The BBC

The British Broadcasting Company is the largest broadcasting organization in the world. Global headquarters for the BBC are located in London providing public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, and Isle of Man. The BBC is an autonomous public broadcasting company that operates under a Royal Charter. An annual license fee paid for by United Kingdom households, companies and organizations using any type of equipment to record, and/or receive any live broadcasts funds the BBC. The level of the fee is set each year by the UK government and is agreed by Parliament.

The two flagship television channels for the BBC are BBC One and BBC Two. Many digital only stations are broadcast. They consist of BBC Three, BBC Four, BBC News, BBC Parliament, CBBC, and CBeebies. CBBC and CBeebies are both children’s channels. Digital television is widespread in the UK, with analog transmission plans to be phased out by December 2012.

BBC Radio is cherished by most UK citizens. BBC Radio has much more to offer than the music format dominated American radio. BBC Radio offers a large variety from news and sports talk to dramatic theatre to international music flavors. BBC Radio has five major national stations. Radio 1 is “the best new music and entertainment.” Radio 2 is the UK's most listened to radio station, with 12.9 million weekly listeners. Radio 3 is classical and jazz music. Radio 4 is current affairs, factual, comedy and drama. Radio 5 is 24 hour news and sports and talk.