BBC News
The British Broadcasting Company broadcast its first radio bulletin from station 2LO on the 14th of November 1922. Newspaper publishers persuaded the government to ban the BBC from broadcasting news before 7 pm that same year. The corporation was forced to use wire service copy instead of reporting on its own stories during this initial period. It took until 1934 for the BBC to create its own independent news operation with editing rights. Even then, restrictions remained in place preventing any news broadcasts before 6 pm until World War II began. Television newsreels produced by Gaumont British and Movietone had been shown since 1936 alongside the new television service. The BBC launched its own equivalent programme called Television Newsreel starting in January 1948. A weekly Children's Newsreel followed on the 23rd of April 1950 reaching around 350,000 receivers at the time. Simulcasting of radio news onto television screens started in 1946 using a still picture of Big Ben as the visual anchor. Televised bulletins officially began on the 5th of July 1954 from leased studios within Alexandra Palace in London.
Elizabeth II's coronation in 1953 stimulated public interest in live television events across the United Kingdom. Up to 27 million people viewed the coronation programme which overtook radio's audience of 12 million for the first time. Those live pictures were fed from 21 cameras in central London to Alexandra Palace for transmission. That year there were around two million TV Licences held in the UK rising to over three million the following year. Television news remained physically separate from its radio counterpart throughout the 1950s under strict radio control. Correspondents provided reports for both outlets while Richard Baker presented the first televised bulletin on the 5th of July 1954. His narration played off-screen while still images appeared on the screen before the customary Television Newsreel commentary by John Snagge. On-screen newsreaders finally arrived a year later in 1955 with Kenneth Kendall appearing in vision alongside Robert Dougall and Richard Baker. Mainstream production moved out of Alexandra Palace in 1950 to Lime Grove Studios in Shepherd's Bush west London. The first Panorama documentary programme transmitted on the 11th of November 1953 featured Richard Dimbleby as anchor starting in 1955. Hugh Carleton Greene became head of News and Current Affairs in 1958 before becoming Director-General on the 1st of January 1960. A dedicated newsroom opened at Alexandra Palace allowing television reporters to write their own scripts without covering radio stories too.
BBC News Online launched in November 1997 following individual webpages for major events like the 1996 Olympic Games and the death of Princess Diana. By April 2021 the website recorded 1.2 billion visits making it one of the most popular news sites globally. It is used by 60% of the UK's internet users for daily news consumption. Mobile apps for Android iOS and Windows Phone systems have been provided since 2010. In October 2019 BBC News Online launched a mirror on the dark web anonymity network Tor to circumvent censorship. The service has over 5,500 journalists working across its output including in 50 foreign news bureaus. More than 250 foreign correspondents are stationed around the world to cover international stories. Deborah Turness has served as CEO of news and current affairs since September 2022. The department generates about 120 hours of radio and television output each day alongside online coverage. As of 2024 the BBC reaches an average of 450 million people per week with the World Service accounting for 320 million. India now holds the largest number of people using BBC services in the entire world. A new television bulletin called BBC News Myanmar began broadcasts in May 2025 using a vacated Voice of America satellite frequency following earthquakes in Myanmar and Thailand.
Angela Rippon became the first female news presenter of the Nine O'Clock News in 1975 before appearing on The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show in 1976. Moira Stuart made history as the first African Caribbean female newsreader to appear on British television on the 27th of August 1981. The Six O'Clock News first aired on the 3rd of September 1984 eventually becoming the most watched programme until overtaken by the Ten O'Clock News in 2006. Michael Buerk's report on the Ethiopian famine described it as a biblical famine in the 20th century on the 23rd of October 1984. Bob Geldof watched this report and organised Live Aid concerts in July 1985 following the charity single Do They Know It's Christmas? George Alagiah and Sophie Raworth presented the Six O'Clock News after Huw Edwards and Fiona Bruce moved to the Ten O'Clock News. The Catch Up began airing on BBC Three in February 2022 presented by Levi Jouavel Kirsty Grant and Callum Tulley for viewers aged 16 to 34 years old. David Lowe composed the music theme introduced in 1999 featuring BBC Pips which has changed several times since then with the latest update in March 2013.
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Common questions
When did the BBC broadcast its first radio bulletin from station 2LO?
The British Broadcasting Company broadcast its first radio bulletin from station 2LO on the 14th of November 1922. Newspaper publishers persuaded the government to ban the BBC from broadcasting news before 7 pm that same year.
Who presented the first televised bulletin for BBC News on the 5th of July 1954?
Richard Baker presented the first televised bulletin on the 5th of July 1954. His narration played off-screen while still images appeared on the screen before the customary Television Newsreel commentary by John Snagge.
How many people viewed Elizabeth II's coronation programme in 1953?
Up to 27 million people viewed the coronation programme which overtook radio's audience of 12 million for the first time. That year there were around two million TV Licences held in the UK rising to over three million the following year.
Which country holds the largest number of people using BBC services as of 2024?
India now holds the largest number of people using BBC services in the entire world. As of 2024 the BBC reaches an average of 450 million people per week with the World Service accounting for 320 million.
When did Moira Stuart become the first African Caribbean female newsreader on British television?
Moira Stuart made history as the first African Caribbean female newsreader to appear on British television on the 27th of August 1981. Angela Rippon became the first female news presenter of the Nine O'Clock News in 1975 before appearing on The Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show in 1976.