Yellow highlighters at the ready - the listings have arrived! Except it's weeks 2 + 3 of the BBC, back in Nov/Dec 1922, and the Radio Times is nearly a year away. So how do we know what's on the wireless? And is it called radio yet?

A few trusty local newspapers printed a few listings - though watch this space, as they'll decide differently in a few episodes time. From The Pall Mall Gazette to The Derby Daily Telegraph, we've cobbled together the first BBC listings, thanks to our newspaper detective Andrew Barker.

Plus a few memos read by the early BBC staff who received them, an insight into the first Children's Hour, and the debuts of comedian Norman Long and the 2LO Wireless Orchestra.

There's also the return of the Parliamentary Podcast Players to shine a light on some dodgy dealing in Westminster (Government sleaze? At least that's no longer with us). It's all down to ex-Postmaster General F.G. Kellaway, who negotiated with the Marconi Company and co to help set up the BBC, now becoming a Marconi Company director. Could he have set up his own company for a windfall? We also whizz back to the Marconi Scandal of 1912, when shares were scooped up by government ministers thanks to some alleged insider dealing.

Our guests are Andrew Barker and Alan Stafford (Alan's books include It's Friday, It's CRACKERJACK).

Hear rare archive clips from:

2LO Musical Director Stanton Jefferies
5IT Chief Engineer A.E. Thompson
5IT Station Director Percy Edgar
Comedian Helena Millais
Percussionist Billy Whitlock
Comedian Norman Long

And thanks to our Parliamentary Podcast Players:

Mr Speaker - Wayne Clarke
Captain Benn - Edi Johnston
Mr Short - Lynn Robertson Hay
Mr Hurd - Philip Rowe
Mr Middleton - Paul Stubbs
The PM Mr Bonar Law - Daniel Edison
Mr Neville Chamberlain - Pete Hawkins

SHOWNOTES:

Our Norman Long excerpt is from AusRadioHistorian - see his Youtube channel for hundreds more old gramophone records.
We mention singer Topliss Green - you can see and hear him sing, later, in this footage from British Pathe.
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Next time: the first four employees... including the arrival of John Reith.

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#029 The First Listings: from Norman Long to Neville Chamberlain

The British Broadcasting Century with Paul Kerensa

#029 The First Listings: from Norman Long to Neville Chamberlain