Timeline of the introduction of television in countries

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This film, television, or video-related list is incomplete; you can help by expanding it.

This is a list of when the first publicly announced television broadcasts occurred in the mentioned countries. Non-public field tests and closed circuit demonstrations are not included.

Year	Countries
1928	Image:US flag 48 stars.svg United States (Mechanical television) ¹
1929	Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom (Mechanical), ² Image:Flag of Germany.svg Germany (Mechanical) ³
1931	Image:Flag of France.svg France (Mechanical), Image:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union (Mechanical) ¹⁴
1935	Image:Flag of Germany 1933.svg Germany (Intermediate film; semi-electronic)
1936	Image:Flag of Germany 1933.svg Germany (Electronic television), Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom (Electronic), Image:US flag 48 stars.svg United States (Electronic)¹⁵
1937	Image:Flag of France.svg France (Electronic), ¹⁹ Image:Flag of Poland.svg Poland (Mechanical) ¹⁶
1938	Image:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union (Electronic)¹⁸
1939	Image:Flag of Japan.svg Japan (Electronic), ⁴ Image:Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg Italy (Electronic) ⁵ Image:Flag of Poland.svg Poland (Electronic) ¹⁶
1941	Image:US flag 48 stars.svg United States (Commercial)
1944	Image:Flag of France.svg France (Returned)
1946	Image:Flag of the Soviet Union.svg Soviet Union (Commercial), Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom (Returned) ¹⁷
1949	Image:Flag of Cuba.svg Cuba, Image:Flag of France.svg France (Commercial)
1950	Image:Flag of Mexico (1934-1968).png Mexico, Image:Flag of Brazil.svg Brazil
1951	Image:Flag of Argentina.svg Argentina, Image:Flag of Denmark.svg Denmark,¹² Image:Flag of the Netherlands.svg Netherlands, Image:Flag of Japan.svg Japan (Returned), Image:Flag of Poland.svg Poland (Returned)
1952	Image:Canadian Red Ensign 1921.svg Canada, Image:Flag of the Dominican Republic.svg Dominican Republic, Image:Flag of Venezuela.svg Venezuela, Image:Flag of Germany.svg West Germany, Image:Flag of East Germany.svg East Germany
1953	Image:Flag of Alaska.svg Alaska, Image:Flag of Czechoslovakia.svg Czechoslovakia,⁶ Image:Flag of the Philippines.svg Philippines, Image:Flag of Switzerland.svg Switzerland, Image:Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Belgium
1954	Image:Flag of Colombia.svg Colombia, Image:Flag of Hawaii.svg Hawaii, Image:Flag of Morocco.svg Morocco, Image:Flag of Norway.svg Norway, Image:Flag of Puerto Rico.svg Puerto Rico, Image:Flag of Monaco.svg Monaco, Image:Flag of Italy.svg Italy (Returned)
1955	Image:Flag of Luxembourg.svg Luxembourg, Image:Flag of Thailand.svg Thailand, Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg United Kingdom (Commercial)
1956	Image:Flag of Romania (1947-1989).svg Romania, Image:Flag of France.svg Algeria, Image:Flag of Australia.svg Australia, Image:Flag of Austria.svg Austria, Image:Flag of Cyprus.svg Cyprus, Image:Flag of El Salvador.svg El Salvador, Image:Flag of Guam.svg Guam, Image:Flag of Guatemala.svg Guatemala, Image:Flag of Iraq 1924.svg Iraq, Image:Flag of South Korea.svg South Korea, Image:Flag of Nicaragua.svg Nicaragua, Image:Flag of Spain under Franco.svg Spain, Image:Flag of Sweden.svg Sweden, Image:Flag of Uruguay.svg Uruguay, Image:Flag of Panama.svg Panama, Image:Flag of SFR Yugoslavia.svg Yugoslavia
