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The History of UK TV plc
Frozen Planet Season 2 © BBC Studios & Alex Board.
Dawn McCarthy-Simpson, MBE, has been fascinated with UK TV for decades, partly because it’s her job, but mostly because it has never ceased to amaze her. In a two part special for makers, Dawn charts the growth of a global cultural powerhouse.
On 2 June, 1953, the world watched as Queen Elizabeth II was crowned at Westminster Abbey. It was the first time that a British monarch's coronation had been broadcast live on television, and it was an event of seismic importance. Not only did it allow millions of people to witness the grandeur of the occasion, but it also marked a major milestone in the history of broadcasting. The BBC’s live broadcast was a triumph of logistics and planning, and it set a new standard for royal events. In the years since, the coronation has been cited as an important moment in the history of television and as a defining moment in British culture.
In fact, it’s hard to comprehend how such a relatively small island has achieved so much dominance and respect with programming that sells to every corner of the world. And, although UK TV plc is far more than the BBC, the story starts with the venerable institution 100 years ago.
Strictly Come Dancing 2022 © BBC & Guy Levy.
THE BROADCASTER’S STORY It was Scottish engineer and inventor, John Logie Baird, who is widely credited with being the first to develop the concept of the television. In October 1925, Baird gave the first public demonstration of his televisor system, which used a mechanical technique to scan and reproduce images. While Baird's system was limited in both range and quality, it paved the way for future advances in television technology. In the years that followed, a number of different inventors and engineers built upon Baird's work, gradually improving-upon the design and functionality of the television.
The British Broadcasting Company was founded on the 18 October 1922, by a group of leading wireless manufacturers including Marconi. It was three years prior to Baird’s demonstration of the television, so their broadcasting focus was radio transmissions. By the end of 1922 the BBC appointed its first General Manager, 33 year-old John Reith, another Scottish engineer accredited for the pioneering of British television. Reith moved to London in 1922, and on his arrival saw a newspaper advert for a General Manager for the planned launch of the British Broadcasting Company. Despite a lack of any obviously relevant experience, Reith got the job.
Reith, a young enthusiastic, with no boundaries or ties to rules or existing policies, was encouraged to innovate and experiment with the organisation. And that is exactly what he did. However, during the 1926 General Strike he struggled to ensure editorial independence for the BBC, so in 1927 the organisation, under Royal Charter, became the British Broadcasting Corporation with Reith at the helm becoming the first Director General. He was also knighted the same year. Maybe it was the bond between two fellow Scots, but it was under Reith’s reign that inventor John Logie Baird was allowed to use BBC frequencies to test and broadcast some of his first experimental television imagery from studios near Covent Garden in London 1929.
Despite the lack of quality of the black and white images on 14 July 1930 the BBC was confident enough to transmit its first ever drama, The Man With the Flower in His Mouth, a production by Luigi Pirandello, an Italian dramatist, and directed by British born Val Gielgud. It was aired from Baird’s studios in Long Acre, London. This was a turning point for the BBC which encouraged them to continue to experiment with its programming right up to 1940 when the TV service was shut down until 1945 due to the Second World War.
The BBC was funded by a license fee, which was introduced in 1923, initially costing 10 shillings per household (today’s value GBP100). The charge steadily increased after the Second World War to a current GBP159 per household.
1946 arrived and the country began its post-war life and the BBC was able to commence its television broadcasting again, continuing to monopolise television viewing for another decade. However, when the results of the Television Act 1954 came into force, this paved the way for commercial television to enter the market under the introduction of the‘Independent Television Authority (ITA).
BBC PIONEERS
CORONATION
“IT WAS UNDER REITH’S REIGN THAT INVENTOR JOHN LOGIE BAIRD WAS ALLOWED TO USE BBC FREQUENCIES TO TEST AND BROADCAST SOME OF HIS FIRST EXPERIMENTAL TELEVISION.”
Gogglebox © Channel 4.
WHEN THE BBC AND ITV WERE ALL THAT MATTERED IN BRITISH BROADCASTING, PROGRAMMEMAKERS WERE SHACKLED BY THEIR DUOPOLY. The act itself was not without controversy, and much debate ensued both in the British Parliament and press. The fear was that the service would replicate, what they thought vulgar advertising methods that were used by the American networks. Those in charge were able to convince Parliament that audiences would be protected and so the Act was finally passed, on the basis that the ITA had clearly distinguished separation between advertising and programming content.
This new Independent Television network, named due to its independence from the BBC, was made up of six regional franchises and run by four companies who were both broadcasters and programme makers. The idea was to give small stations regional power, enabling them to show more local news, programming and to attract local advertisers. Audiences didn’t miss out on the big shows as these regional channels were able to share prime time programming across the whole network.
The first full day of transmissions for ITN was 23 September 1955, and was launched with Britain's first female newsreader Barbara Mandell. This was a moment that changed television as we know it not just in Great Britain but worldwide. By 1962 the regional network model had grown to 17 stations across 14 regions, and later renamed as ITV, the UK’s most successful commercial network.
