| 18 South Barrack Road | |
|---|---|
| City of license | Gibraltar |
| Branding | GBC Television GBC Radio |
| Slogan | "First for local news" |
| Affiliations | Independent |
| Owner | Government of Gibraltar |
| Founded | 1958 |
| First air date | 1958 (radio) 1963 (television) |
| Call letters' meaning | Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation |
| Website | GBC.gi |
The Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) is Gibraltar's public service broadcaster. It has provided the community with a radio and television service since 1963.
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Modelled on the BBC, the Corporation was established in 1963 with the amalgamation of Gibraltar Television, a private company, and the Government-owned radio service, Radio Gibraltar which started regular broadcasting in 1958. 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.
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, which, along with an up-to-date programme guide for GBC television and radio, can be found on the website. You can hear Radio Gibraltar live from 7am to 8pm on weekdays, after 8pm the station plays continuous music through the night with only the brief interruption of Radio Gibraltar's jingle. On the station's AM frequencies BBC transmission can be heard through the night. On Weekends the station broadcasts live from 8am to 9pm 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. In order to commemorate the occasion, past presenters were invited to co-host programmes in the slot whch 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.
The television service also broadcasts 24 hours a day with the programme profile favouring the inclusion of local productions, including news and current affairs programmes. GBC TV programming airs daily between 7:30 pm and 11:30 pm, with the rest of its transmission hours being taken up by an Information Service which provides local information as well as from time to time broadcasting TV programme replays and programming from the channel's archives.
Local Television shows airing on GBC TV include:
GBC TV also screens religious, music, history and children's programmes as well as many specials which cover events held in the local community.
The majority of GBC's output is imported, particularly from the UK, USA and Australia. These are unavailable for streaming on GBC's website due to copyright.[1] As has been the trend worldwide, GBC TV has also added a few reality shows to their line-up in recent years. The first reality series to air on the GBC was Let's Dance, a take on the BBCs Strictly Come Dancing contest. In the GBC version, various local personalities competed in a weekly competition that run for four weeks. A second series followed, as did a third in Spring 2009. January 2007 saw the launch of GBC's new reality contest – Weekend Warrior in which two teams of local personalities battled it out against each other in a recruit training type competition.
In 1999, GBC TV piloted the screening of a Spanish-language programme in their late night slot (10:30 pm). Flor de Oro, a Colombian telenovela was the first Spanish language serial to air on the channel. It ran for 65 episodes and had a replay the next day at 2 pm. Following the conclusion of the serial, GBC TV launched a second telenovela, Modelos 90 60 90, this time opting not to include it in its nightly transmissions and only maintaining it in its 2 pm slot. When the serial finished, GBC ended its Spanish-language television programming and restricted Spanish broadcasts to radio (Radio Gibraltar) in its traditional 2 pm – 4 pm slot.
As part of the 1999 relaunch, GBC TV acquired the broadcast rights to various international TV series and Made for TV movies. Titles included the British action series Bodyguards, the Australian dramedy Seachange, the Australian medical drama All Saints,the British romantic dramedy Cold Feet (screened under the Foreign Markets title "Life, Love and Everything Else"), reruns of classic Western drama Bonanza, the Canadian police drama Cold Squad; and factual series, "Hutan: Wildlife of the Malaysian Rainforest", Movies, Games and Videos,Cybernet, Adventure and discovery,Reel Adventures and "Sportsworx". GBC TV also "fills" its schedules with random episodes of music shows "London Live" "Legends of Jazz" and "The album Show". At present most "scripted fare" has disappeared from GBC TV schedules, and in its place the channel screens various lifestyle and travel programmes such as "Inside Luxury Travel" and various Country profile / promotional programmes.
The BBC 1992 made for television movie An Ungentlemanly Act spearheaded the GBC 1999 schedules on Relaunch Night.
With the arrival of satellite TV to Gibraltar, GBC TV decided to compete with a Microwave Distribution System MMDS which carried the BBC TV Europe service. Due to difficulties in securing the rights to rebroadcast other channels and propagation problems, the service was terminated. GBC started relaying BBC Prime on its VHF and UHF channels. In the early 1990s this comprised the BBC programming throughout the day with GBC TV productions screening in appointed "windows", such as the NewsWatch programme at 8:30 pm. At the time reception of these satellite channels required a 4 m dish which was impractical for home users. The BBC service was re-encrypted with decoders supplied to licence holders free of charge.
