The art of radio self-satire | Part 2…

Should a major cultural institution ever be seen to be making fun of itself? This article considers some BBC programmes – all ones on the radio – from the 1930s to the 1950s. It follows on from the first in this series of essays, available to read here, or by clicking on this preview: https://prefadelisten.com/2023/01/14/how-the-bbc-has-spent-decades-satirising-itself-part-1/ … Continue reading The art of radio self-satire | Part 2… →

100 Years of Radio: When it all goes wrong – a broadcaster’s fear of failure

This article is part of a regular series of monthly features about the joys of radio. However, this edition brings details of a warning from the early days of British radio. It's from 1931, when the BBC's broadcast headquarters was a series of rooms on the upper floors of a back-street building down by the … Continue reading 100 Years of Radio: When it all goes wrong – a broadcaster’s fear of failure →

100 Years of British Radio: Why do we love the pirates so much?

The BBC – and radio in Britain – is now celebrating its centenary. But almost from the start the official broadcasters: initially the BBC then later the commercial ILR companies fretted about competition from pirate stations. First there was home-made equipment in the 1930s, then in the 1960s we had the offshore pirates, and from … Continue reading 100 Years of British Radio: Why do we love the pirates so much? →