Template:DATE October 1


 * 1958 - Ampex video-recording equipment used by BBC for first time.


 * 1961 - Songs of Praise began on BBC Television


 * 1998 - Digital satellite television is officially launched in the UK, as Sky Digital's equipment goes on sale for the first time. The set-top box and satellite dish cost £199.99 (£159.99 for subscribers to Sky's analogue service) provided you signed the Interactive Discount Contract, which required that you leave your "digibox" connected to a telephone line. If you subscribed to Sky's channels at the same time, you were also entitled to free installation of a "minidish" (a saving of £99.99). There was also a one-off connection fee of £30 (£25 to existing subscribers).


 * 2001 - BBC London is launched, replacing Newsroom South East.


 * 2004 - BBC Technology, incorporating the BBC's Broadcast Engineering division, is sold to Siemens AG Business Services for approximately £200m, and a £2bn, 10 year outsourcing contract.