"I had little idea what broadcasting was." So said John Reith after his job interview to become General Manager of the brand new BBC.
On this exciting episode, meet your first General Manager (Reith), Director of Programmes (Arthur Burrows v Cecil Lewis - who'll get the job?), Secretary (Major Anderson beats 245 others to it, but doesn't last six months) and Chief Engineer (R.H. White - nothing to do with the lemonade - he's appointed but doesn't last the weekend...).
Spanning December 7th-16th 1922, we've got the nerves, the prayers, the interviews, the winks, the nudges, the near-misses (discover who turned down the top job before it was offered to Reith - how different it could have been...) and the programmes.
You'll hear Charles Penrose's The Laughing Policeman, Peter Eckersley spoofing the chimes, A.E. Thompson literally nailing down where the police band sit... plus complaints, correspondence and memos about the broadcasts one month into the BBC's being.
Our special guest is 'Diddy' David Hamilton (who was not one of the first staff, to clarify our episode title). David's a delight, and brings tales of playing Elvis to Elvis, introducing the Beatles and the Stones, and his latest radio home, Boom Radio.
LINKS FOR YOUR CLICKING PLEASURE:
We're nothing to do with today's BBC - we're talking about the BBCompany, not made by or anything to with the BBCorporation. But they have loaned us the memo we read out - so that's BBC copyright content, reproduced courtesy of the British Broadcasting Corporation, all rights reserved. Archive clips are either public domain or someone's domain and we don't know whose. But we thank them and reiterate that all copyright belongs to them, whoever they are...
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Next time: Burrows' broadcasting company vs Marconi's messaging company. Who'll win? Both!
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Thanks for listening! Now stand for the National Anthem.
#047 ”Hark, The Engine’s Failing”: The Closedown of 2MT Writtle
#046 Justin Webb on Leonard Crocombe... and January 1923
#045 2ZY Manchester and 5IT Birmingham Calling... with Jude Montague
#044 Hanso Idzerda and The Dutch Concerts - with Gordon Bathgate
#043 The First Outside Broadcast: A Night at the Opera!
#042 Drops Mic, Drops Callsign
#041 The BBC’s First Female Employee: Isobel Shields
#040 New Year 1923, Magnet House: ”Pandemonium Reigned!”
#039 SPECIAL: The Twelve Airplays of Christmas (with Ben Baker)
#038 SPECIAL: What Marconi Thought of Broadcasting... + 1920s ads
#037 SPECIAL: The Prehistory of the BBC (extended cut)
#036 Out with the Old: The First BBC New Year’s Eve
#035 Reith Begins!
#034 Newcastle‘s Christmas Launch: Let It 5NO, Let It 5NO, Let It 5NO!
#033 The First Couple of Marconi House: December 1922
#032 The Licence Fee Problem... of 1922
#031 The Hunt for BBC Premises, Burrows vs Marconi + Prof Gabriele Balbi
#029 The First Listings: from Norman Long to Neville Chamberlain
#028 The First BBC Entertainers... and Lee Mack
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