A Social History of British Broadcasting: 1922-1939 Serving the Nation, Volume 1

This is a history of broadcasting, and of its impact on modern life in Britain, from its origins in the 1920s to the outbreak of the Second World War. At the opening of this period the BBC was a private business. By its close it was an integral part of national life, a source of information and entertainment for the bulk of the population. In the course of the 1920s and 1930s the BBC was shaped as a national service in the public interest, addressing all sectors of society in all parts of the country. How that role emerged is the central theme of this history.

In developing a programme service, the early broadcasters were constrained by many factors, not least the influence of Government and the political parties. Paddy Scannell's and David Cardiff's account of the major areas of factual broadcasting, of news, features, documentaries and talks, reveals how they responded to these pressures and how they searched for styles of presentation appropriate both to the subject and to the audience. This account of the complex relations of broadcasting, politics, culture and the people shows how, through the modern medium of radio, a society was represented to itself. As such it offers a unique perspective on the character of life in Britain, public and private, in the inter-war years.