Royal Television Society

History

The group was formed as the Television Society on 7 September 1927, a time when television was still in its experimental stage. Regular high-definition (then defined as at least 200 lines) broadcasts did not even begin for another nine years until the BBC began its transmissions from Alexandra Palace in 1936.

In addition to serving as a forum for scientists and engineers, the society published regular newsletters charting the development of the new medium. These documents now form important historical records of the early history of television broadcasting.

The society was granted its Royal title in 1966. The Prince of Wales became patron of the Society in November 1997.

Activities

The society regularly holds meetings and seminars, attended by members of the public and professionals from various areas of the television industry, and it also publishes the monthly magazine Television, covering a broad range of television topics.

Major events held by the RTS include the biennial RTS Cambridge Convention, a three-day event held at King's College, Cambridge. The convention, chaired by one of the UK's major broadcasters, brings together influential figures from the television industry for a series of stimulating talks.

The RTS also hosts "Anatomy of a Hit" events, which gather together the writers, cast and commissioner of some of Britain's most successful TV shows to discuss their qualities. Recent programmes discussed have included Sherlock, Doctor Who,{{cite web|url=https://rts.org.uk/article/doctor-who-anatomy-hit-0 |title=Doctor Who: Anatomy of a Hit event report|first= Matthew |last=Bell

The society also holds a substantial archive of printed, photographic, and audio-visual material of value to television historians and scholars.

Awards==

Each year, the Royal Television Society hosts six United Kingdom wide national award ceremonies, as well as 21 regional award ceremonies, as of 2024, across 14 nations and regions in the British Isles.

National Awards

• RTS Programme Awards
• RTS Craft & Design Awards
• RTS Television Journalism Awards
• RTS Student Television Awards, in addition to regional student awards shown in next section
• RTS Young Technologist Awards, given to those seen as potential future leaders in broadcasting technology
• RTS Pilgrim Awards, acknowledging the outstanding work of RTS volunteers

Regional Awards

• RTS Cymru/Wales Awards
• RTS Devon and Cornwall Student Awards
• RTS East AwardsRTS East Student Awards
• RTS London Student Awards
• RTS Midlands AwardsRTS Midlands Student Awards
• RTS North East and The Borders Awards
• RTS North West AwardsRTS North West Student Awards
• RTS Northern Ireland Awards
• RTS Republic of Ireland AwardsRTS Republic of Ireland Student Awards
• RTS Technology Centre Awards
• RTS Scotland AwardsRTS Scotland Student Awards
• RTS Southern AwardsRTS Southern Student Awards
• RTS West of England Awards
• RTS Yorkshire AwardsRTS Yorkshire Student Awards

RTS Futures

RTS Futures was launched in 2007 to help people in the early stages of their television careers. RTS Futures offers the opportunity to meet with senior industry professionals, such as series producers and commissioners, as well as their peers in the television industry. RTS Futures hosts a wide range of talks and training sessions aimed at helping young people progress in the business. Recent events have included How to be the Best Researcher and the RTS Futures Entry Level Training Fair.

Presidents of the Society

There have been 19 presidents of the Society, from its founding in 1927 through to 2016; since October 2016, the position has been left vacant.

• Lord Haldane of Cloan PC (1927–1928)
• Sir Ambrose Fleming FRS (1928–1945)
• Sir Robert Renwick Bt KBE (1945–1954)
• Sir Vincent Ferranti MC (1954–1957)
• Sir George Barnes (1958–1960)
• Sir Harold Bishop CBE (1961–1962)
• Sir Robert Fraser OBE (1963–1964)
• Sir Neil Sutherland CBE MA FIEE (1965–1966)
• B. V. Bowden, Baron Bowden (1967–1972)
• Aubrey Buxton MC (Lord Buxton MC DL) (1973–1977)
• Duke of Kent GCMG GCVO ADC (1977–1979)
• Sir Huw Wheldon OBE MC (1979–1986)
• Sir Paul Fox CBE (1986–1992)
• Bill Cotton CBE (1992–1995)
• Michael Grade (1995–1997)
• Sir Jeremy Isaacs (1997–2000)
• Will Wyatt CBE (2000–2004)
• Sir Robert Phillis (2004–2009)
• Sir Peter Bazalgette (2010–2016)

