46 years of colour TV on BBC One

On 15 November, 1969, BBC One began transmitting in colour. Britain was the first country in Europe at the time to offer regular colour television. BBC One in colour followed hot on the heels of BBC Two which had started broadcasting four hours of colour programmes a week in 1966 under controller David Attenborough.

In an article in the Radio Times on 13 November 1969 James Redmond - the BBC's then director of engineering, billed as, “the man in charge of the multi-million pound development of BBCtv Colour”, answered questions about the spread of BBC1's colour - and how it might affect viewers.

Questions included:

“Why can't everyone have BBC1 colour immediately?

The existing 405-line VHF transmitters cannot handle colour so that it is necessary to build new transmitters working on 625 lines in the UHF bands.

How long will it be before everyone in the UK can receive colour?

After 15 November this year BBC1 colour will be available to nearly 50 per cent of the population- BBC2 colour is already available to 85 per, cent… But the BBC1 colour project will take us through the seventies"

and, rather modestly:

“How do you rate Britain's colour television?

The pioneering work done for BBC2 has been invaluable. As a result BBC-originated colour programmes are of a constantly high standard of quality.”

A note on the television listings page said:

“BBC1 in Colour * Colour has come to BBC1. From today, the colour service will be available in the areas served by the transmitters at Crystal Palace (Ch 26); Sutton Coldfield (Ch 40); Winter Hill (Ch 55); and Emley Moor (Ch 44). Crystal Palace operates in the area around London; Sutton Coldfield in the area around Birmingham; Winter Hill in South Lancashire; and Emley Moor in South Yorkshire. For full information about the transmitters now in operation, and about those planned to come into operation in future, please turn to page 13. Consult your supplier for local information. Tuning information is given every night at 6.15 on BBC2. There is also a full programme of colour test transmissions.”

Some of the first programmes that appeared on BBC One in colour that Saturday were: the weather, Star Trek, Dixon of Dock Green, The Prisoner of Zenda and Match of the Day.

• Read also 1966: BBC tunes in to colour
• Watch Colour television on BBC One 15 November 1969 
• Also First regular colour television programme Wimbledon 1 July 1967 on History of the BBC