THE INDIES STORY When the BBC and ITV were all that mattered in British broadcasting, programme-makers were shackled by their duopoly. The world of independent television production in the UK was widely seen as a cottage industry, with a handful of companies and hundreds of freelance producers that were simply service companies commissioned on a work for hire basis.
The revolution of the independent production sector started with a small television station and enthusiasm to change the system. In 1982, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher approved a new channel licence to create an independent commercial channel whose ownership remained with the government, whilst giving complete freedom over programming decisions.
The new model for this broadcasting company, to be called Channel 4, would be as a publisher and managed without any in-house production studios; instead it would rely on outsourcing/commissioning independent production companies.
To ensure that the launch of Channel 4 was a real opportunity for new production businesses to flourish, then Home Secretary Willie Whitelaw, set out his plans for the new fourth channel at the 1979 Cambridge Royal Television Society. He made it clear that the broadcaster should provide adequate financing for productions, and more importantly that the majority of the programming spend should go to independent producers and not be dominated by the ITV regional network.
Prior to the Whitelaw speech many producers had been skeptical about the real opportunities that the launch of a new channel would bring. Many assumed that the production would merely feed the regional studio hubs of ITV. However, now there was a sense of hope amongst the freelance community and producers quickly began to set up their own indies.
18 months after the Whitelaw speech, Channel 4’s founding chief executive, Jeremy Isaacs, held an open meeting for would-be programme-makers at the Royal Institution in London. More than 600 independent producers turned up, spilling out of the hall into the lobby outside the lecture theatre. Isaacs was shocked by the attendance. He had not envisaged so many independents playing such a major role in the new channel. This meeting was to set the tone and ambition for a new style of channel, one that could dare to be different, more creative and innovative because its supply chain was bigger and more diverse.
The broadcaster’s launch in November 1982 was a historic moment for British broadcasting. In the months leading up to the launch, they had already commissioned 61% of their programming from independent producers – an unprecedented share at this time.
CHANNEL 4 COMMERCIAL
INDEPENDENTS
“THE NEW MODEL FOR THIS BROADCASTING COMPANY, TO BE CALLED CHANNEL 4, WOULD BE AS A PUBLISHER AND MANAGED WITHOUT ANY IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION STUDIOS.”
The Masked Dancer © Bandicoot TV & ITV.
THE TENDERING PROCESS DID NOT GO SMOOTHLY, EVEN THOUGH THE INITIAL INTEREST WAS FROM MORE THAN 70 ORGANISATIONS, SOME WITH VERY DEEP POCKETS. Several years after this the independent community made another successful breakthrough after lobbying for a production quota of 25%, allowing them to make programming for both the BBC and ITV.
Channel 4 proved popular, so shortly after its launch the government carried out a further feasibility study of a potential fifth terrestrial channel. The aim was to help reduce the cost of advertising and offer more choice for the viewers. In 1990 The Broadcasting Act was passed and announced that the license for the fifth terrestrial channel would be a competitive tender, with a focus on the strength of the programming quality.
The tendering process did not go smoothly, even though the initial interest was from more than 70 organisations, some with very deep pockets. Finally in May 1995 the ITC received bids from the final contenders for the Channel 5 license, announcing in October that the winning bid came from Channel 5 Broadcasting Ltd.
David Elstein, head of this newly formed Channel 5, made sure to bring in key talent that would help ensure its success. One such person was Dawn Airey who left Channel 4 for the opportunity to help shape a new innovative programming strategy. Channel 5’s low-cost programming strategy was backed up with an ambitious promise that more series could be produced by a greater diversity of suppliers.
Finally, in March 1997 at 6:00 pm Channel 5 was launched by the Spice Girls and introduced by Tim Vine and Julia Bradbury. Overnight ratings showed that the opening night gained more viewers than Channel 4. This was good news for the indie sector as it meant that they had another outlet for their content, which in-turn incentivised more production companies to set up around the UK.
Although more content was being produced by independents in the UK, there was little sign of growth, producers were still working as a supply sector. However, in 2003 this all changed and the UK television industry was revolutionised when the Terms of Trade were introduced.
The Terms of Trade were based on a new IP ownership model, that was protected as part of legislation, and which gave production companies ownership of their IP and the freedom to exploit their programmes across multiple platforms all around the world thus maximising its value.
This triggered a chain reaction, enabling companies to attract investment, creating new models involving mergers, acquisitions and consolidations to create media production power houses or super indies as they were called. It was these terms that also saw the launch of several UK independent distribution companies eager to take advantage and help indies exploit their content around the world.
This in turn created thousands of new jobs in the television industry, catalyzing Britain onto the world stage as a leader in television production.
“THIS TRIGGERED A CHAIN REACTION, ENABLING COMPANIES TO ATTRACT INVESTMENT, CREATING NEW MODELS INVOLVING MERGERS, ACQUISITIONS AND CONSOLIDATIONS.”
Part II of this special will look at UK television through the careers and influence of Beryl Vertue, David Frank, Donald Taffner and John McVay and brings us up to date on the challenges facing the industry in the digital streaming era.
Dawn McCarthy-Simpson MBE is managing director of business development & global strategy at UK producers’ alliance Pact, where she is responsible for developing opportunities for international, IP exploitation and markets.
