History of the radio

This is brief history of radio development, starting from theearly years to the time when radio
manufacturing ended at Wolverhampton. Any description of the developments will inevitably be of a
technical nature. Actual descriptions of some of the circuits have been included, but these are separate
to the main text, so if you are not interested in the technicalities, they can be ignored.

Beginnings

James Clerk Maxwell, the Scottish physicist, was born on the 13th of June 1831, in Edinburgh. He was
very interested in Michael Faraday's work on electromagnetism. Faraday explained that electric and
magnetic effects result from lines of force that surround conductors and magnets. Maxwell drew an
analogy between the behaviour of the lines of force and the flow of liquid, deriving equations that
represent electric and magnetic effects. In 1855 he produced a paper which built on Faraday's ideas, and
in 1861 developed a model for a hypothetical medium that consisted of a fluid became elastic and a
charge was applied to it. This would set up a disturbance in the fluid, which would produce waves that
would travel through the medium. The German physicists Friedrich Kohlrausch and Wilhelm Weber
calculated that these waves would travel at the speed of light. Maxwell finally published this work in his
'Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism' in 1873.

In 1888 German physicist Heinrich Hertz made the sensational wavelengths too long for our eyes to see,
confirming Maxwell's ideas. discovery of radio waves, a form of electromagnetic radiation with detected
them using a metal loop with a gap at one side. When the He devised a transmitting oscillator, which
radiated radio waves, and placed within the transmitter's electromagnetic field, sparks produced across
the gap. This proved that electromagnetic waves could be sent out into space, and be remotely
detected. These waves were known as 'Hertzian Waves' and Hertz managed to detect them across the
length of his laboratory. Italian born Guglialmo Marconi was fascinated Hertz's discovery, and realised
that if radio waves could be transmitted and detected over long distances, wireless telegraphy could be
developed. He started experimenting in 1894 and set up rough aerials on opposite sides of the family
garden. He managed to receive signals over a distance of 100 metres, and by the end of 1895 had
extended the distance to over a mile. He approached the Italian Ministry of Posts and Telegraphs,
informing them of his experiments. The Ministry was not interested and so his cousin, Henry Jameson-
Davis arranged an interview with Nyilliam Preece, who was Engineer-in-Chief to the British Post Office.

Font

He came to England in February 1896 and gave demonstrations in London at the General Post Office
Building. His transmissions were detected 1.5 miles away, and on 2nd September at Salisbury plain the
range was increased to 8 miles. In 1897 he obtained a patent for wire- less telegraphy, and established
the Wireless Telegraph and Signal Company at Chelmsford. The word's first radio factory was opened
there in 1898. on 11th May 1897 tests were possible over water. A transmitter was set up at Lavernock
Point, near Penarth and the transmissions were received on the other side of the Bristol channel at the
Island of Holm, a distance of 3.5 miles. The Daily Express was the first newspaper to obtain news by
wireless telegraphy in August 1898, and in December of that year communication was set up between
Queen Victoria's Royal yacht, off Cowes and Osborne House. The Queen received regular bulletins on
the Prince of Wales' health, by radio, from the yacht, where he was convalescing.
Also in December of that year, wireless communication was set up between the East Goodwin light ship
and the South Foeland lighthouse. On 3rd March 1899 Marconi obtained a lot of publicity where the
first life was saved by wireless telegraphy, which was used to say a ship in distress in the North Sea. By
the summer cross channel conmunication had been established and the first ocean newspaper
published bulletins sent by wireless. About this time Marconi began to develop tuned circuits for
wireless transmission, so that a wireless can be tuned to a particular frequency, to remove all other
transmissions except the one of interest. He patented this on 26 April 1900, under the name of "Tuned
Syntonic Telegraphy".

On Thursday 12th December 1901, Marconi and his associates succeeded in transmitting a signal across
the Atlantic Ocean. He sailed to Newfoundland with G.S. Kemp and P.W. Paget, and received
transmission from Poldhu, Cornwall. The transmission was received at Signal Hill using a kite aerial. The
British government and admiralty were greatly impressed and many people wanted to invest in the new
technology

Demand grew and large numbers of ships carried the new apparatus, which saved many lives at sea.
One of the most famous occasions was when the Titanic sank. Signals transmitted by its Marcon wireless
summoned help and saved many lives. Receivers at this time were mainly crystal sets, which were
extremely insensitive and unselective. They were connected to a pair of headphones and required a long
aerial. At this time wireless was strictly controlled by the Post Office It was a simple matter to obtain a
receiving licence but much more difficult to obtain permission to use a transmitter. In order to do so the
Post Office had to be satisfied that the applicant had suitable engineering qualifications, or knowledge
to operate the transmitter. Transmitter output power was restricted to ten watts, and use was only
permitted for scientific research or for something of use to the public. A small number of radio amateurs
were transmitting before the First World War. We had at least two in Wolverhampton; Harry Stevens of
Oak-lands Road and Mr. J. Vincent Waine of Helmsley Lodge, Wednesfield.

