... and education that they need to contribute to enlightened public debate and for informed democratic participation; finally it should create what Scannell called a 'common universe of discourse' in a society. By this he meant a sense of community and togetherness which help contribute to social cohesion. Certainly the last century has witnessed the importance of public service broadcasting. Particularly in Britain the BBC has played a significant role in educating and informing the population in current affairs, this is important in a democratic society as information is seen as a fundamental, universal right which should be accessible to all, especially in light of post-modern thinking which emphasises the relationship between knowledge and power. The beginnings of Public Service Broadcasting within Britain can be traced back as far as 1922 when in this year the Post Office set up the British Broadcasting Company. It was originally set up as a co-operative ...

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