Postwar British and European Television

When British television resumed in 1946,  it re-started right at the same point in a cartoon where it was shut off in 1939.  Then the announcer Jasmine Bligh came on and said, "Sorry for the interruption of our programme service.  Our next presentation is..."  As if nothing had happened!

By 1947, only 15,000 British homes had television sets, and there was only one TV station, in London. Growth was much slower than in the U.S., with only 344,000 television homes by 1950. By 1949, only one additional station was on the air, in Birmingham.

Britain transmitted using 405 lines from Alexandra palace after the war. In 1949, a second transmitter was installed at Sutton Coldfield, near Birmingham. In 1964, a second standard, 625 lines, was introduced. Over a 7 year period, stations transitioned to 625 lines, and the 405 line service was discontinued.

British and European Sets at the Museum

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