80 homes in Omagh still watch black and white TV

by Gráinne Connolly

Sunday marked the 50th anniversary since the first colour transmission on the BBC. 

The TV Licensing has now revealed that there is still more than 8,000 homes across the UK that still enjoy programmes in black and white.

In the TV Licensing B&W Index top 20, Omagh falls in 9th place with 80 homes in the area that still watch black and white television. 

That's out of 611 B&W viewers in Northern Ireland. 

Almost 70 postcodes droppoed out of the Index in the past 18 months, including Augher in Co.Tyrone and Donaghadee in Co.Down, as entire towns and villages convert to full- colour viewing. 

Karen Grimason, TV Licensing Spokesperson for Northern Ireland said:

"It is striking that in an era of HD TV and spectacular true-to life pictures, there are still more than 8,000 viewers, including 611 in Northern Ireland, content to watch spectacular programmes like The Night manager and Planet Earth in Monochrome."

Mrs Grimason also said how important it is to have a TV license no matter what device you use or colour you watch: 

"Whether you watch in black and white on a 50 year old TV set or in colour on a tablet, you need to be covered by a TV License to watch or record programmes as they are broadcast. 

"You also need to be covered by a TV license to download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer, on any device."

A TV license costs £147 and can be bought on tvlicensing.co.uk/ni

Below is the TV Licensing B&W Index - Top 20