BBC Television made its debut inNorthern Ireland in May 1953.

It relayed network programmesfrom a temporary transmitterinstalled in an old Nissen hut ona hillside just outside Belfast.

The first viewers were thin on theground.Television sets wereexpensive and the reception – blackand white, of course - was far fromperfect.

A typical day that month shows aschedule that included cricket, awestern, a variety gala and news.There were long gaps in transmissionand programmes had concluded by10.30pm. 24 hour television was stillsome years away.

But on 10th June 1953, history wasmade and people could watch ithappening.

The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth IIwas broadcast from WestminsterAbbey. It was the first BritishCoronation ever seen live ontelevision. It still is.

All over the country, people gathered

round the nearest available televisionset to watch.It was a turning point.As one viewerrecalled, ‘the Royal Family were ontelevision so therefore it was okay.’

Television had become acceptable.And it was here to stay.

The first programme made byBBC Northern Ireland for localviewers was Ulster Mirror in 1954.

Shown every fortnight, it was amiscellany of items from around theregion. However, no facilities existed inBelfast for either editing, or localtransmission, so all the material had tobe flown to London and it wasbroadcast from there.

But even that first tentative step intolocal programming demonstrated acommitment by the BBC to connectwith its audience and to reach into theheart of communities in towns, citiesand villages across Northern Ireland.

Patrick Kielty has gone from aBBCNI stand-up comedyprogramme at The Empire tonationwide fame.

And Shauna Lowry, now a familiarface to Network audiences, beganher television career with BBCNI’sYouth Programmes Unit.

The search goes on….. Might you bethe next big discovery?

We are committed to enrichingthe lives of our viewers and toengaging them in what we do.

Making A Difference encouragedpeople to nominate the unsungheroes who have had a beneficialeffect on the lives of those aroundthem and the BBC’s Children inNeed provides year-round support toyoung people throughout the region.

Fair Play, our first television consumerseries, has struck a chord with

audiences, who have broughtcomplaints about everything fromfaulty washing machines to mobiletelephone masts.

And think of the remarkable HomeTruths documentaries which soughtto establish what really happened inthe Curran murder case and led tothe release of Iain Hay Gordon.

Sport, in all its forms, is a bigenthusiasm of local people.Television has brought itsexcitements and spectacle intoevery living room.

Hurling, hockey, rugby, racing andfootball have all featured in theBBCNI schedule, as have some of ourbest loved personalities: George Best,Mary Peters, Barry McGuigan andTony McCoy.

Northern IrelandToday, BBCNI broadcasts almost 740hours of locally produced programmeseach year in areas as diverse as drama,current affairs, education, sport andentertainment. It also produces popularprogrammes for Network audiences.

In Northern Ireland,with its longhistory of division,objective andinformed journalism is vital.

News and Current Affairs has been acore service over the past fifty years.

Television news remains a vital linkbetween the BBC and the community itserves.

The first bulletin was broadcast in 1957and bore very little resemblance to thekind of coverage viewers expect today.There was no film.Video had not evenbeen invented.A newsreader read a scriptillustrated only by the occasional blackand white photograph. It was like radio,on television.

The first news magazine came on the air in1959.Studio Eight was the name of thestudio and the programme itself.

Other news programmes were to follow:Six Five,Six Ten,Scene Around Six, InsideUlster,BBC Newsline.All have made theirmark with the Northern Ireland audience.

So, too, the presenters.Names from thepast and present include:

Malcolm Kellard,Larry McCoubrey,BarryCowan,Sean Rafferty,Wendy Austin,NoelThompson,Rose Neill.All became familiarteatime guests in our homes.

BBCNI journalism has always beencharacterised by authority and informedanalysis – from correspondents such asW.D.Flackes,Eric Waugh and Brian Walkerto Stephen Grimason,Maggie Taggart,BrianRowan,Dot Kirby.

A host of distinguished broadcasters cuttheir journalistic teeth with BBC NorthernIreland – Nick Witchell, Jeremy Paxman,Gavin Esler and many more.

And the news that they, and others,reported was the,often difficult, story ofNorthern Ireland itself – Bloody Sunday,Bloody Friday,Enniskillen,Omagh, the GoodFriday Agreement.

