Home > Television > BBC
Pictures from 60 BBC years
14 November 2022 tbs.pm/75526
The big dates
Nov 14, 1922 Daily broadcasting begins on 2LO with the news at 6pm from the London station in the Strand. The reader: Arthur Burrows.
Nov 15, 1922 Broadcasting starts in Birmingham (5IT) and Manchester (2ZY). Within a year stations also open at Newcastle (Dec 24), Cardiff (Feb 13, 1923) and Glasgow (Mar 6). Belfast follows in 1924 (Sept 4).
May 1923 News from London broadcast simultaneously by the other stations — the start of the national network.
Sept 28, 1923 Radio Times first published, price 2d.
April 4, 1924 Broadcasts for schools begin.
July 1925 World’s most powerful transmitter opens at Daventry, providing a choice of two programmes, national and regional, covering 80 per cent of the UK.
Jan 1, 1927 British Broadcasting Company becomes a Corporation under Royal Charter. There are two million licence holders and 773 staff.
Aug 13, 1927 The first Henry Wood Promenade Concert to be organised and financed by the BBC. The BBC has staged them ever since.
March 15, 1932 First broadcast from the newly built Broadcasting House in Portland Place. It is by Henry Hall and his Orchestra and it is also his first broadcast.
Dec 19, 1932 The Empire Service opens from Daventry, and within the week George V broadcasts the first Royal Christmas message.
Nov 2, 1936 The world’s first regular television service begins from Alexandra Palace. There are programmes for two hours a day until the war brings a halt.
May, 1937 The first TV outside broadcast — the Coronation procession of George VI.
Jan 1, 1938 First foreign language service begins (Arabic).
March 21, 1938 First news bulletin heard on television. In sound only, it was a recorded version of the nine o’clock news on radio.
June 30, 1938 John Reith, founder and first Director-General of the BBC, leaves after 15 years to be chairman of Imperial Airways. The current DG, Alasdair Milne, is only the 11th in the BBC’s 60-year history.
Aug 1939 The Monitoring Service — listening to and reporting on the output of foreign broadcasting organisations — is set up at Evesham. The move to its present home at Caversham Park, near Reading, comes in April, 1943.
Sept 1,1939 Television closes down for the war.
Oct 15, 1940 German 5001b time bomb explodes in Broadcasting House, killing seven staff.
June 1, 1946 First increase of radio licence — from 10s (50p) to £1. Combined TV/radio licence introduced at £2.
June 7, 1946 Television reopens at Alexandra Palace, in time to televise the Victory Parades next day.
Sept 29, 1946 Third Programme introduced.
July 5, 1954 First illustrated Television News from Alexandra Palace, read by members of the newsroom editorial staff.
Sept 22, 1955 Commercial television begins.
January 13, 1958 Stereo test transmission begins.
June 29, 1960 First studio comes into use at Television Centre, Shepherd’s Bush.
April 20, 1964 The BBC’s second television channel, BBC2, opens.
June 1, 1967 First regular colour TV service in Europe begins on BBC2.
Sept 30, 1967 Radio 1 launched and separate identities for Radios 2, 3 and 4 begin to develop.
Nov 8, 1967 First BBC Local Radio station opens — Radio Leicester. Seven other stations follow soon afterwards and 12 more in 1970.
Nov 15, 1969 Colour begins on BBC1
Sept 23, 1974 Ceefax begins transmissions, offering pages of printed information on TV sets adapted for them.
April 3, 1978 Regular broadcasting of Parliament begins.
Your comment
Enter it below