Chronology of television

Postage stamp 1983

This article chronologically lists events in television history. The article History of Television gives a version in text form .

To 1900

In 1843, Alexander Bain received a patent for a fax machine and thus laid the foundations for image decomposition.
In 1883 Paul Nipkow invented the electric telescope , which with the help of a rotating disk ( Nipkow disk ), which was provided with spirally arranged holes, split images into light-dark signals or put them back together again. This was the first usable image decomposition for television. The first television broadcasts actually work with optical-mechanical image scanning, including some with a Nipkow disk. At the beginning of the 1930s, electronic image scanning with its excellent quality, based on the iconoscope invented by Vladimir Kosmitsch Sworykin , was already established , after which Nipkow's invention was no longer relevant for television.

1889: Alexander Stoletow invents photocells which, as electron tubes, are faster than selenium cells .

In 1897 Ferdinand Braun developed the cathode ray tube (also known as Braun tube) together with Jonathan Zenneck . Up until a few years ago, this was the basis for the most widespread method of displaying images for television. It found its first application in measuring equipment. Today the Braun tube is being replaced by flat screens.

1900: Konstantin Perski coined the word "television" at the Paris World Exhibition .

1900 to 1949

In 1906 Max Dieckmann and G. Glage first used the Braun tube to reproduce 20-line black and white images. This was the first time a usable method for the electronic reproduction of images was found.

1907: Boris Rosing creates silhouettes on cathode ray tubes.

1909: Ernst Ruhmer uses 25 selenium cells to transfer the image of a cross onto an incandescent lamp board (thus realizing George B. Carey's suggestion ).

1914: Dénes von Mihály starts work on the "Telehor", a television system for military reconnaissance, on behalf of the Austrian K&K War Ministry.

1922: British Broadcasting Corporation ( BBC ) founded as a radio station.

In 1923, Wladimir Sworykin , Rosing's assistant, built the first usable electronic image scanner, the iconoscope tube . The tube was produced in series from 1934. Together with the cathode ray tube, this paves the way for fully electronic television ;

In September 1924 August Karolus, who taught at the University of Leipzig , presented a mechanical / electronic image transmission device with two Nipkow discs , a photocell and a Kerr cell . Images with 45 lines can be transmitted with a frame rate of 12 frames per second.

Also in 1924 the Scot John Logie Baird broadcasts shadow images over a distance of three meters with his “Televisor” based on the Nipkow disk. The system (30 lines and portrait format), which is simple for today's standards, was further developed and was used regularly by the BBC from around 1928 to September 11, 1935 for regular program broadcasting via HF. There were about 4,000 recipients in total. It is interesting to note that JL Baird saved television images on vinyl (bandwidth around 12 kHz). These records (or actually image records) were also sold in some shops for those interested. Some amateur recordings of early BBC television programs have also been preserved. Today these discs can be seen at the Bradford Film Museum and are screened regularly. JL Baird was aware of the potential of his technology: If you understand the potential of this system, you will see the big business in it (analogously).

1926: Kenjiro Takayanagi succeeds in transmitting an image using a purely electronic route.

1928: Dénes von Mihály offers a television receiver based on the Nipkow disc at a trade fair in New York; Ernst FW Alexanderson develops a rotating mirror projector for two-meter television images; the RCA subsidiary NBC begins test operations under David Sarnoff . John Logie Baird succeeds in transmitting the first color television images.

On March 8, 1929, the first test television broadcast in Germany takes place, a transmission from the medium-wave transmitter Berlin-Witzleben on the Berlin radio tower to the Reichspostzentralamt on Ringbahnstrasse in Berlin-Tempelhof . With 30 lines and a frequency of ten frames per second, the first wirelessly transmitted television images showed two girls in bathing suits.

In 1929 the companies Bosch , Baird-TV , Zeiss-Ikon and Loewe AG founded the television company in Berlin.

In 1931 Manfred von Ardenne presented the first fully electronic television at the radio exhibition in Berlin .

1931: The CBS Broadcasting Station in New York City begins broadcasting a television program on July 21, 1931 , showing programs every day of the week.

In 1934, Kell, Bedford, and Trainer discover the Kell factor .

