BBC
From the Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia that anyone can change
| The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) | |
| Type | Radio, Television and Internet |
|---|---|
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Availability | National International (via BBC Worldwide, BBC World Service and bbc.co.uk) |
| Founder | Sir John Reith |
| Slogan | "This is what we do" |
| Motto | "Nation Shall Speak Peace Unto Nation" |
| Key people | Sir Michael Lyons, Chair Mark Thompson, Director-General |
| Launch date | 1922 (radio) 1927 (into a company) 1932 (television) |
| Past names | British Broadcasting Company Ltd. (1922-1927) |
| Website | www.bbc.co.uk |
The BBC or the British Broadcasting Corporation is an organisation in the UK. It broadcasts in the United Kingdom and other countries on television, radio and the Internet. The BBC also sells its programs to other broadcasting companies in the world.
The organisation is run by a group of twelve governors who have been given the job by the Queen, on the advice of government ministers. The governors appoint a Board of Management to take care of running the business of the BBC. The head of the Board of Management is called the Director General.
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[change] BBC Charter
The BBC is established under a Royal Charter, which allows the BBC to broadcast. In 2006, the British Government looked at the charter to see if it needed changing.
Another agreement, which goes with the Charter, recognizes that the BBC should be independent from any other organization. It also says what the BBC should do for the people in Britain (the public).
[change] Finance
Every household in the UK that owns a television must pay for a TV Licence. Because the BBC gets its money from TV licences, it does not take money from companies or shareholders, so it does not have to do what they want. Also, it is not allowed to broadcast commercials.
The BBC makes extra money in several ways. One way is by selling its programs to other broadcasting companies. Another way is by selling audio tapes and CDs of its best radio programs, and videos and DVDs of its best television programs. Still another way is by selling books based on programs, and magazines about science and natural history.
[change] BBC television guide
The BBC also publishes a weekly magazine called Radio Times. This used to print listings of all the week's BBC radio and television programs in the United Kingdom, but in the 1990s it began to print listings of programs broadcast by other companies in the United Kingdom as well. It also prints stories about programs and the people who make them and the people who appear in them. Radio Times is one of the best selling magazines in the United Kingdom.
The BBC has to publish a report every year, which tells people what it has done and how much money it has made and spent.
If someone has a complaint about something broadcast by the BBC, they can complain to the BBC, the BBC Trust, or directly to Ofcom, the government's regulator of broadcasting.
[change] Locations
The headquarters of the BBC is Broadcasting House in Portland Place, London. The BBC also has other offices such as the BBC Television Centre in White City, London, as well in other cities like Cardiff, Belfast, Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, Bristol, Southampton and Newcastle upon Tyne. Rather than hire local reporters everywhere, the BBC's journalists work in many countries across the world. This means BBC workers are sometimes in danger, especially in war zones. Most recently Alan Johnston was kidnapped and held hostage for many months in Gaza.
[change] Other websites
- BBC Homepage
- BBC News Front Page
- BBC News Front Page (Backup) (This URL is use for the people live in "Chinese Mainland", because the government of Chinese Mainland has blocked "news.bbc.co.uk")
