The BBC Regional Programme was a BBC radio station from the 1920s until the outbreak of World War II. For other uses, see BBC (disambiguation). ... A radio station is an audio (sound) broadcasting service, traditionally broadcast through the air as radio waves (a form of electromagnetic radiation) from a transmitter to an antenna and a thus to a receiving device. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Foundation

When the BBC first began transmissions on 14 November 1922, the technology for both national coverage and joint programming between transmitters did not exist. Whilst it was possible to combine large numbers of trunk telephone lines 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. Therefore, the stations that followed the establishment of 2LO in London were autonomously programmed using local talent and facilities. is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Antenna tower of Crystal Palace transmitter, London A transmitter (sometimes abbreviated XMTR) is an electronic device which with the aid of an antenna propagates an electromagnetic signal such as radio, television, or other telecommunications. ... // Main article: Link aggregation In computer networking, trunking defines using multiple network cables or ports in parallel to increase the link speed beyond the limits of any one single cable or port. ... The British General Post Office (GPO) was officially established in 1660 by Charles II and it eventually grew to combine the functions of both the state postal system and telecommunications carrier. ... 2LO was the second HP radio station to regularly broadcast in the United Kingdom (the first was 2MT). ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ...

By May 1923, simultaneous broadcasting was technically possible, at least between main transmitters and relay stations, but the quality was not felt to be high enough to provide a national service or regular simultaneous broadcasts. Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Simulcast is a contraction of simultaneous broadcast, and refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium at the same time. ...

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. For the rap album, see 1924 (album). ...

Original regional stations

Each of these stations broadcast at approximately 1 kW.

is the 318th day of the year (319th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the British city. ... is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the City of Manchester in England. ... is the 358th day of the year (359th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1922 (MCMXXII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... , Newcastle upon Tyne (usually shortened to Newcastle) is a large city in Tyne and Wear, England. ... is the 44th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the capital city of Wales. ... is the 65th day of the year (66th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Glasgow (disambiguation). ... is the 290th day of the year (291st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... , Bournemouth is a large town and tourist resort, situated on the south coast of England. ... is the 320th day of the year (321st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1923 (MCMXXIII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see Sheffield (disambiguation). ... is the 87th day of the year (88th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the rap album, see 1924 (album). ... This article is about the city of Plymouth in England. ... is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the rap album, see 1924 (album). ... This article is about the city in Northern Ireland. ...

Relay stations

Each of these stations broadcast at approximately 120 W

is the 121st day of the year (122nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the rap album, see 1924 (album). ... For other uses, see Edinburgh (disambiguation). ... is the 162nd day of the year (163rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the rap album, see 1924 (album). ... For other uses, see Liverpool (disambiguation). ... is the 189th day of the year (190th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the rap album, see 1924 (album). ... For other uses, see Leeds (disambiguation). ... For other uses, see Bradford (disambiguation). ... is the 227th day of the year (228th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the rap album, see 1924 (album). ... Hull shown within England The unitary authorities of the Ceremonial East Riding. ... is the 259th day of the year (260th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the rap album, see 1924 (album). ... For other uses, see Nottingham (disambiguation). ... is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the rap album, see 1924 (album). ... For other uses, see Dundee (disambiguation). ... is the 325th day of the year (326th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the rap album, see 1924 (album). ... This page is about Stoke-on-Trent in England. ... is the 346th day of the year (347th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the rap album, see 1924 (album). ... For other places with the same name, see Swansea (disambiguation). ...

The Regional Scheme

On 21 August 1927, the BBC opened a high power mediumwave transmitter at Daventry, 5GB, to replace the existing local stations in the English Midlands. That allowed the experimental longwave transmitter 5XX to provide a service programmed from London for the majority of the population. This came to be called the BBC National Programme. is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Mediumwave radio transmissions serves as the most common band for broadcasting. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The BBC National Programme was a BBC radio station from the 1920s until the outbreak of World War II. // Foundation When the BBC first began transmissions on 14 November 1922, the technology for both national coverage and joint programming between transmitters did not exist - transmitter powers were generally in the...

