November 2, 2006 - BBC Trivia

On this day in history... November 2, the BBC started the BBC Television Service, the world’s first regular, public, high definition, service. (High definition in those days was defined as at least 200 lines of resolution). Renamed BBC-1 in 1964, the channel still runs to this day.

Trivia Question –

In what year did the BBC initiate the BBC Television Service?

Trivia Answer -

1936.

On November 2, 1936, BBC Television Service inaugurated the world's first regular, public, high-definition television broadcasting system, although the BBC had been broadcasting television in a variety of formats since 1929.

Baird Television Ltd. made Britain's first television broadcast on September 30, 1929 from its studio in Long Acre, London via the BBC's London transmitter, using the electromechanical system pioneered by John Logie Baird. This system used a vertically-scanned image of 30 lines — just enough resolution for a close-up of one person, and with a bandwidth low enough to use existing radio transmitters.

The BBC began its own regular television programming from the basement of Broadcasting House, London on August 22, 1932. The studio moved to expanded quarters at 16 Portland Place, London, in February 1934, and continued broadcasting the 30-line images, carried by telephone line to the medium wave transmitter at Brookmans Park, until September 11, 1935, by which time advances in all-electronic television systems made the electromechanical broadcasts obsolete.

After a series of test transmissions and special broadcasts that began in August, regular BBC television broadcasts officially resumed on November 2, 1936, from a converted wing of Alexandra Palace in London, now broadcasting on the VHF band.

BBC television initially used two systems, on alternate weeks: the 240-line Baird system and the 405-line Marconi-EMI system, each making the BBC the world's first regular high-definition television service. The two systems were to run on a trial basis for six months. However, the Baird system, which used a mechanical camera for filmed programming and Farnsworth image dissector cameras for live programming, proved too cumbersome and visually inferior, and was dropped in February 1937.

The photograph shows the transmission mast above

the BBC wing of Alexandra Palace, home of BBC-1 from 1936 until the early 1950s, photographed in 2001.

For more on the history of BBC Television, check out this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BBC_One

. . . . . . . . . . NET CHECK IN's . . . . . . . . . .

Here's the list of folks that checked in to tonight's net along with their answers to the trivia question. Congratulations to all those who had the correct answer to tonight's question!

ROLL CALL LIST:

* WB6A - Pat - 1945
* AC6AJ - Lee – No Check In
* WB6ATV - Ron - 1947
* KE6CZH - Robert - 1943
* KG6DBL - Bill - 1953
* W6DTS - Ted - No Check In
* K6FCC - Khalil - 1937
* KF6GKR - Terry – Checked In but No Answer
* N6HY - Ernie - No Check In
* KB6IS - Madeline - 1962
* KD6JEV - John - 1936
* N6KAS - Andy - 1945
* KG6KTC - Leon - 1948
* NY6L - Jay - 1939
* K6LMN - Roger - 1938
* KE6MSS - Thomas - 1946
* K6MSU - Ron - No Check In
* KG6MZU - Walt - No Check In
* KD6NIW - Oliver - 1942
* W6NVY - Gary - 1948
* KG6NWJ - Barry - 1947
* KD6OBM - Jason - 1945
* N6OEC - Phil - No Check In
* KF6PIH - Scott - 1951
* K6QVZ - Joe - 1947
* KG6RDA - Sidney - 1941
* AD6UP - Louie - 1950
* WA6USL - Murray - 1936
* KG6WXY - Ralph - 1952
* KF6YBM - Henry – Early Check In
* KF6ZQM - Harry – 1941 (Checked in by KG6RDA)
* N6ZZK - Theo - 1949

OTHER CHECK IN'S:

* KF6IKI – Bryce - 1952
* KI6FUD - Jeff - 1937
* KI6FUB - Ted - 1935

Thanks to all for their support and check in's to the net.

73, de N6CIZ