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On This Day...1st January
Channels
1982
Central Television - the new ITV franchisee for the English Midlands - begins broadcasting, replacing ATV.
RELATED ARTICLE: The 1982 ITV Franchise Changes.
RELATED ARTICLE: ITV Central marks 40th anniversary.
RELATED ARTICLE: ATV brand needlessly consigned to history?
RELATED ARTICLE: The 1982 ITV Franchise Changes.
RELATED ARTICLE: ITV Central marks 40th anniversary.
RELATED ARTICLE: ATV brand needlessly consigned to history?
1982
TVS - the new ITV franchisee for the south and south east of England - begins broadcasting, replacing Southern Television.
RELATED ARTICLE: The 1982 ITV Franchise Changes
RELATED ARTICLE: The 1982 ITV Franchise Changes
1982
TSW - the new ITV franchisee for the south west of England - begins broadcasting, replacing Westward TV.
RELATED ARTICLE: The 1982 ITV Franchise Changes
RELATED ARTICLE: The 1982 ITV Franchise Changes
1993
Carlton TV - the new ITV franchisee for the London area (weekdays) - begins broadcasting, replacing Thames TV.
RELATED ARTICLE: Reflections on the 1991 franchise auction.
RELATED ARTICLE: Reflections on the 1991 franchise auction.
1993
GMTV - the new ITV breakfast franchisee - begins broadcasting in the 6am - 9.25am slot, replacing TV-am.
RELATED ARTICLE: Reflections on the 1991 franchise auction.
RELATED ARTICLE: Reflections on the 1991 franchise auction.
1993
Westcountry TV - the new ITV franchisee for the south west of England - begins broadcasting, replacing TSW.
RELATED ARTICLE: Reflections on the 1991 franchise auction.
RELATED ARTICLE: Reflections on the 1991 franchise auction.
1993
Meridian - the new ITV franchisee for the south and south east of England - begins broadcasting, replacing TVS.
RELATED ARTICLE: Reflections on the 1991 franchise auction.
RELATED ARTICLE: Reflections on the 1991 franchise auction.
2017
BBC One launches a new on-screen presentation package.
The first new ident to air featured a group of open water swimmers from Somerset. Other initial idents in the series were a Zumba class and wheelchair rugby players.
The broadcaster commissioned British photographer Martin Parr to "capture an evolving portrait of modern Britain in all its diversity" for 2017.
The BBC said that the new portraits would be based around the theme of "oneness" and would feature "different groups of people coming together across the UK, united by their shared passions and interests".
The director of BBC content Charlotte Moore said that it was important the channel idents moved with the times.
She said: "What better way to demonstrate this than by commissioning Martin Parr, one of the most celebrated documentary photographers of our time, to create idents from a series of portraits that reflect and represent the rich diversity of communities living in the UK today?"
RELATED ARTICLE: The dullness of Oneness.
RELATED ARTICLE: Time to ditch Oneness?
The first new ident to air featured a group of open water swimmers from Somerset. Other initial idents in the series were a Zumba class and wheelchair rugby players.
The broadcaster commissioned British photographer Martin Parr to "capture an evolving portrait of modern Britain in all its diversity" for 2017.
The BBC said that the new portraits would be based around the theme of "oneness" and would feature "different groups of people coming together across the UK, united by their shared passions and interests".
The director of BBC content Charlotte Moore said that it was important the channel idents moved with the times.
She said: "What better way to demonstrate this than by commissioning Martin Parr, one of the most celebrated documentary photographers of our time, to create idents from a series of portraits that reflect and represent the rich diversity of communities living in the UK today?"
RELATED ARTICLE: The dullness of Oneness.
RELATED ARTICLE: Time to ditch Oneness?
Miscellaneous
1968
The colour television licence is introduced: a £5 "colour supplement" is added to the £5 monochrome licence fee, making the cost of a colour licence £10.
People
1960
Sir Hugh Greene becomes director-general of the BBC.
Programmes
1959
The first edition of Town and Around airs on BBC TV.
London regional news magazine.
London regional news magazine.
1964
The first edition of Top of the Pops airs on BBC TV.
1966
The first edition of Rugby Special airs on BBC Two.
1968
Newsroom (BBC Two) moves from its late night slot to the earlier time of 7.30pm.
John Timpson presents the first new early evening half-hour edition.
John Timpson presents the first new early evening half-hour edition.
1968
The first edition of Scene Around Six airs on BBC One Northern Ireland.
1970
The first episode of The Six Wives of Henry VIII airs on BBC Two.
