BBC tv

The BBC lost its monopoly in television in 1955 when Independent Television (ITV) began. In response, the BBC felt it should change its identity and priorities. As a result, the BBC Television Service was relaunched as BBC tv in 1960.

ITV's success, however, led to the BBC losing much of its audience, as noted in the 1962 Pilkington Report, which decided to award an additional television station to the BBC on the basis that ITV was, by comparison, lacking in serious programming. In 1964, BBC2 was launched and BBC tv became BBC1.