The British Broadcasting Century with Paul Kerensa

#091 The Electrophone: The 1890s' Streaming Device

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Episode notes

Episode 91 goes back over 130 years to the 'broadcasting' device that far predates radio broadcasting. But the same ideas were there: entertainment, religion, news even, brought to your home, sent one-to-many, live from West End churches and London's churches.

Meet the Electrophone!

Dr Natasha Kitcher is the Electrophone expert - she's a Research Fellow at the Science Museum, formerly PhD student to Loughborough University - and has spent years researching this unusual, largely unknown pre-radio cable streaming service, used by Queen Victoria and hundreds of homes in London and Bournemouth. Or you could visit the Electrophone HQ in Soho to listen in their saloon. (More on our walking tour that visits that exact building: birthplace of the headphones!)

We also talk about what broadcasting is nowadays: does streaming count as broadcasting? What about catch-up? Does it lose something when it's not live?

Join the debate from this, er, pre-recorded podcast (sorry we're not live) - email your thoughts to [email protected] - the same email address for any podcast correspondence, your Airwave Memories (earliest radio you recall?) or Firsthand Memories (ever see broadcasting in action?)  

We also move on our chronological tale of British broadcasting history into June 1923, with feedback from the first BBC Shakespeare and the sad demise of the first broadcast singer, Edward Cooper.

Next time? The First Sports Broadcast on the BBC... or was it? Nick Gilbey joins us - expert on outside broadcasts, Peter Dimmock, and the BBC van... 

 

SHOWNOTES:

  • Dr Natasha Kitcher's articles on the Electrophone include this Science Museum blog and Museum Crush.
  • There are some marvellous old pics of the Electrophone, its HQ and its flyers on the British Telephones site.
  • Watch Paul Kerensa on BBC1's Songs of Praise (while it's on iPlayer!) on 1922's first religious broadcast... er, via radio. Not including the Electrophone, obvs.
  • Original music is by Will Farmer.
  • Support us on Patreon (£5/mth), for bonus videos and things - and thanks if you do!
  • Rate and review the podcast where you found it? Thanks.
  • Tell people about the podcast? Thanks again. We're a one-man operation so tis HUGELY appreciated.
  • Paul's on tour: An Evening of (Very) Old Radio visits these places: www.paulkerensa.com/tour - come and say hi.
  • Paul's walking tour of BBC's London landmark sites returns soon - from Broadcasting House to Savoy Hill via the home of the Electrophone! Email Paul via the Contact link on his website for more details.

More info on this broadcasting history project at paulkerensa.com/oldradio