1908

A.A. Campbell-Swinton gives detailed proposals for an electronic TV system

1924 Feb

John Logie Baird sends rudimentary pictures over short distance

1925 May

Baird gives first public demonstration of television

1926 Jan 27

Baird demonstrates tv by wireless transmission to the Royal Institution, London

1927 Jan 1

The BBC becomes a public corporation

1932 Aug 22

BBC starts 30-line tests using Baird’s system (until Sep 1935)

1936 Nov 2

Start of 405-line high definition service (for a few months alongside Baird’s 240-line system)

1937 May 12

First outside broadcast: King George VI’s Coronation procession

1939 Sep 1

Suspension of TV service because of WW2

1946 Jun 1

TV licence fee introduced

1946 Jun 7

Resumption of TV service after the war

1949 Dec

BBC Television service begins to spread outside of London. Regional>>

1950 Aug 27

First cross-Channel broadcast (from France to England)

1953 Jun 2

Televising of Coronation, seen by c. 27m viewers,  is watershed broadcast. Used 21 cameras

1954 Jun 6

Britain linked to Eurovision system. More >>

1954 Jul 5

Daily news bulletin starts

1954

First on-screen weather presenter - George Cowling

1954 Aug 4

Establishment of Independent Television Authority, a public corporation

1955 Sep 22

Start of Independent (ie commercial) Television in London area by Associated-Rediffusion and Associated Television, together with the non-profit-making Independent Television News

1956

Independent Television service begins to spread outside of SE. Regional>>

1958

TV households exceed radio-only households

1958 Apr

First videotape broadcast, by BBC (VERA system)

1958 Jun 26

Associated-Rediffusion shows first programme from Ampex VTR, which becomes the established format

1962 Apr

First video tape slow-motion replay

1962 Jul 1

Pilkington 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 ITV

1962 Jul 11

First transatlantic satellite broadcast. More>>

1964 Apr 20

Start of BBC2 on 625 line uhf. More>>

1964 Apr 26

BBC2 starts news review programme for deaf viewers

1967 Jul 1

Start of colour transmissions on BBC2. More >>

1967 Aug

BBC begins using fully electronic, colour, frame-rate standards conversion

1968 Jul 30

ITV 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 21

BBC and ITV night-time audiences watch man’s first steps on the moon. More>>

1969 Nov 15

Colour service inaugurated on ITV and  BBC1. More >>

1972 early

Removal of restrictions on broadcasting hours

1973 Feb 2

Teletext system demonstrated by BBC. IBA also developing a teletext system

1974

Video cassette recorders go on sale

1976

Colour sets outnumber b/w sets

1978

Opening of BBC’s combined film and video tape archive, and end of junking policy

1982 Jan 1

ITV franchise changes: ATV, Southern and Westward give way to Central, TVS and TSW

1982 Nov 1

Start of S4C (Sianel Pedwar Cymru/Channel 4 Wales), with all Welsh language programmes, both BBC and Independent, moving to this new channel

1982 Nov 2

Start of Channel 4 in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland

1983 Jan 17

Start of breakfast television by BBC, followed by (1 Feb) TVAM on the ITV network

1985 Jan

Closure of last 405-line transmitter

1989 Feb

Start of domestic satellite services by Sky Television

1989 Sep

First official NICAM digital stereo sound transmissions, by ITV

1989 Nov 21

Televising of House of Commons begins

1990

Opening of British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB)

1990

Sky and BSB merge to form BSkyB

1993 Jan 1

ITV franchise changes: Thames, TSW, TVS, TVAM give way to Carlton, Westcountry, Meridian, GMTV

1996 Mar 15

BSkyB’s first pay-per-view event: boxing match from Las Vegas

1997 Mar 30

Start of Channel 5. Needed retuning of millions of VTRs in order to prevent interference

1998 Oct 1

Digital satellite service starts. Digital>>

1998 Nov 15

Digital terrestrial service starts, including widescreen broadcasts

2001 Jun

BBC’s first digital interactive programme. Digital>>

2002 May

Closure of ITV Digital (formerly ONdigital)

2002 Oct 30

Opening of Freeview digital terrestrial service to replace ITV Digital multiplexes

2003 Dec 29

Regulation of commercial tv passes to Ofcom following merger of ITC with other regulatory bodies

2004 Jan 28-29

BBC Chairman of Governors and Director General both resign in wake of Hutton Report

2004 Feb 2

Merger of Granada and Carlton is complete. Merged company is called ITV plc

2006 May

Start of high definition service. More >>

2007 Oct 17

First analogue switch-off: BBC2 signal at Whitehaven, Cumbria