Moncler Coats Women As an Englishman with an interest in English History I thought it would be of interest to tell the History of Television and it's invention by John Logie Baird at Ally Pally in London. The British Broadcasting Company started daily transmissions on November 14th 1922, by which time more than one million ten-shilling (50p) licences had been issued. In 1927 the company was restructured as a public corporation -the BBC that we know today- by its founding father, John (later Lord) Reith, but by this time an even newer technology was being developed -television.In truth, the Corporation was very interested in the Television invented by John Logie Baird's experiments and wanted them to continue under their sponsorship, and not under that of any other company. Accordingly, Baird's company was offered the use of facilities on London's South Bank. By 1932 the BBC were sufficiently happy to allow regular experimental broadcasting. They now offered Baird a studio in their newly acquired premises in Portland Place, W1. Studio BB, Britain's first dedicated television studio, was housed in the basement of Broadcasting House, and it was from here that Baird continued to experiment and refine the new medium. Competition came from the Electronic and Music Industries (EMI), based in Hayes, Middlesex, where they had been working with the Marconi Company on developing a high definition system.In May of 1934 the British government appointed a committee, under the guidance of Lord Selsdon, to begin enquiries into the viability of setting up a public television service, with recommendations as to the conditions under which such a service could be offered. The results of the Selsdon Report were issued as a single Government White Paper in January of the following year. The BBC was to be entrusted with the development of television, which had to transmit a definition of not less than 240 lines with a minimum of 25 pictures per second. With the publication of this report the era of the low definition picture came to an end with ballerina Lydia Sokolova being the last artiste in Britain to appear via the old 30-line system.The committee proposed that the two new high definition systems (Baird's 240 line and Marconi-EMI's 405 line) would be chosen to alternate transmissions by the BBC over a set period, until it was decided which was the better. Looking for a suitable site for the new service, the BBC chose Alexandra Palace in Haringey, Greater London. Its position, high on a hill, made it the ideal place to place a transmitter that would cover all of London and many of its surrounding counties."Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. It is with great pleasure that I introduce you to the magic of television..."With those words Leslie Mitchell introduced Britain's first high-definition public television programme from Radiolympia. The date was 26th August 1936. This was the World's first Television broadcast. At the start of the war in 1939 over 80,000 viewers had been watching television 7 days a week.During September 1st 1939 while Mickey Mouse was being shown on Television, All television's became blank and went off air. This programme returned in 1946 and BBC Television and radio has gone from strength to strength.Time Line of British Television 1924 FebJohn Logie Baird sends rudimentary pictures over short distance1925 MayBaird gives first public demonstration of television1926 Jan 27Baird demonstrates tv by wireless transmission to the Royal Institution, London1927 Jan 1The BBC becomes a public corporation1930s1932 Aug 22BBC starts 30-line tests using Baird's system (until Sep 1935)1936 Nov 2Start of 405-line high definition service (for a few months alongside Baird's 240-line system)1937 May 12First outside broadcast: King George VI's Coronation procession1939 Sep 1Suspension of TV service because of WW21940s1946 Jun 1TV licence fee introduced1946 Jun 7Resumption of TV service after the war1949 DecBBC Television service begins to spread outside of London.1950s1950 Aug 27First cross-Channel broadcast (from France to England)1953 Jun 2Televising of Coronatio Planetary Position for November, 2007 , seen by c. 27m viewers, is watershed broadcast. Used 21 cameras1954 Jun 6Britain linked to Eurovision system.1954 Jul 5Daily news bulletin starts1954First on-screen weather presenter - George Cowling1954 Aug 4Establishment of Independent Television Authority, a public corporation1955 Sep 22Start of Independent (ie commercial) Television in London area by Associated-Rediffusion and Associated Television, together with the non-profit-making Independent Television News1956Independent Television service begins to spread outside of SE. Regional>>1958TV households exceed radio-only households1958 AprFirst videotape broadcast, by BBC (VERA system)1958 Jun 26Associated-Rediffusion shows first programme from Ampex VTR, which becomes the established format.1960s1962 AprFirst video tape slow-motion replay1962 Jul 1Pilkington Report published, recommending 2nd BBC programme, separate BBC service for Wales, change of line standard from 405 to 625 lines, colour on 625-line UHF, and the restructuring of ITV1962 Jul 11First transatlantic satellite broadcast. More>>1964 Apr 20Start of BBC2 on 625 line uhf. More>>1964 Apr 26BBC2 starts news review programme for deaf viewers1967 Jul 1Start of colour transmissions on BBC2. More >>1967 AugBBC begins using fully electronic, colour, frame-rate standards conversion1968 Jul 30ITV franchise changes. LWT replaces ATV London; Yorkshire TV forms new region from part of old Granada area,  Harlech replaces TWW; Thames formed by ABC and Rediffusion. ATV takes on all-week Midland franchise. Granada takes on all-week NW franchise.1969 Jul 21BBC and ITV night-time audiences watch man's first steps on the moon. More>>1969 Nov 15Colour service inaugurated on ITV and  BBC1. More >>1970s1972 earlyRemoval of restrictions on broadcasting hours1973 Feb 2Teletext system demonstrated by BBC. IBA also developing a teletext system1974Video cassette recorders go on sale1976Colour sets outnumber b/w sets1978Opening of BBC's combined film and video tape archive, and end of junking policy.1980s1982 Jan 1ITV franchise changes: ATV, Southern and Westward give way to Central, TVS and TSW1982 Nov 1Start of S4C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru/Channel 4 Wales), with all Welsh language programmes, both BBC and Independent, moving to this new channel1982 Nov 2Start of Channel 4 in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland1983 Jan 17Start of breakfast television by BBC, followed by (1 Feb) TVAM on the ITV network1985 JanClosure of last 405-line transmitter1989 FebStart of domestic satellite services by Sky Television1989 SepFirst official NICAM digital stereo sound transmissions, by ITV1989 Nov 21Televising of House of Commons begins.1990s1990Opening of British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB)1990Sky and BSB merge to form BSkyB1993 Jan 1ITV franchise changes: Thames, TSW, TVS, TVAM give way to Carlton, Westcountry, Meridian, GMTV1996 Mar 15BSkyB's first pay-per-view event: boxing match from Las Vegas1997 Mar 30Start of Channel 5. Needed retuning of millions of VTRs in order to prevent interference1998 Oct 1Digital satellite service starts.1998 Nov 15Digital terrestrial service starts, including widescreen broadcasts2000s2001 JunBBC's first digital interactive programme.2002 MayClosure of ITV Digital (formerly ONdigital)2002 Oct 30Opening of Freeview digital terrestrial service to replace ITV Digital multiplexes2003 Dec 29Regulation of commercial tv passes to Ofcom following merger of ITC with other regulatory bodies2004 Jan 28-29BBC Chairman of Governors and Director General both resign in wake of Hutton Report2004 Feb 2Merger of Granada and Carlton is complete. Merged company is called ITV plc2006 MayStart of high definition service.2007 Oct 17First analogue switch-off: BBC2 signal at Whitehaven, CumbriaPlease visit my Funny Animal Art Prints Collection @ www.fabprints.comMy other website is called Directory of British Icons: fabprints.webs.com The Chinese call Britain 'The Island of Hero's' which I think sums up what we British are all about. We British are inquisitive and competitive and are always looking over the horizon to the next adventure and discovery. Copyright © 2010 Paul Hussey. All Rights Reserved. Marc Bolan