ABSTRACT
The rugby league authorities were similarly well-disposed to broadcasting, and in Victor Smythe they had a vocal cheerleader within the corporation. The emphasis on majority sports and national interests did not mean that the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was allowed to neglect the regional dimension of its broadcasting. The treatment of greyhound racing sheds particular light on the contradictions the BBC faced in attempting to foster national morale and a unified culture through its wartime sporting output. The difficulties of simultaneously representing regional diversity and national unity were illustrated by the fortunes of the magazine programme Sports Gazette. The shortage of high-quality live sport during the war necessitated alternative approaches to fulfil the presumed demand of the forces audience and general sports-inclined listeners. The idea of juxtaposing past and present was carried forward into the highly successful Sportsmen’s Corner.
