you want, when you want
By the mid-2000s, streaming technology had developed sufficiently to offer TV programmes online.
Designed by BBC developers as a simple way of catching up on missed programmes, without an additional fee to pay, the BBC iPlayer is a complement to conventional TV viewing.
August 2012 - London 2012 - The digital Olympics
The BBC delivered its most successful online event ever, which attracted a record-breaking 55m global browsers to BBC Sport online.
It marked London 2012 as the first truly digital Games. This mirrored the BBC’s record Olympic TV reach, with more than 51.9m viewers in the UK.
June 2022 - Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee
In June 2022, the Queen celebrated her Platinum Jubilee and, at its peak, it attracted 7.5 million viewers, who watched the BBC’s broadcast of the Trooping of the Colour, kicking off a long weekend of coverage to celebrate 70 years of the Queen’s reign.
On that same evening, the BBC’s broadcast of the lighting of the beacons to mark the Queen’s 70th year on the throne attracted five million viewers, according to the Guardian.
September 2022 - Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral
When the Queen passed away in September, her funeral was watched by four billion people worldwide.
Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral was reportedly watched by a peak of 37.5 million people in the UK.
According to the BBC, the majority of that number – 32.5 million – watched the state funeral on the BBC, with viewers peaking at 22.4 million across all BBC channels, reports the Radio Times.
