2BE, the Belfast station of the British Broadcasting Company, went on the air on 15 September, 1924 at a small studio in Linenhall Street in Belfast. It became part of the newly established British Broadcasting Corporation in 1927 and its services continued to grow.
By the mid-1930s the limitations of the Linenhall Street studios had become apparent, and preparations began to create a new home for local broadcasting in Northern Ireland. James Miller, a Scottish architect, was asked to undertake the building's design.
By mid-1937 it had been confirmed that the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ had acquired a city centre site on Ormeau Avenue and that it intended construct a "Broadcasting House in its main characteristics similar to the headquarters of the Corporation in London".

It was estimated that this work would cost around £250,000. A formal ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ announcement about its intentions, including a detailed description of the proposed look and structure of Broadcasting House, followed in early 1938.
Substantive building work on the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s "new Northern Ireland headquarters" began in 1939 and continued despite the outbreak of World War II. It was completed in 1941 at a time when regional broadcasting was largely in abeyance.
Services resumed in 1945 and received fresh editorial impetus with the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s new emphasis on regional voices and experiences. The Troubles had a profound effect across Northern Ireland and on the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ itself. This period marked a transition in the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s role in Northern Ireland, and its coverage of the conflict sometimes excited fierce audience and political reaction; Broadcasting House (like many other city centre buildings) suffered from bomb damage.
Broadcasting House itself grew with the addition of an administration block in 1975 and a new suite of studio and editing facilities in 1984.
The future of the Grade B2 listed building has been assured by the announcement of a £77 million investment in the site by the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ to improve its infrastructure, efficiency and accessibility, the work which is expected to take place between 2018 and 2023.
Buildings
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Alexandra Palace
The birthplace of television -
Broadcasting House
The first purpose-built broadcast centre in the UK -
Broadcasting House, Belfast
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Northern Ireland's headquarters since 1941 -
Broadcasting House, Bristol
Former home of the Natural History Unit -
Broadcasting House, Cardiff
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s first bespoke headquarters in Wales -
Bush House
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ of the World Service 1940-2012 -
Camden Palace Theatre
Light entertainment and music from North London -
Caversham Park
Listening to the world, 1943 to 2018 -
Ealing Studios
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Television Film Studios -
Elstree Studios
ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ of EastEnders -
Lime Grove
A temporary measure for 42 years -
Kingswood Warren
Former home of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Research & Development -
The Langham
Sustaining the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ during World War 2 and after -
Maida Vale
The best acoustic in London -
35 Marylebone High Street
The first headquarters of the Radio Times and ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Radio London. -
MediaCityUK
The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½'s Northern base in Salford -
Pacific Quay
Headquarters of ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Scotland -
Paris Studios
Former London cinema which hosted The Beatles and Dad's Army -
Pebble Mill
A hub for drama, entertainment and factual programmes in Birmingham between 1971 and 2004 -
Queen's House, WC2
Centre of English language learning -
Riverside Studios
A film studio regenerated into a TV studio used by the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ from 1954 to 1975 -
Savoy Hill
The first home of the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ -
Television Centre
The Television Factory -
Television Theatre
A mecca for the stars of the 1960s -
Wood Norton
The emergency broadcasting centre