Mr. Waine, who began transmitting in about 1898 became well Known locally when he received the
S.O.S. that was transmitted by the Narrung P.& 0. Liner, during a gale in the Channel, on Boxing Day
1912. Wireless was his main hobby, he was an enthusiastic amateur And recorded messages from places
as far as Russia, Austria, Hungary, Italy, Africa and America. And receiving equipment, including a spark
gap transmitter and a speCial sensitive detector. He designed and built all of his transmitting He was
never satisfied with the equipment and Always strived to improve its performance. Mr. Waine's call sign
was «ZAX'. The three aerials in his back garden used something like 3,000ft of wire. The equipment was
housed in a cupboard in the dining Room so that it could be operated in comfort. Mr. Waine also had
links with commercial radio companies and Was associated with Marconi, Dr. Fleming and Sir Henry
Jackson, who Was Admiral of the Fleet. He also gave financial assistance to Mr. John Logie Baird the
television pioneer. The opposite photograph shows Mr. Waine's indoor equipment. Mr. Waine's eight
and a half year old son, Vincent, was also a Keen radio enthusiast and eagerly used his father's
equipment. He posSessed a miniature wireless set capable of receiving and transmitting

Over three miles. Mr. Waine and his family acquired the Point of Air Lighthouse, At the mouth of the
River Dee, as a weekend holiday home, in the early 1930's. As well as a weekend retreat it was used as a
base for much of His experimental work. The photograph opposite shows Mr. Waine and Vincent
receivIng a message. I would like to thank Peter Waine for the information about his Father's wireless
station. History of BBC radio

Induction – the story

Innovative, progressive and pioneering – the British BroadcastDing Corporation has proved a powerful
force in the 20th century – proViding entertainment, education and information, and captivating
milLions of viewers and listeners at home and abroad.

The beginnings

The British Broadcasting Company, as the BBC was originally Called, was formed in October 1922 by a
group of leading wireless Manufacturers including the great radio pioneer, Gudlielmo Marconi. Daily
broadcasting by the BBC began from Marconi's London studio On November 14. This was followed the
next day by broadcasts from Birmingham and Manchester, and as a medium of mass communicaTion. By
1925 the BBC could be heard throughout most of the UK. The biggest influence on the early BBC was its
general manAger, John Reith, a 33-year-old Scottish engineer. The company Had

Been formed with a commercial mission – to sell radio sets – but Reith Had a higher purpose. He
envisaged an independent British broadcaster Able to educate, inform and entertain the whole nation,
free from poLitical interference and commercial pressure.

Within a year the BBC had broadcast plays, concerts of popular And classical music, talks and variety
programmes from its first home In Savoy Hill. But the powerful newspaper industry successfully kept
The BBC out of the news business. Bulletins were prepared by the News agencies, and could only be
broadcast after 7pm – so as not to Upset newspaper sales.

Early Technology

The earliest radio receivers were home made crystal or 'cat's Whisker’ sets, to which the listener would
attach headphones. AmpliftErs enabled group listening. Then battery-powered valve sets emerged
Capable of picking up weak signals from overseas stations. By the Thirties many homes had mains power
sets housed in polished wood Or moulded Bakelite cabinets.

Editorial Independence

The General Strike of 1926 brought the BBC its first serious No regular newspapers being published, the
country turned to the BBC Confrontation with the Government over editorial independence. With For its
news. Winston Churchill, then Chancellor of the Exchequer Urged the Government to take over the BBC,
but Reith persuadeo Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin that this would be against the national Interest.
And John Reith was knighted. Broadcasting Corporation when it was granted its first Royal Charter In
1927, the British Broadcasting Company became the British

