The History of Forces' Broadcasting
BFBS TV, the younger sister to BFBS Radio, began on 18th September 1975, initially broadcasting 8 hours a day hours a day to Celle in northern Germany. Programmes were recorded off-air in London, and tapes were sent to be played out in Germany from a 30-ft purpose-built trailer. Each tape cost £150, weighed 24lbs and cost £25 to ship. Programmes were seen by servicemen and their families about three weeks after they had been broadcast in the UK. Current affairs programmes were prioritised so that they were only a week late.
The main aim behind the introduction of BFBS TV was to keep wives and families in Germany happy while their husbands were away for four months at a time on 'Op Banner' duty in Northern Ireland. The effects were surprising. The medical authorities reported a decrease in "trivial out-of-hours consultations and fewer distraught young mothers attending medical centres". It was also noted that 'Cellevision' had resulted in a "noteworthy decrease in drunkenness and related offences".
The service spread slowly, to Werl in 1978 and Rheindahlen by 1981, and the rest of Germany a year later. It took seven years in all until viewers in Germany got their first live news and could watch 'Grandstand' live on a Saturday afternoon.
Today, BFBS TV provides nine channels in dozens of countries from remote mountain-top sites in the Falkland Islands, to HM Ships at sea, and the Forward Operating Bases in Helmand.