On 26th January 1926, in an unassuming attic above a Soho tea shop, John Logie Baird changed the world forever. His first public demonstration of television was crude by today’s standards (just a flickering, monochrome image transmitted across a room), but it marked the beginning of something extraordinary. A century later, as we mark this milestone, we can see how Baird’s pioneering spirit continues to shape the medium we know today.
Baird’s early apparatus was cobbled together from bicycle lamps and cardboard discs. It was the product of pure ingenuity and determination. His vision was simple yet profound: moving images could be transmitted and reassembled elsewhere. This laid the foundation for an entirely new way of connecting people and sharing stories, ushering in an era of mass communication that would transform the world.
Over the years, Baird demonstrated groundbreaking achievements. The first recognisable human face was transmitted in 1925, followed by colour television and early video recording techniques. His mechanical system was eventually overtaken by fully electronic television, but the conceptual leap was his.
A century later, television has undergone seismic transformations. From Baird’s mechanical system, we moved to electronic broadcasting, digital transmission, and now internet-based streaming. Television has become a software-defined medium, driven by codecs, cloud infrastructure, and global platforms. As Matt Stagg of the RTS Technology Centre notes, “Television is no longer defined by a device, a schedule, or a single distribution model. The centre of gravity has moved away from the broadcaster towards the viewer.”
These technological shifts have redefined television’s very essence. What was once a scarce resource, available only on a few channels at limited hours, is now a virtually limitless, on-demand experience. Today, audiences can choose from thousands of channels, millions of hours of programming, and personalised recommendations. As Stagg highlights, the challenge now is managing the complexity of fragmented platforms and audiences, balancing innovation with clarity and purpose.
The cultural impact of television has evolved just as dramatically. Baird’s era was defined by domestic audiences and national infrastructures. Today, television is a global, borderless medium. A show made in Seoul can be a global hit within days. Content produced in Bristol can reach viewers in Nairobi or São Paulo without ever passing through a traditional broadcaster. This global reach has expanded creative ambition and reshaped cultural influence in ways that Baird could never have imagined.
Equally striking is the change in how audiences engage with television. In Baird’s time, television was linear, scheduled, and communal, with families gathering around a single screen. Today, viewing is fragmented and interactive. Audiences are no longer passive: they pause, rewind, binge, and sometimes even shape the outcomes of the content they consume.
Tim Marshall, secretary of the RTS Technology Centre, reflects on this transformation. “Baird’s early experiments were driven not by the pursuit of scale or commercial reward, but by his spirit of curiosity and public purpose. In a world of algorithms and infinite choice, if our technology fails to bring people closer to one another, we will have lost something that was at the heart of Baird’s pioneering work.”
Looking ahead, the next chapter of television will be defined by immersion, personalisation, and AI-driven content. Yet, as RTS Technology Committee member James McKeown points out, the greatest challenge may not be technological but human. “We must ensure that the future of the industry’s talent pipeline is treated with the same urgency as technological innovation. Diversity, inclusion, and the cultivation of new perspectives are essential to the health and future of our industry.”
Kim Rowell, chair of the RTS Technology Centre, adds her perspective. “As we celebrate 100 years since Baird’s first demonstration, we’re reminded that television has always been more than just a medium. It’s how we connect with each other, how we see into different worlds, and how we share experiences together. The technology may have transformed beyond recognition, but the power of storytelling and its ability to bring people together? That remains as vital today as it was when Baird first made his vision a reality.”
A century on from Baird’s first demonstration, television has transformed from a technological marvel into something that’s everywhere, constantly evolving, and part of our daily lives. Yet the drive that inspired Baird to create something that would let people share moments across distance still underpins everything we do. Today’s television may not be watched on a box in the corner of a room, but it remains our primary way to experience the world beyond our own.
Baird’s legacy isn’t preserved in the mechanics of what he built. It lives in how television continues to shape the way we understand each other. In an age where options are endless and screens are everywhere, what matters most is still what it’s always been: the stories that move us and the moments we share through them.
