Significant Dates in Welsh Broadcasting

Significant Dates in Welsh Broadcasting

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By Jim Bartlett,
Monday, 17th August 2015

Some significant dates in the history of broadcasting in Wales.

These are taken from the list in Broadcasting and the BBC in Wales by the late John Davies, University of Wales Press, 1994.  Used with the author's kind permission.

For this and other books about Television in Wales, please see our Book List.

You might also want to take a look at the main RTS Archives.
 

1922 18 October Inauguration of the British Broadcasting Company.
1923 13 February
 1 March
Cardiff station (5WA) is brought into service.
First broadcast talk in the Welsh language.
1924 17 March Cardiff station moves to Park Place.
1927  1 January Inauguration of the British Broadcasting Corporation under the first Charter.
1935 31 July
 1 November
A half of the households of Wales are licensed to receive radio broadcasts.
Opening of the BBC studios at Bangor.
1937  4 July The Welsh Region begins broadcasting on its own wavelength. 
1945 27 July
29 July
First issue of the Welsh edition of the Radio Times.
Inauguration of the Light Programme and of the Regional Home Services (including the Welsh Home Service).
1952 15 August Wenvoe television station is brought into service.
1953  6 January
 1 March
First meeting of the Broadcasting Council for Wales.
First broadcast of a Welsh-language television programme.
1955 20 December Welsh Home Service becomes available on VHF from Wenvoe.
1958 14 February Inauguration of service by Television Wales and the West (TWW) from the St Hilary transmitter.
1959 31 March Half the households of Wales are licensed to receive television broadcasts.
1962 14 September Inauguration of Television Wales West and North (TWWN).
1964  1 January Merger of the output of TWWN with that of TWW.
1965 12 September BBC2 becomes available from Wenvoe.
1967  1 March
21 August
Broadcasting House, Llandaf, is opened.
BBC2 begins regular colour television transmission.
1970  9 July BBC Wales first broadcasts in colour.
1974 30 September
16 October
Inauguration of Swansea Sound.
First broadcast of Pobl y Cwm.
1978 13 November Relaunch of Radio Wales.
1979 19 November Relaunch of Radio Cymru.
1980 11 April Inauguration of the Cardiff Broadcasting Company (CBC).
1982  1 November
 2 November
Inauguration of Sianel Pedwar Cymru.
Inauguration of Channel 4.
     
Addenda  
1959  10 April RTS Cardiff and South Wales Centre formed.
1985  2 January 405-line VHF television system shut down.
1998 15 November Digital terrestrial television launched.
2002 30 October Freeview launched.
2008  6 May Freesat launched
2009 12 August The digital switchover in Wales began with the Kilvey Hill transmitter.
It finished with the Wenvoe transmitter on 31st March 2010.
2010  6 December S4C2 finally ceased broadcasting, when it was removed from Freesat.
2012 12 March Official opening of BBC Wales's Roath Lock studios.
     

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