RI
I suppose what we don't know is:
a) what "the entire programme library" was as of 18 March 1996 - it could be that anything IFE considered of international interest had already been transferred to the ownership of another subsidiary
Indeed. A complete catalogue of the TVS archive from 01/01/1993 and subsequent years is something that I have been trying to get my hands on for many years.
There are confirmed sightings of the tapes from the TVS archive in the attic at the Maidstone studios from the early 2000s but no detailed information about individual programmes. Therefore it's possible that certain programmes of commercial interest were not included in the sale on 18/03/1996. It's a well known fact that when companies are broken apart the family silver is spread far and wide. If the sale was to Flextech then it would resolve the questions concerning the absentee owner and who is paying for the storage costs of the tapes at the Maidstone studios.
Stranger things have happened. If IFE has taken everything of interest then they would be more than happy to dispose of the remnants for just £1. Do you know anything about unadopted roads on former company owned housing estates when companies go bust? They can end up getting sold to the most unlikely of institutions at very low prices.
I suppose what we don't know is:
a) what "the entire programme library" was as of 18 March 1996 - it could be that anything IFE considered of international interest had already been transferred to the ownership of another subsidiary
Indeed. A complete catalogue of the TVS archive from 01/01/1993 and subsequent years is something that I have been trying to get my hands on for many years.
There are confirmed sightings of the tapes from the TVS archive in the attic at the Maidstone studios from the early 2000s but no detailed information about individual programmes. Therefore it's possible that certain programmes of commercial interest were not included in the sale on 18/03/1996. It's a well known fact that when companies are broken apart the family silver is spread far and wide. If the sale was to Flextech then it would resolve the questions concerning the absentee owner and who is paying for the storage costs of the tapes at the Maidstone studios.
I don't think they could have sold the archive for just £1 though - It would have to be the market value. You can't just transfer assets between companies like that.
Stranger things have happened. If IFE has taken everything of interest then they would be more than happy to dispose of the remnants for just £1. Do you know anything about unadopted roads on former company owned housing estates when companies go bust? They can end up getting sold to the most unlikely of institutions at very low prices.