By Rosemary Anne Sisson. Stars Annette Crosbie as Catherine, Keith Michel as Henry VIII.
With Dorothy Tutin as Anne Boleyn. Also stars Patrick Troughton.
By Rosemary Anne Sisson. Stars Annette Crosbie as Catherine, Keith Michel as Henry VIII.
With Dorothy Tutin as Anne Boleyn. Also stars Patrick Troughton.
1971
The first episode of Here Come the Double Deckers airs on BBC One.
1973
The first edition of News Extra airs on BBC Two.
Presented by John Edmunds.
Presented by John Edmunds.
1973
The first episode of Pipkins airs on ITV.
1980
The pilot episode of Hi-de-Hi airs on BBC One.
1981
The pilot episode of Wood and Walters airs on ITV.
1982
The final episode of Clapperboard airs on ITV.
1982
The first episode of Wood and Walters (series) airs on ITV.
1990
Mr Bean airs on ITV.
1991
1,001 Nights of TV airs on Channel 4.
1991
The Curse of Mr Bean airs on ITV.
1992
The BBC Weather Centre stops converting temperatures from Celsius to Fahrenheit, which it had done on forecasts since 1961.
1992
The first edition of Antique Roadshow: The Next Generation airs on BBC One.
1995
Auntie's New Bloomers airs on BBC One.
2000
The final edition of Gladiators airs on ITV.
2001
The final edition of Castaway airs on BBC One.
36 people are marooned on the Scottish island of Taransay for a year, as part of a social experiment aimed at creating a fully sufficient community within a year. Ben Fogle was one of the participants.
36 people are marooned on the Scottish island of Taransay for a year, as part of a social experiment aimed at creating a fully sufficient community within a year. Ben Fogle was one of the participants.
2007
The final episode of The Vicar of Dibley airs on BBC One.
2007
The first episode of The Sarah Jane Adventures airs on BBC One.
Spin-off from Doctor Who. Starring Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith.
Spin-off from Doctor Who. Starring Elisabeth Sladen as Sarah Jane Smith.
2015
The final episode of Miranda airs on BBC One.
2020
Miranda: My Such Fun Celebration airs on BBC One.
2021
The first episode of The Serpent airs on BBC One.
2022
The first episode of The Tourist airs on BBC One.
Mystery thriller. Starring Jamie Dornan. Written by Jack Williams and Harry Williams.
Mystery thriller. Starring Jamie Dornan. Written by Jack Williams and Harry Williams.
2024
The first episode of Mr Bates vs The Post Office airs on ITV 1.
Drama. Based on real-life events. Starring Toby Jones as Alan Bates.
Drama. Based on real-life events. Starring Toby Jones as Alan Bates.
Teletext
1993
Teletext Ltd begins broadcasting, as the new teletext franchise holder for ITV and Channel 4.
Unlike its predecessor, Teletext Ltd provided a full regional news and sports news service.
Unlike its predecessor, Teletext Ltd provided a full regional news and sports news service.
Test Cards
1948
BBC Test Card C is introduced.
On This Day...1st January
Births
1938
Former TV presenter, Grahame Dangerfield.
1953
TV news presenter, Amanda Parr.
1957
TV news presenter/producer, Mike Morley.
1976
TV news presenter, Maryam Nemazee.
1988
TV presenter, Nelufar Hedayat.
Deaths
2008
Former TV announcer/presenter, Aled Rhys Wiliam.
2017
TV presenter, Brian Widlake.
2022
TV news reporter, Gary Burgess.
Events
1973
Sir Trevor McDonald presents an ITN news programme for the first time.
1994
Philip Hayton makes his final regular appearance (for the time being) as a presenter of a national BBC TV news programme.
Since leaving his presenter role on the One o'Clock News (BBC One) in April 1993, he occasionally presented Breakfast News, made some relief news presenter appearances at weekends and did some reporting for TV news.
He also spent a spell as the main presenter of BBC North West Tonight, before returning to London to present on BBC World and later BBC News 24.
Since leaving his presenter role on the One o'Clock News (BBC One) in April 1993, he occasionally presented Breakfast News, made some relief news presenter appearances at weekends and did some reporting for TV news.
He also spent a spell as the main presenter of BBC North West Tonight, before returning to London to present on BBC World and later BBC News 24.
Research for On This Day in TV History is by Paul R. Jackson.
Details about test card/teletext in-vision music and BBC trade test films are available as a result of decades of research and logging by members of the Test Card Circle.
Details about test card/teletext in-vision music and BBC trade test films are available as a result of decades of research and logging by members of the Test Card Circle.
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