On March 22, 1935, the television station Paul Nipkow began broadcasting the world's first regular television program on the ultra-short wave 7.06 m (42.46 MHz) from the Berlin radio tower . On three days of the week from 8:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., a “current picture report”, “artists introduce themselves”, “excerpts from sound films” and cultural films were shown in this order . On April 9 of the same year, the first television room for the public was set up in the Reichspostmuseum Berlin .

In 1936 the first electronic television camera ushered in the fully electronic television age: At the 1936 Summer Olympics , the "Olympic cannon" designed by Emil Mechau was used for direct broadcasting. The Berliners can watch the competitions in the Olympiastadion Berlin in the TV rooms. The first channel in the UK, BBC 1, will start on November 2nd .

1937: Germany changes from the 180 to the 441 line standard.

1938: Telefunken develops the world's first rectangular picture tube

1939: the first 50 standard receivers are completed

On October 19, 1944, the German television broadcaster “Fernsehsender Paul Nipkow” finally ceases broadcasting.

1950 to 1969

1950

From November 27, the NWDR in Hamburg will broadcast a test television program from the Heiligengeistfeld bunker three days a week.

1951

From September 27th, a transmitter on the Grundig factory site in Fürth will broadcast a daily test program.

1951

The first public television broadcast is shown to the population of Berlin in Stadtpark Schöneberg , photographed by Max Schirner

1952
- On December 21st, Stalin's birthday, the television test program of the Berlin television center - later the GDR's German television station (DFF) - begins in Adlershof with the current camera program .

1953
- Japan is the first Asian country to start regular television broadcasts
- in the Federal Republic of Germany the 10,000th television participant is registered

1954
- The NTSC standard for color television is introduced in the USA . The Americans were way ahead of the Europeans. It was only over 12 years later that they introduced color television with the PAL standard and several variants of the SECAM standard. However, the NTSC standard has some weaknesses in terms of color representation: the slightest transmission errors are sufficient to trigger visible or annoying discoloration, especially in the area of facial colors. Jokingly, NTSC, the acronym for National Television System Committee, was jokingly referred to as "Never Twice the Same Color".
- The RAI Radiotelevisione Italiana in Italy will start operations on January 3rd.
- On November 1st, the joint program German television of the state broadcasting corporations begins with its program under the umbrella of ARD .
- Morocco is the first African country to start regular television broadcasts
1955
- The Austrian television goes into operation
- ITV1 launches in Great Britain on September 22nd .
1956
- On January 3rd, the German television broadcasting service in the GDR begins regular operations.
- Ampex introduces its quadruplex system, the first analog magnetic recording system with broadcast quality black and white.
- The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) goes on the air in Australia as the first television station on the continent (previously from 1932 as a radio station).
- The first Swedish TV channel SVT1 goes on air.
- From 1.10. the Tagesschau is broadcast daily
1957
- Ampex introduces the color video recorder .
- At the technical fair in Hanover, televisions with a picture tube with 90 ° deflection are presented
- Sabe shows and the name "Telerama" the first large-screen television projector (new German: Beamer) for home use
1958
- see broadcast year 1958
1960
- TV One goes on air in New Zealand on June 1st .

1961

On June 1, ARD 2, a second television program for German broadcasters, will start .
On September 11th, the second Austrian television program FS2 (since 1992 ORF 2 ) goes into operation.
On October 1st, the CTV starts broadcasting in Canada .

1962

On July 10th, the first active telecommunications satellite Telstar will be launched into orbit; with its help, the first live broadcast for Eurovision from the USA will take place on July 23 .
BBC 2 , the second UK broadcaster , launches.
The Australian television station Seven Network goes on air.
NBN Television goes on the air in Australia .

1963

At the beginning of January Walter Bruch presented the PAL process for color television.
On April 1st, the Second German Television (ZDF) officially begins broadcasting in Mainz .
On July 26th, Syncom 2 will be the first communications satellite to be placed in geostationary orbit. This makes it possible to continuously send signals to or receive signals from a satellite from a fixed point on earth.

1964

Color television is presented to the Austrian public at the Wels autumn fair . The Lichtenberg broadcaster will broadcast a color fair program on FS2 Upper Austria.

