Television after the War

Abstract

ONE of the most remarkable achievements in the application of science to the everyday life of the community was the development of television before the War. The first public service of high-definition television, in Great Britain or any other country, was inaugurated at the British Broadcasting Corporation's station at Alexandra Palace in November 1936. Prior to the closing down of the station for military reasons in September 1939, the television service had reached a high standard; the programme technique had made great progress, and the result was a service of considerable entertainment value. Some twenty thousand television receivers were in use by the general public, and although the service was confined to the London area, it is probable that several hundred thousand persons were more or less regular 'viewers' either in their own homes or elsewhere. These and many others have probably been wondering for some time past exactly what are the prospects of television after the War, and to what extent the lead which Britain established in this field nearly ten years ago will be maintained in the future. There has naturally been some cause for anxiety in this matter, since the United States had the advantage of more than two years of continued development on an almost peace-time basis after the outbreak of war in Europe; and even to-day there are in the United States a number of television transmitting stations in operation on an experimental or other basis.