1957	Image:Flag of Chile.svg Chile, Image:Flag of Finland.svg Finland, Image:Flag of Hong Kong 1959.svg Hong Kong, ⁷ Image:Flag of Hungary (1957-1989).png Hungary, Image:Flag of Kuwait.svg Kuwait, Image:Panama canal zone flag.gif Panama Canal Zone,Image:Flag of Portugal.svg Portugal, Image:Flag of Saudi Arabia.svg Saudi Arabia
1958	Image:Flag of Bermuda.svg Bermuda, Image:Flag of Costa Rica.svg Costa Rica, Image:Flag of Denmark.svg Greenland, Image:Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg People's Republic of China, ⁸ Image:Flag of Iran (1964).svg Iran, Image:Flag of Peru.svg Peru
1959	Image:Flag of Bulgaria (1946-1967).svg Bulgaria, Image:Flag of Haiti.svg Haiti, Image:Flag of Honduras.svg Honduras, Image:Flag of India.svg India, Image:Flag of Lebanon.svg Lebanon, Image:Flag of New Zealand.svg New Zealand, Image:Flag of Nigeria.svg Nigeria, Image:Flag of Ecuador.svg Ecuador
1960	Image:Flag of United Arab Republic.svg United Arab Republic (Egypt and Syria), Image:Flag of Southern Rhodesia.svg Southern Rhodesia, Image:Flag of the Netherlands Antilles.svg Netherlands Antilles
1961	Image:Flag of Ireland.svg Ireland, Image:Flag of Northern Rhodesia-1939.svg Northern Rhodesia, Image:Flag of the United States Virgin Islands.svg U.S. Virgin Islands
1962	Image:Flag of Cote d'Ivoire.svg Côte d'Ivoire, Image:Flag of the Republic of the Congo.svg Republic of the Congo, Image:Flag of Grenada 1903.gif Grenada, Image:Flag of Kenya.svg Kenya, Image:Flag of Malta.svg Malta²¹, , Image:Flag of Indonesia.svg Indonesia, Image:Flag of Sierra Leone.svg Sierra Leone, Image:Flag of the Republic of China.svg Republic of China, ⁹ Image:Flag of Trinidad and Tobago.svg Trinidad and Tobago, Image:Flag of Cambodia.svg Cambodia, Image:Flag of Gibraltar.svg Gibraltar²², Image:Flag of Upper Volta.svg Upper Volta
1963	Image:Flag of Bolivia.svg Bolivia, Image:Flag of France.svg French Polynesia, Image:Flag of Gabon.svg Gabon, Image:Flag of Malaysia.svg Malaysia, Image:Flag of North Korea.svg North Korea, Image:Flag of Singapore.svg Singapore, Image:Flag of Sudan (1956-1970).svg Sudan, Image:Flag of Jamaica.svg Jamaica, Image:Flag of Uganda.svg Uganda
1964	Image:Flag of American Samoa.svg American Samoa, Image:Flag of Barbados 1958.png Barbados, Image:Flag of Bangladesh (1971).svg East Pakistan, Image:1897 Ehiopia flag.svg Ethiopia, Image:Flag of France.svg Guadeloupe, Image:Flag of Liberia.svg Liberia, Image:Flag of France.svg Martinique, Image:Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mauritius, Image:Flag of North Yemen.svg North Yemen, Image:Flag of Pakistan.svg West Pakistan, Image:Flag of France.svg Réunion, Image:Flag of Suriname.svg Suriname
1965	Image:Flag of Ghana.svg Ghana, Image:Flag of France.svg New Caledonia, Image:Flag of Paraguay.svg Paraguay, Image:Flag of Senegal.svg Senegal, Image:Flag of South Vietnam.svg South Vietnam
1966	Image:Flag of Congo Kinshasa 1966.svg Congo-Kinshasa, Image:Flag of Greece (1828-1978).svg Greece, Image:Flag of North Vietnam.svg North Vietnam, Image:Flag of Tunisia.svg Tunisia, Image:Flag of Iceland.svg Iceland, Image:Flag of Israel.svg Israel²³
1967	Image:Flag of Djibouti.svg Djibouti, Image:Flag of France.svg French Guiana, Image:Flag of Turkey.svg Turkey, Image:Flag of the People's Republic of Mongolia (1949-1992).svg Mongolia, Image:Flag of France.svg Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Image:Flag of Madagascar.svg Madagascar, Image:Saint Lucia Flag 1939.gif Saint Lucia
1968	Image:Flag of Jordan.svg Jordan, Image:Flag of Equatorial Guinea.svg Equatorial Guinea, Image:Flag of Libya (1951).svg Libya
