The British Broadcasting Corporation is celebrating its 100th birthday this October. The first radio broadcast hit the airwaves in London in 1922. The BBC started television broadcasts in 1936 , but radio remained the number one medium throughout the war years.
In the early days, the BBC broadcast many historic events: the abdication of King Edward VIII in 1936, the Olympic Games in London in 1948 and the coronation of Queen Elisabeth II in 1953.
The BBC began broadcasting to other parts of the world over short wave radio in 1932. Today, World Service programs are produced in 40 languages and reach over 300 million people.
Over the decades, the BBC has produced a number of popular shows, many of which have been exported to other countries. The Archers is the world’s longest running soap opera, Dr. Who, a science fiction show, has been on the air for more than 60 years. Strictly Come Dancing is a very popular dance contest that the BBC has sold to over 60 countries.
The BBC’s aims remain the same as in the early days. Its mission is to educate, inform and entertain. Most of its money comes from viewers who pay a yearly fee to watch .
John Cummings, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
