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| Abbreviation | BBC R&D |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1922 |
| Purpose | Technology for media production and broadcasting |
| Location |
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| Products | Ceefax, Radio Data System, NICAM, Digital Audio Broadcasting, BBC Online, LS3/5A loudspeaker. |
Director, Research & Development | Jatin Aythora |
Parent organization | BBC |
| Awards | Queen's Awards for Enterprise, Emmy Awards, Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards, Webby Awards, Royal Television Society |
| Website | www |
Formerly called | BBC Research, BBC Design, BBC Development, BBC Designs & Equipment, BBC Research & Innovation |
BBC Research & Development is the technical research department of theBBC.
It has responsibility for researching and developing advanced and emerging media technologies for the benefit of the corporation, and wider UK and European media industries, and is also the technical design authority for a number of major technical infrastructure transformation projects for the UK broadcasting industry.
BBC R&D is part of the widerBBC Design & Engineering, and is led by Jatin Aythora, Director, Research & Development.[1] In 2011, the North Lab moved intoMediaCityUK inSalford along with several other departments of the BBC, whilst the South Lab remained inWhite City in London.
In April 1930 the Development section of the BBC became the Research Department.[2]
The department as it stands today was formed in 1993 from the merger of the BBC Designs Department and the BBC Research Department. From 2006 to 2008 it was known asResearch and Innovation but has since reverted to its original name.BBC Research & Development has made major contributions tobroadcast technology, carrying out original research in many areas, and developing items like thepeak programme meter (PPM) which became the basis for many world standards.
It has also been involved in many well-known consumer technologies such asteletext,DAB,NICAM andFreeview. It was at the forefront of the development ofFM radio, stereo FM, andRDS. These innovations have led toQueen's Awards for Innovation in 1969, 1974, 1983, 1987, 1992, 1998, 2001 and 2011.
In the 1970s, its engineers designed the famousLS3/5A studio monitor for use inoutside broadcasting units.[3][4] Licensed to manufacturers, the loudspeaker sold 100,000 pairs in its 20+ years' life.[5]
In early 2010 the department had approximately 135 staff based at three locations: White City in London, Kingswood Warren inKingswood, Surrey, and the R&D (North Lab) at the BBC's Manchester offices atNew Broadcasting House, Oxford Road,Manchester. In early 2010 the Kingswood Warren site was vacated and the bulk of the department relocated to Centre House, inWhite City, London co-locating with the main campus of the BBC in London, whilst a significant number have moved to the new North Lab inMediaCityUK inSalford.
As of 2020[update] BBC R&D has more than 200 employees in their UK labs.[6]
BBC R&D engineers and researchers are currently active on approximately 50 projects, including 7 active national and international collaborative research efforts.
These include R&D projects built aroundBBC Redux[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]—theproof of concept for the cross-platform,Flash Video-based streaming version of theBBC iPlayer.[15]: 15
User Evaluation on BBC Redux (by BBC staff) …
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