Gives a unique insight into British television between 1923-39 Traces the complex interweaving of relationships between the Baird Television Company, EMI and the BBC Spans the early experimental stages of television in the late 1920s, through to the outbreak of the Second World War Argues that a complex interweaving of events, circumstances, ideological standpoints and personalities led to the establishment of the BBC television service Utilises detailed archival research from a wide range of sources The British journalist C. P. Scott once said of television, 'Not a nice word. Greek and Latin mixed. Clumsy.' From its earliest days, when people began to discover ways of 'seeing at a distance' through to the multi-platform media environment of today, television has shown itself to be a resilient and adaptable method of communication. Based on detailed archival research, The Early Years of Television and the BBC explores the relationship between the BBC and television from the mid-1920s through to the outbreak of the Second World War. Jamie Medhurst provides an account of the oft-forgotten 30-line television service (1932-5) and re-evaluates the belief that Sir John Reith, the Corporation's Director-General until 1938, would have nothing to do with television.