Rinil wys in whih British Rdi Chngd btwn 1922 and 1950 - Essay Example

rinсiраl wаys in whiсh British rаdiо сhаngеd bеtwееn 1922 and 1950 Name Subject Professor Date What wеrе the рrinсiраl wаys in whiсh British rаdiо сhаngеd bеtwееn 1922 and 1950? Broadcasting of radio transmission has undergone various transformations aimed at making it better from time to time. The initial broadcasting of a radio transmission was in the form of Morse code and was done from a provisional station in 1895. Between 1905 and 1906, the broadcasting of music and talk through radio commenced experimentally. Nonetheless, it was not until 1920-1923 that it was done commercially. At this time, technology standards were extremely low and it was only after about 30 years that very high frequency stations were set up. Before this, radio stations used long wave, medium wave as well as short wave bands to broadcast. It is however worth noting that from as early as 1890, United Kingdom and some other areas were privileged to have a system and things such as news, religious broadcasts and music were made available to people through the conventional telephone line (Coase, 2013, p. 106). The British radio has gone through some changes from its inception to today. This is an aspect that can be attributed to various factors such as the growth and advancement of technology and skilled manpower. This easy will give an in-depth discussion of the principal ways in which British radio changed between the year 1922 and 1950. Different nations have different stories when it comes to radio broadcasting especially to when it started and the transformations that have taken place since its inception to date. In the United Kingdom, the earliest experimental music broadcasts started in 1920. It was not until two year later, in 1922, that the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) was formed by a group of radio manufacturers. Frank Gillard, a former war correspondent, was the individual behind the vision of BBC local radio. The vision was inspired by his visits to Canada and America whereby he witnessed the potential advantages of a local radio. BBC can be said to have been formed as a convenient solution to a technical problem that existed during that time. The scarcity of airwaves is one reason that led to the establishment of BBC (Curran & Seaton (1997, p. 112). Rival manufactures were encouraged to invent jointly in a single broadcasting station, the British Broadcasting Company. This was considered as one way of solving the problems of radio interference (Reyes & Frazier, 2007, p. 129). Despite the fact that BBC permitted some sponsored programs, it could not pass as a fully commercial station. According to Crisell (2005, p. 117), station 2LO and station 2MT were the first radio stations in England, both under the management of the Marconi Company. However, there was some growth in the industry and by the end of 1923; six stations had been established in the United Kingdom and they broadcasted on a regular basis. According to Reyes and Frazier (2007, p. 126), the local roots of BBC radio can be traced back to the early days of the company, in the 1920s. The manner in which radio worked from the early days and the changes that were experienced as years passed by can be understood through the way it operated and the platforms involved. Initially, the BBC managed a network of local, separate stations that were linked to London via telephone links as well as networking or what was then termed as simultaneous broadcasting. There were about nine stations located in different parts of the United Kingdom and they mainly concentrated on showcasing local talent of the people. As time progressed, the local stations were slowly replaced by the Regional scheme. As from 1929, six regional services complemented the national output from London. The development of very high frequency (VHF) was realized in the 1950s, an aspect that made local broadcasting as a modern idea, a more feasible technical prospect (Curran & Seaton (1997, p. 112). VHF made it possible for a network of transmitters to cover the nation. It also made small-scale local stations a prospect. Curran and Seaton (1997, p. 111) assert that David Sarnoff, an American engineer came up with the idea of the possibility of radio in 1916 but the idea came to reality later on. The idea aimed at bringing music into the house by wireless but the wireless concept was not received well. In 1922 for example, there were many applications from manufacturers who were interested in setting up broadcasting stations, an aspect that necessitated the need for control. During the early years of radio broadcast, the radio stations broadcast at 1.5 kW but London was increased to 3 kW in 1925 when the transmitter was relocated to a better location, Selfridges. This is a fairly low power in relation to modern standards, an aspect that meant that many areas suffered the problem of poor reception. As time progressed, the radio progressed positively. For instance, from late 1923 to late 1924, 100 W relays were initiated for various areas such as Bradford, Liverpool, Plymouth and Stoke. There was also an installation of a 1.5 kW transmitter at Belfast. A transformation in the wave band was also experienced. The medium wave band expanded from 600 to 100 kHz and the stations were in a position to function on distinct frequencies (Reyes & Frazier, 2007, p. 132). Another development in radio was the opening of a 25 kW long wave station at Daventry in 1926. It was also in this year that the initial British Broadcasting Company was shut down and the new British Broadcasting corporation opened (Curran & Seaton (1997, p. 112). This was a great progress that went a long way in filling in most of the coverage gaps that existed in Southern and Central England. For the first time, a radio service was established in Norwich and reception greatly enhanced in different areas such as Cambridge and Oxford. 