1965

Network Ten starts its program in Australia .
Between 1966 and 1967, the PAL color television system was adopted by most of the Western European countries.

1967

On August 25, Foreign Minister Willy Brandt opened German color television at the radio exhibition in Berlin.

1969

The Nine Network in Australia is founded.
TV broadcast of the moon landing in 1969 : On July 20, after the moon landing of the American spaceship Apollo 11, the first live broadcast from the moon takes place.
On October 3, with the start of broadcasting of the 2nd DFF program ( DFF 2 ), color television in the GDR according to the French SECAM process begins .
On December 5th, the second Swedish television, SVT2 , goes on air.

1970 to 1979

1970

In April, the Turkish TV broadcaster TRT started operations in full. It is the first television program to be made available to a wider audience in Turkey.
October 5th Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) starts broadcasting.

1972

From August 26th to September 11th, ARD and ZDF, through the German Olympic Center (DOZ) they founded, delivered a full color program of the XX. Summer Olympics to all television broadcasters in the world.
In the USA, the pay TV channel Home Box Office goes on air, and from 1975 it is also broadcast via satellite.
On February 11th, the German TV broadcaster (DFF) was renamed TV of the GDR (GDR-FS) (until March 4th, 1990).

1973

On the initiative of Federal Chancellor Bruno Kreisky , the expansion of a third Austria-wide transmitter network is being pushed ahead. The transmission systems and frequencies remain unused until 2003, because despite repeated demands from politics, neither the ORF nor a consortium of newspaper publishers wanted to introduce a third program.

1974

The Global Television Network goes on air in Canada in January .

1975

SBS in Australia is founded and initially broadcasts in 7 to 8 languages.
TV 2 goes on air in New Zealand on June 30th .

1976

The first television program in South Africa will be broadcast on January 5th .

At the beginning of the 1980s, television technology was supplemented by analogue stereo sound (using two sound sub-carriers) and so-called teletext or videotext .

1980 to 1989

1980

Ted Turner founds the news channel CNN (USA).

1981

MTV goes on air. The program will be broadcast on the cable network in New York, soon also in the whole of the USA.

1982

Even before the private German programs began broadcasting in 1984, the distribution of a monthly news video tape under the name Freising im Bild began on November 11th in Freising . Since March 20, 1986, Freising im Bild has also been broadcast on the Freising cable network as a regular television program for the region.

Channel 4 is founded in the UK .

1984

1./2. January: The first nationwide private television stations ( RTL and Sat.1 (still as PKS )) start in Germany.
Regional goes jukebox , the predecessor of Tele 5 in Munich became the first German music channel on the air.
ZDF 2 (the predecessor of 3sat ) and the ZDF music channel start in Ludwigshafen .
On January 1, 1984, the Open Channel Ludwigshafen, Germany's first local citizens' television channel, went on air.
Launch of Teleclub , the first German-speaking pay TV channel . The program consists of feature films.
Canal Plus goes on air in France .
On December 1, will be from ZDF 2 , the program 3sat .
The English Musicbox, the predecessor of Super Channel, is launched in Great Britain .

1985

In the United States goes Discovery Channel on the air.
On March 14th of the year TRP1 , the first local television in the Passau region , was launched.

1986
On September 7th, TQS will begin broadcasting in French-speaking Canada .

1987

Eureka TV , ProSieben's predecessor , will start broadcasting on May 1st .
The first pure music channel from Great Britain for Europe starts on August 1st of the year: MTV Europe .
The Super Channel for Europe has also been broadcasting from Great Britain since 1987 .

1988

On January 11th, the Musicbox successor Tele 5 goes on air with a mix of music and lifestyle.
Imparja Television goes on air January 2nd in Australia , it is considered the first television station for Aborigines .
Austrian television introduces regular broadcasts for the individual federal states on ORF 2 (then FS2) after the technical prerequisites (disconnecting the broadcasting systems) have been created.
In Austria, the transmission systems are no longer switched off after the broadcast has closed, and the test image can now always be seen during the hours when there is no program.

