BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation was once the primary television and radio provider in the United Kingdom prior to the introduction of cable, satellite and more recently, digital satellite television.
Founded as a private company in 1922, The British Broadcasting Company took on its current form in 1927 when it came under public ownership. Since then, government backed licence schemes (each home with a television has to buy a television license each year) have ensured the BBC is funded to ideally produce high quality and diverse media content for the British people. Because of this unique funding method, BBC radio and television output has been free of the constraints of commercial advertisers; programme makers are, in theory, answerable only to the licence payer, but pressure from political groups and for audience share are still significant factors in the corporations output.
Radio was the main output of the BBC prior to the invention of television, and is still seen in the title of the BBC's listings magazine, Radio Times. Radio still makes up a large part of the output.
What is now known as BBC1 was one of the world's first television station; it was broadcast from the Alexandra Palace in London to just a few hundred viewers in the immediate area.
BBC2 was the second television station; its remit is to provide more niche programming. Unlike its contemporaries, BBC2 does not have the usual soap opera or standard news programming. What BBC2 is supposed to have is a breadth of programming: eclectic, fun and diverse. Although if anything with high audience viewing figures turns up on BBC2 it is often 'stolen' by BBC1.
Since the introduction of digital television and the explosion in web use, new channels and online content have been developed by the BBC.
The BBC is known to Americans through the BBC America cable station and Lionheart TV which rerun BBC programmes (but call them programs).
Television
United Kingdom:
- BBC1
- BBC2
- BBC Choice soon to be known as BBC3
- BBC Knowledge soon to be known as BBC4
- BBC Parliament
- BBC News 24
- BBC Children A (digital channel - started broadcasting 11 Feb 2002)
- BBC Children B (digital channel - started broadcasting 11 Feb 2002)
Europe:
- BBC Prime
Unites States:
- BBC America
World:
Radio
United Kingdom:
World:
The following stations are coming soon
- Asian Network
- Five Live Sports Plus
- Network X - working title
- Network Y - working title
Misc
/Programming (an assortment of BBC produced programmes)