Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I give to you the first entertainers – The BBC
By James Lewis, second year, English
102 years on, we take for granted what was once the reserve of the wealthy – thank The BBC for that.
Thesis: On this day, 102 years ago, The BBC started broadcasting the first regular entertainment programmes. Before this, entertainment was attended, read, or bought. This changed on the 23rd of December, 1922, when entertainment was, for the first time, brought straight into people’s homes.
On this day, the 23rd of December, 102 years ago, the first entertainment broadcast was made by the BBC in London. Their first broadcast had been a month earlier, on the 14th of November, focusing on news. By December 23rd, however, the BBC had shifted its intention solely to entertainment, marking a turning point in media history.
Fast forward to today, we are spoiled for choice when it comes to how, when, and where we want to be entertained. Netflix, Amazon, Disney – the list goes on – provide us with 24/7 access to virtually any form of entertainment or distraction we could imagine. But before 1922, no one could have fathomed what a game show, a talk show, or even a Kardashian might be. Entertainment came from books, it came from the theatre, and it came from attending a sporting event. It certainly did not come from a “talking box.” Entertainment was, without question, a luxury for those who could afford it.
The advent of radio technology began to change this. The Marconi Company patented their wireless technology in 1897 and focused on perfecting radio systems. It wasn’t until 1920 that the first broadcast for the public was made in Britain from a Marconi Company facility in Chelmsford.
People who listened to that initial broadcast quickly realized the commercial potential of this new medium. Would-be media tycoons scrambled to request broadcasting licenses from the General Post Office (GPO), the body deemed responsible for overseeing this mysterious new technology. Since the GPO already managed content distribution through existing means, this seemed like a natural extension of their role. However, the GPO rejected all 100 license requests. Instead, the British Broadcasting Company was established, granted a monopoly over broadcasting. It wouldn’t become a public corporation until 1927, but the groundwork had been laid.
People who listened to that initial broadcast quickly realized the commercial potential of this new medium. Would-be media tycoons scrambled to request broadcasting licenses from the General Post Office (GPO), the body deemed responsible for overseeing this mysterious new technology. Since the GPO already managed content distribution through existing means, this seemed like a natural extension of their role. However, the GPO rejected all 100 license requests. Instead, the British Broadcasting Company was established, granted a monopoly over broadcasting. It wouldn’t become a public corporation until 1927, but the groundwork had been laid.
And so it was that in 1922 the BBC began regularly scheduled programmes, beginning in November with the news. There really was no precedent for this type of broadcast. For instance, during the first news programme, the newsreader spoke at a normal pace and then at half-speed, asking listeners to indicate which they preferred.
Interestingly, the BBC’s first station was not what we know today as BBC Radio 1. It was called 2LO, a name randomly assigned by the GPO but one that stuck nonetheless.
December 23rd, 1922, was a landmark day for the BBC. On this day, they aired their first entertainment programmes, marking a shift from merely informing the public to also delighting and engaging them. Listeners were treated to the first children’s programme, the first orchestral concert, and the first broadcast talk, delivered by Victoria Cross recipient E.B. Towse. Sadly, Towse’s talk appears to have been lost to history, as I could not find any description of its content.
The BBC was carving out a world of its own. With no rules or precedents to follow, they had to define what broadcasting could be. It was during this time that John Reith coined the now-famous BBC motto: “inform, educate, and entertain.” From that moment on, the BBC never looked back.
Soon, the public could enjoy an array of programming, from orchestral performances to talks on subjects such as “Episodes in the History of England” and even “Mushrooms and Toadstools.” Children were not forgotten either; they could tune in to “Boy Scouts and Girl Guides News” or enjoy pantomimes and stories tailored specifically for them.
As demand for entertainment grew, so did the BBC. Following 2LO’s success, new stations in Birmingham and Manchester quickly sprang up, and many others followed. The nation’s appetite for entertainment seemed insatiable, and the BBC rose to meet the challenge. For better or worse, we owe much of what we take for granted today to the BBC and the entertainment pioneers who dared to dream of a new way to connect and engage with the public.
For further reading：
https://www.bbc.com/historyofthebbc/timelines/
https://genome.ch.bbc.co.uk
Edited by Shujiao Guo