Radio Regulatory and Broadcasting Departments and predecessors

Records of the Radio Regulatory and Broadcasting Departments and predecessors.

Files relating to radio regulation and broadcasting are in HO 255 and HO 256 respectively.

Radio Department, Post Office registered files: HO 259.

Inquiry into Cable Expansion and Broadcasting Policy (Hunt Inquiry 1982): HO 271.

For records of successor departments see Records created and inherited by the Radiocommunications Agency: KS

Records of the Department of Trade and Industry's Telecommunications and Post Divisions see:

Topics

Radio and television

Communications

The General Post Office handed over its responsibilities for radio regulatory and broadcasting matters to the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications, which was created under the Post Office Act 1969 when the Post Office ceased to be a government department.

The Minister of Posts and Telecommunications also became responsible, at governmental level, for international relations in the postal and telecommunications fields. He was also responsible to Parliament for inland and overseas postal and telecommunications services funded and managed by the new Post Office Corporation.

On 17 April 1974 under the Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications (Dissolution) Order 1974, governmental responsibilities were divided between the Department of Industry and the Home Office. Radio regulatory and broadcasting matters became the responsibility of the Home Secretary, until 13 June 1983, when they passed to the Department of Trade and Industry.