1969	Image:Flag of Albania 1946.svg Albania, ²⁴ Image:Flag of the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands.svg Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, Image:Flag of the United Arab Emirates.svg United Arab Emirates
1970	Image:Flag of Qatar.svg Qatar
1972	Image:St. kitts nevis anguilla flag.gif St. Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla
1973	Image:Flag of Bahrain.svg Bahrain, Image:Flag of Niger.svg Niger, Image:Flag of Tanzania.svg Tanzania, Image:Flag of Togo.svg Togo, Image:Flag of the British Virgin Islands.svg British Virgin Islands
1974	Image:Flag of the Central African Republic.svg Central African Republic, Image:Flag of Portugal.svg Mozambique, Image:Flag of Oman.svg Oman
1975	Image:Flag of South Africa 1928-1994.svg South Africa, Image:Flag of Angola.svg Angola, Image:Flag of Brunei.svg Brunei, Image:Flag of Dominica 1965-1978.gif Dominica, Image:Flag of Tuvalu.svg Tuvalu, Image:Flag of South Yemen.svg South Yemen
1977	Image:Flag of the Bahamas.svg Bahamas 25, Image:Flag of Guinea.svg Guinea
1978	Image:Flag of Afghanistan.svg Afghanistan, Image:Flag of Benin (1975-1990).svg Benin, Image:Flag of Liechtenstein.svg Liechtenstein, Image:Flag of Lesotho (1966).svg Lesotho, Image:Flag of Maldives.svg Maldives, Image:Flag of Swaziland.svg Swaziland
1979	Image:Flag of Mali.svg Mali, Image:Flag of Sri Lanka.svg Sri Lanka, Image:Flag of Somalia.svg Somalia
1980	Image:Flag of Myanmar.svg Burma, Image:Flag of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.svg Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
1981	Image:Flag of Belize.svg Belize, Image:Flag of Portugal.svg Macau, Image:Flag of South Africa 1928-1994.svg South West Africa
1983	Image:Flag of Andorra.svg Andorra, Image:Flag of Cameroon.svg Cameroon, Image:Flag of Laos.svg Laos, Image:Flag of Nepal.svg Nepal, Image:Flag of the Seychelles 1977.svg Seychelles, Image:Flag of the Vatican City.svg Vatican City 26
1984	Image:Flag of Burundi.svg Burundi, Image:Flag of Cape Verde 1975.svg Cape Verde, Image:Flag of the Comoros (1978-1992).svg Comoros, Image:Flag of Tonga.svg Tonga, Image:Flag of the Faroe Islands.svg Faroe Islands
1986	Image:Flag of France.svg Mayotte, Image:Flag of Niue.svg Niue, Image:Flag of Papua New Guinea.svg Papua New Guinea, Image:Flag of France.svg Wallis and Futuna Islands
1989	Image:Flag of the Cook Islands.svg Cook Islands, Image:Flag of San Marino.svg San Marino, Image:Flag of Samoa.svg Western Samoa
1991	Image:Flag of Botswana.svg Botswana, Image:Flag of the Cayman Islands.svg Cayman Islands, Image:Flag of the Falkland Islands.svg Falkland Islands ²⁷, Image:Flag of Fiji.svg Fiji, ²⁸ Image:Flag of Guyana.svg Guyana, Image:Flag of Nauru.svg Nauru, Image:Flag of Sao Tome and Principe.svg São Tomé and Príncipe
1992	Image:Flag Rwanda 1962.svg Rwanda, Image:Flag of the Solomon Islands.svg Solomon Islands, Image:Flag of Vanuatu.svg Vanuatu
1993	Image:Flag of Eritrea.svg Eritrea 29
1995	Image:Flag of The Gambia.svg Gambia, Image:Flag of Guinea-Bissau.svg Guinea-Bissau, Image:Flag of Kiribati.svg Kiribati, Image:Flag of Saint Helena.svg Saint Helena, Image:Flag of the Turks and Caicos Islands.svg Turks and Caicos Islands
1999	Image:Flag of Malawi.svg Malawi, Image:Flag of Bhutan.svg Bhutan

[edit] Notes and citations

See WRGB History, How Television Came to Boston: The Forgotten Story of W1XAY, W3XK: America's first television station, and "WRNY to Start Daily Television Broadcasts," New York Times, August 13, 1928, p. 13.
