Yorkshire Television

Yorkshire Television started broadcasting on July 29, 1968 from its new studios in Kirkstall Road, Leeds. The studio was equipped with £2.2 million worth of state-of-the-art equipment, specifically designed for colour production. However, during its initial period, the majority of its broadcasts were in monochrome, until the ITV network officially launched its colour transmissions on November 15, 1969.

The station’s opening ceremony was led by The Duchess of Kent and included live coverage of an England-Australia cricket match at Headingley, followed by the first edition of its regional news programme ‘Calendar’, its first networked production, the drama ‘Daddy Kiss it Better’, and a light entertainment special, ‘First Night’, hosted by Bob Monkhouse.