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Colour TV celebrates 50th anniversary

We are all now well used to seeing the green grass at Wimbledon when we tune in to watch the coverage of the sport.

Today sees the 50th anniversary since the BBC flicked the colour switch for the first time.

But, perhaps shockingly, more than 150 in Kent still watch the telly on a black and white box.

Equipment used for the first colour broadcast at Wimbledon in 1967. Picture: Kelly Baker
Equipment used for the first colour broadcast at Wimbledon in 1967. Picture: Kelly Baker

Figures from the TV licensing authority show that 158 people in the county asked for a licence for a black and white set.

It was on Saturday, July 1, 1967 when the first colour programme, BBC 2's coverage of the Wimbledon tennis tournament, hit our screens.

Since then we have enjoyed the evolution of entertainment in magnificant colour, with new technology now meaning we can view our favourite films and series in HD and even 4k.

TV Licensing spokesman for London and South East Ben Craig said: "It is striking that in an era of HD TV and spectacular true-to-life pictures, there are still more than 8,000 viewers, including 158 in Kent, content to watch spectacular programmes like The Night Manager and Planet Earth in monochrome.


Are you one of the 158 people in Kent who still has a black and white TV? Or do you know them? Email us on news@thekmgroup.co.uk to tell us why you just can't give up your treasured set!


"Whether you watch in black and white on a 50-year-old TV set or in colour on a tablet, you need to be covered by a TV Licence to watch or record programmes as they are broadcast.

"You also need to be covered by a TV Licence to download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer, on any device."

While the figures reveal there may be life in the oldest TV equipment yet, BBC statisticsindicate emerging technologies are changing the way many of us watch TV.

"There are still more than 8,000 viewers, including 158 in Kent, content to watch spectacular programmes like The Night Manager and Planet Earth in monochrome" - TV Licensing spokesman Ben Craig

Fewer than 500 families had a colour TV set in 1967 when Australian John Newcombe took the Wimbledon Men's title in 1967.

Comparatively, more than nine million people tuned in to watch Andy Murray contest the title last year, with BBC iPlayer recording the highest unique browser reach on record, with an average of 19.9 million unique browsers weekly across June 2016.

Did you know that in by 1977, sales of colour TV Licences had overtaken numbers of black and white?

And monthly rental for a large-screen (about 23") colour receiver was £8 which converts in to £130 in today's money.

Don't miss the greatest TV development ever for Kent! From Monday, July 10, kmtv launches on Freeview channel 7.

It will bring you the latest, news, sport, arts business and features every day from around your area - with live news for Kent every weekday.

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