İTÜ TV is the first Turkish television station. The first Turkish television broadcast occurred on July 9, 1952, from a station at Istanbul Technical University's electrical engineering department. Weekly two-hour broadcasts from ITU continued on an experimental basis, but by 1957 there were still fewer than 200 television receivers in Istanbul. The station carried out its broadcasts on VHF channel 4.^[1] ITU broadcasts continued until 1970, and in 1971 ITU's facilities and equipment were ordered to be transferred to the Turkish Radio and Television Corporation, and ITU TV was closed down forever.^[2]

History

Mustafa Santur was the head of Istanbul Technical University. He came across the television for the first time in 1938. Switzerland, the Netherlands, and Germany were making broadcast trials a few days a week. He went to Europe for television in 1948. After arriving in Europe, Mustafa Santur started working. Were the years of war. There was no television in Turkey. The television initiative of the University of ITU has been positive. The economic budget was limited. Turkey imports were banned in the early 1950s. That's why they could not get the materials. Philips company gave the camera to an ITU TV channel transmitter and gifts. Adnan Ataman completed his education in the United States and returned to Turkey. Ataman is tasked with the launch of the television broadcast. Ataman has seen television for the first time in the United States. Adnan Adnan Ataman traveled to the Netherlands with his wife and encountered television devices there. He brought these devices back to Turkey. A laboratory was set up with three small rooms, and the largest room would be utilized as a studio. An Antenna problem arose after everything was completed. Since there were no television antennas in Turkey at the time, it was not known that they wouldn't work. A 10-meter high mast was erected despite the cold weather, and it was successfully installed. The broadcast began with a 100-watt transmitter provided by Philips and a super storage camera. The trial broadcasting commenced on July 9, 1952.

The studio is connected to the control and command room. It is equipped with a signal generator, a 35 mm movie projector, an image monitor, a motion picture camera, a record player, and a sound monitor. In another room down the corridor, there are two small 100-watt transmitters. People in Turkey began watching television in 1953, and the ITU TV's weekly broadcast schedule gained great appreciation and support. Over the years, there were improvements in broadcast quality. During this period, Adnan Ataman became the first cameraman, and Fatih Pasiner became the first newsreader and television presenter. The building's antenna was erected on October 17, 1959, to enhance the technical quality. However, in 1960, ITU TV faced a period of stagnation due to the interruption caused by the 1960 Turkish coup d'état. On May 2, 1960, the ITU Radio and Television were sealed by the police, but broadcasting resumed on October 6, 1960. Live broadcasts started in 1961, and on December 5, 1963, the channel moved to new premises. The power of the transmitter was increased to 500 Watts in 1963. The first live broadcast of the ITU TV's opening ceremony took place on October 21, 1965. The first live broadcast of a match occurred on May 1, 1966. Preparations for national television broadcasts began in 1966, and the first closed-circuit broadcast was shown on January 16, 1967. The first national television broadcast in mono format took place on January 31, 1968, when TRT 1 began its broadcasting. In the late 1960s, television was boycotted by students. The last broadcast of ITU TV took place on March 6, 1970, and it was interrupted on March 13. TRT broadcasts began in 1971 in Istanbul using ITU TV materials. ITU TV aired its last match in 1971 and made its final television broadcast on February 4, 1972.

Firsts in the Turkish history of television

The first television artist was Feriha Tunceli, followed by Nebahat Yedibaş, Cevdet Çağla, and Hüsnü Coşar. Over time, the quality and content of the broadcasts improved, attracting a larger audience. A significant date in reaching a wider audience was March 18, 1954. Arif Yaseri posted the first theater play on television, titled "Letter," which lasted for 30 minutes.

Weather programs started broadcasting on television in 1954 and became one of the most interesting programs. The channel continued airing until its closure. Sydney Tweles from America was called to provide a program, but she didn't know Turkish. She returned one week later, and Ali took over the program, called "Inspire." On January 13, 1955, the first fashion show was organized on television. Interest in television increased in 1956. The first sports program began airing in 1957, with Pertev Tunaseli being the first sports commentator on television.

In 1957, films were shown on television for the first time. The film "Hitit Güneşi" was released, followed by the film "Berduş," in which Zeki Müren starred. There was a power cut during the movie's release. Publication was suspended on April 28, 1960, for political reasons. The first television quiz program, "Luck Bird," was initiated in 1960 by Halit Kıvanç. Another competition program that started in 1960 was "Mini Goal." In 1961, interviews with singers and movie stars began.

The first broadcast of a football match took place in 1961 at Inonu Stadium. The Fenerbahçe-Galatasaray match was broadcast on January 1, 1962. On March 27, 1963, a live broadcast of a Turkey-Italy match took place.

In 1962, Erkan Yolaç started the classic quiz show "Yes-No." English lessons began broadcasting in 1963 with the program "Let's Speak English," which was highly appreciated. German courses also started.

Turkey's first talk show program was published in 1965, hosted by Fecri Ebcioğlu. The program featured Öztürk Serengil, Gönül Yazar, Barış Manço, Ajda Pekkan, Zeki Müren, and other notable names. On May 9, 1966, the Golden Microphone Awards began to be broadcast.

Program

• 1952-1971: ITU News
• 1953-1968: Music Show
• 1954-1971: Weather
• 1960-1970: Windfall
• 1960-1962: Mini Goal
• 1962-1965: Magazine
• 1963-1964: Let's Speak English
• 1965-1970: Fecri Ebcioğlu Show

Bibliography

• Kıvanç, Halit (2002). İTÜ-TV : televizyon tarihimize ışık tutacak bir araştırma. İTÜ. p. 67.

References