New Era Programming

The 1960s brought more up-to-date content that reflected the Times and the expectations of audiences
whose appetite had been whet-Ted by the choice offered by ITV. Thus the arrival of That Was The Week
That Was in 1962 with David Frost, shook the British Establishment. More anarchic stars Were waiting in
the wings. A new radio programme, I'm Sorry I'll Read that Again (1965) introduced John Cleese and the
future GoodIes, Bill Oddie and Tim Brooke-Taylor. Radio comedy flourished with New programmes such
as Round the Horne, I'm Sorry I'll Read that Again and Just a Minute. This was the decade of Dr Finlay's
CaseBook (1962) and Maigret (1960), as well as notable long-running pro- Grammes such as Match of
the Day, Man Alive, Nationwide and AniMal Magic Viewers enjoyed the portrayal of a new breed of
gritty policeMen in Z Cars (1962), wept at the plight of the homeless in the Wednesday Play, Cathy Come
Home (1966) and were riveted by The Forsyte Saga (1967), Doctor Who (1963), Top of the Pops (1964),
HoRizon (1964), Tomorrow's World (1965) and Dr Kildare also attracted Large audiences.

TV and Radio Expansion

BBC Television Centre in West London opened in June 1960. In The same year, an inquiry into the future
of television and radio praised Public service broadcasting and authorized the setting up of a second
Channel, BBC Two (launched in 1964). Radio 1 began in 1967 followIng the banning of pirate radio
stations. From the late Sixties, Radio listeners were able to enjoy more Programmes broadcast in the
superior sound of FThe Sixties was also the decade when the monarchy first went Public on television in
The Royal Family (1969), when England won The World Cup (1966), and when Mary Whitehouse
became a houseHold name with her “Clean Up TV” campaign.

Advances in Television

The BBC opened the new millennium with the most ambitious Programme in its history. Hundreds of
outside broadcasts across the Globe fed into BBC Television Centre, and a continuous programme
Lasting 28 hours was beamed back to viewers around the world. The Show involved 60 nations, and was
seen in over 80 countries worldwide Following ITV's decision to drop News At Ten, the BBC's eveNing
bulletin moved to 10 pm. After the turn of the millennium, a new Enthusiasm for history programmes
was evident, and programmes such As What the Romans/Victorians/Stewarts Did For Us followed Simon
Schama's epic History Of Britain series. The Weakest Link presented by Anne Robinson was an instant
Success and the format was quickly exported to other countries. LandMark television such as Blue
Planet and Walking with Beasts, as well As groundbreaking comedy such as The Office, pulled huge
audiences. In children's television Teletubbies was sold to over 75 countries and Translated into 45
languages. Digital expansion followed with the launch of BBC Four, CheeBies, CBBC and BBC Three.
Interactive television kicked of with comErage of Wimbledon 2001 and its success encouraged increased
interActive activity in television programming. In line with its public service remit, the BBC has led the
way Encouraging digital take-up. When the terrestrial Ondigital service ran Into difficulties, the BBC
launched Freeview, enabling license payen To move to digital without having to pay a subscription.

Radio

Radio too celebrated huge successes in The Century Speaks Which presented a vast oral history of the
20» century. History programmes and seasons included A Thousand Years of Spoken English The Routes
of English and This Sceptr 'd Isle. Radio 4 itself made when it devoting eight hours on Boxing Day to a
reading of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.M stereo. In NovemBer 1967 the first BBC local
radio station opened in Leicester and Within a few years there were 20 local stations, Colour television
broadcasts began on BBC Two in 1967, folLowed by BBC One in 1969. Within ten years there would be
12 milLion colour licences in the UK. The Sixties was also the decade when the monarchy first went
public on television in The Royal Family (1969), when England won the World Cup (1966), and when
Mary Whitehouse became a household name with her “Clean Up TV” campaign. The arrival of digital
services in 2002 marked the largest expansion of radio in the BBC's History. Services such as Extra, 5 Live, demand, World
Service was made available to domestic listeners. Sports Extra, 6 Music and Network 7 were launched and, by popular

BBC and the Hutton Enquiry

In May 2003 the BBC became embroiled in a bitter row with Government. A report on the Today programme had
suggested that the Government 'sexed up' the case for war with Iraq in a dossier of evidence about weapons of mass
destruction in Iraq. The governors backed the report, rejecting demands from Prime Minister Tony Blair for a retraction.
The row escalated over the following weeks, when editorial flaws became evident. In July both sides were stunned by
the suicide of David Kelly, the government weapons advisor, who had been exposed as the source of the BBC report. The
Hutton Inquiry followed, and on January 28 2004 chairman Gavyn Davies resigned when Lord Hutton's findings were
published. The following day the remaining governors accepted the resignation of director-general Greg Dyke.

d. Post-reading task

1) Which facts refer to the history of the radio in general and BBC radio in particular?
BBC

Radio

4. This is brief history of radio development, starting from the early years to the time when radio
manufacturing ended at Wolverhampton.

