Technological Evolution in the 50 Years of British Broadcasting

Abstract

British broadcasting celebrates its 50th Anniversary on November 14th 1972: the 50 years of BBC history has seen very great technological change. From the early medium-wave transmitters with primitive studio apparatus, through the introduction of sound-recording facilities, the opening of the 405-line television service in 1936 and the War years with their great impetus to overseas broadcasting, innovation has continued at an ever-increasing pace. Since the war, film kinescope recording of television, line-standards conversion, FM sound broadcasting, videotape recording, the change to 625-line standard, introduction of color, field-store standards conversion, use of “sound-in-syncs,” PCM stereo distribution and the use of negative color film direct on-air — these are some of the landmarks of technical progress. There still remains, however, plenty of scope for inventiveness on the part of broadcasting engineers.