You can find an extensive range of BBC material in our Sound and Moving Image catalogue. These items can usually be made available via a free listening appointment following our standard processing period of 8 – 10 weeks. Simply contact our team with the shelfmark(s) and title(s).
You might find it useful to use the BBC Programme Index to identify the broadcast information for recordings of interest to your research. The index is a searchable historical record of past broadcasts rather than a catalogue of existing BBC recordings.
Please note that in the early days of broadcasting, the BBC used an external contractor to record their programmes. This proved expensive, so most early BBC broadcasts were never permanently recorded. For more information, you can read the BBC's explanation of these events here on their website.
All BBC material must be accessed on-site at our London St Pancras location via a free listening appointment. We cannot facilitate remote requests. If you have any accessibility concerns, however, then please contact us.
Additionally, we act as the official playback provider for the BBC Archive. This means that we are able to give access to BBC recordings directly from the BBC’s own sound archive. This remains an on-site service only. We cannot supply copies of BBC material.
These recordings do not appear in our Sound and Moving Image catalogue and will have to be located by a member of our team.
If you would like to consult items from the BBC Archive: