BBC chronology

Cross-channel TV

First television outside broadcast from the Continent (Calais)

Aircraft TV

First 'live' air to ground television broadcast (from an aircraft in flight)

Daventry

Third Programme Daventry transmitter opened

Buckingham Palace

First broadcast from Buckingham Palace on the occasion of the State Banquet to King Haakon of Norway

Holme Moss

Holme Moss television transmitting station opened

Party political broadcasts

First television election address, given by Lord Samuel for the Liberal Party

Royal Charter

1947 Royal Charter extended for six months

External Services

Vietnamese Service began

Kirk oʼ Shotts

Kirk o' Shotts television transmitting station opened

Cross-channel TV

First direct television from Paris (experimental)

Schools TV

First schools television programme (4 weeks experiment)

Royal Charter

Royal Charter renewed for ten years

Cross-channel TV

Wenvoe

Wenvoe television transmitting station opened

Pontop Pike and Glencairn

Pontop Pike and Glencairn temporary television transmitting stations opened

Truleigh Hill

Truleigh Hill temporary television transmitting station opened

Coronation

Coronation ceremony televised for first time

TV at sea

Television relayed from ship at sea for the first time during the Royal Naval Review

Licence fee

Eurovision

First European exchange of television programmes with eight countries taking part. Exchanges continue to 4 July

Rowridge

Rowridge temporary television transmitting station opened

Redmoss

Redmoss temporary television transmitting station opened

North Hessary Tor

North Hessary Tor temporary television transmitting station opened

Isle of Man

Temporary television transmitting station near Douglas (Isle of Man) opened

Norwich

Norwich television transmitting station opened

FM

First VHF sound broadcasting transmitting station opened at Wrotham

Divis

Divis television transmitting station opened (replacing Glencairn in Northern Ireland, see 1.5.53)

Eurovision

First section of permanent two-way television link with Continent completed

Penmon

Penmon (Anglesey) temporary VHF transmitting station opened

Les Platons

Les Platons (Channel Islands) television transmitting station opened

Colour TV

Colour television test transmissions began from Alexandra Palace

Meldrum

Meldrum television transmitting station opened (replacing Redmoss, near Aberdeen, see 14.12.54)

Colour TV

Demonstration of colour television to members of the press

Pontop Pike

Pontop Pike television transmitting station completed (see 1.5.53)

Northern Ireland

First live television programme from Northern Ireland

Pontop Pike and Wenvoe

Pontop Pike and Wenvoe VHF transmitting stations opened (Wenvoe temporarily Welsh Home Service only)

Divis

Divis VHF transmitting station opened

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace television transmitting station opened replacing Alexandra Palace

Meldrum

Meldrum VHF transmitting station opened

Colour TV

Prime Minister

First Ministerial television broadcast (Prime Minister)

North Hessary Tor

North Hessary Tor television transmitting station completed (see 17.12.54)

Rowridge

Rowridge television transmitting station completed (see 12.11.54)

Below the sea TV

First 'live' television broadcast from a submarine at sea

Helicopter TV

First television transmission from a helicopter

North Hessary Tor

North Hessary Tor VHF transmitting station opened

Blaen-plwyf

Blaen-plwyf temporary VHF transmitting station opened

Sutton Coldfield

Sutton Coldfeld VHF transmitting station began test transmissions on reduced power

Colour TV

Sandale

Sandale temporary television transmitting station opened

Holme Moss

Holme Moss VHF transmitting station opened

Wenvoe and Tacolneston

Colour TV

Demonstration of colour television reception to Members of both Houses of Parliament

Kirk oʼ Shotts

Kirk o'Shotts VHF transmitting station opened

External Services

Hausa Service began

External Services

Blaen-plwyf

Sutton Coldfield and Tacolneston

Rowridge

Rowridge VHF transmitting station opened

External Services

Swahili Service began

External Services

Somali Service began

Licence fee

Rosemarkie

Rosemarkie television transmitting station opened

Schools TV

BBC Television for schools began

Network Three

Re-organization of sound radio programmes. Network Three began

Bristol

Remote studio

UHF

Sandale

Sandale television transmitting station completed (see 5.11.56)

Douglas

Douglas (Isle of Man) television transmitting station completed (see 20.12.53)

Derry

Londonderry television transmitting station opened.

Crystal Palace

Crystal Palace television transmission station completed (see 28.3.56)

HM the Queen

Stereo

Douglas

VERA

Dover

Dover temporary television transmitting station opened

UHF

Folkestone

New studio

Southampton television interview studio opened

Sandale

Sandale VHF transmitting station opened

Rosemarkie

Rosemarkie VHF transmitting station opened

Stereo

Regular fortnightly experimental stereophonic transmissions began

Parliament TV

State Opening of Parliament televised for first time

Thrumster

Thrumster temporary television station opened

Llanddona

Llanddona VHF station opened (replacing Penmon, see 2.10.55)

Llangollen

Llangollen VHF station opened

Orkney

Wenvoe

Third Programme/Network Three VHF transmissions began from Wenvoe

Douglas

Douglas (Isle of Man) VHF station completed (see 9.3.58)

Transatlantic TV

New transmitters

Eurovision

Truleigh Hill

External Services

Arabic Service increased to 12 hours a day

Peterborough

Peterborough television and VHF transmitting station opened.

New studio

Norwich television interview studio opened.

Orkney

Orkney television transmitting station completed (see 22.12.58)

Standards conversion

New BBC television standards converter (European to N. American standards) used for first time to produce 525-line videotapes of Western Summit Conference in Paris.