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 centralising the management of the radio service. This was known as The Regional Scheme. The Politics series Politics Portal This box:      Centralization (or centralisation) is the process by which the activities of an organization, particularly those regarding decision-making, become concentrated within a particular location and/or group. ...

Each local transmitter was slowly 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, Scotland receiving a modified service known as the "Scottish National Programme".

Regional transmitters

Note: The London region was not generally known by that name. As the sustaining service, it was referred to as "the basic Regional Programme". Brookmans Park supplied programmes for London, South East England and much of East Anglia. is the 233rd day of the year (234th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1927 (MCMXXVII) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Holy Cross Church Daventry is a market town in Northamptonshire, England with a population of 22,367 (2001 census). ... Droitwich Spa is a town in northern Worcestershire, England. ... is the 294th day of the year (295th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Brookmans Park transmitter is a facility for medium wave broadcasting north of London (national grid reference: TL259050). ... is the 137th day of the year (138th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1931 (MCMXXXI) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1931 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Moorside Edge is one of the most powerful mediumwave radio transmitters in Britain at 200kW erp. ... is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1932 (MCMXXXII) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1932 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The four masts at the Westerglen transmitting station The Westerglen transmitting station is a facility for longwave and mediumwave broadcasting established in 1932 at Westerglen Farm, 3 km south west of Falkirk, Stirlingshire, Scotland (grid reference NS868773). ... is the 148th day of the year (149th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1933 (MCMXXXIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Lisnagarvey transmitting station is a facility for mediumwave broadcasting located on the south western edge of the town of Lisburn, Northern Ireland (grid reference J258919). ... The Burghead transmitting station is a broadcasting facility near Burghead (grid reference NJ125685) in Scotland for long- and medium-wave radio transmission that started service on 12th October 1936. ... South East England is one of the nine official regions of England. ... Norfolk and Suffolk, the core area of East Anglia. ...

Closure

Upon the outbreak of World War II, the BBC closed the Regional Programme and combined it with the National Programme to form a single channel known as the BBC Home Service. The BBC Home Service was the original name for Radio 4 and was on the air from 1939 until 30 September 1967. ...

The former transmitters of the Regional Programme continued to broadcast this service, although their frequencies were synchronised together to allow them to all broadcast on just two wavelengths (668 and 767 kHz) and therefore be turned off in sequence to prevent the signals being used as navigational beacons for enemy aircraft during the Blitz. Telegraph Signal Tower at Cobbs Hill, near New Market, Virginia, 1864. ... For other uses, see Blitz. ...

Shortly after VE-Day, the BBC reintroduced the regional service, but kept the title "BBC Home Service". The longwave frequency (200 kHz) of the former National Programme became the BBC Light Programme. Churchill waves to crowds in Whitehall on the day he broadcast to the nation that the war with Germany had been won, 8 May 1945. ... The Light Programme was a BBC radio station broadcasting mainstream light entertainment and music. ...

Inheritance

Both the Regional Programme and the National 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. Therefore, the pre-war Regional Programme, whilst using the same regions, frequencies and transmitters as the post-war Home Service, was not the middlebrow news and drama station is successor became. Similarly. the pre-war National Programme was not the general entertainment network its successor the Light Programme became.

References

• Various authors The B.B.C. Year-book 1933 London: British Broadcasting Corporation 1932
• Various authors BBC Year Book 1947 London: British Broadcasting Corporation 1947
• Graham, Russ J A local service Radiomusications from Transdiffusion, undated; accessed 5 February 2006
• Graham, Russ J A new lease of life Radiomusications from Transdiffusion, undated; accessed 5 February 2006
• Groves, Paul History of radio transmission part 1: 1922 - 1967 Frequency Finder, undated; accessed 5 February 2006
• Paulu, Burton Radio and Television Broadcasting on the European Continent Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press 1967

Burton Paulu (25 June 1910 - 8 March 2003) was an American broadcaster, author and academic specialising in the subject of media and communication. ...

Further reading

• Briggs, Asa History of Broadcasting in the United Kingdom Oxford:Oxford University Press 1995 ISBN 0-19-212930-9

External link

• UK radio history