A Belfast-based station called 2BE was the ninth station of the nascent British Broadcasting Company when it debuted on September 15, 1924.

The first voice heard from Belfast over the airwaves in 1924 was Tyrone Guthrie, who would go on to have a successful worldwide career in both radio and theatre. The BBC's offices in Belfast were housed on the first floor of a former linen warehouse located at 31 Linen Hall Street.

E Godfrey Brown, the Methodist College's head of music, was named as the first employee. A small group of coworkers, many of them musicians, quickly joined him.



The new BBC station had humble beginnings, with Mr. Brown having to foot the bill for some of the furniture.

Belfast's BBC station was a part of a growing network that covered the entire country.

The programming was designed to supplement the offerings of other BBC stations, showcasing regional talent and variety while being cognisant of the unique challenges the BBC faced in Northern Ireland. Early on, politics was kept out of the way.

Located on East Bridge Street, directly across from the present-day Lanyon Place train station, was Belfast's first transmitter.

It's a higher area in Belfast. A blue plaque currently designates the location of the radio transmitter that was thought to be the most appropriate at the time.