How long have these channels been broadcasting?
Brian Butterworth published on UK Free TV | 29 Dec 03 | The Office of Communications (Ofcom) becomes TV's super-regulator. |
| 30 Oct 02 | Freeview launches as a package of around 30 free channels though and aerial with no contract. |
| 01 May 02 | ITV digital (see below) closed with huge losses. |
| 27 Sep 01 | Sky's analogue satellite service is closed. |
| 11 Jul 01 | ONdigital relauches as ITVdigital |
| 01 Dec 98 | "ONdigital launches a 40 channel mixture of pay and free channels, using digital technlogy though a roof-top aerial." |
| 01 Oct 98 | "Sky launches Sky Digital, now with hundreds of channels and the highest standard pictures using a compact dish. New technology makes pay-per-view films and entertainment a daily reality." |
| 09 Nov 97 | BBC lauch their News 24 domestic news channel. |
| 30 Mar 97 | Channel 5 launches with the Spice Girls. |
| 17 Mar 96 | Pay-per-view arrives in UK with Sky charging viewers to watch Bruno v Tyson world title boxing match. |
| 27 Oct 95 | "Fifth terrestrial licence award to Channel 5 Broadcasting by the regulator, the Independent Television Commission ITC." |
| 26 Jan 95 | "BBC launches 24-hour news station, BBC World for viewers outside the UK." |
| 01 Sep 93 | BSkyB launches its Multichannels package with encryption for non-premium channels. |
| 02 Nov 90 | Sky TV and BSB merger to form British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB). |
| 25 Mar 90 | "Launch of the officially sanctioned British Satellite Broadcasting, BSB with their Movie Channel, Sports Channel, Galaxy, Power Station and Now." |
| 06 Feb 89 | "Launch of Sky Television (Sky [One], Sky News, Sky Movies and Eurosport)" |
| 08 Jun 88 | Rupert Murdoch announces Sky Television. |
| 11 Dec 88 | "Astra launch first ""mass market"" European TV satellite, and Sky Channel moves to Astra" |
| 11 Dec 86 | The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) awards the contract for direct broadcast by satellite services to British Satellite Broadcasting (BSB). |
| 01 Jul 85 | Home Secretary asks IBA to review prospects for commercial DBS |
| 01 Jan 84 | "Flegdling company Satellite Television purchased by Murdoch and relaunched as Sky Channel. Watch by 10,000 UK cable viewers." |
| 01 Feb 83 | ITV breakfast television (tv-am) started |
| 17 Jan 83 | BBC starts breakfast television (Breakfast Time). |
| 02 Nov 82 | Channel 4 begins broadcasting using network provided by BT. |
| 01 Nov 82 | S4C begins broadcasting. |
| 05 Dec 79 | Harold Wilson makes speech forecasting foreign cultural invasion |
| 06 Aug 79 | Strikes takes ITV off the air for nine weeks |
| 23 Sep 76 | ITV and BBC commence teletext transmissions |
| 08 Oct 73 | "Britain's first legal commercial radio station, London Broadcasting starts" |
| 19 Jan 72 | Post Office control of broadcasting hours ended |
| 15 Nov 69 | BBC1 and ITV begin regular colour transmissions. |
| 01 Jul 67 | Regular colour transmissions begin on BBC2. |
| 08 Oct 65 | London Post Office Tower opened. |
| 02 May 65 | First television transmission from USA via geo stationary satellite Early Bird |
| 20 Apr 64 | BBC2 opens on 625 lines. |
| 14 Sep 62 | ITV network completed as last of first companies goes on air |
| 22 Sep 55 | ITV starts broadcasting in the London area. |
| 30 Jul 54 | "Television Act 1954, establishing commercial TV, receives Royal Assent." |
| 02 Jun 53 | "BT's first major outside broadcast, Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II." |
| 07 Jun 46 | UK television service resumed. |
| 01 Sep 39 | Wartime close down of television. |
| 04 Feb 37 | Baird system dropped |
| 02 Nov 36 | BBC begins broadcasting from Alexandra Palace transmitter to the London area (Baird system and Marconi EMI system on alternate weeks). |
| 01 Apr 25 | First public demonstrations of television by John Logie Baird from the first floor of Selfridges Store. |
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