The Science and Industry Museum celebrates 100 years of the BBC in Manchester

The Science and Industry Museum has unveiled a new exhibition celebrating the BBC’s presence, influence and inspirations in Manchester for a century.

Here until February 2023, the display features never-before-seen objects and photographs, chronicling the city’s unique technological innovations, forging a path from its first radio station to the current BBC headquarters in Salford. 

Alongside fourteen fascinating objects and photographs, visitors can listen to original broadcasts across history, as once beamed out by the hundred-year-old Trafford Park radio transmission valve on display—one of the only surviving items from the home of Manchester’s first station, 2ZY. Pictures capture daily life at the BBC, from candid snaps of beloved children’s presenters to poignant images of listeners tuning in around the city. 

The exhibit traces the studio’s rich local history to the present day, and visitors can explore the latest technological revelations from the BBC’s Research and Development labs at MediaCityUK. Here, inventors and mechanics constantly experiment with ways in which to shape our listening and viewing experience, producing intelligent cybernetics like BBC Perceptive Radio, which automatically adjusts volume and speech clarity to stand out against the user’s background environment.