"from the Met Office, and worked for five years for a marine engineering firm, as a meteorology consultant before retiring. His hobbies included golf – he was a member of Burnham Beeches Golf Club, as were his former fellow BBC weathermen, Jack Scott and Bert Foord. He died on Christmas Eve 2009 after a short stay in hospital. George Cowling George Cowling (2 March 1920 – 24 December 2009) was the BBC's first television weatherman. Cowling joined the Met Office in 1939 and worked as a forecaster for the RAF before joining the BBC in 1954. On 11 January 1954,"
"stationed as a meteorological assistant with No. 4 Bomber Group RAF in Yorkshire, and worked as a forecaster for the RAF, working in Britain, Normandy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Germany until 1953. In 1954 he was transferred to the London Weather Centre. On 11 January 1954, at the age of 33, George Cowling gave the first televised weather forecast, from the BBC's Lime Grove Studios, at 7.55pm. The forecast was live and 'in vision', with Cowling standing in front of the weather map, using a pencil and rubber to show the weather for the next day. He informed the viewing"
"Paul Rotha's documentary ""Land of Promise"" (1946). When BBC television started broadcasting again in 1946 Cowell was now married to the laird of a Scottish estate and had left the BBC. Elizabeth Cowell Elizabeth Cowell (1912–1998) was a British broadcaster and the first female television announcer. She was one of the first three BBC Television Service presenters, along with Jasmine Bligh and Leslie Mitchell. She began announcing when the Television Service started in 1936 and made her debut on Monday 31 August that year at Alexandra Palace in London. This was a few months before the official launch of BBC"
"channel, the BBC Television Service, from studios in a specially converted wing of Alexandra Palace in London. At the time of the channel's debut on 2 November 1936 there were only five television producers responsible for the entire output. The producer selected to oversee drama was George More O'Ferrall, who had some experience with working in a visual medium as he was a former assistant director of films. This was unlike most of his colleagues, who came across from the BBC's radio services. The first drama production to be mounted as a part of the new, regular service was a"
"main television channels' identities. The original BBC Television Service was launched on 2 November 1936 and was taken off the air at the outbreak of war in September 1939, returning in June 1946. As the only public television service in Britain, and initially in the world, there was no need for a station ident in the early days. However, with the imminent arrival of commercial television in Britain, 2 December 1953 saw the arrival of the first ident, nicknamed the ""Bat's Wings"". This was an elaborate mechanical contraption constructed by Abram Games, which featured a tiny spinning globe in the"
"but joined BBC Television as an announcer in March 1952 after a trial at Alexandra Palace, then the base of BBC Television. He joined the team of continuity announcers headed by McDonald Hobley and Sylvia Peters. He went on to present ""Come Dancing"" and ""Picture Parade"", a film review programme in 1956 with co-presenter Derek Bond, the actor. In 1958 he provided the BBC commentary for the Eurovision Song Contest, staged that year in Hilversum, Netherlands. He also provided the BBC radio commentary for the contest in 1962. He also presented a number of programmes on the BBC Light Programme"
"began in March 1955 on TC4, 5 and 2. The shells of TC1, TC6 and TC7 were constructed around the same time but they were not fitted out until a few years later. BBC Television Centre officially opened with TC3 operational on 29 June 1960. Arthur Hayes worked on the building from 1956 to 1970 and was responsible for the creation of the iconic 'BBC Television Centre' lettering on the façade of Studio 1. The lettering was later used all over the building, even in tile work outside lift entrances. Demands from Broadcasting House meant that Hayes had less time"
"the mid-1950s most of the country was covered, transmitting a 405-line interlaced image on VHF. When the ITV was launched in 1955, the BBC Television Service (renamed ""BBC tv"" in 1960) showed popular programming, including comedies, drama, documentaries, game shows, and soap operas, covering a wide range of genres and regularly competed with ITV to become the channel with the highest ratings for that week. The channel also introduced the science fiction show ""Doctor Who"" on 23 November 1963 - at 17:16 - which went on to become one of Britain's most iconic and beloved television programmes. BBC TV was"
