Reg, G4FGQ wrote:
"It is also interesting that the whole system is technically regulated
by State and/or Central Government."

In the beginning, there was no regulation. There were only wireless
experimenters. Marconi invented the antenna which made the signal go
far. Marconi`s antenna may have been seen as an elevated capactor plate.
When the transmitter and receiver were each equipped with a plate, you
had a coupling capacitor with the earth for a return path. The capacitor
carries displacement current while the earth moves electrons.. Then,
Marconi discovered the capacitor leads worked well enough without the
plates, so plates were omitted.

Marconi was soon using wireless for ship to shore communications. It was
essential to safety of life at sea. When the Titanic sank on April 15,
1912, it had a Marconi operator aboard. The world was immediately aware
of radio. Inept radio communications during the loss of the Titanic
prompted the U.S. Congress to pass the Radio Act of 1912, which expanded
on the Wireless Ship Act of 1910 which required all seafaring vessels to
maintain 24-hour radio watch and keep contact with nearby ships and
coastal radio stations.

All radio communications were in code until Reginald Fessenden invented
wireless telephony in 1906. In the early wireless days a lidtener had to
understand code to make sense of wireless.

The Radio Act of 1912 assigned three-letter and four-letter codes
(call-letters) to radio stations and limited broadcasting to 340 meters.
This jammed the signals. From the beginning, the U.S. Federal Government
declared sole jurisdiction over radio as the waves don`t stop at state
lines and must involve international cooperation. It`s the "Interstate
Commerce Regulation Power" of the Federal Government.

In 1920, KDKA in Pittsburgh, a Westinghouse station, transmitted the
first commercial radio broadcast.

In 1922, the U.S. Commerce Department allowed powerful stations to use
400 meters, as long as they only broadcast music.

In 1925, A,C. Nielsen began reporting audience shares to advertisers,

In 1925, the first soap opera (The Smith Family) was broadcast.

In 1926, RCA, General Electric, and Westinghouse established The
National Broadcasting Company (NBC). NBC operated two networks of
stations (Red & Blue).

In 1929, William S. Paley founded The Columbia Broadcasting System
(CBS).

In 1931, there were 40,000 U.S. TV sets, including 4,000 in New York
City.

In 1933, Edwin Armstrong introduced Frequency Modulation.

The Communications Act of 1934 created the Federal Communicationsd
Commission which regulates broadcasting.

In 1936, The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) debuted the world`s
first television service with three hours of programming a day.

In 1937, Edgar Bergen and Charlie MCCarthy debuted on NBC TV.

We live in interesting times.

Advertising pays for broadcasting in the U.S. except for some public
support of non-commercial or almost non-commercial stations.

Program time devoted to advertising on commercial stations was limited
by the FCC to just a few minutes per hour before Carter became
president. He started the deregulation process which has now run amok.
Commercial announcements were the topic of "Saturday Night Live".
Satirically, they entertain.

Mrs. Thatcher may have sold the BBC`s distribution facilities, but since
BBC has done so well programming, I hope the production facilities are
still in the hands of those responsible and that they continue and grow
their product.

Who bought the BBC`s transmitters depends on how big the bargains were.
If a windfall was readily available, I suspect the Queen, her relatives
and allies may have been the buyers. Like Russia, I suppose, except with
more care that the buyers seem not to be profiteers.

My daughter lives in London and pays her tax to support the BBC. She now
owns a 99-year lease on her flat in Westminster. Only leases are
available. The right people are the ownwers and they aren`t selling. Her
married name is Edwards too, but her husband is an American. They are
both lawyers.

Best regards, Richard harrison, KB5WZI