The BBC, Women and Perceptions of Value in the Interwar Years
Authors: Murphy, K., Murphy, C.
Conference: Doing Women’s Film and Television History
Dates: 18/06/2025
Publication Date: 19/06/2025
Abstract:In 1932, in line with the convention of the day, the BBC introduced a Marriage Bar. Yet it was not a full bar; it made allowances for ‘exceptional’ women to be retained. The Corporation was then left with the tricky question of deciding who this applied to. The result was a Marriage Tribunal, established in 1934, where women could put forward a case for retention. Five criteria were used, the first of which was: ‘Special value of experience, making replacement difficult or undesirable’. It was also the criteria which was scored most highly. Other criterion included efficiency, character, and commitment to a career in the BBC, which all reflected in some way, a woman’s value. This paper considers ‘value’ at the BBC in the early years, particularly the language used to describe the skills, experiences and aptitudes that were deemed important. Confidential reports and memos often made reference to this, sometimes in gendered terms. The notion of a woman’s value was most usually discussed at times of change, for example when a pay rise or promotion – or indeed marriage - was being considered. Sometimes, this prompted management to reassess their behaviours towards the women concerned. The concept of value that was established within radio was carried forward into television, and this paper will also reflect on some of the ways that this is apparent.
Source: Manual