"BBC Television Service, with advertisements. To this end, the station had a heraldic-style on-air clock, referred to as ""Mitch"" by staff (after chief station announcer Leslie Mitchell, who had not only made the first announcement when A-R went on the air in 1955, but had done the same when the BBC TV service started in 1936). Associated Rediffusion took over the former Wembley Film Studio at Wembley Park in north-west London. Associated-Rediffusion officially began broadcasting on 22 September 1955 at 19:15 GMT, with actress Marjie Lawrence uttering the first words. That night the BBC, which had held the monopoly on"
"map filled the entire screen, with an off-screen announcer reading the next day's weather. On 11 January 1954, the first in-vision weather forecast was broadcast, presented by George Cowling. In an in-vision the narrator stands in front of the map. At that point, the maps were drawn by hand in the London Weather Centre, before being couriered across London. The forecasts were presented by the same person who had composed them, and had relatively low accuracy. The London Weather Centre which opened in 1959 took the responsibility for the national radio weather broadcasts. Radio forecasters were chosen by a BBC"
"the world's first ""high-definition"" 405-line television service in 1936. It suspended its television service during the Second World War and until 1946, but remained the only television broadcaster in the UK until 1955, when Independent Television (ITV) began operating. This heralded the transformation of television into a popular and dominant medium. Nevertheless, ""throughout the 1950s radio still remained the dominant source of broadcast comedy"". Further, the BBC was the only legal radio broadcaster until 1968 (when URY obtained their first licence). Despite the advent of commercial television and radio, the BBC has remained one of the main elements in British"
"years with Jimmy Grant producing ""Jazz Club"". He returned to television in 1963. The first jazz show was a gala presentation of Duke Ellington entitled ""Ellington in Concert"", recorded at the BBC Television Theatre and hosted by Steve Race, the presenter of many of the early programmes. The first part was broadcast on BBC2 on 21 April 1964. The day had been planned as the channel’s second night, but after a fire at Battersea Power Station had blacked out all power at BBC Television Centre, it turned out to be the channel's opening night. The second part was aired five"
"continued working in documentaries until he joined BBC Television in 1952, becoming one of the Corporation's few film cameramen. At the time, film was mainly used by the BBC for shooting documentaries, news reports and short external scenes for dramas and other programmes, with the majority of programming being transmitted live from electronic video cameras. It was the acquisition of staff of Englander's talent that increased the use of film at the BBC, and in 1956 the Corporation also acquired the Ealing Studios complex, which it turned into a dedicated studio for making inserts for television programmes, and eventually entire"
"Elizabeth Cowell Elizabeth Cowell (1912–1998) was a British broadcaster and the first female television announcer. She was one of the first three BBC Television Service presenters, along with Jasmine Bligh and Leslie Mitchell. She began announcing when the Television Service started in 1936 and made her debut on Monday 31 August that year at Alexandra Palace in London. This was a few months before the official launch of BBC Television on 2 November 1936. She returned in 1946 after its nearly seven-year hiatus due to the Second World War. Cowell was the voice of 'the Woman' on the soundtrack of"
"him to seek roles in television, which was only just starting to grow in popularity in England. She suggested he write to all the producers listed in the ""Radio Times"" magazine seeking work in the medium. The move proved to be a wise one, as Cushing was hired to fill out the cast of a string of major theatre successes that were being adapted to live television. The first was J. B. Priestley's ""Eden End"", which was televised in December 1951. Over the next three years, he became one of the most active and favoured names in British television, and"
"until the first Independent Television station began to broadcast on 22 September 1955, when ITV started broadcasting. The competition quickly forced the channel to change its identity and priorities following a large reduction in its audience. The 1962 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. The station, renamed BBC TV in 1960, became BBC1 when BBC2 was launched on 20 April 1964 transmitting an incompatible 625-line image on UHF. The only way to receive all channels was"
"He was seconded to the Recorded Programmes Production Unit and began regular broadcasts as a presenter of ""Transatlantic Turntable"" in 1957. The following year he transferred to BBC Television, joining the production team of the new arts programme ""Monitor"". He directed many studio programmes and film documentaries, working alongside Ken Russell, John Schlesinger, David Jones and Peter Newington, rising to the post of editor, in succession to his mentor Huw Wheldon, in 1962. He helped spearhead the BBC's preparation for the opening of BBC-2, launched in April 1964, and the following year was appointed the BBC's first Head of Music"
