Guide Note

The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world.¹ A public service broadcaster paid for by UK households, the BBC provides 8 national TV channels, 10 national radio stations and 40 local radio stations. A government grant funds the BBC World Service, which broadcasts news via the television, radio and internet in 33 languages worldwide.

Fast Facts

1. Founder: John Reith
2. Year Established: 1922 (radio); 1932 (television)
3. Director-General: Mark Thompson
4. Deputy Director-General: Mark Byford
5. COO: Caroline Thomson
6. Mission Statement: To enrich people's lives with programmes and services that inform, educate and entertain
7. Domestic programming funded by licensing fee paid for by the public
8. To justify its public status, BBC must broadcast non-commercial programming
9. Maintains commercial arm BBC Worldwide

Key Dates

• October 18, 1922: BBC founded
• January 1, 1927: Granted Royal Charter
• January 3, 1928: First foreign language broadcast
• September 30, 1967: BBC Radio 1 launched
• November 8, 1967: BBC local radio starts
• June 1, 1999: BBC Knowledge starts broadcasting on digital services
• May 27, 2006: BBC's first scheduled HDTV broadcast on BBC HD
• December 25, 2007: BBC iPlayer online service launched