Identity area
Reference code
Title
Date(s)
- 1931-2010 (Creation)
Level of description
Sub-fonds
Extent and medium
1189 boxes
Context area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The British Broadcasting Corporation (more commonly known as the BBC), with its headquarters at Broadcasting House, Portland Square, London, was established by Royal Charter in 1927 with the authority to provide information, to educate and to entertain its audience across a wide range of areas including current affairs, arts and culture, education, religion and sport. Its predecessor, the British Broadcast Company, had obtained its licence to broadcast in 1923, and the public broadcast service in Wales began in the same year when a radio station was opened in Cardiff, providing programmes in both English and Welsh. The Welsh region of the BBC received its own wavelength for audio broadcasts in 1937 and its own separate wavelength for televisual broadcasts in 1964, since when it has been known as BBC Wales. Welsh language programmes were first broadcast on the television in 1953 and they have been scheduled every day since 1957; the Welsh language television channel is known as BBC Cymru. The English and Welsh radio stations (Radio Wales and Radio Cymru) have been separate entities since 1977. As a whole, the Welsh region of the BBC - comprising BBC Wales, BBC Cymru, Radio Wales and Radio Cymru - is also known as BBC Cymru Wales.
Archival history
Immediate source of acquisition or transfer
Content and structure area
Scope and content
Scripts, 1931-2010, of BBC radio and television programmes that were broadcast - or intended to be broadcast - in Wales. The scripts cover a wide range of subjects including news, drama, light entertainment, music, sport, religion, education and children's programmes.
Some of the scripts contain language and ideas that could cause offence to readers.
Appraisal, destruction and scheduling
Accruals
System of arrangement
Arranged according to the BBC's classification of the scripts into 'genres' within the formats of radio and television. Box numbers and the order in which files have been catalogued are derived from spreadsheet lists ('manifests') drawn up by the BBC.
Conditions of access and use area
Conditions governing access
Readers consulting modern papers in the National Library of Wales are required to abide by the conditions set out in information provided when applying for their Readers' Tickets, whereby the reader shall become responsible for compliance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation 2018 in relation to any processing by them of personal data obtained from modern records held at the Library.
Conditions governing reproduction
Use of BBC content is strictly prohibited without permission. Requests for permission to use scripts should be directed to the BBC Written Archives Centre. Usual copyright laws apply.
Language of material
- Welsh
- English
Script of material
Language and script notes
English and Welsh
Physical characteristics and technical requirements
Finding aids
The scripts in this Donation can be searched by using an abridged version of the full list compiled by the BBC, which is available in the links below.
ORDERING
Scripts should ONLY be ordered from this list if it is NOT possible to order through the Library’s online catalogue, which contains call numbers for catalogued material.
If ordering from this list, a Non-Catalogue Request should be made; contact Library staff for help.
Each request should:
• Cite BBC Scripts (2019 Donation)
• Note the box number and script title
• Include items from no more than ONE box
• Include no more than THREE items
Radio
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/R1_Radio_Appeals.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/R2_Radio_Arts_and_Music.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/R3_Radio_Drama_and_Plays.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/R4_Radio_General_Features.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/R5_Radio_News_Features.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/R6_Radio_Talk_Features.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/R7_Radio_Religion.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/R8_Radio_Schools.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/R9_Radio_Sport.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/R10_Radio_Stories.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/R11_Radio_Variety.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/R12_Radio_Children's.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/R13_Radio_Microfilms.pdf
Television
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/T1_TV_Children's.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/T2_TV_Arts_and_Music.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/T2_TV_Music.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/T3_TV_Drama.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/T3_TV_Plays.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/T4_TV_Stories.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/T5_TV_Schools.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/T6_TV_Religion.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/T7_TV_Variety.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/T8_TV_Sport.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/T9_TV_Talk_Features.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/T10_TV_General_Features.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/T11_TV_News_Features.pdf
https://archives.library.wales/external_documents/T12_TV_Microfilms.pdf
Generated finding aid
Allied materials area
Existence and location of originals
Existence and location of copies
Related units of description
Publication note
Most of the file level descriptions contain details of individual broadcasts.
Notes area
Note
Preferred citation: Sgriptiau BBC Scripts (Rhodd 2019 Donation)
Note
Only a sample of this part of the archive has been catalogued to date. The catalogued material has been selected with particular attention to the need for a representative cross-section (radio/television, English/Welsh, genres and time periods) as well as the wider requirements of the Wales Broadcast Archive.
Note
The boxes have been numbered 1-1183, but Boxes 723 and 826 are not present (marked as 'No Box' in the Manifests).
Some boxes have been split into smaller boxes during cataloguing.
The Manifests do not provide any description for Box 837, which is present in the archive.
Alternative identifier(s)
Alma system control number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Description control area
Description identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation revision deletion
Revised regularly 2022- 2024
Language(s)
- Welsh
- English
Script(s)
Sources
Archivist's note
Description compiled by Emma Towner and David Moore