The Formation of the BBC
From its founding in 1922 as a private firm called the British Broadcasting Company and its subsequent incorporation as the British Broadcasting Corporation in 1927, the BBC has grown to be a world leader with its reputation for public service and impartiality.
In this chapter, I will briefly describe the development of broadcasting in the United Kingdom. I will then look at the formation, and some of the history of, the British Broadcasting Company and how the British Broadcasting Corporation was formed from it.
One of the earliest transmissions of voice over long distance in Britain was made by a member of the Marconi Company in 1919. It was a transmission of 1800 miles from Ballybunion in Ireland to Louisburg, Cape Breton Island (Crozier, 29) in Canada. By this time, the United States had radio stations broadcasting music, entertainment programs and commercials. In Britain radio progressed slower. Private experimental work was viewed with caution by the naval and military authorities, and the development of radio (or wireless telephony as it was known) was restricted.
British manufacturers, unwilling to fall behind the Americans, decided to build a transmitting station powerful enough for other countries to hear. The result was a 6-kilowatt transmitter at Chelmsford, which employed the large Marconi Works aerial suspended between two 450-foot masts (Briggs, Vol. 1, 45). The new station was used chiefly for tests of speech and transmission over long distances, but short transmissions of musical items (Briggs, Vol. 1, 45) were also organised. Signals from the Chelmsford transmitter were heard as far away as Madrid and Rome. Later, when the success of the Chelmsford transmitter was assured, the 6-kilowatt transmitter was replaced with a 15- kilowatt transmitter and between February 23 and March 6, 1920 two daily programmes consisting of news, musical items, and gramaphone records were broadcast. These were the first scheduled broadcasts in Britain.
The Chelmsford experience was not to last however. In the autumn of 1920 the transmitter was shut down following the imposition of a ban (made by the Post Office, the government department which regulates broadcasting in the United Kingdom ) on further broadcasts. This followed a period of heavy criticism from aircraft pilots and many high ranking officials in the army, navy, and air forces. The reasons given were that it jammed aircraft communications and interfered with other transmitters.
The gap left by the closing of the Marconi transmitter was soon filled by enthusiastic wireless amateurs who were often associated with various wireless societies that had sprung up across Britain following World War One. It was these societies that managed to get permission for short regular broadcasts of music and speech in January 1922 that led to the opening of radio stations in London and Manchester.
"In the United Kingdom, as in the United States, the manufacturers of receiving sets led in the early development of broadcasting. When reports reached Britain that an increase in the number of American broadcasting stations had resulted in a greater sale of receivers, British manufacturers urged their government to let them establish stations" (Paulu, British Broadcasting, 8).
People who already owned radios supported the manufacturers since they wanted more programs of music and entertainment to listen to. As a result, the British Post Office called a meeting in May of 1922 of all interested manufacturers and groups to discuss the formation of a broadcasting company.
Though it was the Post Office that had initiated the meeting, it was the six main manufacturers of radio equipment (the Marconi Company, Metropolitan-Vickers, the Western Electric Company, the Radio Communication Company, the General Electric Company, and the British Thompson-Houstan Company) who were asked to form a committee to prepare the plan for broadcasting in Britain. This small committee became the centre of all the crucial negotiations.
By the end of the discussions the name British Broadcasting Company had been accepted and it was decided that it should have:
"...a capital of 100,000 Pounds in cumulative ordinary shares, of which 60,000 Pounds was to be paid up. Dividends were to be limited to 10 per cent. Shares were to be allotted only to 'genuine British Manufacturers employing British Labour'...the Post Office should ...approve only wireless receiving sets made by the member-companies of the British Broadcasting Company ...the Company should finance its current operations from two sources a share of a ten shilling Post Office licence fee...and a royalty on the sale of all BBC-marked receiving sets produced by member companies of the BBC...the chairman should be 'neutral', that is to say that he should not belong to any of the constituting companies...of the eight broadcasting stations, six should be equipped by the Marconi Company and the question of equipment for the two remaining stations should be left to the Board of the new Broadcasting Company to decide...the new BBC was to undertake to sell only British-made sets, to pay to the Company 10 per cent of the net wholesale selling price of all broadcast receiving apparatus..." (Briggs, First Fifty, 30).
The draft form of this agreement between the BBC and its members was given to the Post Office on August 15, 1922, and the BBC took to the air on November 14, 1922.