1989

WIN Television goes on air in Australia .
Today's ProSieben goes on air on January 1st after its predecessor - Eureka TV - ceased broadcasting at midnight.
Eurosport starts its program in February .
October 30th: Last broadcast of The Black Canal with Karl-Eduard von Schnitzler .
TV 3 goes on air in New Zealand on November 26th .

1990 to 1999

1990

1991

The German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere starts broadcasting.
December 31: Shutdown of the German television network DFF
Broadcasting of the international British television channel BBC World

1992

On January 1st, the MDR television and the ORB go on air.

On February 29th at 10:00 am, the Kabelkanal (predecessor of kabel eins ) starts its programming. It can only be received in Deutsche Telekom's cable networks .

ARTE is founded by a state treaty between the French state and the German federal states and goes on air in May 1992.

On January 1st, the German international television station DW TV goes on air.

Cartoon Network goes on air in the United States on October 1st of that year .

Germany's first news channel goes on air on November 30th of that year: n-tv .

1993

DSF will replace Tele 5 on January 1 at midnight with a sports offer.
VOX goes on air on January 25th .
RTL 2 goes on air on March 6th .
The second German music channel is launched on December 1st of that year: VIVA .
The Cartoon Network will go on air in the UK on September 17th .
On November 1st, NBC enters the European television business: NBC Super Channel is born.

1995

The international British television broadcaster BBC Prime starts in January .

The Austrian television programs now broadcast around the clock.

On March 11th, MTV is seven days ahead of competitor VIVA and starts its oldie and 80/90 pop program VH-1 .

VIVA Zwei will start on March 18 , also as an 80/90 pop channel.

On April 28th, Super RTL goes on air, the first German broadcaster to produce most of its programming for children and young people.

The German version of Nickelodeon has been broadcasting since July 5th . Just three years later, the station stops broadcasting again.

On August 25: start of tm3 (1995), conceived as a women's channel .

Germany's first home shopping channel goes on air on October 15 : HSE24 .

1996

The Scandinavian version of Nickelodeon goes on air.

Animal Planet TV channel goes on air.

On January 6th, Onyx.tv, the fifth German music channel, goes on air.

Germany's second home shopping channel, QVC, will start on December 1 of that year .

The first broadcaster in Upper Palatinate is launched on March 1st of the year: Oberpfalz TV .

Germany's first digital pay-TV channel DF1 will be broadcast on July 28th, including the first 24-hour channel for children ( Junior ).

The British international broadcaster UK.TV is launched in Australia .

Men & Motors went on air in the UK on October 1st of that year

1997

The music channel Juice TV goes on air in New Zealand .
The music channel C4 goes on the air under the name TV 4 in New Zealand .
KiKA goes on air on January 1st.
On March 7th, MTV Central, the German version of MTV, goes on air.
Five launched in the UK on March 30th .
On April 7th, PHOENIX , the ARD and ZDF event and documentation channel with digital technology, goes on air.
In September the National Geographic Channel starts in Europe and Australia .
On December 7th, the TV channel ITV2 started in Great Britain .

1998

The National Geographic Channel also goes on air for the first time in Asia in July of that year .

BBC America , the UK international television broadcaster, launched in the US on March 29th

The German Nickelodeon will cease broadcasting on May 31st.

Computers on TV: On June 30th the interactive program NBC Giga goes on air.

The local citizen broadcaster Offener Kanal Merseburg-Querfurt goes on air at the end of September 1998.

1999

The Swedish-language news channel SVT24 goes on air in Sweden on March 15th .

Pioneer's first flat-screen TVs hit the market.

The DF1 successor, Premiere World, goes on air on October 1 of the year , followed by Germany's second 24-hour children's channel in the Premiere World package on October 16: Disney Channel .

2000 to 2009

2000

2001

9Live , Germany's first quiz broadcaster, goes on air on September 1st of that year .

RTL Shop , the RTL Group's first home shopping channel in Germany, will start on March 1 of the year .

The second pure music channel from beViacom , MTV2 Pop , starts its program in Germany on May 1st and replaces VH-1.

May 7: Start of the infotainment channel XXP (today: DMAX ).

