The Most Disastrous Television Channel Launch In History
In four days time on the 20th April, it will be the fiftieth anniversary of the attempted launch of BBC2.
I remember it well. My family thought we’d give it a go, but then a power cut in West London changed everything.
The whole incident is reported here. Here’s the first paragraph.
Fifty years ago this weekend, BBC Two went on the air for the first time. Or rather, it was supposed to go on the air. In fact, a massive power cut wiped out the entire launch schedule and led to one of the most disastrous nights in broadcasting history.
It was supposed to be a spectacular opening night for BBC Two. In the end, it was a spectacular shambles.
When the history of television is written a hundred years from now, this night will have a strong chance to be the worst start to any channel ever.
However, the bad start probably gave the channel an awful lot of publicity.
You should remember that in the nineteen-sixties power cuts were a much more common occurence than they are now. The electrical network just wasn’t as good as it is today.
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