Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2010

The point is that, from at least the 1930s the BBC enforced
uniform pronunciation by all staff broadcasters (advised by
a special linguistic committee of accepted experts including
G.B. Shaw.)   Its standard pronunciation was mostly middle-
class Londoners' English.  This speech was also taught
by professional elocutionists in drama schools (because actors
were unemployable if they could speak only in a Welsh or
Yorkshire accent), privately (to those who wanted to "better
themselves") and by many ordinary school teachers (who
wanted their pupils to better themselves.)

Formal teaching of speech was then normal throughout
the English-speaking world, cf. the "radio schools" of the
USA, ostensibly to train people as broadcasters.   In Britain,
BBC English sought for more than 30 years to suppress
both regional accents and the accents of both upper and
lower social class.  This policy was abandoned in the 1960s
(cf. also competition from ship-based "pirate" broadcasters
and the consequent reoorganization of the BBC), when it
started accepting regional and class accents and no
longer prescribed middle-class London English for all
purposes.

I just heard on ABC radio a news report that I think came from a BBC
reporter. It was about the mudslide on a resort island in South America.
She said, "The area can only be reached by Bert."

I hope he gets there quickly. Perhaps one day he'll write a berk about
it.