The first videotape machines in the BBC were the VERAs (read the VERA story in Beginnings) with the first transmission taking place on April 14th 1958. By the Autumn of that year, the first VR1000 two inch recorder had been delivered and VERA faded into history. However, at the start of the decade tape was still in its infancy and film recording was main medium for recording. |
The 1960s was the decade of great growth for the BBC and Television Recording. Television Centre, a purpose designed building, was opened, and Television Recording moved into the Basement which would be its home for the next 30 years. It was the decade in which the VR2000, the second generation of quad head machines was launched, possibly the best VTR of its kind, electronic editing began to replace razor blades, colour television began, the Apollo missions took man to the Moon and England won the World Cup. |
The menu below will take you to various aspects of Television Recording, 1960s style |
The development of Television Centre | ||
How the Basement videotape area grew | ||
December 1961 Staff List | ||
FR at Lime Grove and TC by Bob Oakley | ||
TK at Lime Grove & TC by Bill Tucker | ||
Sport was a major user of VT from day one | ||
A June lunchtime in 1964 | ||
A look at the VT machines of the 1960s | ||
Photographs of cubicles | ||
Photographs of people in VT | ||
The age of Action Replay | ||
Alan Edginton’s film re-mastered | ||
An article by John Nash in Ariel | ||
The VT section from "This is the BBC" | ||
OB and VT section from "This is the BBC" | ||
The Boat Race from "This is the BBC" | ||
The Blue Peter Book of Television 1969 | ||
Some video clips of the 60s | ||
Mobile VT in the 1960s | ||
News VT in the 1960s | ||
Pictures that don't fit elsewhere!! | ||