ing ▁Corporation ) ▁began ▁a ▁regular ▁television ▁service , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁in ▁the ▁world , ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 6 ▁as ▁the ▁BBC ▁Television ▁Service , ▁fund ed ▁to ▁this ▁day ▁by ▁a ▁year ly ▁mand atory ▁lic ence ▁fee . ▁Since ▁ 1 9 6 4 ▁the ▁BBC ▁have ▁provided ▁two ▁analog ue ▁television ▁services , ▁BBC ▁One ▁and ▁BBC ▁Two . ▁Both ▁services ▁carried ▁a ▁wide ▁variety ▁of ▁content ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁regional ▁variations ▁in ▁programming ▁and ▁sometimes ▁continu ity . ▁L atter ly ▁the ▁BBC ▁Two ▁variations ▁have ▁been ▁limited ▁to ▁England , ▁Northern ▁Ireland , ▁Scotland ▁and ▁Wales . ▁For ▁many ▁years , ▁BBC ▁One ▁in ▁Wales ▁was ▁effectively ▁a ▁separate ▁service , ▁BBC ▁Wales , ▁though ▁many ▁program mes ▁were ▁common ▁to ▁both ▁it ▁and ▁BBC ▁One ▁proper . ▁ ▁I TV ▁I TV ▁( Ind ep endent ▁Television ) ▁was ▁established ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁providing ▁the ▁first ▁commercial ▁alternative ▁to ▁the ▁BBC . ▁Program mes ▁would ▁be ▁fund ed ▁through ▁the ▁' s elling ' ▁of ▁air - time ▁for ▁the ▁playing ▁of ▁advert is ements ; ▁the ▁broad c aster s , ▁the ▁first ▁of ▁which ▁began ▁broadcast ing ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 5 , ▁would ▁be ▁priv ately ▁owned . ▁ ▁An ▁Independent ▁Television ▁Author ity ▁( IT A ), ▁( sup ers eded ▁by ▁the ▁Independent ▁Broadcast ing ▁Author ity ▁( I BA ), ▁Independent ▁Television ▁Commission ▁( IT C ) ▁and ▁latter ly ▁Of com