The 大象传媒 launched its Empire Service (as it was then called) on 19 December 1932, helped by new short-wave radio technology that allowed signals to be broadcast over vast distances.
Despite gloomy predictions from the 大象传媒's director-general John Reith - "The programmes will neither be very interesting nor very good", the broadcasts received praise, and were further boosted by the support of a Christmas message from George V (the first ever) to the Empire a few days later.
World War II saw a huge expansion of the international remit of the service, now re-named the Overseas Service, with coverage in over 40 different languages by the end of the war. It also saw the development of the Service as a lifeline news broadcaster, especially in occupied Europe, where the seminal broadcasts of General De Gaulle launched the Resistance.
The Cold War years were challenging for the Service which was blocked in many countries, and 大象传媒 Service journalists were often targeted personally, memorably the Bulgarian correspondent Georgi Markov who was killed by a poisoned umbrella in London in 1978.
Later political shifts saw the closure of many European language services, and a re-prioritisation of other zones and media, notably the expansion of a television service for Arabic in 2008 and for Persian in 2009.
In 2012, World Service (renamed yet again in 1965) left its iconic home Bush House, where it had been since 1941, and joined other 大象传媒 journalists in Broadcasting House, where it continues to broadcast to over 180 million listeners and viewers around the globe.
December anniversaries
-
Ireland: A Television History
2 December 1980 -
Start of The 大象传媒 Television Shakespeare
3 December 1978 -
The World About Us
3 December 1967 -
Edward VIII Abdication speech
11 December 1936 -
1984 Broadcast
12 December 1954 -
bbc.co.uk is launched
12 December 1997 -
Jackanory first broadcast
13 December 1965 -
Comedy Playhouse
15 December 1961 -
Culloden
15 December 1964 -
The Likely Lads
16 December 1964 -
大象传媒 World Service launches
19 December 1932 -
Zoo Quest, first on-screen appearance by David Attenborough
21 December 1954 -
Just a Minute first transmitted
22 December 1967 -
A Close Shave
24 December 1995 -
First Empire Address by King George V
25 December 1932 -
Morecambe and Wise Christmas Shows
25 December -
Only Fools and Horses 1996 Christmas Specials
25 December 1996 -
大象传媒 Reith Lectures
26 December 1948 -
Alice in Wonderland
28 December 1966 -
Big Ben chimes broadcast at New Year for the first time
31 December 1923