First in striking achievement for world television

On November 4, 1958, American television viewers to the evening programmes of the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) saw the Coronation of Pope John XXIII which had taken place in Rome that morning.

For the first time in television history new equipment developed by Granada TV and the availability of BOAC Comet and Pan-American Boeing 707 jet airliner service to New York made it possible for recordings of the ceremony made by Granada TV at their Manchester TV Centre to be flown to New York for transmission by CBS the same evening.

This remarkable speed in the exchange of television programmes between countries thousands of miles away results from Granada TV’s development of *special equipment on which television pictures and sound recordings can in a matter of seconds be converted into the television lines system of any country. The recording can then be transmitted without further processing immediately it is received by the overseas television broadcaster.

The television coverage received from Rome through the Eurovision link was recorded and converted by Granada TV from 7.30 a.m. and the first recordings were put aboard the Comet leaving London at 11 a.m. due New York 4.35 p.m. American time. The final edited recordings were flown to Paris to catch the Pan-American Boeing 707 jet clipper leaving at 6 p.m. – due New York 9.30 p.m. American time.

Granada TV have thus opened up vast new possibilities in me international exchange of television programmes — we hope for the benefit of the people of the world.

*Used with the ampex recorder.