Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation
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| 18 South Barrack Road | |
|---|---|
| City | 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 |
| Transmitter coordinates | 36°07′28″N 5°21′01″W / 36.124565°N 5.350358°WCoordinates: 36°07′28″N 5°21′01″W / 36.124565°N 5.350358°W |
| Website | GBC |
The Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation (GBC) is Gibraltar's public service broadcaster. It has provided the community with a radio and television service since 1963.
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.
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 a 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 a 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.
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 7 am to 8 pm on weekdays, after 8 pm 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 8 am to 9 pm 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.
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Wikipedia