Initially branded as Peking Television, CCTV-1 was launched on an experimental basis on 2 May 1958 and officially regular broadcasting for 4 hours 30 minutes each day starting on 2 September 1958. Peking Television was granted a free-to-air terrestrial television broadcasting license in the 1960s. It began broadcasting experimentally in colour in 1971, and later launched via satellite transmissions in 1972 for major events. The first colour programmes were PAL-D/K, and full-time colour broadcasting began in 1977.
On 1 May 1978, Peking Television was renamed China Central Television with the approval of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China. CCTV began domestic satellite transmissions in 1984 using the Song Dang Hong 2 satellite. In 1988, it began stereo broadcasting on all television channels. In 1994, it moved satellite broadcasting from Chinasat-3 to Chinasat-4, a quality-level broadcaster. It turned on its digital signal in 2002. CCTV-1 began broadcasting 24 hours a day on 1 October 2004 and began high-definition broadcasting on 28 September 2009. On 1 March 2011, Hong Kong's Asia Television started relaying CCTV-1 instead of CCTV-4, a Hong Kong-based free-to-air digital terrestrial station that is usually tuned to 15 on the UHF band. On 1 March 2011, Hong Kong's Asia Television started relaying CCTV-1 instead of CCTV-4, a Hong Kong-based free-to-air digital terrestrial station that is usually tuned to 15 on the UHF band. On 29 May 2017, Hong Kong's RTHK started relaying CCTV-1 instead of CGTN Documentary, a Hong Kong-based free-to-air digital terrestrial station that is usually tuned to 33 on the high-definition television.
Transmission hours
2 September 195830 April 1978: 19:00–22:30 Beijing Time
1 May 197827 January 1987: 09:00–13:00 and 17:00–23:30 Beijing Time
28 January 198730 April 1993: 08:25–23:50 Beijing Time
1 May 199330 June 1997: 06:50–00:50 Beijing Time
1 July 19977 July 2001: 05:55–01:10 Beijing Time
8 July 20017 May 2003: 05:55–01:45 Beijing Time
8 May 20031 October 2004: 05:55–02:05 Beijing Time
CCTV-1 HD is a simulcast network version of CCTV-1 in high-definition. All standard-definition content is upscaled to high-definition output. The rest of the programming hours consist of mainly upscaled resolution CCTV-1 simulcast. The horizontal resolution was increased to 1920 pixels. CCTV-1 HD was created specifically for the 2008 Summer Olympics and the 2008 Summer Paralympics at the Beijing National Stadium. For the duration of the 2012 Summer Olympics broadcasting was increased to 24 hours a day to provide extra coverage of the Summer Olympic Games events.
A re-compiled edition of CCTV-1 started broadcasting in Hong Kong and Macau on 1 March 2011, and relaunched digital terrestrial television on 29 May 2017. Due to copyright and law restrictions, commercial advertisements, some television dramas and some entertainment shows are not aired on CCTV-1 Hong Kong and Macau versions.
