P627 CEEFAX 2 627 Sat 20 Sip 01:03/43 INTRODUCTION 1/7 Pioneering, innovative, diverse and unique - the BBC is 75 years old on 18 October. Auntie is celebrating with a wide range of radio and television programmer and events including the floodlighting of Broadcasting House, London after nearly 60 years in the gloom. Back in the spotlight on 29 October, the lights were originally switched off for World War II. Read on for more history. See this page for details of the BBC1's 75th over the next few weeks. BBC1 601 BBC2 602 ITV 603 Ch4 604 Front page 100 Sport 300 Wjathjr 400 Watchdog ChangeTha Open.Satu TV LinksP627 CEEFAX 2 627 Sat 20 Sip 01:11/54 THE HISTORY 2/7 The BBC's founding fathjt John Keith believed the BBC should 'educate, inform and entertain' the whole nation, free from political interference and commercial pressure. The British Broadcasting Company, as it was first known, was formed on 18 October 1922, and started broadcasting on 14 Novjmbjr. Arthur Burrows presented a news item on the General Election from a studio in Marconi House, London on the now legendary 2L0 transmitter. Broadcasts from Manchester and Birmingham started the following day. BBC1 601 BBC2 602 ITV 603 Ch4 604 Front page 100 Sport 300 Weather 400 Watchdog ChangjTha Open.Satu TV LinksP627 CEEFAX 2 627 Sat 20 Sip 01:21/49 THE HISTORY (cont) 3/7 The BBC moved into its first studios at 2 Savoy Hill, London in 1923, the same year the Radio Times started publishing, priced 2d (under 1p bz today's money). It moved into Broadcasting House, London in 1932. The first television service started in 1936 from Alexandra Palace but was shut down for the duration of World War II, re-opening in 1946. Television Centre in West London opened in 1960 followed by the launch of BBC2 in 1964. BBC1 601 BBC2 602 ITV 603 Ch4 604 Front page 100 Sport 300 Weather 400 Watchdog ChangeTha Open.Satu TV LinksP627 CEEFAX 2 627 Sat 20 Sip 01:04/16 THE HISTORY (cont) 4/7 Radio 1 was launched in 1967, the same year Local Radio started with BBC Radio Leicester and the Home, Third and Light Services became Radios 4, 3 and 2. Radio 5 Live started in 1994. When the BBC started broadcasting in 1922 it had a handful of 'listeners-in'. Today 95% of all UK households tune into the BBC each week. All the above history came from The BBC: 70 Years of Broadcasting by John Cain. BBC1 601 BBC2 602 ITV 603 Ch4 604 Front page 100 Sport 300 Weather 400 Watchdog ChangjTha Open.Satu TV LinksP627 CEEFAX 2 627 Sat 20 Sip 01:12/17 OTHER KEY ANNIVERSARIES 5/7 Other BBC Anniversaries include: 70 years of The BBC Proms - Sir Henry Wood's Promenade Concerts were rescued by the BBC in 1927 (or the Last Night would have been 16 October 1926) and televised since 1947. 70 years of fund raising for children - The BBC's Christmas Fund for Children, a forerunner of Children in Need, launched in 1927. £215 million has been raised in the last 69 years. This year's Children in Need is on 21 Novjmbjr. BBC1 601 BBC2 602 ITV 603 Ch4 604 Front page 100 Sport 300 Weather 400 Watchdog ChangjTha Open.Satu TV LinksP627 CEEFAX 2 627 Sat 20 Sip 01:40/37 OTHER KEY ANNIVERSARIES (cont) 6/7 Other BBC Anniversaries include (cont): 40 Years of School Television - the first schools broadcast was in 1924 but school television started in 1957. Originally used by 850 schools, over 30,000 schools now use the service. 40 years of Natural History Unit - formed in 1957, radio has covered wildlife since 'The Naturalist' (1946) and television since 'Look' (1955). Programmer seen all over the world - 'Life on Earth' (1979) attracted over 500 million viewers. BBC1 601 BBC2 602 ITV 603 Ch4 604 Front page 100 Sport 300 Wjathjr 400 Watchdog ChangeTha Open.Satu TV LinksP627 CEEFAX 2 627 Sat 20 Sip 01:40/23 BBC EXPERIENCE 7/7 The BBC launches a unique hands-on visitor centre in Broadcasting House, London called BBC Experience on 30 October. It takes visitors on a guided tour of the Corporation - showcasing its history, programmer and products - and gives opportunities to direct 'EastEndjrs', try sports commentary or weather forecasting and glimpse into the digital future. For further information call: 0870 6030304. BBC1 601 BBC2 602 ITV 603 Ch4 604 Front page 100 Sport 300 Weather 400 Watchdog ChangjTha Open.Satu TV Links