The British Broadcasting Company was formed on December 15, 1922, and received its licence on January 18, 1923 (even though official broadcasting had already started on November 14). The BBC, as it was soon known, was:
"...backed by six great firms and licensed by the Postmaster-General until the end of 1926. A chain of eight stations was to be maintained and advertising was forbidden; the service was to be 'to the reasonable satisfaction of the Postmaster-General'" (Crozier, 31).
Those six firms, in return for a virtual monopoly of the sales of radio receivers and transmitters, guaranteed the company financial solvency. "...the British Broadcasting Company...was a consortium of manufacturers of domestic wireless receiving sets. Their purpose in financing and organising radio broadcasts was to provide regular transmissions of programmes which people who bought domestic receivers from them could listen to" (Burns, 1).
When the BBC went on air it was often hampered by restrictions placed on its broadcasts. These concentrated on news and commercial programs:
"In response to requests from the press, which even in 1922 was concerned about the possible effects of radio broadcasting on newspaper circulation, the license provided 'that the Company shall not broadcast any news or information in the nature of news except such as they may obtain on payment from one or more...news agencies..." (Paulu, British Broadcasting, 10).
The restrictions placed on commercial programs stated that the BBC could not:
"...'without the consent in writing of the Postmaster General receive money or other valuable consideration from any person in respect of the transmission of messages by means of the licensed apparatus, or send messages or music constituting broadcast matter provided or paid for by any person, other than the Company or person actually sending the message'" (Paulu, British Broadcasting, 10).
These restrictions, however, didn't hamper the first major news item the BBC broadcast. The first week of regular broadcasting was enlivened by election results on November 15, 1922. Despite the restrictions placed on it, the BBC broadcast the results of the election and it was "...major news - which marked the political fall of Lloyd George and the confirmation of a Conservative Government...to be led by Stanley Baldwin, the first politician both to appreciate the significance of broadcasting and to make effective use of it" (Briggs, First Fifty, 38).
Despite this ironic election win, BBC news bulletins were, for many years, begun with the acknowledgement of the news agencies they were forced to purchase their information from.
The BBC even then saw broadcasting as a source not only of entertainment, but of information and culture. Its standards were high and it took its responsibilities gravely (Crozier, 31). Broadcasting was treated as a public service, and as 'Public appetite is insatiable activities must be extended and the standards of programmes continually improved (Briggs, Vol. 1, 229).
"...the first Director- General, one John Reith, was a very far sighted, way ahead of his time, guy, who said things like that radio gives the opportunity for music to be heard in places where people would never think of going to concerts. In the back streets" (Black, Interview, June 1991).
Programmes broadcast on the British Broadcasting Company were spilt into two vaguely defined sections. Entertainment and education. They were vaguely defined because in a sense, the object of all programmes is to entertain (Briggs, Vol. 1, 251). Jazz bands, popular music, and 'sketches by humourists' figured regularly in BBC programmes from 1922 to 1926; much of the popular music was that which appealed to the older generation (Briggs, Vol. 1, 251). Education consisted mainly of a wide variety of talk broadcasts (shows). These include shows with topics such as 'How to catch a tiger', From my Window, As I see it, 'My Part of the Country', 'Music and the Ordinary Listener', wireless lessons in French, swimming the Channel, and talks given by the 'critics' (Briggs, Vol. 1, 254). Other talks were given by various government ministries and were widely attack in the newspapers as being extremely dull. About a quarter of the BBC's total daily broadcasts took the form of speech.
The most regular 'speech and music' programme of any length was the Children's Hour. It usually lasted for forty-five minutes, and it played a somewhat disproportionately large part in the early life of the broadcasting stations (Briggs, Vol. 1, 258). In
the early years of the Children's Hour, it was not very structured beyond being intended to appeal to 'the keen, fresh unspoiled mind of the child' (Briggs, First Fifty, 122).
The British Broadcasting Company became the British Broadcasting Corporation on January 1, 1927 (after the Company's licence expired December 31, 1926). This followed a report given by the Crawford Committee, who were appointed by the government to advise on future management and control of the BBC. This report "...recommended that broadcasting should be run by a public corporation 'acting as trustee for the national interest'. They suggested one conception fundamental to the position of the BBC ever since: that though Parliament must have the right of ultimate control, and the Postmaster-General be the Parliamentary spokesman on broad questions of policy, the governors of the BBC should have the maximum of freedom within this framework" (Crozier, 32). Broadcasting had become a monopoly, financed by licencing fees on radio receivers, and administered by an independent public corporation.
