Two black and white TVs still in use in Welshpool

As BBC One celebrated 50 years of broadcasting in colour this weekend, TV licensing statistics have revealed that two households in Welshpool are still watching in black and white.

The broadcaster has revealed that more than 6,500 households are still watching television shows on the old sets with two Welshpool licence payers coughing up £52 a year for the privilege.

The cities most loyal to the antiquated format are London (1,311), Birmingham (323), Manchester (245), Glasgow (136) and Leeds (121).

The number of black and white sets in the UK has fallen dramatically in recent years, with the rise of smart TVs and online streaming services contributing to their demise.

The remaining 6,586 households are a far cry from the year 2000, when a whopping 212,000 black and white TV licenses were registered with the BBC.

BBC One launched their colour television service on November 15, 1969, with the likes of Star Trek and Match of the Day being among the first programmes to benefit from it.

Paul Cooper, spokesperson for TV Licensing, said: “When BBC One launched its colour TV service in November 1969, there were only three channels available. Fast forward to 2019, and more than half (53%) of TV households have in some way an internet connection to their TV and access to hundreds of channels.

“Whilst only accounting for a very small proportion it’s interesting to know that some households still like to watch their favourite shows on a black and white telly.”