Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation

The Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) is Gibraltar's public service broadcaster. It has provided the British Overseas Territory with radio and television services since its establishment in December 1963. The majority of its current programmes are in English, along with specific broadcasts in Llanito and Spanish[3][4].

History

The broadcasts of Gibraltar Television began on 1 October 1962 and broadcast on VHF channel 6. The station's voting shares were divided between Prescott Ltd., a local company, which held 51% of the shares, Scottish Television with 39% and US network NBC wiith 10%.[5]

Modelled on the BBC, the corporation was established in 1963 with the merger of Gibraltar Television, a private company, and the Government-owned radio service, Radio Gibraltar, which started regular broadcasting in 1958.[6] Unlike the BBC, the majority of GBC's funding comes in the form of a grant from the government. GBC did receive a small amount of income from the levying of a television licence fee. However, it was announced in Gibraltar's budget speech of 23 June 2006 that the TV licence was to be abolished.

The board

The activities of the corporation are controlled and governed by a board consisting of a chairman and not more than seven members appointed by the governor. Subject only to any directions of the governor-in-council, the board is responsible for the corporation's policy. The corporation appoints a general manager and other staff to carry out its policies and the board is empowered to delegate any of their duties to their employees except responsibility for policy. Within GBC the board's powers are absolute.

The chairman and board thus work through their permanent staff, headed by a general manager, who are responsible to the board. Although the chief concern of the board is undoubtedly broad policy, once laid down it is left to the general manager and senior staff, whom they appoint to carry out as trustees of the public interest in broadcasting. In view of their ultimate responsibility for everything that is broadcast, it is the board's duty to take an active interest not only in the programmes, but also in the financial and staff policies of the corporation.

This is done through a number of sub-committees in which board members and senior staff participate in decisions relating to the treatment of political and public affairs, finance and development, and programmes. Only the House of Assembly has the power to change the ordinance and the governor-in-council the directions.[7]

Radio Gibraltar

Radio Gibraltar broadcasts 24 hours a day and its programme format is similar to that of commercial local radio stations in the United Kingdom. The station operates on both FM and AM, broadcasting a mix of local programming in English and Spanish, and retransmissions of the BBC World Service. In December 2005, GBC started internet streaming of its radio service on the internet. On the station's AM frequencies BBC transmission can be heard through the night. On Weekends the station broadcasts live from 8 am to 9 pm with the same format. Radio Gibraltar's station is currently located at 18 South Barrack Road in Gibraltar's south district, after moving there in the 1980s from Wellington Front, its old location since its beginning in 1958.

On Saturday 16 February 2008 Radio Gibraltar celebrated its 50th anniversary. To commemorate the occasion, past presenters were invited to co-host programmes in the slot which they once occupied, amongst them Peter Canessa, David Hoare, Norma Delgado, Gerry Martinez, Christine Dobinson and Richard Cartwright. During the week leading up to the anniversary, Radio Gibraltar broadcast interviews with former presenters who recalled their memories of Radio Gibraltar as well as on-air jingles from the past. One of the high points of Radio Gibraltar's history was that it served as a communications link between Gibraltar and the neighbouring communities in Spain during the closure of the land frontier, which divided families between 1969 and 1982. A special Roadshow live from Main Street was held on the anniversary.

GBC TV showed a special programme to commemorate Radio Gibraltar's 50th anniversary which was celebrated during the week starting 18 February 2008.

GBC Television

Prior to the 1990s, GBC TV was the only English-language channel available in Gibraltar. Launched as Gibraltar television in 1962, a privately owned commercial station, the broadcaster became the Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation a year later in 1963 when it became a public broadcaster funded by government.

GTV, later GBC TV was first housed in Wellington Front, in what was commonly called Wellington Front Studios. Due to its location in Gibraltar, the area around Wellington Front usually floods during the rainy season. GBC often flooded and once this occurred during a live TV broadcast.

In the late 70s GBC TV began experimenting with colour broadcasts. An all colour operation began in 1980 when GBC was relocated to 18 South Barrack Road into a building that is now called Broadcasting House.

For a short period, GBC's signals were seen on a second transmitter on VHF Band III in Fuenjirola; this transmitter was shut down per government orders in early 1984.[8]

The future of GBC

In summer 2007, the Gibraltar Social Democrats (GSD) announced that if they were to be re-elected in that year's elections, they would review broadcasting in Gibraltar and GBC TV and Radio would undergo a major overhaul in 2008. The GSD was then subsequently re-elected in 2007 for a further term. It has been said that the government would consider privatising in full or in part broadcasting in Gibraltar.

During a function held to celebrate Radio Gibraltar's 50th anniversary, Chief Minister Peter Caruana announced that the planned review of GBC and broadcasting in Gibraltar would take place before the end of 2008.

As at June 2009, the government had confirmed that a full review of GBC TV and Radio was completed earlier in the year. During a session in Parliament, when asked by the Opposition, the government announced that they had no "immediate plans" to reveal details of the survey. They further added that the GBC review is "no major priority".

Frequencies and other availability

See also

• Communications in Gibraltar

External links

• GBC website, with live streaming