The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a public broadcasting corporation originally founded in 1922 in London, England, United Kingdom. In 1936, it launched the first television service. It is composed of several different media affiliates: BBC News, BBC Worldwide, BBC Radio, and BBC Films. Today, the BBC’s emphasis on changes such as becoming more ingrained with the digital world reflects the current global trends in broadcasting.

A timeline of important events of the history of the BBC can be seen on the BBC page.[1]

 

Location and contact information

Media Centre

201 Wood Lane

London W12 7TQ

United Kingdom

Phone: +44 20 8433 2000

Fax: +44 20 8749 0538

html: http://www.bbcworldwide.com[2]

 

News about Shows and Channels

The past several months displayed much activity in the development and broadcasting of various shows. BBC picked up new shows such as Crash Course.[3] BBC premiered seasons for returning shows such as Top Gear.[4]

On February 29, BBC had announced that, with Clarkenwell Films, they would produce Wired, a show about our utilization of technology, and The Dead Beat, about a living and a dead cop working together.[5]

In April, BBC began to show, for the first time, the complete US version Planet Earth. In addition to this, BBC also debuted a two hour making of the series called The Making Of Planet Earth, narrated by Dan Stevens.[6]

BBC has also increased its presence on Netflix, with the service now streaming Merlin and Satisfaction.[7]

BBC Worldwide announced on their blog on February 22 that they were thrilled about launching their new site, BBC Future. BBC Future will be a site that will be dedicated to the changing and ever developing trends in technology, medicine, and society in general. The website will be divided, as the blog stated, into 12 columns. The columns will deal with discussions aforementioned. Also, the website will work heavily with the series Click, a BBC World New’s show about new technology. The site will also include a Facebook and Twitter link.[8]

Much buzz has been spurred by the new stills from the upcoming season of BBC One’s Doctor Who. The eighth series will be shown in October. The team was filming in New York City in April, and crowds had gathered to watch the filming take place.[9] There is much anticipation for the series as the show is entering its 50th year anniversary since the start of the broadcast, and a new companion, played by Jenna-Louise Coleman, will be introduced. Fans seem to be having a mixed response over the new companion. Some seem excited, as she gave a quirky interview talking about when she learned that she had achieved the part. Others, however, view her as “dim.”[10]

Another BBC show that has been enjoying the limelight in the last few months is BBC One’s Sherlock.  It is a mini-series program that was first broadcast in 2010. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman, and it is set in a modern day version of Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories.[11]

On January 15, 2012, 8 million people in the United Kingdom came together to watch the second season’s finale, “The Reichenbach Fall.” There was much reaction from viewers, and they vented about the cliffhanger on various social mediums such as Twitter.[12]

In addition to large names like J.J. Abrams becoming interested in Cumberbatch as a result of his Sherlock Holmes role, an intense and creative fanbase surrounding the actor’s fame has developed, starting Internet memes such as “Otters that Look Like Benedict Cumberbatch.” He has been reported saying that he thinks these affectionate memes are “brilliant.”[13]

 

Deals and Developments

The BBC oversaw developments in different executive roles and deals made with companies these past few months.

The BBC named Helen Pendlebury the head of Commercial, Entertainment & Children’s Brands in BBC Worldwide Austrailia. With Pendlebury’s new job, she will work to not only promote shows like Doctor Who worldwide, but she will also manage cross optimization by incorporating different platforms with shows, such as gaming or home entertainment.[14]

In late March, BBC America and SBS Australia made a deal to remake Go Back To Where You Came From. This marks a new stride for SBS, as this is the first time that that the SBS will have signed with a US broadcaster. This is not the only broadcaster, however, that wants to get involved with the project. Apparently, “Tuvalu Media, Studio Hamburg DocLights, Snowman Productions and Curious Pictures have all signed on having the option to produce local versions of the docu-series in the Netherlands, Germany, Sweden and South Africa respectively,” according to Cynopsis.[15]

 

New Technology

A growing trend in the social media technology is the development of apps being incorporated to shows and channels. These apps help the viewer to become more involved with the programs they are watching by enhancing their viewer experience through statistics, information, and games.

Announced in April, BBC Worldwide Digital Entertainment & Games worked in collaboration with 6wave to create and distribute new Facebook games. Shows like Top Gear will be featured in said games. The Top Gear game will be a racing game.[16]

In March, the Foundation, a BBC company, helped come up with a Waybaloo app for kids. It was had worked with Zodiak Kids. The app will feature mini games and fans of the show will recognize elements of the story from the show itself.[17]

Another prominent app that the BBC recently launched in April was the BBC Sport app and News app. These apps were in conjuncture with Tivo and were with Tivo’s Red Button.[18]

On March 1, BBC News allowed users to have access to their new app for Android and iOS, called Pulse news. The app allows users to get the facts and details about the news around the world by simply interacting with the touch screen.[19]

 

Miscellaneous News

The BBC television centre is in need of repair, and the issue has been exacerbated to the point where, in March, there was reports of a rat infestation. Many workers there have been complaining about the issue.[20]

 

Notes