How did television develop in the UK during the 20th century?

The very first regular television service in the world was Britain’s BBC Television which launched at 3pm on the 2nd of November 1936. This had followed numerous trial runs and the first broadcast reached 400 television sets in a 30 mile radius of the transmitter.

Former radio announcer Leslie Mitchell introduced a schedule which included speeches, cultural performances, interviews, boxing, gardening and a program about a zoo. BBC Television broadcasted for less than two hours a day with regular intervals placed to prevent viewer eye strain. In 1937 Freddie Grisewood commentated on television coverage for the Coronation of George VI which was a major step for television.

On the 1st of September 1939 the first morning broadcast featured the Radiolympic Show and a Mickey Mouse cartoon before going blank for almost 7 years over World War II.

BBC Television continued to gain audiences and made stars out of Richard Dimbley and Gilbert Harding, but only gained majority acceptance when it screened a 13½ hour broadcast of the Coronation that also screened on Eurovision in Europe.

Despite the competition of ITV, many kept a preference for the BBC. “The BBC know good broadcasting… and by large they can provide it,” said a report by the Committee of Broadcasting, chaired by Sir Harry Pilkington. “Dissatisfaction with television can largely be ascribed to the independent television service… there is much that lacks quality.”

BBC2 began following heavy publicity on the 20th of April 1964. At first it was a disaster, suffering from poor scheduling decisions like Michael Peacock’s “Seven Faces” daily themes and from the absence of high-rating programs as they were all screened on BBC1.

Conservative MP Selwyn Lloyd and former Controller of BBC Television Norman Collins launched strong support for British commercial television to add choice to the selection of stations available. With Churchill in government in 1951 and putting an end to the lack of competition, ITV was launched on the 22nd of September 1955, providing national and local programs from independent providers.

ITV sold advertisements to pay for the service they provided, so the schedule was designed to attract audiences. ITV placed programs that appealed to majority audiences, like US sitcom I Love Lucy, in peak time slots when the BBC refused to operate. It tried to appeal to the majority audience, unlike BBC television.

Major television developments in the 1970’s like video recorders, public hope in cable television and the removal of restrictions to television operation hours all helped form modern British television as is known today.