News: History
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2000s

Wed 2nd Dec 2009 Freeview HD starts broadcasting, with BBC HD, ITV1 HD and Channel 4 HD.
Wed 30th Sep 2009 National Freeview retune day.
Thu 27th Nov 2008 All the BBC channels can now be watched online.
Thu 20th Nov 2008 Selkirk (and its relays), becomes the first digital only main terrestrial tranmitter.
Thu 20th Nov 2008 A little late to the party, FIVE launches on Freesat.
Thu 23rd Oct 2008 Freesat+, the digital recorder for Freesat is launched.
Fri 10th Oct 2008 Channel 4 pulls out of digital radio
Fri 19th Sep 2008 Scots Gaelic channel BBC Alba starts broadcasting on satellite.
Fri 12th Sep 2008 Sky cancels the Picnic project saving Sky News, Sky Three and Sky Sports News for Freeview viewers.
Sat 16th Aug 2008 Freeview music channel The Hits becomes 4Music, under the Channel 4 umberella.
Wed 2nd Jul 2008 Freeview's Network Information Table is split in two, invalidating some Freeview boxes.
Tue 1st Jul 2008 Freeview HD starts test broadcasts from the Guildford transmitter.
Thu 12th Jun 2008 BBC News 24 becomes just BBC News
Sat 7th Jun 2008 ITV HD starts broadcasting.
Tue 6th May 2008 The BBC and ITV launch Freesat.
Tue 25th Dec 2007 BBC iPlayer leaves beta and is "hard launched"
Wed 14th Nov 2007 Whitehaven switchover complete
Wed 17th Oct 2007 Whitehaven begins the digital switchover process as BBC TWO is closed on analogue.
Wed 26th Sep 2007 ABC-1 is pulled from Freeview and other platforms
Mon 20th Aug 2007 Channel 4 starts the first timeshift of a terrestrial channel with Channel4+1
Wed 27th Jun 2007 BBC iPlayer is launched as a beta test
Tue 8th May 2007 NEWS 24 becomes the first BBC TV channel to go online.
Fri 27th Apr 2007 BBC and ITV announced high definition Freesat service to launch Spring 2008
Wed 14th Mar 2007 Michael Grade closes ITV Play.
Thu 25th Jan 2007 MPs invesgiate quiz TV channels in the Houses of Parliament
Wed 15th Nov 2006 Channel 4's quiz channel Quizcall is removed from Freeview
Sun 23rd Jul 2006 Film4 relaunches as a free channel and gains a 4.3% share of viewing.
Mon 22nd May 2006 Sky launch their satellite HDTV service
Thu 11th May 2006 BBC launch their HDTV service on cable, satellite and Freeview (London only)
Wed 19th Apr 2006 ITV Play starts as a full-time Freeview channel.
Sat 11th Mar 2006 CITV, ITV's Children's Channel, starts broadcasting
Sat 17th Dec 2005 Ofcom publishes the Digital Dividend Review - how the government can make money by selling off TV frequencies C31-40 and C63-68
Tue 1st Nov 2005 ITV-4 starts
Mon 31st Oct 2005 Sky Three starts
Wed 12th Oct 2005 ITV and C4 join Freeview founders BBC, BSkyB and National Grid Transco.
Mon 10th Oct 2005 More4 launches free-to-air on Freeview.
Wed 25th May 2005 E4 relaunches as a free-to-air channel on Freeview.
Wed 27th Apr 2005 ITV pays £134m for acquisition of a Freeview multiplex
Mon 1st Nov 2004 ITV adds a third branded channel to Freeview
Thu 21st Oct 2004 Sky relaunches the non-subscription satellite boxes for one-off payment of £150.
Tue 31st Aug 2004 National Grid Transco buys Crown Castle International for £1,138m
Mon 29th Dec 2003 The Office of Communications (Ofcom) becomes TV's super-regulator.
Sun 9th Feb 2003 BBC THREE replaces Choice channel.
Wed 30th Oct 2002 BBC, BSkyB and Crown Castle International launch Freeview: a package of 30 free channels though and aerial with no contract.
Fri 5th Jul 2002 ukfree.tv launched
Wed 1st May 2002 ITV digital (see below) closed with huge losses.
Sat 2nd Mar 2002 BBC FOUR replaces Knowledge channel.
Mon 11th Feb 2002 BBC children's channels, cBeebies and CBBC start in BBC's digital daytime airtime.
Thu 27th Sep 2001 Sky's analogue satellite service is closed.
Wed 11th Jul 2001 ONdigital re-launched as ITVdigital.



