BBC World - Medley
Whilst at the Radio Authority, I spent some time in the early '90s working briefly in Kenya on some 'Commonwealth work', advising on how commercial radio might be established and regulated. In a country where literacy levels were relatively low outside the cities, TV was unavailable to many, and press and broadcasting were closely-controlled, a tier of impartial radio seemed pretty important. That trip brought home to me the positive power of radio across the world. Whereas we consider it largely for interest and entertainment; in so many countries, fair and accurate information can make a difference it is hard to over-estimate.
What can one say about the BBC World Service? Funded, until recently, directly by UK government, this network is about the biggest radio gets. Reaching around 188m people, its influence is clear.
Its origins lie in the BBC Empire Service, launching in 1932. George V famously voiced its worth in the first-ever Royal Christmas Message (part of it is on this Boo). Equally famously, the then Director General, Sir John Reith (Lord Reith) said repeatedly in the service's opening moments: "Don't expect too much in the early days...the programmes will neither be very interesting nor very good". You can hear that honest promise in another Boo.
Arabic was its first foreign language service, launching in 1938. The likelihood of war prompted German broadcasts; and by the end of 1942, broadcasts were in all major European languages. It was renamed the BBC Overseas Service in 1939; a European Service was added in 1941; and it became the BBC World Service on 1 May 1965.
The World Service has changed much in its time. I recall hearing the programmes wavering in and out on 276 medium wave, or on short wave, bringing many 'slices of Britain' like music shows and repeats of Dad's Army. A lot of navel-gazing too: programmes about the service itself, and about aerials. Since the '90s, it has rightly become more news-driven, much pacier and international in its flavour. Platforms have changed too, with the UK being treated to DAB quality coverage and programmes being relayed across the world by satellite and numerous FM frequencies.
The home for the service has been Bush House for almost all its life, moving from Broadcasting House owing to mine damage; and in 2012 moving back there. I recall my visit to Bush House: a maze of small studios, old equipment; and people from all corners of the World working all hours of the day and night, fuelled by a kitchen which knew it was breakfast time for someone somewhere, every hour of the day.
One of my one remaining ambitions in broadcasting is, one day, to say that trio of hugely-charged words: 'This is London'. How do I get to do that?