Lord Reith - Cowley Street, London, UK - Blue Plaques on Waymarking.com

This blue plaque is on the wall of a house on the north side of Cowley Street close to its junction with Barton Street. The location is a very pleasant street that is quiet and well maintained by its residents.

The plaque reads:
On its outer edge:
"English Heritage"
In the centre:
"Lord / Reith / 1889 - 1971 / First Director-General / of the BBC / lived here / 1924 - 1930".

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John Reith (1889-1971) was the founder of the BBC. He was its first general manager when it was set up as the British Broadcasting Company in 1922; and he was its first director general when it became a public corporation in 1927. He created both the templates for public service broadcasting in Britain; and for the arms-length public corporations that were to follow, especially after World War Two. Reith fought off the politicians' attempts to influence the BBC, while offering the British people programmes to educate, inform and entertain.



But in a working life that stretched over 60 years, Reith was at the BBC only 16. This is the story of a towering figure – physically as well as metaphorically - who was never satisfied with life and who said 'What I was capable of compared with what I've achieved is pitiable.'

Text source and further reading: (visit link)

Blue Plaque managing agency: English Heritage Individual Recognized: Lord Reith Physical Address: 6 Cowley Street Westminster London, United Kingdom Web Address: [Web Link]

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