One hour's TV was enough to start with

On 2^nd November 1936 the very first television broadcast by the BBC was made. It began at 3pm and lasted for exactly one hour. It was received by around 400 people in the London area who had been supplied with “Baird Televisors” and consisted of speeches, a news bulletin, and a variety show that included singing, jugglers, comedians and dancers. All very informative and entertaining!

The BBC had a problem from the outset because two rival transmission technologies were on offer – those offered by John Logie Baird – who had made the decisive breakthrough in the development of television in 1926 – and the Marconi-EMI joint venture. That first broadcast used the Baird system, with the choice being made by the traditional British method of tossing a coin! However, the rival system eventually prevailed.

But why only one hour of broadcasting to start with? There were several reasons, one being a lack of suitable material! Other reasons were the belief that viewers (who were referred to as “lookers-in” in the early days) would suffer from eye strain if they watched for too long, and a concern that too much television would disrupt family life. It could just be that they were right about this one!

© John Welford