BBC Centenary Events Begin

Celebrations to mark the BBC's Centenary began at midday 1/1/2022 via shortwave radio.

BBC Radio 4 announcer/newsreader, Jim Lee, launched a special event amateur radio station GB100BBC, from the BBC's Broadcasting House, in London, at exactly midday.

Within minutes amateur radio stations around the UK and throughout Europe were clamouring to contact the special BBC station and secure a prized entry in the logbook.

The London BBC Radio Group was granted an extended special event radio license by the regulator OFCOM, to operate the station throughout 2022.

The amateur radio activity is one of many events organised to celebrate 100 years of the BBC, which began broadcasting from Savoy Hill in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, moving to the iconic Broadcasting House in 1932, gaining a Royal Charter as the British Broadcasting Corporation.

The London BBC Radio Group has a growing membership that includes engineers, journalists, producers and on-air talent in both TV and Radio. The group is independent but hosted and supported by the Corporation.

The group was launched in 2017 by a handful of radio enthusiasts to revive a long and rich history of amateur radio at the BBC dating back to the Second World War.

The ‘radio shack’ at the BBC’s headquarters, Broadcasting House in central London, was officially opened by the then Director-General, Lord Tony Hall, with an over-the-air message of congratulations. Lord Hall was subsequently bestowed Honorary membership of the club.

GB100BBC (QRZ) - https://www.qrz.com/lookup/GB100BBC