5ITwas aBritish Broadcasting Company(laterBBC)radio stationwhich broadcast fromBirmingham,England,between 1922 and 1927.

The BBC's radio studio in Birmingham, from theBBC Hand Book1928, which described it as "Europe's largest studio".

Birmingham was the first British city outsideLondonto have a radio service from the newly formed British Broadcasting Company, with 5IT starting regular broadcasting from itsWittonbase at 17:00 on 15 November 1922,[1]: 207 one day after2LOstarted daily BBC broadcasting from London[1]: 157 and one hour before the 18:00 launch ofManchester's2ZY.[1]: 161 5IT pioneered many innovations in early broadcasting, launchingChildren's Hourin 1922,[2]developing sophisticated methods of programme control and employing the first full-time announcers in 1923.[3]The station's first announcer on its opening night was its general managerPercy Edgar,[3]who was to be the dominant figure in Birmingham broadcasting and the BBC's most influential regional director until his retirement in 1948.[4]: 311 

5IT moved its studios from Witton to a former cinema inNew Streetin 1923, moving again in 1926 to a completely new building inBroad Streetwith two studios – one of the largest the country,[5]if not Europe. The Broad Street studios now controlled and made programmes for a region stretching across central England fromThe PotteriestoNorfolk.

From 21 August 1927 the low-powered city station 5IT was replaced by the5GB(theBBC Midland Region) – the first of the BBC's regional services[6]– broadcast from the new high poweredDaventry transmitting stationatBorough HillnearDaventry.[4]: 282 

References

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  1. ^abcHennessy & Hennessy 2005
  2. ^Crisell, Andrew (2002),An Introductory History of British Broadcasting,Routledge, p. 20,ISBN0-415-24792-6,retrieved31 December2009
  3. ^abBriggs 1961,p. 190
  4. ^abBriggs 1965
  5. ^Hudson, Kenneth (1981),The archaeology of the consumer society: the second industrial revolution in Britain(illustrated ed.), London: Heinemann (published 1983), p. 100,ISBN0-435-32959-6,retrieved1 January2010
  6. ^Briggs 1978,p. 80

Bibliography

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