It was on this, that the present structure of the British Broadcasting Corporation is based.
Radio remained the same all through the war, and after. It wasn't until 1967 that it changed and became Radios One, Two, Three, and Four. Regular television service was introduced in 1936, but beyond the ending of the BBC's monopoly in 1955 with the start of commercial television, the BBC has changed little, and is still regarded as a world leader in the quality of its broadcasting.
Historical Dates (1922 to 1990)
1922
18 October: British Broadcasting Company Formed.
1 November: Broadcast receiving licence (10 shillings) introduced.
5 November*: Experimental wireless demonstration between Bristol and London.
14 November: First daily programmes from 2LO in London.
15 November*: First BBC broadcasts from Birmingham (5IT) and Manchester (2ZY). Manchester and London broadcast the first services of a general election results. Manchester broadcasts the first children's programme, Kiddies Corner.
14 December: John Reith appointer General Manager of BBC
15 December*: British Broadcasting Company Limited formally registered.
23 December*: First orchestral concert. First regular General News Bulletin from London (prepared by Reuters). First broadcast talk. First broadcast of dance music.
24 December*: First play written for radio (The Truth About Father Christmas). First religious address broadcast. Newcastle upon Tyne (5NO) station opened.
1923
8 January: First outside broadcast (Was broadcast from Covent Garden)
18 January: Postmaster-General grants BBC licence to broadcast.
23 January*: First military band concert.
30 January*: First Variety programme broadcast.
12 February*: First outside broadcast of a play from a theatre.
13 February*: Cardiff (5WA) station opened.
22 February*: First broadcast debate.
2 March*: Morning radio programmes begin.
6 March*: Glasgow (5SC) station opened.
26 March*: First daily weather forecast.
1 May: Savoy Hill Studios opened.
28 May*: First full length play broadcast.
6 June*: First eye-witness account of the Derby.
21 June*: First broadcast of a symphony concert.
11 July*: First regular film criticism.
27 July*: First regular dramatic criticism.
28 September: Radio Times first published.
10 October*: Aberdeen (2BD) station opened.
17 October*: Bournemouth (6BM) station opened. 8 November*: First broadcast in Welsh from Cardiff.
16 November*: Sheffield (6FL) station opened (first relay station).
2 December*: First broadcast in Gaelic from Aberdeen.
30 December*: First continental programme relayed by landline from Radiola Paris (Radio Paris).
31 December*: First broadcast of Big Ben's chimes to usher in the New Year.
1924
31 January*: First broadcast story.
5 February*: Greenwich time signal inaugurated.
17 February*: Big Ben daily time signal begins.
28 March*: Plymouth (5PY) station opened.
4 April: Broadcasting for school begins.
23 April*: First broadcast by King George V.
1 May*: Edinburgh (2EH) relay station opened.
23 May*: First broadcast by the Duke of York (later King George VI).
11 June*: Liverpool (6LV) relay station opened.
12 June*: First disc jockey programme.
8 July*: Leeds-Bradford (2LS) relay station opened.
15 August*: Hull (6KH) relay station opened.
13 October*: First broadcast election address.
21 October*: Stoke-on-Trent (6ST) relay station opened.
12 November*: Dundee (2DE) relay station opened.
26 November*: First relay from America (KDKA Pittsburgh).
12 December*: Swansea (5SX) relay station opened.
1925
17 July*: The Radio Supplement first issued.
27 July: Daventry LW transmitter opened.
1926
4 May*: General Strike Began. In the absence of newspapers the BBC Broadcasts 5 news bulletins daily.
12 May*: Reith reading the 1pm news announced the end of the strike.
14 November*: Under the Geneva Plan, drawn up by the International Broadcasting Union, the number of wavelengths available to the BBC was reduced. Regional, as opposed to local, broadcasting followed.
