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Channel 4 pre-1993 regional opt outs

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NW
nwtv2003
Wait what? Was that sort of thing a bit of an exception at the time, or did C4 regularly end up as an overspill for ITV channels?


The match in question was Australia Vs Scotland, as such the kick off was 9:00am on a Wednesday, which ITV had the rights to, but was a bit of a logistical nightmare. Apparently it was also a normal Schools day for ITV too. I’m not too sure on the ins and outs but the match ended up being shown on Channel 4.

Without taking the thread too off topic it wasn’t too uncommon for the likes of Snooker, Athletics and Horse Racing to be shown on Channel 4 in its early years whilst being produced by ITV Sport. It was documented somewhere that Jeremy Issacs loathed the Snooker being shown on Channel 4.


I remember the athletics switching between the two... and the 1988 olympics being shared between itv and c4


That’s right, 1988 was the only time that happened. ITV and C4 should have also covered the Olympics in 1984, but a dispute at Thames ensured that it didn’t happen.
SC
Si-Co
I know C4 did broadcast a Scotland soccer match one morning, during TV-am airtime on ITV, on behalf of STV, but I think that was networked.

Wait what? Was that sort of thing a bit of an exception at the time, or did C4 regularly end up as an overspill for ITV channels?


The match in question was Australia Vs Scotland, as such the kick off was 9:00am on a Wednesday, which ITV had the rights to, but was a bit of a logistical nightmare. Apparently it was also a normal Schools day for ITV too. I’m not too sure on the ins and outs but the match ended up being shown on Channel 4.

Without taking the thread too off topic it wasn’t too uncommon for the likes of Snooker, Athletics and Horse Racing to be shown on Channel 4 in its early years whilst being produced by ITV Sport. It was documented somewhere that Jeremy Issacs loathed the Snooker being shown on Channel 4.


Yes, I recall the snooker being shown in the afternoons on Channel 4 in 1984 - I presume coverage was shared between the two channels. Previously ITV would have pre-empted its usual afternoon schedule but evidently didn’t want to continue to do this. Channel 4 pretty much became the home of weekday racing from that year and it disappeared from ITV’s weekday schedules. I recall tennis on 4 too, as well as international sports like AFL, American Football and Baseball that hadn’t previously been shown in the UK (as far as I know).

As for regional opts, I believe these always occurred before startup or after closedown (though all I remember hearing about was a PPB shown on Scottish transmitters only. I’m not sure if this was broadcast by STV directly or via Charlotte Street (effectively being networked but unseen by viewers south of the border as their transmitters had closed down).

We have mentioned variations to schools programmes in Northern Ireland and Scotland - but I’m
unsure where these were actually played out from. It would be simple enough for UTV to opt out, but if STV did so they would have to somehow also feed Grampian and Border’s transmitters.
BR
Brekkie
C4 shared Athletics coverage of the "Golden 4" flagship grand prix events well into the nineties, perhaps even past 1993, with the Friday night coverage from 8-10pm having one hour on ITV and one on C4 (can't remember which way round).
RO
robertclark125
It was 20:00 - 21:00 on ITV, and when Jim Rosenthal said coverage was moving over to C4, the ITV athletics logo would come up on screen on both channels, and then Jim would be there on C4 welcoming viewers, from there on in until 22:00.
MA
Markymark
Si-Co posted:

We have mentioned variations to schools programmes in Northern Ireland and Scotland - but I’m
unsure where these were actually played out from. It would be simple enough for UTV to opt out, but if STV did so they would have to somehow also feed Grampian and Border’s transmitters.


It might have been that Border and Grampian simply had their own local copies of the programmes, and all three companies played them in unison ?
SC
Si-Co
Si-Co posted:

We have mentioned variations to schools programmes in Northern Ireland and Scotland - but I’m
unsure where these were actually played out from. It would be simple enough for UTV to opt out, but if STV did so they would have to somehow also feed Grampian and Border’s transmitters.


It might have been that Border and Grampian simply had their own local copies of the programmes, and all three companies played them in unison ?


Possibly. During the first year of ITV Schools on 4 [1987-88], only STV and Grampian had the Scottish opt outs. From Autumn 1988 these included Border (England and Scotland) - they tended to replace an encore of a programme (eg. if Picture Box was shown Tuesdays and Fridays, the Friday episode was replaced in Scotland by a local programme) so Border’s English viewers still saw every programme (as did STV and Grampian viewers, for that matter). I can’t remember if there were opt outs on Border prior to the move to Channel 4 - could it have been a technical reason that prevented Border from opting out in 1987-88?
SC
Si-Co
I’m not sure which region this is recorded from, but what an unusual transition from a TV Times ad (definitely a regional insert) to the programme menu sustaining feed - an early fade up of the music and a cross-fade! It does make you wonder why some regions almost crashed back into the feed if they presumably had the facilities to fade down and up, mix, etc.

About 01:07 in this video:

SP
Steve in Pudsey
I think it's been established in this thread that they didn't all have the same capabilities. Some had a fairly comprehensive mixer, others just router cuts.
SC
Si-Co
I think it's been established in this thread that they didn't all have the same capabilities. Some had a fairly comprehensive mixer, others just router cuts.


Yes, and I guess it was down to the whim of whoever was operating those mixers how they chose to do it - this example is pretty unusual though!
SP
Steve in Pudsey
I'm surprised there weren't more random wipes etc just to relieve the boredom!
TT
ttt
Si-Co posted:
I’m not sure which region this is recorded from, but what an unusual transition from a TV Times ad (definitely a regional insert) to the programme menu sustaining feed - an early fade up of the music and a cross-fade! It does make you wonder why some regions almost crashed back into the feed if they presumably had the facilities to fade down and up, mix, etc.

About 01:07 in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKJKXDD2xSA


You have to wonder why they even bothered with the TVT promo at all really. C4 clearly put up that menu so some ITV companies didn't have to bother with the break at all.

Possibly the region in question had already closed and the local TC was bored. Definitely didn't look automated, too arty for that (I don't care what anyone says, automated switching until relatively recently was nearly always clunky compared with when a human being was involved -- poor timing, clipped sound etc).

I'm surprised there weren't more random wipes etc just to relieve the boredom!


I get the impression TSW were frequently relieving boredom (on the main channel) -- when I watched them for a couple of weeks in around 1986, and seeing footage since, they were always playing around with wipes in continuity, more than any other station. YTV liked to use a top-to-bottom wipe occasionally, and TT were forever using one of three basic wipes (diamond, curtain, angled curtain), but TSW were always at it.
Last edited by ttt on 14 May 2019 9:00am
MA
Markymark
ttt posted:
Si-Co posted:
I’m not sure which region this is recorded from, but what an unusual transition from a TV Times ad (definitely a regional insert) to the programme menu sustaining feed - an early fade up of the music and a cross-fade! It does make you wonder why some regions almost crashed back into the feed if they presumably had the facilities to fade down and up, mix, etc.

About 01:07 in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aKJKXDD2xSA


You have to wonder why they even bothered with the TVT promo at all really. C4 clearly put up that menu so some ITV companies didn't have to bother with the break at all.
.


I do wonder whether that TVT Promo was actually played out by C4, and not inserted by the ITV company ?
That would explain the cross fade, and it was a promo (not an ad) so within C4's remit ?

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