1990s

Tue 1st Jun 1999 BBC Knowledge launches.
Mon 7th Dec 1998 ITV-2 launces.
Sun 15th Nov 1998 ONdigital launches a 40 channel mixture of pay and free channels, using digital technology though a roof-top aerial.
Thu 1st Oct 1998 Sky launches Sky Digital, now with hundreds of channels and the highest standard pictures using a compact dish. New technology makes pay-per-view films and entertainment a daily reality.
Wed 23rd Sep 1998 BBC Choice, the first UK widescreen channel launches with BBC Parliament.
Sun 9th Nov 1997 BBC launch their News 24 domestic news channel.
BBC News 24 graphic
Sat 1st Nov 1997 Launch of uktv channels.
Sun 30th Mar 1997 Flavour of the month, the Spice Girls, launch Channel 5.
Fri 16th Aug 1996 Digital Audio Broadcast (DAB) experimental transmissions start in the Birmingham area.
Tue 21st May 1996 ITC begins public consultations on digital terrestrial TV.
Sun 17th Mar 1996 Pay-per-view arrives in UK with Sky charging viewers to watch Bruno v Tyson world title boxing match.
Fri 27th Oct 1995 Fifth terrestrial licence award to Channel 5 Broadcasting by the regulator, the Independent Television Commission ITC.
Thu 26th Jan 1995 BBC launches 24-hour news station, BBC World for viewers outside the UK.
Wed 1st Sep 1993 BSkyB launches its Multichannels package with encryption for non-premium channels, including UK Gold.
Fri 1st Jan 1993 ITV (now officially "Channel 3") is reconfigured following the 1990 Broadcasting Act.
ITV 1993 franchise holders
Sun 1st Nov 1992 Launch of UK Gold
BBC News 24 launch graphic
Mon 8th Apr 1991 BSB's Power station closes, Sports Channel becomes Sky Sports, The Movie Channel joins Sky Movies on the Astra satellite.
Sun 2nd Dec 1990 BSB's Now and Galaxy channels close. Replaced for BSB customers with Sky One, Sky News (weekdays) and Sky Arts (at weekends)
Fri 2nd Nov 1990 Sky TV and BSB merger to form British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB).
Mon 30th Jul 1990 Sky Channel renamed Sky One
Sun 25th Mar 1990 Launch of the officially sanctioned British Satellite Broadcasting, BSB with their The Movie Channel, The Sports Channel, Galaxy, Power Station and Now.
BSB logos

1980s

Mon 6th Feb 1989 Launch of Sky Television (Sky Channel, Sky News, Sky Movies and Eurosport)
Sky launch logos
Sun 11th Dec 1988 Astra launch first "mass market" European TV satellite, and Sky Channel moves to Astra
Wed 8th Jun 1988 Rupert Murdoch announces Sky Television.
Thu 11th Dec 1986 The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) awards the contract for direct broadcast by satellite services to British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB).
Mon 30th Sep 1985 CNN launches it's international service.
Mon 1st Jul 1985 Home Secretary asks IBA to review prospects for commercial DBS
Sun 1st Jan 1984 Fledgling company Satellite Television purchased by Murdoch and re-launched as Sky Channel. Watch by 10,000 UK cable viewers.
Tue 1st Feb 1983 ITV breakfast television (tv-am) started
Mon 17th Jan 1983 BBC starts UK breakfast television (Breakfast Time).
Tue 2nd Nov 1982 Channel 4 begins broadcasting.
Mon 1st Nov 1982 S4C begins broadcasting.
Sun 1st Jun 1980 Cable Network News, CNN, starts broadcasting live news to the US.

