ABSTRACT

The BBC was founded in 1922 as a national, publicly regulated corporation. It was founded in this manner because the unregulated US radio sphere was seen as chaotic (Franklin 1997:117) and a negative model. One of the most important influences upon the development of BBC radio, which itself influenced the institutions created for television after the Second World War, was the personality of the first Director General, Lord Reith, who exemplified many of the values admired by his generation.