BBC Regional Programme: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 23:09, 15 March 2021

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The '''BBC Regional Programme''' was a [[United Kingdom|British]] [[radio broadcasting|radio broadcasting service]] which was on the air from 9 March 1930 – when it replacedreplaces a number of earlier [[BBC]] local stations – until 1 September 1939, when it was subsumed into the [[BBC Home Service]], two days before the outbreak of [[World War II]].

Both the [[BBC National Programme|National Programme]] and the Regional Programme provided a mixed mainstream radio service. Whilst the two services provided different programming, allowing listeners a choice, they were not streamed to appeal to different audiences, rather, they were intended to offer a choice of programming to a single audience. While using the same transmitters, the National Programme broadcast significantly more speech and [[classical music]] than its successor, the [[BBC Light Programme|Light Programme]]. Similarly, the Regional Programme broadcast much more [[light music|light]] and [[dance music]] than its successor, the Home Service.

==History==

===Foundation===

When the [[British Broadcasting Company]] first began transmissions on 14 November 1922 from [[2LO|station 2LO]] in [[Strand, London|the Strand]], [[Westminster]], London, which it had inherited from the [[Marconi Company]] (one of the six commercial companies which created the [[BBC]]), the technology did not yet exist either for national coverage or for joint programming between [[transmitter]]s. Whilst it was possible to combine large numbers of [[trunking|trunk]] [[telephone line]]s to link transmitters for individual programmes, the process was expensive and not encouraged by the [[General Post Office]] as it tied up large parts of the telephone network. The stations that followed the establishment of [[2LO]] in [[London]] were therefore autonomously programmed using local talent and facilities.

By May 1923, [[Simulcast|simultaneous broadcasting]] was technically possible, at least between main transmitters and [[broadcast relay station|relay stations]], but the quality was not felt to be high enough to provide a national service or regular simultaneous broadcasts.

By May 1923, [[Simulcast|simultaneous broadcasting]] was technically possible, at least between main transmitters and [[broadcast relay station|relay stations]], but the quality was not felt to be high enough to provide a national service or regular simultaneous broadcasts. In 1924, it was felt that technical standards had improved enough for London to start to provide the majority of the output, cutting the local stations back to providing items of local interest.

====Original local stations====

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| 822 kHz

|-

|rowspan="2"| 15 November 1922

| '''[[5IT]]'''

| [[Birmingham]]

| 626 kHz

|-

| 15 November 1922

| '''[[2ZY]]'''

| [[Manchester]]

Line 132 ⟶ 131:

| '''6LV'''

| [[Liverpool]]

|rowspan="5"| 2ZY

| 906 kHz

|-

Line 138 ⟶ 137:

| '''2LS'''

| [[Leeds]] and [[Bradford]]

| 2ZY

| 935 kHz

|-

Line 144 ⟶ 142:

| '''6KH'''

| [[Kingston upon Hull]]

| 2ZY

| 896 kHz

|-

Line 150 ⟶ 147:

| '''5NG'''

| [[Nottingham]]

| 2ZY

| 920 kHz

|-

Line 156 ⟶ 152:

| '''6ST'''

| [[Stoke-on-Trent]]

| 2ZY

| 996 kHz

|-

Line 177 ⟶ 172:

By combining the resources of the local stations into one regional station in each area, with a basic sustaining service from London, the BBC hoped to increase programme quality whilst also [[Centralization|centralising]] the management of the radio service. This was known as "the regional scheme".

The local transmitters were gradually either converted to a regional service relay or closed entirely and replaced by high-power regional broadcasts. Some local studios were retained to provide for programming from specific areas within each region. Most transmitters also carried the BBC National Programme on a local frequency to supplement the longwave broadcasts from 5XX; initially these were on three separate frequencies and programming included some local variations. As the regional network expanded these transmissions were fully synchronised with those from [[Brookmans Park transmitting station|Brookmans Park]].:

====Transmitters====

{| class="wikitable"

! Airdate

Line 185 ⟶ 178:

! Regional area

! Initial frequency

! Frequency in (1939)

|-

| 21 August 1927

Line 218 ⟶ 211:

|-

| 17 February 1935

| [[Droitwich Transmittingtransmitting Stationstation|Droitwich]]

| Midland

| 1013 kHz

Line 238 ⟶ 231:

| Penmon

| [[Welsh language|Welsh]] <small>(West and Wales until 3 July)</small>

|rowspan="2"| 804 kHz

|rowspan="2"| 804 kHz

|-

| 4 July 1937

| Washford

| Welsh

| 804 kHz

| 804 kHz

|-

| 19 October 1937

Line 253 ⟶ 244:

| 1122 kHz

|-

|rowspan="2"| 14 June 1939

| Clevedon

|rowspan="2"| West

| 1474 kHz

| 1474 kHz

|-

| 14 June 1939

| [[Start Point transmitting station|Start Point]]

| West

| 1050 kHz

| 1050 kHz

Line 276 ⟶ 265:

On 29 July 1945, within 12 weeks of [[Victory in Europe Day]], the BBC reactivated the Regional Programme, but kept the name "BBC Home Service" (until 30 September 1967 as the station became [[BBC Radio 4]]). The National Programme was also reopened under a new name as the [[BBC Light Programme]].

===Inheritance===

Both the National Programme and the Regional Programme provided a mixed mainstream radio service. Whilst the two services provided different programming, allowing listeners a choice, they were not streamed to appeal to different audiences, rather, they were intended to offer a choice of programming to a single audience. While using the same transmitters, the National Programme broadcast significantly more speech and [[classical music]] than its successor, the Light Programme. Similarly, the Regional Programme broadcast much more light and dance music than its successor, the Home Service.

==See also==