1927 also saw the opening of the first high power medium wave transmitter at Daventry, an aspect that also extended coverage to most part of East Anglia. Wave bands and frequencies continued improving as time progressed, making reception much better and at some point, frequencies were even allocated to nations rather than to distinct transmitting stations. The view of BBC as a public corporation rather than just a broadcasting company was a great move. In 1933 for example, the first head of the Talks Department, Hilda Matheson, asserted that the corporation was totally in upholding the British constitution (Curran & Seaton (1997, p. 113). Changes in the national and regional programmes is also an issue that is worth noting when it comes to the discussion of the principal ways in which British radio changed over time. During the 1930s, the BBC steadily substituted its transmitter network with high power stations situated outside the cities. It was in a position to broadcast at powers of 40-100 kW. In 1929, a station was opened at Brookmans Park in Hertfordshire. It replaced the 3kW transmitter located at Selfridges and served the South East and parts of East Anglia and London. The opening of another high power transmitter at the park was done in 1930 and it made it possible to initiate a second programme for London as well Midland regions. The use of medium waves is an aspect that led to an increase in coverage especially for the regional programme (Reyes and Frazier, 2007, p.133). Another high power transmitter was installed at Moorside Edge and replaced the main station at Manchester and relays in different locations. In 1931, the regional programme and national programme were opened. A station was also opened at Westerglen and had both regional and national programmes in 1932. In 1933, the Welsh regional programme opened and the national programme followed shortly. The programmes used the frequency used by the programme from Brookmans Park as discussed earlier. Various individuals can be linked with changes in programmes in the radio sector. For instance, Lord Haw Haw was the first radio personality of the war. Also, William Joyce had dominated German propaganda to England by the year 1940 (Curran & Seaton (1997, p. 132). The BBC frequencies underwent significant changes in 1934 when an additional international frequency plan was executed. For instance, the long wave transmitter increased to 200 kHz. The plan was to be in place until 1950. Other different changes were experienced including the replacement of stations with long wave transmitters, relocation of programmes and exchange of frequencies. For instance, in 1936 and 1937, high power transmitters opened at Linsnargarvey, Burghead and Stagshaw, all carrying the regional programme only. The availability of the national programme on long wave saw the re-allocation of the transmitter at Washford with an aim of offering a Western regional programme. Other changes continued to take place with regard to making things better in terms of transmission and reception. The BBC faced some form of competition for the first time in the 1930s. French station Radio Normandie started to broadcast in English in 1931. Also, in 1933, Radio Luxembourg started broadcasting in English after opening a 200 kW long wave transmitter (Crisell, 2005, p. 156). By the year 1945, radio had grown in popularity and was considered as a significant element of the image of the family in its home (Curran & Seaton, 1997, p. 145). In 1946, a new classical music and natural service, which was the third programme was introduced. In 1950, a new international frequency plan was executed. Here, the band expanded from 530 to 1600 kHz. Transformations did not end here but rather, thing went on improving as time progressed in accordance to the demands of the public. Increase in frequencies and the number or programmes are however the major advancements that was experienced year after year since the inception of the radio in the United Kingdom. The birth of FM radio came in the 1950s and AM radio was now losing meaning, with respect to standard and the fact that television and other advanced media had started to grow in popularity (Crisell, 2005, p. 297). Coase (2013, p. 208) observes that war had a significant influence on radio in the United Kingdom. During the war period, enemy bombers who used radio transmitters or their navigation were a potential challenge. Following this, the long wave transmitter was shut down. On the other hand, the medium wave transmitters were classified into synchronous groups on the same frequency. The Home Service replaced the regional and national programmes and two frequencies were used to broadcast it. Another frequency broadcasted the European programme at night. During air raids, the synchronous transmitters were switched off. To enhance reception of the Home Service, Matrix H, a synchronous network, was constructed and other transmitters were opened later, as the war progressed. Peacetime broadcasting was back at BBC after the war and Home Service was divided into seven regions and took over most frequencies that belonged to the old regional programme. According to Curran and Seaton (1997, p. 135), war was an element that affected the authority of the radio to some point of making jokes out of the information or news that was to be broadcasted. The public also became more informed and serious-minded following the war. In 1941, radio was considered as the most significant medium of information. By the end of the war, it had replaced the newspapers especially on some type of news, more so immediate accounts of battles (Curran & Seaton, 1997, p. 143). The above discussion indicates the manner in which British radio has changed over time due to various factors more especially between 1922 and 1950. Most changes have been aimed at making the broadcasting better and have been made possible by various aspects such as the growth and advancement of technology and skilled manpower in the industry. An increase in the number of radio stations and transmitters is one change that is evident throughout the period. The opening of regional and national programmes is also an issue that cannot go unmentioned. Another significant issue that led to changes in the radio sector is the war period, which interfered with the transmitters. This was however not the end since things calmed down after the war and normalcy set in. The advancement of other media of information transmission such as television and social media has since been invented and are widely utilized. References Coase, R.H., 2013. British broadcasting: A study in monopoly. New York: Routledge. Crisell, A., 2005. An introductory history of British broadcasting. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge. Curran, J. and Seaton, J., 1997. Power without responsibility: press, broadcasting and the internet in Britain. 5th ed. New York: Routledge. Reyes, P.M. and Frazier, G.V., 2007. Radio frequency identification: past, present and future business applications. International Journal of Integrated Supply Management, 3(2), pp.125-134. Read More