On This Day In Broadcasting

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May

DATE YEAR COUNTRY EVENT
1 1923 UK The BBC studios at Savoy Hill opened.
1924 UK The BBC radio transmitter at Edinburgh (2EH) opened.
1932 UK BBC Broadcasting House became the headquarters.
1939 USA NBC began an experimental television service in New York, with RCA, Du Mont, Andrea and some other companies marketing receivers.
1948 USA Television network service began in the USA in two groups of cities, centred on New York and Chicago.
1953 UK Two new BBC television transmitters opened, Pontop Pike on channel 5 and Glencairn on channel 1.
2 1955 UK BBC FM radio began from the transmitter at Wrotham.
1964 UK BBC2 broadcast the first edition of "Horizon".
3 1956 UK ITV began in the North of England, from the Winter Hill transmitter on channel 9, with Granada operating the weekday franchise.
4 1926 UK The General Strike began. In the absence of newspapers, the BBC broadcast five news bulletins each day.
1964 UK The BBC television transmitter at Ventnor opened on channel 5.
5 1956 UK ABC began broadcasting at weekends to the North of England.
1958 UK The BBC began tests of 625-line television in band V from Crystal Palace.
8 1945 UK Winston Churchill and King George VI made broadcasts to the nation on VE Day.
9 1953 UK The BBC television transmitter at Truleigh Hill opened on channel 3.
10 1941 UK The Queen's Hall was totally demolished by bombs, and Maida Vale studios received a direct hit.
11 1940 Asia The BBC Hindustani radio service began. It was later replaced by Hindi and Urdu services.
1970 UK The Mendip transmitter began broadcasting BBC1.
12 1926 UK Lord Reith, reading the 1pm news, announced the end of the General Strike.
1932 UK The first broadcast from Broadcasting House was made.
1937 UK The BBC TV outside broadcast van was used for the first time, in order to televise the coronation of King George VI.
13 1968 UK The ITA transmitter at Bath opened on channel 8, carrying ITS-SWW.
14 1939 South Africa The BBC Afrikaans radio service opened.
1981 UK A joint BBC/Open University Production Centre opened at Milton Keynes.
15 1962 UK The BBC television transmitter at Llanddona opened on channel 1.
16 1969 UK The Postmaster General approved the introduction of 625-line colour transmission for BBC1 and ITV, from November 1969.
1970 UK The Oxford 625-line transmitter began broadcasting BBC1.
19 1940 UK Winston Churchill made his first broadcast as Prime Minister.
20 1968 UK The new ITA franchise holder for Wales and the West of England, Harlech, began broadcasting from the St Hilary, Presely, Arfon, Moel-y-Parc, Bala and Bath transmitters.
21 1937 UK Tennis from Wimbledon was televised for the first time.
1950 UK The BBC Lime Grove studios opened.
22 1962 UK The BBC television transmitter at Manningtree opened on channel 4.
1971 UK A colour service began on Westward Television with the opening of the Caradon Hill and Redruth transmitters.
23 1924 UK The Duke of York, later King George VI, made his first broadcast.
1939 UK "London Calling" was published for the first time.
24 1939 UK The Derby was televised for the first time.
1960 UK The BBC television transmitter at Sheffield opened on channel 1.
1965 UK Colour television tests in the PAL system began on BBC2, replacing previous experimental NTSC tests.
1971 UK The Belmont 625-line transmitter began broadcasting Anglia Television in colour, also extending their service area well into Yorkshire.
27 1961 UK Saturday morning Further Education television programmes began on BBC television.
28 1923 UK The first full-length play was broadcast on BBC radio.