See J.L. Baird: Television in 1932
See Museum of Broadcast Communications: Germany
and Berlin 1936: Television in Germany
See The Evolution of TV: A Brief History of TV Technology in Japan: “Can you see me clearly?”; Public TV Image Experiments.
See Early Television in Italy
Czechoslovakia became two separate states, namely the Czech Republic and Slovakia, in 1993.
Television was introduced in Hong Kong when it was a British crown colony. Hong Kong is now a special administrative region of the People's Republic of China.
This is the year when television was introduced in Mainland China. At that time, the People's Republic of China did not administer Hong Kong and Macau.
This is the year when television was introduced in territories under its administration. After the Chinese Civil War, the government of the Republic of China retreated to Taiwan and other islands, and Mainland China was controlled by the People's Republic of China.
See Mongolia, multimedia memories, and me
Television came to Fiji part-time for the 1991 Rugby World Cup. It arrived full-time in 1994.
See History of DR
See International Federation of Television Archives: Albania.
R. W. Burns, Television: An International History of the Formative Years. IET, 1998, p. 488. ISBN 0-85296-914-7.
See The Birth of Live Entertainment and Music on Television, November 6, 1936, and 1937 RCA Publicity Photographs. Regularly scheduled electronic broadcasts began in April 1938 in New York (to the second week of June, and resuming in August) and Los Angeles. "Telecasts Here and Abroad," The New York Times, April 24, 1938, Drama-Screen-Radio section, p. 10; "Early Birds," Time, June 13, 1938; "Telecasts to Be Resumed," The New York Times, Aug. 21, 1938, Drama-Screen-Radio section, p. 10; Robert L. Pickering, "Eight Years of Television in California," California — Magazine of the Pacific, June 1939.
See The Warsaw Voice: What's On? and Historia Przemysłowego Instytutu Telekomunikacji przez II wojną światową (in Polish).
Off from 1939 to 1946 for the Second World War.
Service existed only in Moscow and Leningrad until 1950. The Soviets introduced television broadcasting in the Ukraine (1951), Latvia (1954), Armenia and Estonia (1955), Georgia (1956), and Lithuania (1957).
Television service existed in the Bahamas prior to 1977. Before then, they were received from the United States.
Although 180-line cathode ray tube receivers were manufactured in France in 1936, a mechanical scanning camera was still used at the transmitter in Paris until 1937.
Television broadcasts had also been received from Argentina.
Despite the Vatican receiving a television service of its own in 1983, the Vatican (being inside the city of Rome) has been able to receive Italian broadcasts since 1954, which is still the case today.
The Israeli Ministry of Education in cooperation with the Rothschild Fund started limited broadcasts to schools in March 1966. A public state-owned TV channel started broadcasting in May 1968. Broadcasts were black and white (with a few exceptions) until the early 80ies.
All of the countries that established their first commercial television station after 1988 have been listed. This is according to statistics from sources including the CIA World Factbook.
Malta and San Marino had also received television broadcasts from Italy.
Gibraltar had also received television broadcasts from Spain.