Black and white TV viewing still going strong

It may be hard to believe, but more than 9,000 people in the UK are still watching black and white TV.

Nearly 50 years after former BBC Two controller David Attenborough raced to broadcast colour TV in the UK ahead of his German television colleagues1, 9,356 black and white licences are still in force across the UK, with 18 licences in force in Rochdale.

Despite the switchover to digital transmissions and an increase in the use of HD televisions as well as tablets and smart-phones to access TV content, some UK households are shunning the attractions of 21st Century technology.

The number of black and white licences issued each year has, however, steadily been declining.