1970s

Wed 5th Dec 1979 Harold Wilson makes speech forecasting foreign cultural invasion
Mon 6th Aug 1979 Strikes takes ITV off the air for nine weeks
Thu 23rd Sep 1976 ITV and BBC commence teletext transmissions
Mon 8th Oct 1973 Britain's first legal commercial radio station, London Broadcasting starts
Wed 19th Jan 1972 Post Office control of broadcasting hours ended

1960s

Sat 15th Nov 1969 BBC1 and ITV begin regular colour transmissions.
Sat 1st Jul 1967 Regular colour transmissions begin on BBC2.
Fri 8th Oct 1965 London Post Office Tower opened.
Sun 2nd May 1965 First television transmission from USA using a geo-stationary satellite.
Mon 20th Apr 1964 BBC2 opens on 625 lines.
Thu 16th Apr 1964 First live television relay from Japan via Telstar satellite.
Fri 14th Sep 1962 ITV network completed as last of first companies goes on air
Wed 11th Jul 1962 First transatlantic satellite exchange via Telstar satellite at Goonhilly Downs Earth station in Cornwall.

1950s

Thu 22nd Sep 1955 ITV starts broadcasting in the London area.
Fri 30th Jul 1954 Television Act 1954, establishing commercial TV, receives Royal Assent.
Tue 2nd Jun 1953 UK's first major outside broadcast, Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Sun 27th Aug 1950 First live link from Europe (Calais) to UK

1940s

Fri 7th Jun 1946 UK television service resumed.

1930s

Fri 1st Sep 1939 Wartime close-down of television.
Wed 12th May 1937 First ever outside broadcast for coronation of George VI along the processional route to Alexander Palace.
Thu 4th Feb 1937 Baird system dropped
Mon 2nd Nov 1936 BBC begins broadcasting from Alexandra Palace transmitter to the London area (Baird system and Marconi-EMI system on alternate weeks).

1920s

Wed 1st Apr 1925 First public demonstrations of television by John Logie Baird from the first floor of Selfridges Store.




Your comments: most recent posts are at the bottom


Your comments are always welcome. Please use the form below to add your thoughts or questions to this page. We will get back to you as soon as we can.

stan mecrow
Wednesday 22 February 2006 2:57PM Whitchurch
i live in post code sy13 3np and would like to receive the freeview history channel . most other channels are available. can you give me any advice please
Briantist
Wednesday 22 February 2006 5:36PM
Please see the following pages for help with your problem: My aerial can't get all the Freeview channels I expected
Briantist
Tuesday 23 May 2006 10:32PM


