Broadcasting Empire

The BBC and the British World, 1922-1970

Bibliographic Data

ID20021708
AuthorsSimon J Potter (0000-0001-8104-5777, corresponding author)
Year2012
Pages272
Publication date2012-07-12
Open AccessNo
TypeBOOK
VenueBroadcasting Empire (SOURCE_BOOK)
PublisherOxford University Press (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199568963.001.0001
OpenAlexW4239914109
Open LibraryOL28480125M
ISBN9780199568963
LanguageEN
Citations received63

This book analyses the attempts of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) to use broadcasting as a tool of empire. From an early stage the corporation sought to unite home listeners with their counterparts in the wider British world, particularly in the British settler diaspora in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The BBC saw this as part of its public-service mandate, and also as a means to strengthen its position at home: by broadcasting to and about the empire, it built up its own broadcasting empire. The BBC encouraged overseas the spread of the British approach to broadcasting, in preference to the American commercial model. During the 1930s it tried to work with the public broadcasting authorities that were established in the 'dominions': initially, these efforts met with limited success, but more progress was made in the later 1930s. High culture, royal ceremonies, sport, and even comedy were used to project Britishness, particularly on the BBC Empire Service, the predecessor of today's World Service. Commonwealth broadcasting collaboration intensified during the Second World War, and reached its climax during the late 1940s and 1950s. Belatedly, at this stage the BBC also began to consider the role of broadcasting in Africa and Asia, as a means to encourage 'development' and to combat resistance to continued colonial rule. However, during the 1960s, as decolonization entered its final, accelerated phase, the BBC staged its own imperial retreat

British Empire · Broadcasting (networking) · Colonialism · Commonwealth · Corporation · Decolonization · Diaspora · Empire · Mandate · Media studies · Political science · Politics · Sociology · African history and culture studies · Australian History and Society · History · Law · British Broadcasting Corporation · Colonies · Great britain · Political aspects · Radio broadcasting · Radio in politics · Television and politics · Television broadcasting