It has approximately 40,000[1] members who work in broadcasting, film, theatre, IT, telecoms, entertainment, leisure and interactive media.

BECTU was founded in 1991 with the merger of the Association of Cinematograph Television and Allied Technicians and the Broadcasting and Entertainment Trades Alliance, the history of which can be traced back to 1890.

Gerry Morrissey was elected General Secretary in February 2007,[3] after the position had been left vacant due to the death of Roger Bolton, who died from cancer in November 2006.

[4] BECTU announced in 2014 that it was in merger talks with the Prospect trade union which represents engineers, managers, scientists and other specialists in both the public and private sectors in the UK.

[7] It was announced on 30 August 2016 that BECTU members had overwhelmingly voted Yes to the merger with Prospect which took place on 1 January 2017.