Development Upon the outbreak of
World War II on 1 September 1939, the
BBC closed both existing
National and
Regional radio programmes, combining the two to form a single channel known as the
BBC Home Service. The former transmitters of the National Programme continued to broadcast the Home Service until 1940, when the lack of choice and lighter programming for people serving in the
British Armed Forces was noted. At that point, some prewar frequencies were given to a new entertainment network, the
BBC Forces Programme. The BBC Forces Programme was replaced when the influx of American soldiers, used to a different style of entertainment programming, had to be catered for in the run up to '
D-Day'. This replacement service was named the
General Forces Programme, and was also broadcast on
shortwave on the frequencies of the
Overseas Service.
Programming The BBC Forces Programme was launched to appeal directly to those members of the armed services during the
Phoney War who were mainly sat in barracks with little to do. Its mixture of drama, comedy, popular music, features, quiz shows and variety was richer and more varied than the former
National Programme, although it continued to supply lengthy news bulletins, informational and talk. However, when the American servicemen arrived
en masse in 1943 and 1944 as preparation for
Operation Overlord, they found even the richer Forces Programme shows to be staid and slow compared with the existing output of the American networks. In response to appeals from General
Dwight Eisenhower, the BBC abolished the Forces Programme and established the General Forces Programme, designed to provide a mixture of programming suitable for American and British audiences and also to appeal to the "
Home Front", who research had shown wished to listen to the same output as the forces once fighting had broken out. As well as a large number of American network and
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation programmes, the General Forces Programme also offered British programming: •
Shipmates Ashore – for the
Merchant Navy, starring
Evelyn Laye and
Doris Hare •
Navy Mixture – with
Joy Nichols • ''Forces' Favourites
– a record request show which later became Family Favourites'' •
War Office Calling the Army – information and news for servicemen •
Strike a Home Note – for
Scottish servicemen overseas •
Welsh Half Hour •
SEAC – a newsletter for the
South-East Asian theatre •
Hello GIs – a newsletter for Americans in
Britain •
Mediterranean Merry-Go-Round – made up of
Stand Easy for the
British Army •
Much-Binding-in-the-Marsh – for the
Royal Air Force •
HMS Waterlogged – for the
Royal Navy The General Forces Programme maintained the previous broadcasting hours of the Forces Programme on air each day from 6.30am until 11.00pm.
Closure After
Victory in Europe Day, the British
longwave frequencies of the General Forces Programme became the
BBC Light Programme on 29 July 1945. The service continued broadcasting by
shortwave to areas that were still seeing fighting, and after
Victory over Japan Day to occupying forces in each former occupied and enemy country. As
Britain began to disengage from each fighting area and civilian rule was finally restored and the soldiers
demobbed, the reason for the existence of the General Forces Programme faded. In each area, it was slowly replaced by the
Overseas Service until its complete closure on 31 December 1946. ==Further reading==