when the british broadcasting company first began transmissions on 14 november 1922 from station 2lo in the strand, westminster, london, which it had inherited from the marconi company (one of the six commercial companies which created the bbc), the technology did not yet exist either for national coverage or for joint programming between transmitters. whilst it was possible to combine large numbers of trunk telephone lines to link transmitters for individual programmes, the process was expensive and not encouraged by the general post office as it tied up large parts of the telephone network. the stations that followed the establishment of 2lo in london were therefore autonomously programmed using local talent and facilities.