20 December*: Publication of the Royal Charter and Licence and Agreement for the British Broadcasting Corporation.
1927
1 January: British Broadcasting Corporation established replacing the Company. Sir John Reith Director General.
4 January*: First meeting of the Board of Governors.
15 January: First running commentary broadcast under a new agreement with the press.
5 March: Ban on broadcasting of controversial material lifted
11 November*: Experimental broadcasts to the Empire began from Chelmsford (5SW) short wave station.
1928
30 October*: Experimental transmission of still pictures by the Fultograph process began from Daventry.
1929
15 January: The Listener first published.
29 April*: Opening of Broadcasting House Manchester.
20 August: First BBC transmission of Baird's 30-line experimental television
1930
10 February*: BBC acquired news agency tape machines and began editing the news bulletins itself.
9 March: Start of Regional scheme offering alternative radio programme.
31 March*: Experimental television sound and 30-line vision signals were transmitted simultaneously from Brookman's Park after radio programmes closed.
14 July*: First experimental television play: The Man with the Flower in his Mouth.
22 October*: First broadcast by the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
29 November*: Formal opening of Broadcasting House Edinburgh.
1931
12 July*: North Regional programmes began from Moorside Edge.
18 December*: First broadcast by the BBC Chamber Orchestra.
1932
1 May: Broadcasting House (London) becomes BBC headquarters
12 May*: First broadcast form Broadcasting House, London.
12 June*: Scottish regional transmitting station opened at Westerglen.
22 August*: First experimental television programme originating from Studio BB, Broadcasting House.
19 December: First short-wave service inaugurated.
25 December: First Round-the-Empire Christmas Day programme with broadcast by King George V.
1933
18 January*: Opening of Broadcasting House, Leeds.
28 July*: First female announcer (Sheila Borrett).
21 August*: News read by woman for the first time (discontinued shortly afterwards).
22 August*: First boxing match televised from Studio BB, Broadcasting House.
1934
18 September* Opening of Broadcasting House, Bristol.
29 November*: First broadcast of a royal wedding ceremony (the Duke of Kent and Princess Marina) from Westminster Abbey with world coverage.
1935
11 September* last 30-line Baird experimental television programme.
1936
20 January*: During the evening at quarter hour intervals Stuart Hibberd broadcast that "The King's life is moving peacefully towards its close." Shortly after midnight Sir John Reith announced the death of King George V. Until January 28, after the King's funeral (which was broadcast), ordinary programmes were cancelled and special ones substituted.
1 March*: King Edward VIII broadcast a message to the Empire.
31 August*: First female television announcer (Elizabeth Cowell).
2 November: Inauguration of BBC television service (world's first regular high definition service).
11 December: King Edward VIII's abdication broadcast.
1937
12 May: George VI's coronation procession televised. First use of TV outside broadcast van.
21 June*: Wimbledon tennis televised for first time.
25 December*: First Christmas broadcast by King George VI.
1938
3 January: First BBC foreign language service begins (Arabic).
2 April*: Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race televised for first time.
20 April*: FA Cup Final first televised from Wembley.
9 June*: Trooping the Colour first televised.
30 June: Sir John Reith leaves BBC.
27 September: Start of European service (News in French, German, and Italian).
30 September* Chamberlain's return to Heston airport from his meeting with Hitler at Munich broadcast live on radio and television.
23 November*: Underwater scenes first televised (training of divers).
1939
18 April*: First broadcast of English lessons (in the Arabic service).
24 May*: First high definition television coverage of the Derby.
23 August*: London Calling first published.
1 September: Television Service closed down for defence reasons. Home Service replaces National and Regional programmes.
3 September: Broadcasts by Neville Chamberlain and George VI on the declaration of war.
1 October*: First wartime broadcast by Winston Churchill (First Lord of the Admiralty).
1940
7 January: Forces Programme begins.
19 May: Churchill's first broadcast as Prime Minister.
18 June*: Churchill's "This was their finest hour" broadcast. General Charles de Gaulle's first broadcast to France.
14 October*: Tatsfield receiving station bombed, both 110 foot masts brought down.
15 October*: Delayed action bomb exploded in Broadcasting House, London during the 9 pm news. Seven BBC lives lost.
19 November*: Adderley Park transmitter, Birmingham, totally destroyed by bombs, loss of life of staff in nearby shelter.
9 December*: Landmine caused servere damage to Broadcasting House.
1941
14 January: V campaign broadcasts begin in Belgian Service.
21 February*: New studio and office premises at Swansea destroyed by incendiary bombs.
16 April*: All premises on the eastern half of the Broadcasting House island site totally destroyed by high explosive bombs.
