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40th anniversary of the ITV strike

10 August – 24 October 1979 (August 2019)

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MA
Markymark
This is an outstanding tweet Very Happy





Worth noting that the local BBC 1 London news back then was just vanilla Nationwide. Also dull as ditch water BBC Radio Oxford schedule, and good to see Radio 210's, happy days
BR
Brekkie
Were ITV companies making any shows for the BBC around 1978 or is that something that came later. If they were presumably any shows not in the can would have been replaced on the BBC.
:-(
A former member
Did this strike might ITV stockpile more programmes? Have a bigger buffer between production finishing and broadcasting?
IS
Inspector Sands
Did this strike might ITV stockpile more programmes? Have a bigger buffer between production finishing and broadcasting?

The ITV companies wouldn't have been making any programmes so they'd have ended the strike with as many as they started it with

Were ITV companies making any shows for the BBC around 1978 or is that something that came later. If they were presumably any shows not in the can would have been replaced on the BBC.

Making programmes for the other side!?!? Heresy in those days
JK
JKDerry
I do know the only programme ITV had stock piled before the strike was 3-2-1 game show, which when ITV returned in October 1979, the network schedule was filled by it, as it took many weeks before production of new shows was up and running.
JK
JKDerry
BBC One in London and the South East virtually ignored proper local news for that region. Thames News was the only decent local news for London in 1979, and with Thames off air, London news was truly nil on the BBC.
IS
Inspector Sands
I do know the only programme ITV had stock piled before the strike was 3-2-1 game show, which when ITV returned in October 1979, the network schedule was filled by it, as it took many weeks before production of new shows was up and running.

That's not really stockpiling, it's just they had finished recording the series before the strike
NL
Ne1L C
This is an outstanding tweet Very Happy





Worth noting that the local BBC 1 London news back then was just vanilla Nationwide. Also dull as ditch water BBC Radio Oxford schedule, and good to see Radio 210's, happy days


Incredible.
AN
Andrew Founding member
I do know the only programme ITV had stock piled before the strike was 3-2-1 game show, which when ITV returned in October 1979, the network schedule was filled by it, as it took many weeks before production of new shows was up and running.

Were all other programmes done live back then then?
JK
JKDerry
I do know the only programme ITV had stock piled before the strike was 3-2-1 game show, which when ITV returned in October 1979, the network schedule was filled by it, as it took many weeks before production of new shows was up and running.

Were all other programmes done live back then then?

No, it was just that all productions on new programming was halted in August and the strike was only settled in October 1979. Production only recommenced in October, which meant new programming would take a while to come on air, and ITV had to use what was already recorded up to August 1979 and repeats, films and imported programming for a while.
:-(
A former member
Did this strike might ITV stockpile more programmes? Have a bigger buffer between production finishing and broadcasting?

The ITV companies wouldn't have been making any programmes so they'd have ended the strike with as many as they started it with


I mean after the strike. Wink
JK
JKDerry
Did this strike might ITV stockpile more programmes? Have a bigger buffer between production finishing and broadcasting?

The ITV companies wouldn't have been making any programmes so they'd have ended the strike with as many as they started it with


I mean after the strike. Wink

I have a feeling ITV were not planning on a strike of this kind to ever occur again on the network. 11 weeks was a record breaker, and management would have felt with this settlement, any other industrial action would be settled within days, and so no need for having a stock pile of programmes, just in case. This 1979 strike was unique in the history of British television, it never happened before or since that a whole channel was off for 11 weeks.

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