Election '66...

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Anyone catch the BBC1 closedown about fifteen minutes ago? It wasn't complete (probably due to the film recorder being turned off rather than any BBC Parliament editing) but it was still good to see. Can't find a picture of the clock on the internet, but it was the one based on this ident (picture from TV & Radio Bits):
http://www.tvradiobits.co.uk/idents/BBC163.jpg
Are there any other BBC closedowns known to exist that are earlier than this?

I'm extremely impressed with the coverage. I know we have all the whizzy graphics today, but in terms of knowledge and expert opinion, the BBC was still tops in 1966 it would appear! They had a few OBs (including speaking to whoever wanted to be on the telly in London Rail stations, walking along Westminster Bridge asking people for opinion, and even managing to follow the new PM in his car as he went to the train station).

I do get the feeling that the technical standards were really very high and there seems to be a real sense of pride in the coverage. It's quite addictive viewing. Here's some caps. (Apologies to narrowband users).

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/00clockrs.jpg

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/01studiors.jpg

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/02studiors.jpg

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/03presenterrs.jpg

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/01studioagainrs.jpg

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/04aspellnewsrs.jpg

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/05newsrs_copy1.jpg

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/06newsrs.jpg

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/07graphicrs.jpg

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/08infors.jpg

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/09swingrs.jpg

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/10obrs.jpg

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/11screenrs.jpg

http://www.rp-networkservices.com/tvforum/uploads/12bbcrs.jpg

Sorry for the stupid question, but how did they do OBs before satellites were around?

Were there fixed lines between places like Westminster and TV Centre like there is today?

Small presentational point, but it's interesting to note that the font they were using back then is virtually the same as the current BBC News font!

Anyone got a cap of the closedown?

The OBs that would usually be done by satellite these days would have been a microwave link into a receiver usually at one of the transmitter sites.

There was apparently a circuit called LOCO - LOndon COaxial that connected various parts of London that the BBC regularly did OBs at, that may have included Westminster.

The messy haphazard setup gives it a nice "rough, ready and to the point" feel when you compare it to the polished two-storey boudoirs we get nowadays.

That hanging signboard is very reminiscent of That Was The Week That Was, from the same period.

The points I noticed from watching the coverage was the strange episodes of the presenter saying 'newsflash', then a ticker appearing on screen. The presenter then read out the newsflash as the audience saw it. Also the big screen in the studio, which ever so often typed up the something like the following message:
PREDICTION
-------------------
LABOUR MAJORITY

...12.47...LABOUR MAJORITY OF 97...97...97...97...97...97 [scrolling txt]

The presenter would read that out as well, the occasion I saw it happen, he repeated '97' three times!

The amazing statistical knowledge also suprised me, and of course the penned in results graphics.

I assume the modern day Election coverage has fewer mistakes in it, at one point it was announced that there was to be a recount in a particular constituency, but the result for that same constituency had just been announced with a 17,000 majority! Apologies were made.

The big screen "prediction" thing appeared to be from the "computer" results system... one of the guests was hyping it up at one point in the coverage.

It was definatly an insight showing how much things have moved on technologically and quality wise. Would you ever see a BBC OB where the picture kept breaking up continuously and half the image was obscured by someone's lamp!

The breakdown of the regional results from the local centres was quite a nifty feature. Would be good with contemporary elections to get a "local focus" which would be seen nationally, for one thing it would give Dimbleby a break!