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Reverted edits by 195.25.109.57 (talk) (HG) (3.4.13)

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{{short description|Former British national radio station during and after World War II (1944–1946)}}
{{Use British English|date=February 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{for|the unrelated but similarly named military radio and television service|British Forces Broadcasting Service}}
{{no footnotes|date=September 2013}}
{{Infobox radio network
| name = BBC General Forces Programme
| image = BBC Broadcasting House 532073098.jpg
| image_size = 220
| image_alt = A photograph of Broadcasting House showing the art deco styling of the main facade was made from Portland stone.
| caption = The General Forces Programme headquarters was at [[Broadcasting House]] in [[London]].
| country = [[United Kingdom]]
| headquarters = [[Broadcasting House]], [[London]], England
| owner = [[BBC]]
| launch_date = {{Start date and age|1944|02|27|df=y}}
| dissolved = {{End date and age|1946|12|31|df=y}}
| language = [[English language|English]]
| replaced = [[BBC Forces Programme]]
| replaced_by = {{ubl|[[BBC Light Programme]]|{{small|[[BBC Allied Expeditionary Forces Programme]]}}|{{small|[[BBC World Service|BBC Overseas Service]]}}|{{small|[[British Forces Broadcasting Service|British Forces Network]]}}}}
}}

The '''BBC General Forces Programme''' was a national radio station operating from 27 February 1944 until 31 December 1946.

==History==
===Development===
Upon the outbreak of [[World War II]] on 1 September 1939, the [[BBC]] closed both existing [[BBC National Programme|National]] and [[BBC Regional Programme|Regional]] radio programmes, combining the two to form a single channel known as the [[BBC Home Service]]. The former transmitters of the National Programme continued to broadcast the Home Service until 1940, when the lack of choice and lighter programming for people serving in the [[British Armed Forces]] was noted. At that point, some prewar frequencies were given to a new entertainment network, the [[BBC Forces Programme]].

The BBC Forces Programme was replaced when the influx of American soldiers, used to a different style of entertainment programming, had to be catered for in the run up to '[[Normandy landings|D-Day]]'. This replacement service was named the ''General Forces Programme'', and was also broadcast on [[shortwave radio|shortwave]] on the frequencies of the [[BBC World Service|Overseas Service]].

===Programming===
The BBC Forces Programme was launched to appeal directly to those members of the armed services during the [[Phoney War]] who were mainly sat in barracks with little to do. Its mixture of drama, comedy, popular music, features, quiz shows and variety was richer and more varied than the former [[BBC National Programme|National Programme]], although it continued to supply lengthy news bulletins, informational and talk. However, when the American servicemen arrived ''en masse'' in 1943 and 1944 as preparation for [[Operation Overlord]], they found even the richer Forces Programme shows to be staid and slow compared with the existing output of the American networks.

In response to appeals from General [[Dwight Eisenhower]], the BBC abolished the Forces Programme and established the General Forces Programme, designed to provide a mixture of programming suitable for American and British audiences and also to appeal to the "[[Home front during World War II|Home Front]]", who research had shown wished to listen to the same output as the forces once fighting had broken out. As well as a large number of American network and [[Canadian Broadcasting Corporation]] programmes, the General Forces Programme also offered British programming:
* ''Shipmates Ashore'' – for the [[Merchant marine|Merchant Navy]], starring [[Evelyn Laye]] and [[Doris Hare]]
* ''Navy Mixture'' – with [[Joy Nichols]]
* ''Forces' Favourites'' – a record request show which later became ''[[Family Favourites]]''
* ''War Office Calling the Army'' – information and news for servicemen
* ''Strike a Home Note'' – for [[Scotland|Scottish]] servicemen overseas
* ''Welsh Half Hour''
* ''SEAC'' – a newsletter for the [[South-East Asian theatre of World War II|South-East Asian theatre]]
* ''Hello GIs'' – a newsletter for Americans in [[Great Britain|Britain]]
* ''[[Merry-Go-Round (radio programme)|Mediterranean Merry-Go-Round]]'' – made up of ''Stand Easy'' for the [[British Army]]
* ''[[Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh]]'' – for the [[Royal Air Force]]
* ''HMS Waterlogged'' – for the [[Royal Navy]]

The General Forces Programme maintained the previous broadcasting hours of the Forces Programme on air each day from 6.30am until 11.00pm.

===Closure===
After [[Victory in Europe Day]], the British [[longwave]] frequencies of the General Forces Programme became the [[BBC Light Programme]] on 29 July 1945. The service continued broadcasting by [[shortwave radio|shortwave]] to areas that were still seeing fighting, and after [[Victory over Japan Day]] to occupying forces in each former occupied and enemy country.

As [[Great Britain|Britain]] began to disengage from each fighting area and civilian rule was finally restored and the soldiers [[demobilization|demobbed]], the reason for the existence of the General Forces Programme faded. In each area, it was slowly replaced by the [[BBC World Service|Overseas Service]] until its complete closure on 31 December 1946.

==Further reading==
* {{cite book|title=The BBC Year Book 1947 |year=1948 |publisher=[[BBC]] |location=London |oclc=770477752}}
* Graham, Russ J [http://www.transdiffusion.org/rmc/bbc/regions2.asp A new lease of life] Radiomusications from Transdiffusion, undated; accessed 5 February 2006
* Hancock, Dafydd [http://www.transdiffusion.org/rmc/bbc/forces.asp Forces of Light] Radiomusications from Transdiffusion, undated; accessed 5 February 2006
* Took, Barry ''Laughter in the Air'' London: Robson Books 1976 {{ISBN|0-903895-78-1}}
* {{cite book|last=Briggs|first=Asa|author-link=Asa Briggs|year=1995|title=The History of Broadcasting in the United Kingdom: Volume II: The Golden Age of the Wireless|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|isbn=0-19-212930-9|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bdfNTH-jrrIC|via=[[Google Books]]}}

==External links==
* [http://www.transdiffusion.org/rmc/ Radiomusications from Transdiffusion]

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[[Category:BBC Radio|General Forces Programme]]
[[Category:Defunct BBC national radio stations]]
[[Category:Radio stations established in 1944]]
[[Category:Radio stations disestablished in 1946]]
[[Category:1944 establishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1946 disestablishments in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:1940s in the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:United Kingdom in World War II]]
[[Category:Radio during World War II]]
[[Category:Military broadcasting]]

BBC General Forces Programme - Revision history

imported>Materialscientist: Reverted edits by 195.25.109.57 (talk) (HG) (3.4.13)