40th anniversary of the ITV strike

If the smallest ITV franchise could do it and have the will to, then the rest of ITV could. They did it back in 1968 for nearly a month.

They didn't though - Channel wasn't a management run service it was run by their normal staff

if Channel TV could put out an emergency schedule, whoever operated it, then the rest of the ITV network could do it. They had the experience from the 1968 strike. Everyone keeps saying that strike was different, but I am sorry, I still do not see how. A strike is a strike, a management run schedule in 1968 would be the same in 1979.


The reason management did not run an emergency schedule was to annoy the viewers, so to get the viewers lashing out in anger at the unions, and the management using that bad feeling from the general public to get a deal done quickly.

The management at ITV underestimated the power and willingness of the unions to remain steadfast, and not look at the press or public reaction, and carry on with their strike, and by the end of September 1979, with ITV losing millions, the management crumpled, and were dying to get some sort of schedule back on air, or a deal done.

No. No they couldn't.

Be constructive - explain why they couldn't.

In 1968 there had just been a franchise change and facilities from an outgoing company were available. Not the case in 1979, and by that time ITV was in colour, the equipment was therefore more complex and less amenable to a management run effort.

So by 1984 the equipment was different for the Thames management to run an emergency schedule? Was there progress from 1979 to 1984?

As I've said before, 2 inch quad machines had been replaced (not fully, but largely) by 1 inch C Format, an order of magnatude easier to operate,

Yes. Huge changes. In 1979 Quad 2" was the main VTR standard. These were expensive, complex machines that required a lot of TLC. (I don't think Channel could afford to own even one of them?) Quad 2" technology dates back to the '50s - it had been upgraded to support colour - but the technology was pretty complex to operate.

By 1984 the move to 1" C-format was almost complete. These VTRs were orders of magnitude easier to operate, and significantly cheaper. Not as simple as Beta SP or UMatic (which are basically like using VHS) - but far, far less complex than 2".

All of the other kit - cameras, vision mixers etc. had also got simpler, and digital frame store synchronisers were in more widespread use. TV production had got a LOT easier between 1979 and 1984. (The Moscow Olympics in 1980, despite the boycott, was a huge catalyst for change. It was the first time - I believe - that the BBC used 1" VPR 20 portable VTRs in anger for single camera shooting for instance)

Do you know when Channel Television had proper video tape facilities at their studios, as in the archives, I have read they had to air film copies of programmes, as they had no video tape facilities in 1979, so during their strike schedules, The New Avengers etc was played out via film.


This means that Channel Television relied so much on their network feed from the mainland to air network programmes, hard for them to opt out and move programmes around their schedules like other ITV companies at the time.

Sorry of I seem a bit out of sorts with this - I am coming from a very different background.

To be fair, that would have been the case for shows like that on the network at the time too. There's various clips out there from well into the 80s of telecine faults and film snapping during shows!

I'm sure I read somewhere that Channel used U-Matic for timeshifting, but had to get special dispensation from the IBA as it wasn't deemed broadcast quality