Tom
Monday 18 June 2007 11:35AM
Was bbc tv ever ad free?
US
Briantist
Monday 18 June 2007 12:57PM
Tom: The BBC has never broadcast adverts.
Iain Davies
Wednesday 27 June 2007 8:44PM
If the BBC were to show an "advert" they call it a Public information film.
GB
Briantist
Thursday 28 June 2007 11:51AM
Iain Davies: You are conflating the idea of "spot advertisting" which is how ITV and other channels get their money, where third parties pay for advertisments with "promotions" for the company's own services for which no payment is made.
c maddox
Tuesday 16 October 2007 9:50AM
you have cjanged uk history 12 and moved it to where? this is one of the best stations going and i miss it could you please let me know how to install again. thank you carole maddox
US
j b a card
Friday 30 November 2007 7:47PM
I am very sad that UKTV History channel is
no longer freeview in the evening
GB
Briantist
Friday 30 November 2007 7:59PM
j b a card: It was not a popular move...
Briants
Wednesday 13 August 2008 10:23AM
At switch off, the digi pwr o/p is to increase, what problems do you expect with too much signal, please ??
The min level I look for at the moment is 43Dbv but with amps the level is usually much higher. All works OK as long as the C/n level is satisfactory.
What is the maximum input level before problems are expected ??
The main reason for my query is:- are recalls on aerial installations going to be required for attenuators to be fitted ??
Thanks
GB
Briantist
Wednesday 13 August 2008 8:00PM
Briants: There should be no problems as the COFDM digital transmission system is designed to work with signals at any levels. Attenuators are only really required for analogue reception.
liam
Monday 1 June 2009 6:24PM
why does sky get more channels than freeview
GB
megan
Monday 1 June 2009 7:20PM
If anyone else has BT Vision, have they too lost thier channels ITV, 4, E4, ITV2 and ITV4?
GB
Nedbod
Sunday 3 January 2010 2:20PM
WINTER HILL HISTORY NOTE : BBC 1 (405 lines VHF) was broadcast only on Ch 2 from HOLME MOSS to the whole of the North of England, i.e. not from Winter Hill until 1962 when two separate LOOK NORTH programmes began one from Manchester one from LEEDS. Only ITV Granada & ABC at the weekend were on Winter Hill before 1962. In both Dukinfield and especially Mottram-in-Longdendale HOLME MOSS was still by far the strongest signal. Winter Hill reception was terrible east of "the deep cutting" near Roe Cross in Mottram and still is. Parts of Mottram can get a better digital picture now from THE WREKIN than Winter Hill, despite its height and power. Dukinfield was a stange town for TV & Radio reception. You could also receive HTV on VHF Ch 11, BBC 1 Wales on Ch 6 and RTE Radios 1 & 2 on VHF along Matley Lane (on 89.6 and 91.3MHz FM I think, which I believe is still the case).
GB
liam
Monday 22 February 2010 8:17PM
sky has get big and big down years and will come mare big with years two come
GB
Briantist
Monday 22 February 2010 8:45PM
liam: When broadband speeds exceed the capacity required for everyone to watch online, Sky's satellite model won't help them.
Ann
Thursday 13 May 2010 4:00PM
I've lost all channels except analogue 5 - on both aerials (S oxon).
Is there a web page that can tell me when I'll get service back? Yahoo search hasn't unearthed anything good.
GB
Briantist
Thursday 13 May 2010 4:18PM
Ann: Please see www.ukfree.tv link icon Freeview on Oxford TV transmitter | ukfree.tv - independent free digital TV advice - the transmitter is on fire, it will be down until at least 7pm
TONY
Sunday 26 June 2011 7:28AM
What live football can be seen on ukfree TV
GB
David Thompson
Monday 12 September 2011 5:51PM
Hi

Am rearching Colour TV licencing fees for the years from 1991 - 2011.
Can you help or offer any advice on websites.

Many thanks
GB
Russell Ixer
Tuesday 17 April 2012 4:55PM
I have a Philips freeview tv. Since retuning on 4th April(crystal palace) I no longer receive any red button or ceefax services. Will this be solved when I retune on the 18th.
GB
Briantist
Saturday 21 April 2012 6:28PM
Russell Ixer: Ceefax has closed now. Red button services work as normal.
Michael
Saturday 9 March 2013 1:35AM Loughborough
I have stopped receiving ITV3. It does not appear on the list of channels after retuning. What has gone wrong? There are no site problems listed on the net for the Waltham.
jb38
Saturday 9 March 2013 7:44AM
Michael : Have a look at the EPG listings and if (27)ITV2+1, (30)5*, (38)Quest are also missing then Walthams mux Ch29 has not been picked up during the rescan, and so you can either go into your TV's or boxes "manual tune" facility and carry out a scan on that channel, storing anything found which will automatically be added to the EPG listing.

Alternatively you can carry out an auto-tune "with the aerial removed" to blank out anything already stored, then once completed reconnect the aerial and carry out a further normal auto-tune, hopefully this resulting in ITV3 etc returning to the EPG listings.

By the way, when this sort of thing happens
its an indication that the mux channel is only being received at a low signal level, and so this should be kept in mind if ITV3 etc is inclined to suffer from glitches once that it is picked up indicating that your aerial system possibly requires improvement.
GB
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