The British Broadcasting Century with Paul Kerensa

The General Strike at 100, part 1: Reith, Churchill and the Birth of BBC News

Published: 3 May 2026 at 00:58 Europe/London

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Episode notes

100 years ago to the day (at time of podcast release), Britain began to grind to a halt. Our first and only General Strike.

But while it was a time of national crisis, it was also an opportunity for the BBC - and particularly John Reith.

With most newspapers ceasing publication, the BBC gained a news division, and a reputation, for independence and impartiality - at least, that's what Reith hoped. But it meant opponents and critics at every turn - from strikers believing they were being unfairly ignored, to Winston Churchill thinking the BBC were too generous to the strikers. Surely, thought Churchill, it was better for the government to commandeer the BBC, and become an audio version of his pop-up partisan paper The British Gazette?

There's a lot to this tale. So to do it justice, we're breaking it into four podcasts. This is part 1 - with the birth of the BBC's news-gathering squad, and Reith locking horns with Churchill, though cosying up to the PM. And he announces the strike - and other interruptions - from his own home studio.

Our guest is Professor Michael Tracey, of the University of Colorado at Boulder, and former head of the Broadcasting Research Unit.

Part 2 follows in a few days' time - 100 years on from the moments featured. Be subscribed to ensure you get the episodes when they land.

With thanks to these excellent resources...

Radicalstroud.co.uk

Warwick Digital Collections at the University of Warwick

The Trades Union Congress

The BBC Written Archive Centre

1926 The General Strike edited by Jeffrey Skelley

Into the Wind by John Reith

Asa Briggs’ The Birth of Broadcasting

Ian McIntyre’s Expense of Glory

Peter Eckersley’s The Power Behind the Microphone

The BBC A People’s History by David Hendy

Our Newspaper Detective Andrew Barker - and the various newspaper articles

Trevor Howard and his article Immovable object, irresistible force: Reith, Churchill and BBC ‘impartiality’

Nine Days in May – radio drama by Robin Glendinning

Churchill vs Reith – radio drama by Mike Harris

Random Radio Jottings: https://andywalmsley.blogspot.com/2025/01/churchill-and-bbc.html

SHOWNOTES:

Original podcast music is by Will Farmer.
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