BBC style guide 1948

[didymus]

I suppose that today we would call it censorship but here is a booklet in PDF for BBC writers. It covers subjects like vulgarity, libel & slander, Americanisation (oh my!), references to physical infirmities as, they say, much, much more.

 

[Kaninchen]

I suppose that today we would call it censorship but here is a booklet in PDF for BBC writers. It covers subjects like vulgarity, libel & slander, Americanisation (oh my!), references to physical infirmities as, they say, much, much more.

The BBC has a digital radio station ‘BBC Radio 4 Extra’ which broadcasts some of the most notable comedy series from the 1950-1970 era (the Goons, Hancock’s Half-Hour, Round The Horne) and, while they’re not that funny to modern ears, they’re often rather cleverly amusing and I do wonder whether some of these old BBC rules ended up driving the creative pace rather than holding things back.

Perhaps it’s time for a new handbook?

 

[edwest2]

This was not uncommon in the US. Style Guides were issued by newspapers to their writers, for example. And TV outlets still bleep out certain words today.

Ed

 

[triumphguy]

That’s a blast from the past:thumbsup:

I can listen to old broadcasts for fun!

youtube.com/watch?v=dO6duGqC4bE

 

[didymus]

The BBC has a digital radio station ‘BBC Radio 4 Extra’ which broadcasts some of the most notable comedy series from the 1950-1970 era (the Goons, Hancock’s Half-Hour, Round The Horne) and, while they’re not that funny to modern ears, they’re often rather cleverly amusing and I do wonder whether some of these old BBC rules ended up driving the creative pace rather than holding things back.

Perhaps it’s time for a new handbook?

Quite right.
If you watch old movies from the Hayes Code era you can see how writers and directors managed to imply or communicate taboo subjects. I was a teenager in the seventies when the code had been abolished and the new rating system took its place so I was thrilled with full frontal nudity but soon that gave way to “yawn, more T&A – what’s this got to do with the rest of the movie?”

 

[friardchips]

I suppose that today we would call it censorship but here is a booklet in PDF for BBC writers. It covers subjects like vulgarity, libel & slander, Americanisation (oh my!), references to physical infirmities as, they say, much, much more.

That was from the days when the BBC cared about the fact that their organisation was in a position of responsibility. Or at least, it gave that impression. Unfortunately, maybe even now, some people might think the BBC’s views are worth listening to, as somehow representing a majority, but this representation is far from note-worthy, and if anything, to say of the BBC that they are consistently ‘trivial’, would be an understatement; then again, I don’t listen to Radio 4, knowing that it would grate on some level if I did.

 

[Beryllos]

That was from the days when the BBC cared about the fact that their organisation was in a position of responsibility. Or at least, it gave that impression. Unfortunately, maybe even now, some people might think the BBC’s views are worth listening to, as somehow representing a majority, but this representation is far from note-worthy, and if anything, to say of the BBC that they are consistently ‘trivial’, would be an understatement; then again, I don’t listen to Radio 4, knowing that it would grate on some level if I did.

Since when is “majority” a useful measure of the quality of news, editorials, or commentary?