Â鶹Éç

Available for over a year

Historian Robert Seatter selects three more objects from the Â鶹Éç’s archive store and tells the stories behind their creation What do they tell us about the changing history of the organisation, and about the expansion of the media and the nation at large? Robert’s choices are unexpected, revelatory and sometimes, with the cruel benefit of hindsight, funny. In this selection, Robert focuses on three early microphones developed by Â鶹Éç engineers. 1) The MEATSAFE Microphone - first used at the Â鶹Éç’s Savoy Hill studios in 1923, it had a microphone stand which resembled a domestic meat storage container, hence the nickname. 2) The EDWARD VIII abdication microphone - a special microphone, used only once on that momentous occasion. 3) And the LIP Mic - a clever piece of kit that solved a very real technical problem- how to deliver commentary in a noisy environment. Robert explores themes of innovation, intimacy of the medium, the Â鶹Éç voice and the nation. With special guest: sound artist Nick Ryan Producer: Mohini Patel Made to mark the Â鶹Éç Centenary, first broadcast on Â鶹Éç Radio 4 in November 2022.