We have a 1970s Indesit Portable Television in our Technology through Time Collection.
The portable television is housed in the orange plastic, which is typical of the fashion of this era. It was the only television which Indesit put on the market. It was black and white and had six channel selection buttons and two built-in VHF antennas. A circular UHF antenna could also be connected.
The number of households owning a television rose steadily every year since 1956 when figures started being collected. The first survey found 5.7 million households - about one in three - owned a television. By the 1970s, 93% of homes were able to watch programmes in their homes.
The 1970s saw significant changes in television programming. Trends included the decline of the "family sitcoms" and rural-oriented programs to more socially contemporary shows and "young, hip and urban" sitcoms in the United States. It also saw the permanent establishment of colour television in the United Kingdom.