10 May*: The Queen's Hall totally demolished by bombs. Maida Vale studios received direct hit by high explosive bomb.
1942
22 March*: First daily news bulletin in Morse code transmitted for the resistance in certain European languages and in English.
2 November*: Service in French for Canada began.
1943
11 July*: Start of broadcasts for the Clandestine European Press.
1944
6 June*: D Day. War Report first broadcast.
7 June*: Allied Expeditionary Forces Programme began.
30 June*: Flying bomb landed in Aldwych outside Bush House. Several staff of the European Service serverely injured.
1945
8 May: VE Day, Broadcasts by Churchill and George VI.
29 July: Regional broadcasting resumed. Start of Light Programme.
15 August*: VJ Day: broadcasts by Attlee and King George VI.
1946
16 April*: BBC Quarterly first published.
1 June*: Radio licence increased to 1 Pound. Combined television and radio licence introduced at 2 Pounds.
7 June: Television service resumes.
8 June*: Victory parade televised.
7 July*: First children's television programme.
15 September* First religious service televised.
29 September: Start of Third Programme.
1947
9 November*: Service of Rememberance from the Cenotaph televised and telerecorded for re-transmission that evening (first use of telerecording).
1948
29 July*: Olympic Games from Wembley televised.
1949
29 March*: Golf televised for the first time.
29 July*: First television weather forecast.
4 September*: The moon televised for the first time (through a telescope).
1950
12 February: Formation of European Broadcasting Union.
23 February*: First televised report of general election results.
27 August: First live television from the Continent (Calais).
30 September* First television broadcast from the air.
26 October*: First sound and television broadcast from the House of Commons (opening rebuilt Chamber).
1951
12 October*: Holme Moss transmitter opened bringing television to the north of England.
1952
6 February*: Broadcast announcement of the death of King George VI.
15 February*: Funeral of King George VI on television and radio.
14 March*: Kirk o'Shotts transmitter opened bring television to the Forth-Clyde belt and the Lowlands of Scotland.
15 August*: Wenvoe station opened using medium wave transmitters to bring television to South Wales and the Bath-Bristol area.
20 December*: Wenvoe high power television transmitter opened. Television coverage 81 percent of the United Kingdom.
1953
2 June: Television of coronation ceremony for first time. Television audience exceeded radio audience.
1954
11 January*: First weatherman televised.
1 June*: Television and radio combined licence increased to 3 Pounds. Radio licence remained 1 Pound.
6 June to 4 July: First European exchange of television programmes with eight countries taking part.
1955
2 May: VHF transmitter opened at Wrotham.
10 October: Start of colour television test transmissions.
22 September* Start of independent television.
29 December*: First Midland Region television studio opened at Gosta Green, Birmingham.
31 December*: Television available to 91 percent of the population of the United Kingdom.
1957
24 September* Television for schools began.
14 October*: Queen Elizabeth II's first television broadcast (telerecording of her address to Canadians).
25 December*: The Queen's Christmas broadcast televised for the first time and carried simultaneously on radio.
1958
5 May*: Experimental television transmissions started in Band V on 625 lines from Crystal Palace.
1 October: Ampex video-recording equipment used by BBC for first time.
1959
18 June: Cablefilm used for first time.
19 December*: BBC electronic field-store standards converter used for first time (for conversion of American videotape and live European television programmes to British standards).
