The opening ceremony of the London Television Station on 2nd November 1936 was a most modest affair. Although the station provided the world's first, high-definition, regular, public television broadcasting service, the inaugural programme, arranged by the BBC and approved by the Television Advisory Committee (TAC), lasted hardly a quarter of an hour. Just a few short speeches lasting four minutes each, by Mr. Norman (the Chairman of the BBC), Major Tryon (the Postmaster General), and Lord Selsdon (the Chairman of the Television Advisory Committee) comprised the proceedings. The ceremony was witnessed by many invited guests from the BBC, the GPO, the Alexandra Palace trustees, Baird Television Ltd., Marconi-EMI Television Ltd. and various other bodies. Among the Marconi-EMI representatives, there were Messrs. I. Shoenberg, G.E. Condliffe, A.D. Blumlein, C.O. Browne and N.E. Davies.

Inspec keywords: high definition television; television stations

Other keywords: public television broadcasting service; TAC; GPO; high-definition television broadcasting service; London television station; BBC; Television Advisory Committee

Subjects: Radio and television broadcasting