The London 1948 Olympics were officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad, and the first to follow a 12 year hiatus caused by World War II. Dubbed the Austerity Olympics, due to the aftermath of the War, no new venues were built. The Empire Stadium and Empire Pool at Wembley Park were among the main venues. 

The BBC bought the rights for £1,000 - around £73,000 in today's money - and broadcast to to a service that was officially only available in the London area.

In this talk, Norman Green uses material from the BBC and other Archives, going back to when Television first started to leave the confines of the studio environment. It includes footage used by the Germans for the 1936 Games, and what is believed to be the only surviving footage of the London 1948 broadcasts.  Norman covers the history leading up to Television coverage of the 1948 Olympics – and a little bit beyond. A fascinating piece of early broadcasting history.

Norman Green worked on and in a number of high profile companies and projects involved in the development of television including the ABC, Thames Television, EBU and ITV. He is a Fellow of the Royal Television Society for an outstanding contribution to the development of television.

A YouTube link will be emailed to those who sign up in advance on the day. The event can be viewed below if you missed the chance to sign up.

Producers: Philip Barnes and Norman Green