1960
20 June*: First female network newsreader in vision (Nan Winton).
29 June: First transmission from BBC Television Centre.
31 December*: 20 VHF radio stations in operation, covering 97 percent of the population.
1962
11 July: First live television from US by Telstar satellite.
28 August: Start of experimental steriophonic radio transmission.
1964
20 April: Start of BBC 2 transmissions on 625 lines.
1967
25 June: 'Our World' first live satellite worldwide programme televised.
1 July: BBC 2 transmissions in colour using PAL system (first regular service in Europe)
15 August: Marine etc Broadcasting (Offenses) Act came into operation suppressing pirate radio.
30 September: Radio 1 introduced. Other networks renamed Radios 2, 3 and 4.
8 November: Start of local radio experiment with introduction of Radio Leicester.
15 November*: Radio Sheffield opened.
1968
31 January*: Radio Nottingham opened.
14 February*: Radio Brighton opened.
14 March*: Radio Stoke-on-Trent opened.
24 June*: Radio Leeds opened.
31 June*: Radio Durham opened.
12 October: First use of BBC advanced standards converter to relay Olympic Games from Mexico to Europe in colour.
1969
21 July: Neil Armstrong's landing on the moon televised.
15 November: Colour service extended to BBC 1 and ITV.
1970
4 April: Radio networks reorganised to introduce more generic broadcasting.
4 September*: Radio Bristol opened.
10 September* Radio Manchester opened.
6 October *: Radio London opened.
29 October*: Radio Oxford opened.
9 November*: Radio Birmingham opened.
18 December*: Radio Medway opened.
31 December*: Radio Solent and Teeside opened.
1971
2 January*: Radio Newcastle opened.
10 January*: Open University programmes began on radio and television.
26 January*: Radio Blackburn began.
1 February: Abolition of radio only licence.
25 February*: Radio Humberside opened.
29 April*: Radio Derby opened.
16 June*: Death of Lord Reith.
3 October*: BBC Programmes Complaint Commission established.
10 November*: Birmingham Broadcasting Centre (Pebble Mill) opened by Princess Anne.
1972
19 January: End of Post Office control of broadcasting hours.
1974
23 September: Regular CEEFAX service begins.
1975
9 June to 4 July: Experiments of broadcasts from Parliament.
1978
3 April: Start of regular radio broadcasts from Parliament.
1981
1 June: Broadcasting Complaints Commission starts work.
1982
1 November: BBC Welsh language programmes transferred to Sianel 4.
1983
17 January: 'Breakfast Time' television transmissions begin.
22 September: Launch of BBC Telesoftware Service.
1985
23 January: Start of six month experiment in televising House of Lords.
1986
1 April: All BBC commercial activities brought together in a single organisation, BBC Enterprises Ltd.
2 July: Peacock Report on financing BBC published.
27 October: Daytime Television service launched.
13 November: BBC Violence on Television report released.
1987
14 January: Government announces future licence fee to be linked to the Retail Price Index.
8 October: Home Secretary announces setting up of new Broadcasting Standards Council to Handle complaints from public about television sex and violence
30 November: Work begins on new BBC headquarters at White City site.
1988
3 January: Film 'See For Yourself', plus phone-in on BBC 1, together with inserts to Radio Times and The Listener, replaces BBC Handbook.
1 September: BBC External Services changes its name to BBC World Service.
8 November: Government Whit Paper: Broadcasting in the 90's: Competition, choice and quality, published.
1989
6 February: Publication of the BBC's response to the Government's White Paper on broadcasting.
1 March: BBC issues new comprehensive guidelines for producers.
21 November: Experimental televising of House of Commons began.
7 December: Broadcasting Bill published.
1990
1 January: BBC Subscription Television Ltd. created as a separate company within BBC Enterprises.
25 January: Funding the Future report presented.
Note: All dates marked * are quoted from (Briggs, The BBC, 1985). All others are quoted from (BBC Guide, 1990)
Sir John Reith was the first Director General and was appointed so in December 14th 1922. He was way ahead of his time and said things like that radio gives the opportunity for music to be heard in places where people would never have thought of. On the 20th January 1936 during the evening at quarter hour intervals Stuart Hibberd broadcast that "The King's life is moving peacefully towards its close." Shortly after midnight Sir John Reith announced the death of King George V. Until January 28, after the King's funeral (which was broadcast), ordinary programmes were cancelled and special ones substituted. On the 30th June 1938 Sir John Reith left the BBC and died on the 16th June 1971.
BBC was first introduced
EXPERIMENTAL TV BEGINS
1936
2nd November
The BBC is a Public Owned National Broadcaster, free from Advertisements and funded by a licence fee payable by All Television viewers.There are two main television channels:
BBC1 (broadcasting a diverse range of popular programming and News)
BBC2 (broadcasting a mix of programmes including drama/ educational and arts)
In addition there are a number of regional centres; however apart from News and some additional regional programming the output is almost totally network fed.
2nd December
'BBC2' LAUNCHES COLOUR TRANSMISSION
1969
9 June*: Trooping the Colour first televised.
10 October: Start of colour television test transmissions.
1 July: BBC 2 transmissions in colour using PAL system (first regular service in Europe)
12 October: First use of BBC advanced standards converter to relay Olympic Games from Mexico to Europe in colour.
15 November: Colour service extended to BBC 1 and ITV.
