There's an interesting story behind that: BBC2 was supposed to have gone on the air the previous day, but it was delayed because of a power cut. Which is why Dennis Tuohy symbolically blew out that candle
It makes sense, what with the war getting in the way and slowing things down, but somehow I had never realised before that the BBC never reached nationwide coverage untill well into the fifties, and in fact the last BBC region to launch was actually (just) after the first ITV region had launched. I think because BBC Tv had started in 1936, a full 19 years before ITV, I had just previously assumed that the BBC had already been nationwide for a good while before ITV came along.
BBC TV launched in East Anglia later than in many other regions further away from London. BBC2 rolled out around the UK much quicker. I thought BBC2 had reached East Anglia much later than it did
By June 1953, 75% of the population could get a signal. However poor geographical areas; and the need for areas to be included in the right region neccessitated relay stations.( eg North and North Wales could get a signal from either Holme Moss or Sutton Coldfield, but had to wait for Moel Y Parc in 1965 to get BBC Wales) The last VHF 405 line relay/booster stations opened in 1970.
The attitude back then to give a third television service to the BBC rather than ITV that was seen as too downmarket. And even up to the late 1980's, BBC 2 spent more time showing a testcard or pages from Ceefax than any programmes. Mind you BBC1 was not much better.
And now, in 2021, the BBC rebranded (they don't use Gill Sans anymore, instead they use their own BBC Reith) and all of the former regions from BBC One (excluding the nations) don't distinguish themselves anymore on-air. Since BBC Two doesn't use this practice, only BBC One is affected.
@@nxx99 Yes indeed - I sort of cover that at 9.25. There are now plans for BBC Four to go online only instead and if/when I ever update this video, I will reflect all of that then.
@@MrBobSter82 (Did 2LO do TV? I don't _think_ so.) So as I said not _quite_ 100 yet (in 2024) - certainly not "world" TV, I think BBC World (or predecessor) only started as an international channel around the turn of (this!) century.
In 1936 EMI had not yet been formed. (1:15) EMI was formed in *1938* by the merger of *Columbia Graphophone Co. Ltd.* and *The Gramophone Company Ltd. During the merged company's earliest years, an engineer at the company, Alan Blumlein had invented and developed the method for recording stereo audio onto a transcription disc, but the shellac material used for commercial-issue records of the day was brittle and noisy, So it wasn't until the late 1950s that the technology would be applied to the more sturdy, and quieter vinyl discs.
With the much smaller coverage areas of UHF transmitters, the development of that service would have been much more fragmentary and gradual than shown. Though they may have withheld the actual switch-on until the network was substantially in place. (I didn't know about the last 405 relay not being introduced until 1970! That's keeping backwards capability service going, with knobs on! Microsoft take note … 🙂)
I have so many of these little clips that I honestly don't know where this particular one came from - but I have done a YouTune search and there is a substantially more complete version at ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-wREbj6ubo8M.html
BBC TV’s North West region wasn’t created until 1968 (not 1959 as your video says) as they had no way of splitting it until 1964 when the BBC opened the BBC1 VHF C13 transmitter on Winter Hill.
It is called "Gaiety In The Golden Age" by Aaron Kenny and is one of the free music pieces available as part of the RU-vid library. I had originally wanted to use something "more BBC" but was advised of possible copyright issues.
Thanks, Stuart - if and when I update this I will factor all of that in. Any idea when South East and Yorkshire/Lincolnshire did actually launch if it wasn't then?
Are you sure BBC2 rolled out as quickly as you put in the video? BBC2 launched in UHF 625-lines only, and to the best of my knowledge, was never put on the North Hessary Tor transmitter. In the south west, BBC2 must have been put on Caradon Hill and Stockland Hill (which already carried Westward TV VHF 405-lines); three more main UHF transmitters Redruth, Beacon Hill and Huntshaw Cross entered service later (possilby by the time BBC1 and Westward had also started UHF 625-lines broadcasting). Not to mention the plethora of relays that had to be added.
You are absolutely correct - as I mention in the notes at the end of the video "Transmission boundaries are indicative only and are not intended to imply that full service coverage was available to regions/nations on date(s) quoted." The rollout of BBC2 (and 625 lines in general) was slow and often sporadic. In the interests of brevity, I tried to indicate when the service became available for the first time in a particular area. Having been brought up in a small town in the very west of Wales, I was often acutely aware that we seemed to be the only ones in the UK not to receive certain services - we weren't, of course: it just SEEMED that way!🙂
Correct me if I am wrong but I didn't think the Channel Islands got a proper off air reception 625 line service until 1976 when the main Fremont Point transmitter was upgraded to 625 lines UHF colour.This meant an improvement in picture quality for BBC1 and ITV Channel previously broadcast in black and white 405 lines only. They could now be broadcast on 625 lines colour, added to which BBC2 could be received for the first time as previously 625 UHF channels could not be received reliably from the mainland apart from possiblly Alderney where long distance signals could be received using large aerials and even then not reliably.
I think that you are correct - which is why the BBC1 and BBC2 idents both appear on the same date - 24 July 1976 - in the video (6:58). Prior to that, it was 405 line broadcasts only - see 3:32
I read somewhere that Rediffusion had a cable service in Jersey in the 1950's that allowed people there to see the Coronation on BBC TV in 1953. Presumably they relayed ITV from the mainland too prior to Channel TV starting. They must have had a good hefty aerial system to reliably pick up the 405 line VHF signals from the mainland to relay by cable. Do you know anything about this and other early cable systems? They must have existed in quite a few places to relay signals beyond the normal range of reception in places still awaiting a local transmitter to open that would properly cover their area.
