Read Next
John Charles Walsham Reith, 1st Baron Reith
British businessman
Also known as: John Charles Walsham Reith, 1st Baron Reith of Stonehaven
John Charles Walsham Reith, 1st Baron Reith (born July 20, 1889, Stonehaven, Kincardineshire, Scot.—died June 16, 1971, Edinburgh) was a principal architect of the modern pattern of publicly owned but independent corporations in Great Britain. During World War I Reith was engaged in the United States with the supply of munitions to the United Kingdom. As general manager of the British Broadcasting Company (BBC) from 1922 and director general from 1927 to 1938, he developed radiobroadcasting throughout the British Isles and inaugurated the empire shortwave broadcasting service and the first regular high-definition television service in the world (1936). He was ...(100 of 241 words)