Notes

References

References

1. (2019). "Annual Report (2019)".
2. "Television, Fame and New Discoveries".
3. "Alexandra Palace {{!}} The birthplace of television". BBC.
4. "Creative Week 2015 partners".
5. "Prince of Wales Patronages; Prince of Wales".
6. (10 October 2018). "RTS Conferences".
7. Bell, Matthew. (5 March 2014). "Sherlock: Anatomy of a Hit event report". Royal Television Society.
8. Clarke, Steve. (28 October 2015). "Humans: Anatomy of a Hit event report". Royal Television Society.
9. "RTS in my Area {{!}} Nations and Regions". Royal Television Society.
10. "RTS Programme Awards".
11. "RTS Craft & Design Awards".
12. "RTS Television Journalism Awards".
13. "RTS Student Television Awards".
14. "RTS Young Technologist Award".
15. "RTS Pilgrim Awards".
16. (2024-04-12). "Regional Awards {{!}} Gwobrwyon RTS Cymru Wales Awards 2024". Royal Television Society.
17. (2024-03-14). "Student Awards {{!}} RTS Devon and Cornwall Student Television Awards 2024". Royal Television Society.
18. (2024-06-21). "Regional Awards {{!}} RTS East Programme Awards 2024 - Winners Announced". Royal Television Society.
19. (2024-03-01). "Student Awards {{!}} RTS East Student Awards 2024". Royal Television Society.
20. (2019-02-06). "Student Awards {{!}} RTS London Student Television Awards 2019". Royal Television Society.
21. (2024-11-29). "Regional Awards {{!}} RTS Midlands Awards 2024". Royal Television Society.
22. (2024-04-17). "Student Awards {{!}} RTS Midlands Student Awards 2024". Royal Television Society.
23. (2024-02-24). "Regional Awards {{!}} RTS North East and The Borders Awards 2024". Royal Television Society.
24. (2024-11-22). "Regional Awards {{!}} RTS NW Awards 2024 - The Winners". Royal Television Society.
25. (2024-03-20). "Student Awards {{!}} RTS NW Student Awards 2024". Royal Television Society.
26. (2024-11-14). "Regional Awards {{!}} The Winners of the RTS Northern Ireland Awards 2024 are .....". Royal Television Society.
27. (2024-03-19). "Regional Awards {{!}} The RTS Ireland Television Awards 2024 {{!}} Gradaim RTS 2024". Royal Television Society.
28. (2024-02-28). "Student Awards {{!}} Republic of Ireland Student Television Awards 2024". Royal Television Society.
29. (2024-07-03). "Regional Awards {{!}} Technology Centre Awards 2024". Royal Television Society.
30. (2024-03-13). "Regional Awards {{!}} The RTS Scotland Television Awards 2024". Royal Television Society.
31. (2024-03-20). "Student Awards {{!}} RTS Scotland Student Television Awards 2024". Royal Television Society.
32. (2024-05-17). "Regional Awards {{!}} RTS Southern Awards 2024". Royal Television Society.
33. (2024-05-17). "Student Awards {{!}} RTS Southern Student Awards 2024". Royal Television Society.
34. (2024-04-21). "Regional Awards {{!}} West of England Awards 2024". Royal Television Society.
35. (2024-10-11). "Regional Awards {{!}} RTS Yorkshire Awards 2024". Royal Television Society.
36. (2024-03-06). "Student Awards {{!}} RTS Yorkshire Student Awards 2024". Royal Television Society.
37. Parker, Robin. (6 September 2007). "Duncan to lead RTS drive for young talent".
38. "Presidents of the Society". Royal Television Society.
39. (1965). "Lord Bowden—the New President". The Royal Television Society Journal.
40. Forgan, Liz. (22 December 2009). "Sir Bob Phillis obituary". [[The Guardian]].
41. "2016 Annual Report". Royal Television Society.