I think I am right in saying that BBC Select was an overnight service that showed programming intended for targeted specific business audiences. It was funded by subscription and was largely scrambled (which is why I decided against including it in this video although there is indeed a case for doing so). BBC Prime was an entertainment channel not available domestically in the UK; it was replaced by the BBC Entertainment channel in the mid-2000s.
I think I have answered this before: it is the song sung by Adele Dixon commissioned especially for the launch of BBC TV in 1936 called "Television" or "Bringing Television to You". More info here: www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/genome/entries/e8a2fa30-7729-4256-aba1-e00cbb187f93
Thanks for your feedback. I have deliberately not included international channels such as BBC Canada that, as I understand it, are now defunct. There are also a fair few domestic national and regional variations that essentially offer occasional opt-outs from the core channel feed; to include all of these seemed excessive.
Until I saw this I didn't realise they had one at the date mentioned. (Though surely turning off TV would mean people would use _more_ energy, as they did other things - unless they just made a mini baby boom!) We certainly had one in the '70s, along with most of the rest of the world (maybe excluding north America), when OPEC suddenly raised prices and lowered output (combined with the UK economy hitting one of its lows at the time anyway).
I know this video is from 2021, but a curiosity about the international channel: started as BBC World (I watched 'Top Gear' so many times there), turned into BBC Worldnews and now is called also BBC News
The international news channel was recently merged with the domestic version and - to my mind - is now nowhere near as impressive as its predecessor or indeed as relevant to those outside the UK.
Thanks for the feedback. I have to admit I was completely unaware of BBC Select but will include it if/when I update the video. BBC World (unless you mean another service I don't know about!) is now BBC World News and is included in the "non-domestic" summary at the very end.
BBC-2 was *NOT* the first TV station in Europe to broadcast in colour. That honour goes to ZDF(Zweiter Deutscher Fernsehen), ARD(Algemeine Rundfunk Deutschland) and other *GERMAN* TV stations in the country where the PAL system of colour broadcasting was invented and perfected...... *GERMANY!* (9:15)
@@SmashyGuySRB2 The German test transmissions count as the *FIRST* colour broadcasts, they took place in 1967, *BEFORE* Britain adopted the PAL system. In Australia, the *Official* launch date for colour TV was 1st March, 1975(a Sunday, as it happened), but colour test transmissions began at the end of October, 1974, those tests were still counted as official colour broadcasts.
@@SmashyGuySRB2 Test broadcasts by German TV stations in 1967 *AHEAD* of the official launch count as the first broadcasts. For BBC *NOT* to have carried out test broadcasts in 1968 shows *utter sloppiness* on their part. Test broadcasts are the time when "bugs are ironed out" prior to launch. Clearly the Germans had the good sense to do this while BBC just plugged it in and turned it on with fingers crossed that they didn't see smoke coming out of the equipment. Australia too, had the good sense to thoroughly test everything prior to launch.
You are right - CBeebies was a strand of the BBC's children's output prior to its launch as a dedicated separate channel in 2002 (reflected in the video)
Not UK only - take a look at the Europe timeline - but, you are right, I am UK based so that obviously has a more immediate nostalgic/historic interest for me! 🙂
@@dariqaa It is the song sung by Adele Dixon commissioned especially for the launch of BBC TV in 1936 called "Television" or "Bringing Television to You". More info here: www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/genome/entries/e8a2fa30-7729-4256-aba1-e00cbb187f93
I totally understand where you are coming from. However, in graphic terms, the only alternative I can think of would be to delete the Republic from the map of the British Isles, effectively making Northern Ireland look like an island. If you can think of a better solution, I would be happy to consider it for future videos.
@@yunicaniago8587 Partly - although there is a VERY long list so it may take a LONG time before I get round to Asia. I also tend to prioritise subjects that are personally nostalgic to me here in the UK.
Whilst I believe that there is a BBC Brasil news website, this video only shows linear TV channels. There is no BBC Brasil TV channel as far as I know - at least not when this video was produced.
It is called simply "Television" and was part of the experimental service beaned to RadiOlympia in 1936 (00:52). You can find out more here: www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/technology/technology5.html
Monday 20th April 1964 BBC TV CHANGING TO BBC 1 "This Is BBC 1" + The Launch Of BBC 2 1st Time Failed Because Major Power Failure 2nd Time Finally The Launch Is Done (Tuesday 21st April 1964)
@@tvradiotimelines actually, bbc indo does NOT EXISTED ON TV, the bbc also DIDNT MAKE AN ANNOUCEMMENT ABOUT IT. The date of that is fake. BBC Indonesia is existed on digital platform only. Its a bunch of weird kids from Indonesia just want to do fake-fake international tv one. The only international tv in Indo are CNN and CNBC. There no such thing BBC would start a television in Indonesia. Regards, Zaki
The BBC Is Not Networking/Aired In Indonesian So Don't Hoaxed And DON'T Comment Here So Once Again BBC Is Not Networking/Aired In Indonesian Don't We Fckin Thr Hoaxed News Okay But CNBC And CNN In Indonesian Is From TransMedia
I don't think Holme Moss and Kirk O'Shotts covered all of the North of England and Scotland as you show on your map, and you are most disingenuous about the South West Region.
I am sorry that you found it lacking but I found it virtually impossible to find start dates for each and every service area and, indeed, make the point in the notes at the end of the video that transmission boundaries are indicative only and not intended to imply that full service coverage was available on the date quoted.
Kirk O Shotts covered Central Scotland from Glasgow to Edinburgh. A huge number of relays and main transmitters where needed to cover the whole of Scotland. Holme Moss covered Lancashire/West Yorkshire; parts of North Yorks: South Yorks. The Coverage area went west to North East Wales.A huge area on Band 1 VHF, however the picture quality varied tremendously.