This rebroadcasting ended in 1999 when GBC ceased BBC transmission in favour of a relaunch which would see the channel broadcasting its own output between 7:30 pm and 11:30 pm.
Prior to the 1990s, GBC TV was the only English-language channel available in Gibraltar. As a result, Gibraltarian viewers saw legendary TV shows first on GBC TV. Some well known TV shows to have aired on GBC TV include: Dallas, The Sullivans, EastEnders, Coronation Street, Benny Hill, Wonder Woman, Adventures on Kythera,Charlie's Angels, Bonanza, Skippy, The Bill Cosby Show, The Simpsons, Twin Peaks, St Elsewhere, Hunter, 'Allo 'Allo!, Birds of a Feather, and Blackadder.
Local programmes from the past include titles such as "City Talk", "Snippets", "Soundchaser", "Storyliners", "A Walk through History", "Girl Chat", "From the Archives", "The Magic garden / Playground", "Romper Room", "Susan's Corner", "3 to 6", "Brain Box", "Smarty Pants", "Taboo", "Community Call", "Sunday Message", "Coastline"
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 the 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 the 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.
In summer 2007, the Government of Gibraltar announced that if it 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 Government 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 has 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, 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". Any changes to GBC will be unlikely to take place before 2010.
On 2 February 2010, the Government of Gibraltar published a paper detailing the future of GBC. Entitled "The Way Forward", the paper was based on the various recommendations made by media personality and consultant, Allan King (formerly of the UK's Sky TV), in a report commissioned by the Government. King's report is dated November 2008 and entitled "Preparing GBC for the next 50 years". Following the release of the paper, the Government has opened a period of public consultation that will run for six weeks and in which the public is invited to write in with their own suggestions as to the future of broadcasting in Gibraltar.[2][3]
In summary, the paper recommends that GBC TV and Radio Gibraltar close up one day at midnight, and re-open the next day at 6am as a completely "New GBC" with a brand new logo, slogan, feel and programme schedule.[2]
The paper looks at different areas and stresses the importance attached to providing better facilities, technical equipment, staff development and better management in order for broadcasting to move forward and survive. The paper states that there should be more local special interest programming, in-depth documentary series, one-off programmes and local "magazine" programmes separate from news programmes. It states that there is little justification for many of the current "bought-in" programmes as they do not relate to Gibraltar, and are simply a cheap way of filling airtime. GBC's raison d'être is its service to Gibraltar, i.e. its public service broadcasting function. There could be justification for some bought-in programmes where there is genuine local interest (providing they are cost effective), and for films.[3]
The paper also mentions the need to rebalance frequency use in Gibraltar, as the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) has too many for its small audience. A second channel could be used for special events etc., or even be leased out in programming block format such as the breakfast television franchise GMTV which operates via ITV in the UK.[3]
The Way Forward also recommends that GBC take up the role of cable television operator in order to provide a new revenue stream for the broadcaster.[3]
On radio, King stated that Radio Gibraltar tries to cater for too wide an audience, and recommends launching a second radio station, one for a general audience with news and current affairs at its heart, with a the second service targeting a younger audience.[3]
Already the King report has initiated much debate in Gibraltar, but nonetheless, the community at large defend the need for a local TV and Radio service. Meanwhile Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Peter Caruana, has also proposed to the GBC board that Allan King be appointed the broadcaster's first chief executive officer. It is planned for changes at GBC to take place no later than spring 2010, with a complete overhaul scheduled to take place over a three year period thereafter.[3]
In late March 2010, the Board of GBC appointed Allan King as the broadcaster's first CEO for a term of three years. King begins his employment with GBC on 7 April 2010.
As of July 2011 no major changes had been seen in GBC's TV broadcasting, albeit a reformatting of its daily News Programme, to shorten it substantially, and follow it with a 'Magazine' style programme.
Radio Gibraltar
GBC Television
Internet
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