First day of BBC television

The world's first scheduled, high-definition (as then defined; meaning 240-line) television programmes were broadcast on 2 November 1936 by the British Broadcasting Corporation. They had been preceded by a number of low-definition BBC test broadcasts, as well as a 180-line Deutscher Fernseh Rundfunk service, from Berlin, since March 1935.

## Background

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Blue plaque at Alexandra Palace

The British Broadcasting Corporation, already an established radio broadcaster since the mid-1920s,[1][2] began making experimental television broadcasts in 1929.[3] Low definition (30-line) television transmissions under government license commenced in August 1936.[4]

The BBC Television Service officially launched on 2 November 1936.[5][6] This is often described as the world's first regular high definition television service.[7][8][9][10][nb 1] Programming included short ad-hoc performances by musicians, with the duration limited as "lookers in" (as viewers were called) were found to experience eye strain through looking at the small screens then in use.[11][12]

## Line-up

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The BBC's official publication, The Radio Times, listed the opening one-hour schedule – the first ever, on a dedicated TV channel – starting at 3 pm, as:[5]

* 3:00 – Opening of the BBC Television Service
* 3:15 – Interval; time, weather
* 3:20 – British Movietone News
* 3:30 – Variety
* 4:00 – Close

From 9 pm to 10 pm, pre-recorded films and more news were screened.[5] The films included Television Comes to London, a pre-made fifteen-minute documentary about the launch, shot on 35mm film.[11] It was the BBC's first television documentary.[11]

### Opening

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The first person heard and seen was the announcer, Leslie Mitchell.[11]

According to advance publicity in The Radio Times, the opening was then to be:[13]

> by Major the Right Hon. G.C. Tryon, M.P., H.M. Postmaster-General

> Mr. R.C. Norman (Chairman of the BBC) and the Right Hon. the Lord Selsdon, K.B.E. (Chairman of the Television Advisory Committee) will also speak.

### Variety

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The Radio Times billed the Variety performers as:[5]

* Adele Dixon – Musical Comedy Star
* Buck and Bubbles – Comedians and Dancers
* The Lai Founs – Chinese Jugglers

however, in the event The Lai Founs did not appear.[11]

Dixon performed a specially commissioned song, "Television", written by James Dyrenforth and Kenneth Leslie-Smith.[11] The event made Buck and Bubbles (Buck Washington and John W. Bubbles) the first black people to appear on television.[11]

The musicians were billed as The BBC Television Orchestra, led by Boris Pecker and conducted by Hyam Greenbaum.[5] The producer was listed as Dallas Bower.[5]

## Technology

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The broadcast was made from a converted wing of Alexandra Palace ("Ally Pally") in London,[5] using the 240-line Baird intermediate film system,[11] on the VHF band.

BBC television initially used two systems on alternate weeks: the Baird system and the 405-line Marconi-EMI system. The decision to use the Baird system for the first week was made on a coin toss.[11] The use of the two formats made the BBC's service the world's first regular high-definition television service; it broadcast from Monday to Saturday between 15:00 and 16:00, and 21:00 and 22:00.[14]

Alexandra Palace housed two studios (one for each system), various scenery stores, make-up areas, dressing rooms, offices, and the transmitter itself.

## Notes

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1. ^ The first regular electronic television service in Germany began in Berlin on 22 March 1935, as Deutscher Fernseh Rundfunk. Broadcasting from the Fernsehsender Paul Nipkow, it used a 180-line system, and was on air for 90 minutes, three times a week.

## References

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1. ^ "100 years of radio since Marconi's big breakthrough". Ofcom. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 17 November 2020.
2. ^ Linfoot, Matthew. "History of the BBC: The origins of BBC Local Radio". bbc.com. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
3. ^ "History of the BBC: 1920s". bbc.com. Retrieved 18 September 2022.
4. ^ "A new service: 1935-36". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
5. ^ a b c d e f g "Variety". The Radio Times. No. 683\. 30 October 193. p. 88. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
6. ^ "Opening Night: November 1936". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
7. ^ Burns, R. W. (1998). Television: An International History of the Formative Years. IET. ISBN 978-0-85296-914-4.
8. ^ Burns, R. W. (1986). British Television: The Formative Years. IET. ISBN 978-0-86341-079-6.
9. ^ Newcomb, Horace (2014). Encyclopedia of Television. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-135-19472-7.
10. ^ "The History of Television (or, How Did This Get So Big?)". www.cs.cornell.edu. Retrieved 9 October 2023.
11. ^ a b c d e f g h i Television's Opening Night: How the Box Was Born (Documentary). BBC Four. 19 May 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
12. ^ laurence marcus. "THE HISTORY OF THE BBC: THE FIRST TV ERA". Archived from the original on 13 August 2011. Retrieved 11 December 2015.
13. ^ "Variety". The Radio Times. No. 683\. 30 October 1936. p. 88. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
14. ^ Burns, R.W. (1998). Television: An International History of the Formative Years. London: The Institution of Electrical Engineers. p. ix. ISBN 978-0-85296-914-4.

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* First regular hi-definition television service – BBC page.

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