Wireless telegraphy was first publicly demonstrated by Guglielmo Marconi, an Italian inventor in 1894. The Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company was founded by Marconi in 1897 after being granted a British patent for wireless technology. Based in Chelmsford, Essex, the company began further developing the new technology.
At the time all means of mass communication were under the control of the General Post Office and anyone wishing to broadcast by any wireless means had to apply to the General Post Office for a license to do so. In June 1920 Marconi’s Company, now renamed Marconi’s Wireless Telegraph Company, was granted a license to broadcast. Although the broadcasts were successful and could be received across Europe the license was revoked after complaints from the military that the signals were causing interference. In 1922 the company was given another license to broadcast from Marconi House London. The station was given the identifier 2LO. It broadcast music but had to stop broadcasting for three minutes after every ten minutes broadcast.
By mid 1922 the General Post Office had received a number of applications for licenses. It was felt that there should be a single company with responsibility for broadcasting in Britain. The British Broadcasting Company was duly formed and was incorporated on 18th October 1922. Based in Marconi House and using the 2LO transmitter, the BBC’s first radio broadcast was made on 14th November 1922. The same week broadcasts were made from Manchester and Birmingham. By 1925 most of the UK could receive BBC transmissions.
In 1927 the BBC was renamed the British Broadcasting Corporation and in 1932 moved to Broadcasting House, Portland Place, London.
