"Broadcasting is a development with which the future must reckon and reckon seriously. Here is an instrument of almost incalculable importance in the social and political life of the community, in affairs national and international.""It was the combination of public service motive, sense of moral obligation, assured finance and the brute force of monopoly which enabled the BBC to make of broadcasting what no other country in the world has made of it."
"He who prides himself on giving what he thinks the public wants is often creating a fictitious demand for low standards which he will then satisfy."
This week a century ago, the appointment of a certain gruff, irrascible and uncompromising son of a Scottish Presbyterian minister John Reith (later Lord Reith) as the first general manager of the British Broadcasting Company (as it was then to be known) changed the course of this country and the tone and importance of its national broadcaster forever.
The arrival of radio in everybody's home in those early days of the 20th century also became a bit of a "fad", as Miss Dorrie Dene explains...
Keep twiddling, dears!
[See also my blog post on the centenary of the BBC]
Oh, this recording is priceless! Thanks for the smiles this morning. I, too, could never keep me fingers off me wireless.
ReplyDeleteI love this song - and, remarkably, I only heard it for the first time played by none other than Barry Humphries (aka Dame Edna Everage), who has an occasional series on BBC Radio 2 focusing on music from the early 20th century. Knobs have always been popular, it seems. Jx
DeleteThe BBC may be considered fusty now, but it has always been so much better than anything America has ever come up with. It's why we're jealous.
ReplyDeleteIt's better than anything the commercial broadcasters can come up with over here, too. That's why they're all ganging up to try and kill Auntie off. Jx
DeleteNothing like a good twiddle on a knob!
ReplyDeleteWhy did this tune remind me of 'The Bomb went Rolling Down the Street' ? - I haven't thought of it in years - but I used to know all the words.
Sx
Twiddle away, dear, as long as no-one sees you! Never heard of that song, so there's another "rabbit-hole" you've sent me down... Jx
DeleteOh, the knobs I've twiddled.
ReplyDelete...and the lavish balls you used to hold. Jx
DeleteSaw that title and got all excited. Ran and got my coconut oil... well... you can imagine my disappointment, now can't you. Thing is... one would think I'd be used to it, what with all the bait and swish taking place on the internet hook-up sites. Kizzes.
ReplyDeleteBait & Swish! They're my lawyers. Jx
DeleteGawd bless the dear old BBC even with all it's faults and Gawd bless the memory of Lord Reith with all of his.
ReplyDeleteand nothing wrong with a bit of knob fiddling if you ask me.
I can't imagine Lord Reith twiddling his knob, to be honest. Jx
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