The television images of those events,captured by camera staff operating often in,at times, grim and dangerous circumstances,are seared into our consciousness.They aremilestones in our troubled journey.

Since 1973,Spotlight has been BBCNorthern Ireland’s flagship currentaffairs programme.

Investigating, challenging, and getting underthe skin of important issues have been atthe core of Spotlight’s purpose.

And while politics and security issues haveoften dominated the wider agenda since1969, Spotlight has kept audiencesinformed about other aspects of life inNorthern Ireland.

More recently,Hearts and Minds hasestablished itself as a uniquely engagingpolitical series.

And Lets’s Talk has made a direct andintimate connection with audiences on arange of topics, providing a valuableplatform for debate.

Historic, too, was the Pope’s journeyto Ireland in 1979. BBC NorthernIreland cameras brought his famousspeech in Drogheda live into ourhomes. It was the single biggestoutside broadcast operation evermounted by the region.

The moments leading up to theconclusion of the negotiations onGood Friday in 1998 gave us morehistory in the making.

And who can forget pictures of thefirst visit by President Clinton inNovember 1995.

Throughout the past fifty years,BBC Northern Ireland has beencommitted to finding andnurturing local talent.

Some talent was already wellestablished, of course.

James Young was a huge success in

the Group Theatre long before hiscomedy was transferred totelevision in 1971.

But BBC Northern Ireland gave hisgenius wider scope and a biggerstage.

It is a long time - but in many waysa short step - from James Young tothe Hole in the Wall Gang and GiveMy Head Peace.

In their work, his scathing wit andcultural caricature live on.

Many others were given their firstchance with BBC Northern Ireland.

It was in the famous Billy plays thatyoung Kenneth Branagh’s talentsfirst reached a wider audience.

Hollywood star Liam Neeson madehis first television appearance in aBBCNI schools’ programme aboutthe railways.

Throughout its history, BBCNorthern Ireland has shown acommitment to the bigoccasion, and to capturingand sharing events ofsignificance.

Live election coverage has been amajor part of that.And BBCNorthern Ireland has been theonly local broadcaster to commit

to live coverage of debates fromthe Assembly Chamber atStormont. Once again, keepingaudiences informed has been, andremains, a priority.

Since June 1953, there has beenlive coverage of visits to NorthernIreland by the Queen and othermembers of the Royal Family.

BBC Television beginsin Northern Ireland.

1954 – Ulster Mirrorbecomes the first localtelevision programme.Thecombined radio andtelevision licence is £3.

1957 – Local newsbulletins begin.Televisionfor schools begins.TheQueen makes her firstChristmas broadcast.

1959 - First localstudio opens - StudioEight.A late evening showis named after it.And inJuly, cameras televise theTwelfth for the first time.

1955 – Transmission starts fromDivis. Lord Brookeborough isinterviewed from Stormont in the firstlive outside broadcast.Television is nowavailable to 91% of people in the UK.

1953The Half-Door Clubbecomes the firstNorthern Irelandlight entertainmentprogramme.

1962 – The firsttransatlantic transmissionvia the Telstar satellite.

1964 – ComeDancing is televisedfrom Belfast’s Plazaballroom. BBC2goes on the air.

1968 – SceneAround Six begins.Also that year, PrimeMinister TerenceO’Neill goes ontelevision to say thatUlster is at thecrossroads.

1971 – JamesYoung’s Saturdaynight showbegins.

1974 – Ceefaxbegins.And theBBC celebrates50 years ofbroadcasting inNorthern Ireland.

1969 – TheTroubles begin todominate the news.Local colourtelevision productiongets under way.Andwe watch Manlanding on the moon.

1970 1982All local programmesare now in colour.

1975 – BBCRadio Ulsterbegins.

1976 – Majorextension toBroadcastingHouse is opened.

1979 – BBCRadio Foylebegins. ChildrenIn Need iscreated

1977 – StewartParker’s CatchpennyTwist is the Play ForToday on BBC1, thefirst networkeddrama fromNorthern Ireland.

Too Late To Talk ToBilly is shown on BBC1to widespread acclaim.

1960

MONITOR

Northern Ireland