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Alexandra Palace Slideshow
markwarner » 8pm - Feb 2, 2012
At 3pm on 2 November 1936 the BBC began the world's first regular...
Rating: 2.6 (16 Votes)
Category: History
Tags: History of the BBC, BBC, history, 1936, television, service, studios, Alexandra Palace, London, John Logie Baird, mechanical, keystage2, keystage3, keystage4
At 3pm on 2 November 1936 the BBC began the world's first regular hi-definition television service, from specially constructed studios at Alexandra Palace in North London. As part of this, two different technical systems were being tested on alternate weeks for six months: John Logie Baird's mechanical system producing pictures of 240 lines, and the EMI-Marconi electronic system, which produced images of 405 lines. On the toss of a coin, Baird's system inaugurated the service, followed by EMI-Marconi's. The latter was to prove the winning system.
The formal opening ceremony was followed by a Movietone newsreel and then a variety show, featuring Adele Dixon and the BBC Television Orchestra. A short documentary, Television Comes to London, revealed the preparations leading up to the launch. In all, the service was on the air for two hours on its first day.
This audio slideshow explores some of the lesser known history of the BBC at Alexandra Palace.
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