Two British Broadcasting Companies! That's the result of the negotiations of summer 1922. Part one of this two-parter brings us two parallel storylines: boardroom debates (a la The Apprentice) and studio sing-songs (a la Top of the Pops). In this exciting episode, hear the voices and reminiscences of John Reith, Peter Eckersley, Arthur Burrows, Lord Gainford - those who were there as the BBC finally got its name. ====== This podcast is unaffiliated to the mighty BBC. We just like talking about t...
Aug 23, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 11
In episode 10, we journey through the round window... 2ZY Manchester arrives in mid-May 1922, then children's broadcasting in mid-November: Kiddies Corner, as part of a night of General Election results. Weird. Hear the voices that started children's broadcasting: Kenneth Wright (aka Uncle Humpty Dumpty) and Reginald Jordan (a 10-year-old radio announcer). Back in the present day, CHRIS JARVIS (CBeebies, CBBC, Children's BBC, 'The Anorak', Show Me Show Me, Stargazing... etc etc etc) joins us for...
Jul 29, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Episode 9 brings us to the famous '2LO': London is calling the world, on our journey towards the BBC's birth. Hear the voices that launched broadcasting in the UK, plus rivalry and pranks, including Arthur Burrows and Peter Eckersley recreating a 1922 moment via clips from 1938 and 1960. (It looks weird written down, but trust me.) This episode's 'AM' (Airwave Memories) comes from radio producer Chris Byland. Send yours by recording a 1-2min audio clip of you reminiscing about your earliest memo...
Jul 20, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Feb 14th, 1922: Britain finally gets a regular broadcast service. Only it's a little dry. Till Peter Eckersley gives his engineers gin and tonics (also dry), runs to the mic, and brings entertainment radio to the masses with jokes, songs, impressions and severe over-running. Hear all about it - including archive clips aplenty - including more from broadcasting historian Tim Wander ( buy his books here ). Plus an early broadcasting memory - now called 'AM' (Airwave Memories) from Jamie Dyer of th...
Jul 13, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Thank Eckersley for the BBC! It's almost entirely down to him. Never heard of him? Then listen on, to the original PPE... We chat to broadcasting historian Tim Wander (who knows more about Eckersley than anyone on the planet). Plus hear clips from Captain Eckersley himself, both in wild action on air, and looking back over his amazing career as first BBC Chief Engineer, first regular voice on British radio, and pioneer of air traffic control. Oh yes, he also built an airport. And he was a spy in...
Jul 06, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 7
A minisode that somehow ends up longer than a normal episode... Instead of telling you all about 1922's pioneer extraordinaire P.P. Eckersley, we're putting him back a week. Well, the radio hams of the day had to wait 18 months - you can wait 7 days. Before him, we bring a tale of William Le Queux, amateur broadcaster of 1921 - oh and he was a writer from Guildford. Like your host... Plus a tale of hospital radio, and a TV memory from illustrator Rachel Berman. Support the podcast: - ko-fi.com/p...
Jun 29, 2020•19 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Meet the guv'nor: BBC's first newsreader, children's presenter, actor, Head of Programmes... but before all that Arthur Burrows was one of broadcasting's lone prophets, convincing journalists, ministers and future listeners-in that mass entertainment from a small box was A Good Thing. Plus we exclusively hear from a pirate radio legend. Emperor Rosko tells us his journey from naval ship DJ to Radio Caroline, Radio Luxembourg and the first line-up of BBC Radio 1. This podcast has nothing by the w...
Jun 22, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Hip hip hurrah! Our centenary special, landing on the 100th birthday of professional public broadcast radio in Britain. Hear the best/only (possibly) re-enactment of the Melba Concert, sent from Chelmsford to the world on June 15th 1920 - exactly a century before this episode lands. Relive the songs, the fire, a genuine joke, the panic when it goes off-air... and discover how an attempt at Daily Mail Radio sparked British broadcasting into being. This podcast is here to inform, educate + enterta...
Jun 15, 2020•21 min•Season 1Ep. 4
The 1st woman on British radio! Radio's 1st professional artiste! The 1st listings! The 1st programme with a title! Journey back to early 1920 for episode 3 of the story of pre-BBC broadcasting, and meet W.T. Ditcham, Captain H.J. Round and Winifred Sayer - the girl from the ball-bearings factory who brought song to our radio sets. We're here to inform, educate + entertain on the origins of the BBC, radio and life as we know it. I say 'we'. It's just me. Oh, and original music by Will Farmer Oh,...
Jun 11, 2020•17 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Episode 2 of our journey towards British broadcasting's birth: Dr Crippen, Titanic, war, a ghost + 2 brilliant engineers. Be informed, educated + entertained on the origins of the BBC, radio and life as we know it. (We've no affiliation with the BBC, to be clear.) Original music by Will Farmer - Email an audio clip of your early broadcasting memories, or send your questions/comments Support the show at Patreon / Ko-fi Visit BBCentury on Facebook / Twitter Please Share/Rate/Review wherever you go...
Jun 07, 2020•18 min•Season 1Ep. 2
