Magazine: TV through the ages
This year marks 90 years since the first ever Radio Times, which went on to print the first TV listings pages in November 1936. Watch our video for a look at TV then and now.
In November 1936 Radio Times printed its first ever TV listings pages as the BBC started broadcasting shows such as Inn Signs Through Ages, A Laundry Demonstration and Autumn Gardening Demonstration, as well as cabaret and a comedy show by ‘Leonard’ Henry billed as not to be missed viewing.
Back then TV was only transmitted in the London area with about 100 people owning TV sets to watch it on. Fast forward to the 21st Century and we’ve gone from just two hours of programming broadcast on one channel a day to having more TV at our finger tips than ever before.
So how did we get from a single channel broadcasting shows about doing laundry to today’s 24-hour multi-channel programming?