On September 7th, the international British television broadcaster BBC Canada starts in Canada .
2002
- The Australian broadcaster ABC Asian Pacific goes on air.
- On January 7th, VIVA Zwei will become VIVA Plus .
- On February 11, the British TV broadcaster CBBC Channel starts in Great Britain , as does CBeebies .
- On April 28, at 22:00, the broadcast of the second begins Tele 5 .
- The international British television broadcaster BBC Food starts in July .
- The Rialto Channel TV will go on air in New Zealand in November.
- The Swedish language children's channel Barnkanalen goes on air on December 23rd .
- Start by BBC Four in the UK, successor to the previously set BBC Knowledge .
- Start of digital terrestrial television DVB-T in Germany (started in Berlin in autumn), the first regular DVB-T broadcast in Europe.
- Collapse of the "Kirch Empire" ( Leo Kirch ).
2003
- On May 1, 2003 , the rbb went on air as a result of the merger of the Sender Freies Berlin (SFB) and the Ostdeutscher Rundfunk Brandenburg (ORB) . The ORB and SFB will cease to exist on April 30, 2003.

2004

On March 1st of that year, Premiere starts the first channel in Germany with which people are observed and filmed 24 hours a day ( Big Brother ).
On March 28th, Māori Television , New Zealand's first television station for Māori , goes on air .
On April 18, the Swedish-speaking private entertainment broadcaster TV4 Film went on air in Sweden .
Start of DVB-T in Austria, initially only in Graz .
Germany's first astrology channel goes on air on June 1st : Astro TV .
In November, the cable network operator Kabel Deutschland is launching its first digital pay-TV offering with over 30 channels.
The first broadcaster in Germany that revolves around food and drink 24 hours a day is launched: TV Gusto .
On September 15, terranova will take over the frequencies from Onyx with a nature and animal film offer at 5:30 a.m.
The Swedish-language science broadcaster Kunskapskanalen goes on air on September 27th .
ITV3 launches in the UK on November 1st .
On December 1st, the international British television broadcaster BBC Japan launched in Japan .

2005

On January 14th, the Swedish-speaking private entertainment broadcaster TV400 went on air in Sweden .
On March 5th, the digital television channel ABC2 starts in Australia.
The music channel Deluxe Music has been broadcasting its program since April 1st .
The HDTV channel C More HD has been broadcast via satellite since September . He uses the older DVB-S and MPEG-2 (1080i).
Main article : History_of_high-definition_TV
On September 15th, the Swedish-language private documentary channel TV4 Fakta went on air.
Das Vierte starts on September 29th as another private program with a feature film offer in Germany. The station has the American NBC as parent company.
On September 12th at 6:00 a.m. Nick will go on air as the German version of the children's channel Nickelodeon . A German Nickelodeon version already existed in the 1990s .
On October 26, the ProSiebenSat.1 media group began broadcasting its programs via DVB-S2 in up-converted HDTV (1080i) parallel to normal operations.
Food Television goes on air in New Zealand on November 1st .
ITV4 will also go on air in the UK on November 1st .

2006

September 1st: XXP becomes DMAX .
On September 18, the network The CW goes on air, a merger of the United Paramount Network and The WB , both of which have ceased broadcasting.
On October 26th, all basic network transmitters in Austria will be converted to DVB-T, with no or only a very short conversion phase with analog parallel operation.
After more than 22 years of programming and 24 years of existence, the first German regional and private broadcaster, Freising, will be discontinued at the end of 2006.

2007

The German version of Comedy Central starts on January 15th .
On July 10th, terranova will stop broadcasting for economic reasons.
In 2007, Austrian radio, German public broadcasters and Swiss television changed the picture format from 4: 3 to 16: 9 .

2008

Many commercial broadcasters will switch to the 16: 9 aspect ratio in the years up to 2010.
Since June 7th, ORF eins has been broadcasting HD high-definition HDTV with 720p.

2009

2010 until today

2010
- Since February 12th, Erste and ZDF have also been broadcasting in HDTV 720p.
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
- On September 30, the broadcasting of the digital TV programs EinsPlus and ZDFkultur in favor of funk , the young online service of ARD and ZDF, ended.