Content deleted Content added
m Reverted edits by 178.167.165.214 (talk) to last version by 82.19.95.171 |
Rescuing 4 sources and tagging 0 as dead. #IABot (v1.6.1) (Balon Greyjoy) |
||
Line 63:
| online chan 2 = [http://www.tvplayer.com/watch/bbctwo Watch live] (UK only)
| online serv 3 = Virgin TV Anywhere
| online chan 3 = [https://web.archive.org/web/20140312015235/https://www.horizon.tv/en_ie/live-channels/live-channel.html/28867111140/BBC-2.html Watch live] (Ireland only)
| online serv 4 = Ziggo GO
| online chan 4 = [https://web.archive.org/web/20161109221514/https://www.ziggogo.tv/nl/tv-kijken.html Ziggogo.tv] (Netherlands only)
|}}
Line 77:
===Launch===
British television at the time of BBC2's launch consisted of two channels: the [[BBC One|BBC Television Service]] and the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] network made up of smaller regional companies. Both channels had existed in a state of competition since ITV's launch in 1955, and both had aimed for a populist approach in response. The 1962 [[Pilkington Committee on Broadcasting|Pilkington Report]] on the future of broadcasting noticed this, and that ITV lacked any serious programming. It therefore decided that Britain's third television station should be awarded to the BBC.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sixtiescity.com/Television/BritishTV.htm |title=British Television up to the end of the Sixties |publisher=Sixtiescity.com |accessdate=12 September 2007 |
Prior to its launch, the new BBC2 was promoted on the BBC Television Service: the soon to be renamed [[BBC One|BBC1]]. The animated adverts featured the campaign mascots "Hullabaloo", a mother [[kangaroo]], and "Custard", her [[Joey (marsupial)|joey]]. Prior to, and several years after, the channel's formal launch, the channel broadcast "[[Trade test colour films|Trade Test Transmissions]]", short films made externally by companies such as [[Royal Dutch Shell|Shell]] and [[BP]], which served to enable engineers to test reception, but became [[cult following|cult]] viewing.
The channel was scheduled to begin at 19:20 on 20 April 1964 and show an evening of light entertainment, starting with the comedy show ''[[The Alberts]]'', a performance from [[Soviet Union|Soviet]] comedian [[Arkady Raikin]], and a production of [[Cole Porter]]'s ''[[Kiss Me, Kate]]'', culminating with a fireworks display. However, at around 18:45 a huge power failure, originating from a fire at [[Battersea Power Station]], caused [[BBC Television Centre|Television Centre]], and indeed much of west London, to lose all power. BBC1 was able to continue broadcasting via its facilities at [[Alexandra Palace]], but all attempts to show the scheduled programmes on the new channel failed. [[Associated-Rediffusion]], the London weekday ITV franchise-holder, offered to transmit on the BBC's behalf, but their gesture was rejected. At 22:00 programming was officially postponed until the following morning. As the BBC's news centre at Alexandra Palace was unaffected, they did in fact broadcast brief bulletins on BBC2 that evening, beginning with an announcement by the newsreader [[Gerald Priestland]] at around 19:25.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.starfury.demon.co.uk/bbc2launch/ |title=BBC 2 Aborted Launch Night |publisher=starfury.demon.co.uk |accessdate=12 September 2007 |
By 11:00 on 21 April, power had been restored to the [[BBC Television Centre|studios]] and programming began, thus making ''[[Play School (UK TV series)|Play School]]'' the first programme to be shown officially on the channel. The launch schedule, postponed from the night before, was then successfully shown that evening, albeit with minor changes. In reference to the power cut, the transmission opened with a shot of a lit candle which was then sarcastically blown out by presenter [[Denis Tuohy]].<ref name="BBC2 Launch BBC news"/>
| |||