On 22nd September 1955, British broadcasting changed course. With fanfare at Guildhall and 2,000 invited guests, including representatives from both the BBC and new commercial sector, the UK introduced Independent Television (ITV), its first foray into advertiser-funded TV.
This wasn’t an overnight disruption. The move was the result of a careful and considered approach that included the passing of the Television Bill, published on 4th March 1954, which laid the legal groundwork for commercial television. Britain had already led the world in public broadcasting, with the BBC becoming the first country to introduce a public television service when it broadcast its first transmission on 2nd November 1936.
