ITV Schools on Channel 4 1987-1993

We all know about ITV Schools on Channel 4 - started 1987 and finished in its original incarnation in 1993 (aka the era of 'The Journey' and 'Just A Minute').

There's a video on YouTube of a really long connecting ITV Schools junction, sourced apparently from outside S4C's analogue area (see video description), which may be one of the longest ones going, apparently The Journey had to be looped/extended for this junction:


I presume S4C was for the most part the same as the network only replacing the Channel 4 logo on screen, and opted out on occasion for Welsh programming. Wiki says the nations opted out as well on occasion - how did that work on Channel 4, same principle I presume as S4C? Or has somebody added faux par into Wiki again?

Was it ever established who did the presentation package for this era of ITV Schools on 4?

Channel 4 was routed via the various programming contractors who applied their own advertising - I presume UTV and one or more of Border/Scottish/Grampian simply 'opted out' of the feed from Central?

I remember seeing a very long junction during Schools, but on C4 in London. Maybe a programme was dropped or had a shorter series than the others?

I remember seeing listings with different schools programmes in Scotland. I suppose it could have been that while they were getting them England and Wales got nothing.... but why not just network the Scottish programme

Because certain course in Scotland were and are still different Remember we have a different education system up north. Im also sure there broadcast Gaelic school programmes aswell.

It should be noted those two piece were not the only music to be heard on rotation

* Ticket To Freedom’ from De Wolfe Music Library (CD0119 – Behind Bars
* Dave Hewson ATMOS- CD21, No1 Animations
JUST DON'T ASK FOR COPIES.
.

I'm well aware of that, but that doesn't mean they couldn't be shown south of the border if there was nothing else to show (assuming that is the reason why there was a junction that Cwilliams would be proud of)

I've a feeling I've read somewhere in the past that Grampian provided Scottish opts, but that may have been that they made the programmes, rather than what we'd now call "playout". This ended in 1992, except on S4C. Wikipedia says Grampian, Scottish and Border, plus UTV all opted out regularly.

Yes, ITV regions originally inserted advertising on their channel 4 feeds, with a relatively simple pulse-to-opt system coming up the VBI from C4 Presentation I believe. I remember being shown around Granada presentation in 1990 and they had two Odetics machines, one playing ads to Granada and the other for Channel 4 North West. I believe I've also been told (though I hay be wrong on this because it's a long time ago!) that when C4 took full control of their own advertising playout, Granada eventually used this second Odetics for Border playout.

Also I don't think Central were responsible for playout after it moved to Channel 4, the Rotomotion and Clock all came from Channel 4 Presentation. Central and ATV were responsible (the nominated contractor) for presentation of Schools programmes when they were on ITV until 1987 though.

I think Tony Currie has said that Grampian had fewer GPO/BT lines than Scottish. It was sometimes operationally more flexible for Grampian to originate something networked to STV rather than vice versa to avoid tying up incoming circuits at Grampian.

Ch 4 had a regional schools programme in in NI in 1993. I definitely remember this happening as I wondered how it would work now UTV no longer did the ads.


Really? I thought Border did their own play out until Capital radio bought them and subcontracted Granada to do it in Leeds.

There does seem to be a lot of uncertainty over regional opts on 4 at this time. I've a feeling I've heard of an ad hoc opt that Tyne Tees did in 93 as well.

As for Granada providing Border presentation, I'm pretty sure that is right, but I'm not sure it was for very long, as you say presentation moved to Leeds in the end, and Granada's presentation operation was shut down.

S4C even had its own version of the spinning logo:

Possibly waiting for Scotland (or even S4C) to rejoin if their programme was longer?