"met with some opposition from her mother. However, she became a Charlot showgirl at the Cambridge Theatre, London, aged 17. Five years later, Bligh was struggling as an actress, and answered a BBC advertisement for female television 'hostess-announcers' - unmarried and without red hair. Both Bligh and Elizabeth Cowell were chosen for the jobs out of 1,122 applicants from the British Empire. Along with Leslie Mitchell, they were seen during test transmissions from Alexandra Palace in 1936. She rejoined the service in 1946 when television broadcasts resumed after the Second World War and was the first person to appear when"
"eventual cancellation from television in 1978, although a stage version ran for ten years after the show's cancellation at Victoria Palace Theatre, London. This was followed by tours of Australia and New Zealand. ""The Black and White Minstrel Show"" was created by BBC producer George Inns working with George Mitchell. It began as a one-off special in 1957 called ""The 1957 Television Minstrels"" featuring the male Mitchell Minstrels (Mitchell was the musical director) and the female Television Toppers dancers. The show was first broadcast on the BBC on 14 June 1958. It was popular and soon developed into a regular"
"short films made externally by companies such as Shell and BP, which served to enable engineers to test reception, but became cult viewing. The channel was scheduled to begin at 19:20 on 20 April 1964, showing an evening of light entertainment, starting with the comedy show ""The Alberts"", a performance from 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 Television Centre, and indeed much of west London, to lose all power. BBC1 was"
"he did his first television commentary on the Dennis Powell v. Mel Brown card at Birmingham, broadcast by the BBC, which saw him described as ""discovery of the week"" by the ""Daily Herald"". In late 1950 he again appeared on radio as a presenter of the programme ""Calling AllForces"". In March 1952 he was given a 12-week Saturday radio show by the BBC. In 1952 he made his first film appearance in ""Emergency Call"", going on to take small roles in several films. In September 1954 he was knocked unconscious during a TV sketch after being hit over the head"
"between 15:00 and 16:00, and 21:00 and 22:00. The first programme broadcast – and thus the first ever, on a dedicated TV channel – was ""Opening of the BBC Television Service"" at 15:00. The first major outside broadcast was the coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth in May 1937. The two systems were to run on a trial basis for six months; early television sets supported both resolutions. 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 ended with closedown"
"white, the blackface makeup was actually red, as black did not film as well. Prior to the creation of the Television Minstrels Show in 1957 the Television Toppers were already very popular, and The BBC Television Toppers first performed in 1953 which was aired on television for the first time February 1953. Originally the Television Toppers were dancers who performed weekly on a television show every Saturday night alongside different celebrities each week, such as Judy Garland. They also performed at Royal Command Performances. They were newspaper entertainment mini celebrities, and headlined as earning £1,000 a year in 1953. The"
"obsolete. After a series of test transmissions and special broadcasts that began in August 1936, the BBC Television Service officially launched on 2 November 1936 from a converted wing of Alexandra Palace in London. ""Ally Pally"" housed two studios, various scenery stores, make-up areas, dressing rooms, offices, and the transmitter itself, which then broadcast on the VHF band. BBC television initially used two systems on alternate weeks: the 240-line Baird intermediate film system and the 405-line Marconi-EMI system. The use of both formats made the BBC's service the world's first regular high-definition television service; it broadcast from Monday to Saturday"
"forward by the BBC was that a lack of wavelengths made it technically impossible to separate the West and Wales. This argument was demolished by 19 year-old physicist Edward George Bowen and the resulting pressure resulted in a studio being established in north Wales at Bangor in 1935. In addition a transmitter was erected in Llangoed and Wales was given its first Welsh Regional Director, Rhys Hopkin Morris. Finally, in July 1937, Wales was allocated its own wavelength and broadcast its first program on 4 July. Historian John Davies argued that the establishment of the Welsh Region was an important"
