Bbc Online Radio
Bbc Online Radio
BBC Radio is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927. For a history of BBC radio prior to 1927 see British Broadcasting Company. BBC Radios 1 to 7 are based in London, but programmes are also made in Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Glasgow and Manchester. All BBC Radio channels are available on DAB radio and also on the internet in Real Media and WMA streams.
Stations
National (UK)
The BBC today runs ten national domestic radio stations, four of which are only available in a digital format: via DAB Digital Radio, UK digital television (satellite, cable and Freeview) plus live streams and listen again on the Internet.
The "main" radio stations, available via both analogue (FM & AM frequencies) and Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), are:
- BBC Radio 1: youth oriented, mostly contemporary pop and rock music (including Top 40 singles), plus news, original in-house live music sessions, original live music concerts & music documentaries.
- BBC Radio 2: adult oriented entertainment, wide range of music—specially adult contemporary and middle of the road, also talk, comedy, plus news, original in-house live music sessions, original live music concerts & music documentaries.
- BBC Radio 3: arts and high culture, special-interest music (classical, jazz, world music), plus news, original in-house live music sessions, original live music concerts & music documentaries.
- BBC Radio 4: news, current affairs, arts, history, original in-house drama, original in-house first-run comedy, science, books and religion.
- BBC Radio 5 Live: news, sports, talk.
The new digital-only (Internet Streaming/Sky/freesat/Freeview/DAB) radio stations are:
- BBC 1Xtra: new urban music, plus news, original in-house live music sessions, original live music concerts & music documentaries.
- BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra: a companion to Radio 5 Live for additional sports events coverage.
- BBC 6 Music: rock, funk, punk and reggae, plus news, original in-house live music sessions, original live music concerts & music documentaries.
- BBC Radio 7: classic comedy, drama, books, science fiction, fantasy and children's programmes.
- BBC Asian Network: aimed at the large South Asian community in the UK (primarily a digital radio station, but available in parts of the Midlands on mediumwave).
Nations
The BBC also runs radio stations for three of the nations of the UK. These stations focus on local issues to a greater extent than their UK counterparts, organising live phone-in debates about these issues, as well as lighter talk shows with music from different decades of the 20th Century. Compared to many advertising-funded Independent Local Radio (ILR) stations, which often broadcast contemporary popular music, BBC nations' radio stations offer a more "serious" alternative.
- BBC Radio Scotland: News, music, sport and talk from Scotland.
- BBC Radio nan Gàidheal: Scottish Gaelic language network.
- BBC Radio Shetland: News, music, sport and talk from Shetland.
- BBC Radio Orkney: News, music, sport and talk from Orkney.
- BBC Radio Wales: News, music, sport and talk from Wales.
- BBC Radio Cymru: Welsh language network.
- BBC Radio Ulster: News, music, sport and talk from Northern Ireland.
- BBC Radio Foyle: News, music, sport and talk from north-west of Northern Ireland.
There exist many BBC Local Radio services across England, often catering to individual counties.
Broadcast
BBC Radio services are broadcast on various FM and AM frequencies, digital radio or DAB, and streaming live on BBC Online (giving the stations a worldwide audience).
They are also available on Digital Television sets in the UK, and archived programs are available for 7 days after broadcast on the BBC website; a number of trials are also underway of MP3 downloads and podcasting for selected shows—see bbc.co.uk#Streaming media.
Programming
Throughout its history the BBC has produced many programmes, and a complete list of all programmes will be available here soon. In the meantime, some particularly significant, influential, popular or long lasting programmes include:
- Any Questions? (1948–present): Topical debate series.
- The Archers (1950–present): Long running rural soap opera. Currently the most listened to programme on Radio 4 and on the BBC's on-line radio service.
- Children's Hour (1922–1964): Long running slot for children's programmes.
- Desert Island Discs (1942–present): Interview programme in which the guest chooses the eight pieces of music they would take with them to a desert island. The longest running music radio programme in British history.
- Friday Night is Music Night (1952-present): Long running live music show, covering a wide range of music tastes.
- Gardeners' Question Time (1947–present): Gardening programme in which gardening experts give advice and answer listeners' questions.
- The Goon Show (1951–1960): Highly influential comedy series with elements of surrealism.
- Hancock's Half Hour (1954–1960): Influential comedy series which transferred to television.
- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1978–1980 and 2004–2005): Comedy science fiction serial by Douglas Adams.
- I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue (1972–present): Comedy series parodying the radio panel game format.
- It's That Man Again (1939–1949): Comedy series popular during and after World War II.
- Journey Into Space (1953–1958): Science fiction series which was the last UK radio programme to achieve a higher audience than television.
- Just a Minute (1967–present): Long running panel game where the contestants must attempt to speak for one minute without repetition, hesitation or deviation.
- Letter from America (1946–2004): Commentary on American news and events by Alistair Cooke. The longest-running speech radio programme in history.
- The News Quiz (1977–present): Topical comedy show
- The Reith Lectures (1948–present): Annual series of lectures given by leading figures of the day.
- Round the Horne (1965–1968): Comedy series notable for its innuendo and use of the gay slang polari.
- Sports Report (1948–present): Saturday sports round-up including the football results of the day.
- Test Match Special (1957–present): Live cricket coverage.
- Today programme (1957–present): Early morning news and current affairs programme.
- Top Gear / John Peel (1967–2004): Pioneering and influential alternative music programme.
- Woman's Hour (1946–present): Long running magazine programme for women.
- Workers' Playtime (1941–1964): Lunchtime variety show.
For more BBC radio programmes see Category:BBC radio programmes.
History of BBC Radio
The BBC radio services began in 1922. It was licensed by the British Government through its General Post Office which had original control of the airwaves because they had been interpreted under law as an extension of the Post Office services. Today radio broadcasting still makes up a large part of the corporation's output and this is still reflected in the title of the BBC's listings magazine called 'Radio Times'.
First charter
On 31 December 1926 the British Broadcasting Company became the British Broadcasting Corporation and gained control of the airwaves under the terms of a Royal Charter. John Reith, who had been the founding Managing Director of the commercial company, became the first director. He expounded firm principles of centralised, all-encompassing radio broadcasting, stressing programming standards and moral tone. These are set out in his autobiography, Broadcast Over Britain (1924), influencing modern ideas of public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom. To this day, the BBC aims to follow the Reithian directive to "inform, educate and entertain". Critics of his approach state that he was dictatorial and that he imposed a theocratic viewpoint on the broadcasting service. Reith's ideals were utterly at odds with the model of light entertainment based commercial radio adopted in some other countries (e.g. the USA).
Competition from overseas stations
Although no other broadcasting organisation was licensed in the UK until 1973, commercial competition soon opened up from overseas. The commercial competitors were for the most part represented by the International Broadcasting Company that bought blocks of airtime from radio stations such as Normandy, Toulouse, Ljubljana, Juan les Pins, Paris, Poste Parisien, Athlone, Barcelona, Madrid and Rome. In the period from 1927 to 1939, light entertainment on the British airwaves was for the most part the domain of the 10 part-time English language IBC stations. By 1938 on Sundays upwards of 80% of the British audience turned their dials away fro
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