104 Years Ago in London, the BBC's First Radio Broadcast Began With 'This Is 2LO Calling'

At six in the evening on 14 November 1922, a new voice came from Marconi House in London: 'This is 2LO calling.' With that broadcast, the British Broadcasting Company, the BBC, began its regular radio transmissions. Today, 14 November 2026, marks 104 years since that start.

The first broadcast was led by Arthur Burrows, the BBC's first director of programmes and a former newspaper journalist. That day he read a news bulletin and a weather report. He read the news twice — first at a normal pace, then slowly — so it could be judged at what speed listeners preferred to hear the news. Listeners were also asked to send in their opinions.

The BBC's formal journey had begun earlier. On 18 October 1922, several radio equipment manufacturers formed the British Broadcasting Company. The day after transmissions began from London's 2LO station, broadcasts also started in Birmingham and Manchester.

The early days were not easy. Radio sets of the time were expensive, the technology was limited and the sound quality of broadcasts was not always good. Even so, the new medium created wide curiosity among the public.

In its early period, the BBC also did not have full freedom to gather and broadcast news independently. Restrictions were placed on radio news to protect the business interests of newspapers, and the information for the first news bulletin was supplied by the Reuters news agency.

In December 1922, John Reith was appointed the organisation's general manager. Under his leadership, the BBC began to emphasise the idea of public service broadcasting; informing, educating and entertaining later became the foundation of its broadcasting philosophy. On 1 January 1927, the British Broadcasting Company was transformed into the British Broadcasting Corporation.

The BBC's influence quickly spread beyond the United Kingdom. In 1932, international broadcasting began through the BBC Empire Service, which later became the BBC World Service. In 1936, the BBC began regular high-definition television broadcasts.

The BBC's history also carries special importance for the people of Bangladesh. The BBC's Bangla broadcasts began in 1941. During Bangladesh's Liberation War in 1971, many people depended on BBC Bangla news to learn about the course of the war and international reactions.

Following changes in technology, BBC Bangla's radio broadcasts ended on 31 December 2022, although its news operation continues on digital platforms. In the BBC's long history, the period of the British general strike of 1926 also produced an important debate about the relationship between government and the media.