"Analog high-definition television system Analog high-definition television was an analog video broadcast television system developed in the 1930s to replace early experimental systems with as few as 12-lines. On 2 November 1936 the BBC began transmitting the world's first public regular analog high-definition television service from the Victorian Alexandra Palace in north London. It therefore claims to be the birthplace of television broadcasting as we know it today. John Logie Baird, Philo T. Farnsworth, and Vladimir Zworykin had each developed competing TV systems, but resolution was not the issue that separated their substantially different technologies, it was patent interference lawsuits"
"of content. Commercial television services also became available when private companies applied for television broadcasting licenses. Often, each new network would be identified with their channel number, so that individual stations would often be numbered ""One,"" ""Two,"" ""Three,"" and so forth. The first television network in the United Kingdom was operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). On 2 November 1936 the BBC opened the world's first regular high-definition television service, from a 405 lines transmitter at Alexandra Palace. The BBC remained dominant until eventually on 22 September 1955, commercial broadcasting was established in order to create a second television"
"Scottish engineer, would be appointed the first General Manager for the BBC. Later on January 1, 1927 the BBC was fully established by Royal Charter and renamed the British Broadcasting Corporation with Reith as the first Director-General. During November of 1936 the BBC began to expand into television broadcasting and was the first broadcaster to start the trend of a regularly scheduled TV service. Today the BBC is one of two chartered public broadcasting companies in the United Kingdom. The second is ITV, Independent Television, which was established in 1955 as the first public commercial television company after the Television"
"sitting in the Playhouse Theatre by the Embankment. The passport had disappeared just moments before. He appeared on sound radio, on and off, for about 17 years and when commercial radio first started he had a regular phone-in programme, late at night on LBC (London Broadcasting Company), which started in 1973. He was one of the first magicians to appear on British television with his own show ""Meet David Berglas"" in 1954, which regularly attracted audiences of over 19 million viewers. Numerous other television series followed and were highly acclaimed in the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway and Germany. Commercial television started"
"to become the editor of ""Dance Magazine"". He also conducted concerts broadcast for CBC Radio, and it was this which attracted him to work on CBFT, the first television station in Canada, when it launched in September 1952. He initially worked on the bilingual news programme, and had produced more than 500 shows by 1958, including coverage of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom's coronation. Coleman was invited to work at Granada Television in England by Sidney Bernstein. He produced a variety of programmes, including ""Spot the Tune"", ""Shadow Squad"" and ""Chelsea at Nine"". He soon moved to London where"
"in much better form. Television may be a sitting target, but he gets it well and truly with both barrels."" Melville's TV satire appeared on Danish television (""Simon og Laura"") in December 1955, Swedish television (""Simon och Laura"") in February 1960, and Finnish television (""Simon ja Laura"") in November 1960. Then, almost ten years to the day since its West End premiere, it made it to British TV, via the recently inaugurated channel BBC2, on 19 November 1964. The director was Christopher Morahan, the producer Cedric Messina, and the settings were designed by William McCrow. Ian Carmichael was this time"
"began the world's first regularly scheduled television service. Less than two weeks later, on November 13, ""The British Music Drama Opera Company"" under the Rosing's direction presented the world's first televised opera, ""Pickwick"" by Albert Coates. The performance was a preview of the new company's upcoming season at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. The Covent Garden season opened on November 18, 1936, with ""Boris Godunov"". ""Madama Butterfly"", ""The Fair at Sorochyntsi"", and ""Pagliacci"" followed, along with the premier of Coates' ""Pickwick"" and another new opera, ""Julia"", by Roger Quilter. On October 5, 1938, Rosing was back at the"
"were around two million TV Licences held in the UK, rising to over three million the following year, and four and a half million by 1955. Television news, although physically separate from its radio counterpart, was still firmly under radio news' control correspondents provided reports for both outlets–and that first bulletin, shown on 5 July 1954 on the then BBC television service and presented by Richard Baker, involved his providing narration off-screen while stills were shown. This was then followed by the customary ""Television Newsreel"" with a recorded commentary by John Snagge (and on other occasions by Andrew Timothy). It"