BBC marks 100 years facing questions about its future

On Nov. 14, 1922, the clipped tones of the BBC's director of programs, Arthur Burrows, crackled across the airwaves."This is 2LO, Marconi House, London calling," he announced, and with that, public service broadcasting in Britain was born.

One hundred years on, the British Broadcasting Corporation is a global media giant. But its centenary comes at a time of drastic budget cuts that have raised questions about its future.
The corporation, officially founded on Oct. 18, 1922, has a special place in Britain's broadcasting landscape.
"The BBC is us," said Jean Seaton, professor of media history at the University of Westminster in London, and the corporation's official historian.

"It remains despite the attacks of this government an expression of us, unlike Netflix, which is an expression of the world," she told AFP.
"The BBC is an expression of our sense of humor, interests or values. It belongs to us."
For nearly 7 million people, each day starts with BBC Radio 4's flagship "Today" program, which often sets the political agenda.
At weekends, "Strictly Come Dancing," which pairs celebrities with professional ballroom dancers, has had viewers glued to their sets for 20 years and is the most talked-about television program on air.
BBC series such as "Peaky Blinders," "Fleabag" or "Killing Eve" have been exported around the world.
The BBC's influence extends far beyond Britain's borders, making it one of the small island nation's most visible and respected global brands.

It reaches an audience of 492 million around the world every week, according to the corporation's 2021-2022 annual report.
BBC World Service broadcasts in 41 languages to about 364 million people a week globally.
For the last 100 years, the...