Home   Ashford   News   Article

50th anniversary since first colour programme on TV

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 people in Kent still watch the telly on a black and white box.

Colour TV has been available for 50 years.
Colour TV has been available for 50 years.

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.

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.

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

Colour TV is celebrating its 50th anniversary
Colour TV is celebrating its 50th anniversary

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.

"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.

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.

Close This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.Learn More