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Channel Television during the 1979 ITV Strike

How did it continue broadcasting? (June 2019)

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TE
Technologist
The VG teletext regenerator used not only on RBL but also on some line fed transmitters worked entirely in TTL and did not decode the teletext at all.
(Many teletext decoders blanked the character if the parity was in error. )
It was one if the original bits of teletext kit ....
Their use declined as transmitters got more linear , circuits got better and the originating /studio kit made better waveforms ..so as time went on they made the signal worse !
SC
Si-Co
A couple of questions about the return of ITV after the strike.

On the Wednesday evening and, as I understand it, the Thursday afternoon and evening, all regions followed a common schedule with continuity links and promos provided by Thames as a “presented feed”. Did each region insert their own commercial breaks, or was some emergency system still in use where ad-breaks were national, or part-networked (eg. an ad-break for the southern regions coming from Thames, one for the northern regions coming from Granada).

Some regions had their local announcers appearing during certain junctions on the Wednesday night - maybe even at the very start of the evening after the Authority Announcement and before handing over to the Mike Samms singers, though it appears from recordings that not everyone had a start up routine. I assume these companies were opting out of the networked links or a promo, unless there were pre-arranged local opts?

I recall that by Friday there was a full day’s programmes and it seemed to be Business As Usual in the regions.
TV
TV Times
As I recall in the ATV region we had a local start up with Stewart White before leading into the ‘Welcome Back’ promo and then national continuity from Thames.

At closedown we had a regional good night sequence from ATV.

Thursday was full continuity from ATV.
JA
james-2001
It varied between regions, I know Yorkshire had a local start up too, as there's a video recording of theirs out there, not sure if there's recordings from other reason.

I thing some regions had national continuity for a few days, but I could be wrong.

There's a video here just going straight from a menu into the "Welcome Home" caption, don't know what region it was, but presumably not ATV or Yorkshire.

Last edited by james-2001 on 31 July 2019 3:05pm
MA
Markymark
It varied between regions, I know Yorkshire had a local start up too, as there's a video recording of theirs out there, not sure if there's recordings from other reason.

I thing some regions had national continuity for a few days, but I could be wrong.


Southern went local CA from 6pm on the Wednesday (24 hours after the inital return). Made sence because that was the first edition of Day By Day after the strike. Up until that point we had the national pres and CA from Thames

The ads were local (at least on Southern) from the word go.
MA
Markymark
The VG teletext regenerator used not only on RBL but also on some line fed transmitters worked entirely in TTL and did not decode the teletext at all.
(Many teletext decoders blanked the character if the parity was in error. )
It was one if the original bits of teletext kit ....
Their use declined as transmitters got more linear , circuits got better and the originating /studio kit made better waveforms ..so as time went on they made the signal worse !


I remember there were similar 'challanges' on BT and SHF links with the DSIS data ?

https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=8YDOAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA211&lpg=PA211&dq=dual+sound+in+sync+iba&source=bl&ots=CYKH5LLvAs&sig=ACfU3U1-aEq2soV4Q-sHfQl3WT4Yh8c3eA&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjCs6aTq9_jAhXLQEEAHWM5AUkQ6AEwFHoECAgQAQ#v=onepage&q=dual%20sound%20in%20sync%20iba&f=false
IS
Inspector Sands
It varied between regions, I know Yorkshire had a local start up too, as there's a video recording of theirs out there,

I've not seen this before, anyone have a link?
JK
JKDerry
I thought the whole ITV network took the feed and presentation from the emergency service in London on the first day back. I thought it was the following day that regional opts returned.
JA
james-2001
It varied between regions, I know Yorkshire had a local start up too, as there's a video recording of theirs out there,

I've not seen this before, anyone have a link?

It had been on YouTube in the past, but it seems not to be any more, or at least I can't find it if it is.
JK
JKDerry
It varied between regions, I know Yorkshire had a local start up too, as there's a video recording of theirs out there,

I've not seen this before, anyone have a link?

It had been on YouTube in the past, but it seems not to be any more, or at least I can't find it if it is.

Well I am a bit surprised, was it just continuity, as they must have just aired the entire return night schedule from London?
SB
steve brown
I don't recall local continuity from ATV on the re-opening night of ITV on Oct 24 1979,i remember it was a 5.45pm start that night,Stewert White gave the first local ATV continuity at 1pm on Thur Oct 25,then on the Friday the network went on at the usual 0930 start,which continued on sat and Sun,and then on Mon Oct 29,the new autumn season began
MA
Markymark
It varied between regions, I know Yorkshire had a local start up too, as there's a video recording of theirs out there,

I've not seen this before, anyone have a link?

It had been on YouTube in the past, but it seems not to be any more, or at least I can't find it if it is.


I can remember it, I think unbelievably it was posted by C W*****iams, about the only real bit of pres he ever posted. It showed a YTV start up with Redvers saying, 'This is Yorkshire Television RETURNING to Emley Moor, Belmont, etc....' then into the Welcome Home national sequence. I think the ITN CA was the national Thames one?

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