The BBC,the CBC,and the 1939 Royal Tour of Canada

In the interwar years the loosening of constitutional bonds between Britain and the settler colonies was facilitated by a perceived strengthening of economic, social, and cultural ties. In the case of broadcasting, this closer cultural connection becomes apparent when programming is placed in its institutional context, for example through analysis of BBC and CBC coverage of the 1939 royal tour of Canada. Despite tensions produced by different agendas and interests, in general the two broadcasters collaborated to achieve common goals. In particular, both presented an empire divided along lines of race and class as nevertheless united in loyalty to the crown.