| 1983 |
 Chronomedia index
Numbers after entries link to the list of references. |
links and notes |
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| January 1 |
The Internet switches from Network Control Protocol (NCP) to Transmission Control
Protocol and Internet Protocol (TCP/IP). |
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| January 17 |
BBC starts Breakfast Time television programme on BBC1 to pre-empt the launch
of TV-am. |
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| January 23 |
The A-Team action adventure series is first broadcast in the US. |
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| January |
JVC, General Electric, Matsushita and Thorn EMI dissolve US partnership to support JVC’s
VHD video disc system before launch. |
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| January |
Philips and Sony announce plans for March 1983 European launch of compact disc players. |
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| January |
Matsushita demonstrates prototype Optical Memory Disc Recorder (OMDR). |
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| February 1 |
Launch of UK breakfast-time commercial television service TV-am across all ITV regions. |
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| February 28 |
Final 2½-hour episode of comedy series M*A*S*H, 'Goodbye, Farewell and Amen', is seen
by around 125m people in 60.3m US homes—an all-time record rating by a substantial
margin. Advertising time on the CBS network sells at a record $450,000 for 30 seconds. |
|
| early |
Newly elected Labor federal government
in Australia reduces the 10BA tax concession to 133
per cent. Since introduction of the scheme, Australian feature film output has
more than doubled to 33 in the current year. |
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| March |
Sega demonstrates prototype laser video disc-based arcade game in US. |
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| March |
J2T video manufacturing partnership formed by JVC,
Telefunken and Thorn EMI Ferguson to supply European
video market, with factories at Berlin, Germany and Newhaven, England. |
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| April 27 |
UK government publishes White Paper on cable policy. |
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| April |
JVC launches VHD video disc system to Japanese consumer market. |
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| April |
Mercury starts its first telecom service in the City of London. |
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| April |
CNN becomes available in Australia. |
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| May |
Rupert Murdoch’s News International buys a 65 per cent stake in
Satellite Television, which increases its output from two to
six hours a day as it moves onto Eutelsat. |
à 1984 |
| May |
Cellular radio telephone licences are granted to UK operators Cellnet and Vodafone. |
|
| June 15 |
European Broadcasting Union recommends adoption of the C-MAC signal encoding standard
for all European direct broadcasting by satellite (DBS) services. |
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| July |
First video disc-based arcade game Dragon’s Lair results in US national craze. |
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| August |
RCA demonstrates random-access facilities of its latest CED video disc player in the USA. |
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| August |
Sony introduces the Watchman II 'pocket' television receiver.
It weighs only 415g and costs ¥39,800. So far, Sony has sold 70,000 of the first version. |
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| August |
Australian government reduces the tax write-off concession on
film investment to 120 per cent. |
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| September 2 |
Prototype camera cassette recorder (CCR or camcorder)
based on VHS-C compact videocassette format is shown at the Berlin Funkausstellung by JVC. |
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| September |
In-car CD players are demonstrated at Berlin Funkausstellung. |
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| October |
RCA and Hitachi launches SelectaVision CED video disc to UK consumer market. |
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| November 29 |
UK Home Office awards interim licences for broadband
cable networks to be built; of 37 applications, 11 are granted: Aberdeen, Belfast, Coventry,
Croydon, Ealing, Glasgow, Guildford, Liverpool South, Swindon, Westminster and Windsor. The
63 surviving narrowband cable systems are licensed to carry satellite programmes, provided
subscribers can still receive the four terrestrial channels either by cable or off-air. |
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| November |
Thorn EMI and JVC announce professional VHD video disc players for UK. |
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| December |
Lloyds Bank confirms plans for £4m investment in
interactive video training using Philips LaserVision in 1,500 UK branches. |
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| December |
Audio compact disc (CD) standard is formally agreed by Philips and Sony. |
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| December |
First arcade game based on CED video disc system is introduced in the USA by Bally. |
|
| l |
Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) is
reconstituted as the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). |
|
| l |
NHK conducts practical tests of using teletext subtitles
for the hearing impaired in Tokyo and Osaka. |
|
| l |
US Federal Communications Commission abolishes licensing of Citizens Band (CB) radio. |
|
| l |
IBM produces the first personal computer with an integral hard-disk drive. |
|
| l |
Apple Computers develops computer interface software based on pull-down menus and a 'mouse'. |
|
| l |
Virgin Games is founded as part of Richard Branson's Virgin Group. |
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