Broadcasting Empire

Reviews / Votes

a staggering achievement on the whole, worthy of attention by scholars of popular culture and British imperialism, in addition to those interested in the business of radio and television. * Professor Brett Bebber, Reviews in History * this is an excellent study that deserves a readership in multiple fields and is a worthy successor to Potters previous volume for Oxford: News and the British World: the emergence of an imperial press system, 18761922 (2003). * Nicholas J. Cull, Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television * The depth of research and analysis which have gone into Broadcasting Empire represents a significant accomplishment ... It will be a key reference point for scholars working on media, the empire and British identity for years to come. * Christopher Hill, Contmeporary British History * Potter writes lucid, accessible prose and wears his erudition and hours labouring in the documentary archives lightly. The book should appeal not only to those who are interested in the history of the BBC's external activities but also to all of us who are still engaged in the ongoing arguments about the purposes of broadcasting and the appropriate financial and governmental systems needed to secure these purposes. * David Hutchinson, British Journal of Canadian Studies * For readers interested in radio history, and in media studies more generally, much of Potters narrative will be familiar, but his attempt to weave imperial considerations into the history of the BBC will offer a refreshing perspective. Likewise, for historians of imperialism, the outlines of Potters narrative will be known, and yet his resourceful use of extensive media archives shows how organizations with an uncertain relationship to the nation-state took on the mantle of British imperialism. * Peter Kalliney, Clio * Simon Potter has given us is a wider view, in which we are able for the first time to consider both the home and overseas aspects of the BBC's imperial mission. In doing so, he has provided a text which adds greatly to our understanding of the transnational history of broadcasting. * Sean Street, Reviews in Australian Studies * in bringing evidence from a detailed reading of the BBC archives together with that from collaborating broadcasters to explore efforts to unite audiences across the British world, this book should be of considerable interest to historians of both broadcasting and Britishness. * Christine Verguson, Social History * Potter effectively maps out the evolution of the British Broadcasting Corporation from a near-dictatorial entity to a leader of commonwealth partners. * Joe Watson, H-Net * a fascinating account ... Potter's valuable book is more than just a narrative of the differences between senior managers of broadcasting organisations. Rather, it is a careful study of how the BBC sought to be the cornerstone in forging social and political links within the Empire (later the Commonwealth). * Martin Hadlow, Media International Australia * He [Simon J. Potter] has thereby filled a significant gap in both national and international broadcasting history. * Susan L. Carruthers, American Historical Review * This deceptively slim volume packs a powerful punch ... Broadcasting Empire is a perceptive and exhaustive analysis ... imperial and media historians alike can benefit from and build on this solid and scholarly foundation. * Marjory Harper, Northern Scotland * Recommended. * J.J. Purcell, CHOICE * an important book, which will be of interest to historians of the British world and to media scholars ... [Potter] skilfully plots the evolution of an idea, public service broadcasting, that emerged throughout the British world in opposition to commercial broadcasting ... Like all high-quality research, Broadcasting Empire has stimulated rather than closed down debate. * David Clayton, Journal of Modern History * Scripting Empire juxtaposes the work of a wide range of authors and artists in a fresh and thought-provoking fashion: Una Marson and Langston Hughes, to explore transatlantic connections; Louise Bennett and Wole Soyinka, to shed light on the use of the dramatic monologue as a literary and radio form; Amos Tutuola and Derek Walcott, to consider the impact of audio hardware on writing and broadcasting; and also considers connections among members of wider networks who used literature and radio to advance their varied agendas...Procter shows why we need to pay more attention to programmes, to what they contained and how they sounded, including how accent, dialect, and idiom were deployed on-air to create a sense of community and identity and to win over listeners. * Simon J. Potter, Immigrants and Minorities *