TheBritishBroadcastingCorporation,whichisusuallyknownsimplyastheBBC,istheworld'slargestbroadcastingcorporation.Ithas28,000employeesintheUnitedKingdomaloneandanannualbudgetofmorethan£4billion.[1][2]

　　Foundedon18October1922astheBritishBroadcastingCompanyLtd,itwassubsequentlygrantedaRoyalCharterandmadeastate-ownedcorporationin1927.Thecorporationproducesprogrammesandinformationservices,broadcastinggloballyontelevision,radio,andtheInternet.ThestatedmissionoftheBBCis"toinform,educateandentertain"(aslaiddownbyParliamentintheBBCCharter);[3]itsmottois"NationShallSpeakPeaceUntoNation".

　　TheBBCisaquasi-autonomouspubliccorporationasapublicservicebroadcaster.TheCorporationisrunbytheBBCTrust;andis,peritscharter,"freefrombothpoliticalandcommercialinfluenceandanswersonlytoitsviewersandlisteners".[4]

　　TheBBC'sdomesticprogrammingandbroadcastsareprimarilyfundedbylevyingtelevisionlicencefees(undertheWirelessTelegraphyAct1949),althoughmoneyisalsoraisedthroughcommercialactivitiessuchassaleofmerchandiseandprogramming.TheBBCWorldService,however,isfundedthroughagrant-in-aidbytheForeignandCommonwealthOffice.AspartoftheBBCCharter,theCorporationcannotshowcommercialadvertisingonanyservicesintheUnitedKingdom(television,radio,orinternet).OutsidetheUnitedKingdomtheBBCbroadcastscommerciallyfundedchannelssuchasBBCAmerica,BBCCanada,andBBCWorld.Inordertojustifythelicencefee,theBBCisexpectedtoproduceanumberofhigh-ratingshows[citationneeded]inadditiontoprogrammesthatcommercialbroadcasterswouldnotnormallybroadcast.[4]

　　DomesticUKaudiencesoftenrefertotheBBCas"theBeeb",anicknamepopularisedbyKennyEverett.[5]Anothernickname,nowlesscommonlyused,is"Auntie",saidtooriginatefromtheold-fashioned"Auntieknowsbest"attitude,(butpossiblyaslyreferencetothe'aunties'and'uncles'whowerepresentersofchildren'sprogrammesinearlydays)[6]inthedayswhenJohnReith,theBBC'sfounder,wasincharge.Thetwonicknameshavealsobeenusedtogetheras"AuntieBeeb",[7]andAuntiehasbeenusedinouttakesprogrammessuchasAuntie'sBloomers.[8]

　　Itisalsothelargestnewsgatheringsystembymeansofitsnewsgatheringoperation,BBCNewsgathering,whichincludesvariousregionaloffices,foreigncorrespondentsandagreementswithothernewsservices.[9]Itreachesmorethan200countriesandisavailabletomorethan274millionhouseholds,toCNN's(itsnearestcompetitor)estimated200million.Itsradioserviceisintheshortwavelength,whichmakesitavailabletomanyregionsoftheworld.Italsobroadcastsnews-byradioorovertheInternet-insome30languages.

　　CableNewsNetwork,commonlyreferredtobyitsinitialismCNN,isamajornewscabletelevisionnetworkfoundedin1980byTedTurner.[1][2]ThenetworkisnowownedbyTimeWarner;thenewsnetworkisadivisionoftheTurnerBroadcastingSystem.CNNintroducedtheideaof24-hourtelevisionnewscoverage,celebratingits25thanniversaryonJune1,2005.

　　Intermsofcumulative(Cume)Nielsenratingsor"uniqueviewers",CNNratesasAmerica'snumberonecablenewssource.[3]Whilethenewsnetworkhasnumerousaffiliates,CNNprimarilybroadcastsfromitsheadquartersattheCNN