The BBC's second television channel, BBC2, was due to launch in the evening of 20th April 1964. Unfortunately, BBC Television Centre was affected by a power failure shortly before the planned start time - which put paid to the broadcast of the whole evening schedule.
An impromptu news report was hurriedly put to air instead, from Studio A at Alexandra Palace, which was unaffected by the power cut. The abortive attempt at a launch of BBC2 was thought never recorded. However, in 2003, this recording was discovered. It was recorded, off-air, at the BBC Research Department at Kingswood Warren in Surrey.
There is no sound for the first 2 minutes - and this is as transmitted.
The recording is also the earliest example of a UK 625 line TV broadcast.
(Note that there are two uses of an offensive word in the news report - albeit quoted from a third-party).
