Celebrations planned to mark 90 years since Ally Pally hosted first BBC television broadcast

Organisers hope to use the anniversary to mark “the significance of the site of the first television station”, reports Joe Ives, Local Democracy Reporter

Alexandra Palace and (inset) Adèle Dixon in the first ever BBC TV broadcast

Alexandra Palace is getting ready to commemorate the anniversary of the BBC’s first television service – launched at the venue in November 1936.

The programme of events being developed to mark the 90th anniversary of the occasion are due to be discussed at an Alexandra Park and Palace Board meeting tonight (Thursday 30th).

Organisers hope to use the anniversary to celebrate “the launch of the BBC television service from Alexandra Palace” and mark “the significance of the site of the first television station”.

In a story for the BBC, David Hendy, professor in media and cultural history at the University of Sussex, said the world’s first regular, ‘high-definition’ television service was broadcast from Ally Pally on Monday, 2nd November 1936.

At the time, the BBC argued that ‘high-definition’ meant pictures made up of 240 lines or more. It was something Prof Hendy believes the broadcaster did to mark itself out against a German TV service that began the year before, but only used 180 lines to transmit its images.

A report for the board of the historic venue said there will also be “a programme of talks, screenings and performance” leading up to the anniversary later this year.

Adèle Dixon had raised the curtain for the new era of British television, taking to the studio floor to sing Magic Rays of Light, backed by the BBC Television Orchestra.

The date will be commemorated this year with a ‘World Origin Site’ plaque. These are used to mark the people and places where “something truly groundbreaking was invented, discovered or first used”.

Ally Pally also plans to host a “television heritage season” between September and October “for public engagement with interested groups and individuals”.

This will make use of various areas of Alexandra Palace, including the former BBC wing, to “celebrate the 90th anniversary of public service broadcasting”.

The programme will have “an overarching theme of innovation”, exploring topics such as children’s TV, BBC News and “education media in broadcasting”. The history of LGBTQ+ and black representation will be documented, too.

Talks, screenings, displays, tours and “learning activities” are set to “make up a broad range of visitor experiences aimed at family and inter-generational audiences”.

Speakers will include historian and author Ian Christie as well as Kate Murphy, who joined the BBC in 1987.

Iain Baird, the grandson of John Logie Baird, who presented the first ever mechanical TV system in January 1926, will also make an appearance.

In her report, Kirsten Forrest, interpretation and curatorial manager at Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust, said the season represents “an ideal opportunity” to raise the profile of Ally Pally in regards to its place in TV history.

Visitors will have the chance to get “closer to the palace’s television heritage” through tours of the historic BBC studios and a behind-the-scenes look into the broadcaster’s archive collections.

Forrest said the ticketed events would also help the venue “gather data on audiences and engagement levels”.

“We already know that tours of the south-east wing and former studios are very popular, but we need to learn more about the appetite for different types of heritage engagement for the future,” she added.

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