Paving the empire road : BBC television and Black Britons / Darrell M. Newton.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Newton, Darrell M., author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

British Broadcasting Corporation.

Television broadcasting--Social aspects--Great Britain.

Television broadcasting.

Television and politics--Great Britain--History.

Television and politics.

West Indians--Great Britain--Public opinion--History--20th century.

West Indians.

Great Britain--Race relations--History--20th century.

Great Britain.

Great Britain--Colonies--Emigration and immigration--History--20th century.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xvi, 267 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Manchester : Manchester University Press, 2011.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

This book provides an institutional case study of the BBC Television Service, as it undertook the responsibility of creating programmes that addressed the impact of black Britons, their attempts to establish citizenship within England and subsequent issues of race relations and colour prejudice. Beginning in the 1930s and into the post millennium, the book provides a historical analysis of policies invoked, and practices undertaken, as the Service attempted to assist white Britons in understanding the impact of African-Caribbeans on their lives, and their assimilation into constructs of Britishness. Management soon approved talks and scientific studies as a means of examining racial tensions, as ITV challenged the discourses of British broadcasting. Soon after, BBC 2 began broadcasting, and more issues of race appeared on the TV screens, each reflecting sometimes comedic, somewhat dystopic, often problematic circumstances of integration. In the years that followed, however, social tensions, such as those demonstrated by the Nottingham and Notting Hill riots, led to transmissions that included a series of news specials on Britain's Colour Bar, and docudramas, such as A Man From the Sun, which attempted to frame the immigrant experience for British television audiences, but from the African-Caribbean point of view. Subsequent chapters include an extensive analysis of television programming, along with personal interviews. Topics include current representations of race, the future of British television, and its impact upon multiethnic audiences. Also detailed are the efforts of Black Britons working within the British media as employees of the BBC, writers, producers and actors.

Contents:

Copyright; Contents; Illustrations; Acknowledgements; Abbreviations; Introduction; 1. Radio, race, and the Television Service; 2. Television programming and social impact; 3. Voices of contention and BBC programming; 4. A Black eye; 5. Contemporary voices from within; Appendix; Selected bibliography; Index

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 10 Jul 2026).

Includes bibliographical references (pages 252 - 259) and index.

ISBN:

9781847797674

1847797679

9781526143617

1526143615

9781781702840

1781702845

9781847794604

1847794602

OCLC:

818847514