14. James Clerk Maxwell, the Scottish physicist, was born on the 13th of June 1831, in Edinburgh.

1. Maxwell finally published this work in his 'Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism' in 1873.
21. In 1888 German physicist Heinrich Hertz made the sensational discovery of radio waves, a form of electromagnetic
radiation with wave lengths too long for our eyes to see, confirming Maxwell's ideas.

5. Italian born Guglialmo Marconi was fascinated by Hertz's discovery and realised that if radio waves could be
transmitted and detected on long distances, wireless telegraphy could be developed. He started experimenting in 1894
and set up rough aerials on opposite sides of the family garden. He managed to receive signals over a distance of 100
metres, and by the end of 1895 had extended the distance to over a mile.

8. He came to England in February 1896 and gave demonstrations London at the General Post Office Building. His
transmissions were detected 1.5 miles away, and on 2nd September at Salisbury plain the range was increased to 8
miles. In 1897 he obtained a patent for wireless telegraphy, and established the Wireless Telegraph and Signal Company
Chelmsford. The word's first radio factory was opened there in 1898 11th May 1897 tests were possible over water.

12. The Daily Express was the first newspaper to obtain news by wireless telegraphy in August 1898, and in December of
that year communication was set up between Queen Victoria's Royal yacht, off Cowes and Osborne House.

11. Also in December of that year, wireless communication was set up between the East Goodwin light ship and the
South Foeland lighthouse. On 3rd March 1899 Marconi obtained a lot of publicity when the first life was saved by
wireless telegraphy, which was used to save a ship in distress in the North Sea. By the summer cross channel
communication had been established and the first ocean newspaper published bulletins sent by wireless.

25. About this time Marconi began to develop tuned circuits for wireless transmission

17. He patented this on 26" April 1900, under the name of 'Tuned Syntonic telegraphy

3. On Thursday 12th December 1901, Marconi and his associates succeeded in transmitting a signal across the Atlantic
Ocean.

16. A small number of radio amateurs were transmitting before the First World War.

18. Mr. Waine, who began transmitting in about 1898 became well known locally when he received the S.O.S. that was
transmitted by the Narrung P.& 0. liner, during a gale in the Channel, on Boxing Day 1912.

19. Mr. Waine also had links with commercial radio companies and was associated with Marconi, Dr. Fleming and Sir
Henry Jackson, who was Admiral of the Fleet. He also gave financial assistance to Mr. John Logie Baird the television
pioneer. He also gave financial assistence to John Logie Baird the television pioneer

2. The British Broadcasting Company, as the BBC was originally called, was formed in October 1922 by a group of leading
wireless manufacturers including the great radio pioneer, Gudlielmo Marconi. Daily broadcasting by the BBC began from
Marconi's London studio on November 14. This was followed the next day by broadcasts from Birmingham and
Manchester, and as a medium of mass communication. By 1925 the BBC could be heard throughout most of the UK.

20. The biggest influence on the early BBC was its general manager, John Reith, a 33-year-old Scottish engineer,

22. Within a year the BBC had broadcast plays, concerts of popular and classical music, talks and variety programmes
from its first home in Savoy Hill.

23. By the Thirties many homes had mains power sets housed in polished wood or moulded Bakelite cabinets.

10. The General Strike of 1926 brought the BBC its first serious confrontation with the Government over editorial
independence.
13. In 1927, the British Broadcasting Company became the British Broadcasting Corporation when it was granted its first
Royal Charter and John Reith was knighted.

26. The 1960s brought more up-to-date content that reflected the timesand the expectations of audiences whose
appetite had been whetted by the choice offered by ITV

27. Thus the arrival of That Was The Week That Was in 1962 with David Frost, shook the British Establishment.

9. A new radio programme, I'm Sorry I'll Read that Again (1965) introduced John Cleese and the future Goodies, Bill
Oddie and Tim Brooke Taylor.

6. BBC Television Centre in West London opened in June 1960.

29. Radio 1 began in 1967 following the banning of pirate radio stations.

28. The BBC opened the new millennium with the most ambitious programme in its history.

7. Radio too celebrated huge successes in The Century Speaks, which sented a vast oral history of the 20th century.

30. In November 1967 the first BBC local radio station opened in Leicester and within a few years there were 20 local
stations

24. Colour television broadcasts began on BBC Two in 1967, followed by BBC One in 1969. Within ten years there would
be 12 million colour licences in the UK.

31. The arrival of digital services in 2002 marked the largest expensive of radio in the BBC's History.

15. In May 2003 the BBC became embroiled in a bitter row with Government.