The Authority Announcement

Most of us remember the Authority Announcements at startup, which were heard when the ITV regions started up in the morning, and possibly again after a middle-of-the-day closedown.

Obviously it was a legal requirement to mention the station name and that the transmitters belonged to the ITA/IBA, but other than this was any formal script for the announcement?

The announcements varied quite a lot between regions. I haven't heard them all, but some like Tyne Tees mentioned the area served and named the transmitters. Yorkshire merely named the transmitters, and ATV/Central referred to 'the Midlands transmitters' without naming them. Border's announcement was particularly cumbersome, mentioning about five counties/areas (including of course the Isle of Man).

The announcements themselves began to disappear during the 80s, around the time TVam launched - YTV has discontinued them by 1983, but Tyne Tees were still following their formal script as late as 1987. When did it no longer become a requirement to provide a formal announcement?

Any idea which regions announced live every morning and which used a recording?

ATV and Central were announced live each morning.

Granada live.

Yorkshire live.

Thames recorded.

HTV recorded.

Westward live.

Anglia recorded.

I believe STV were live - Tony Currie has told the story of hearing his voice do the announcement on an emergency recorded version, and wondering which of his colleagues had overslept. Then getting a phone call asking where he was.

Transdiffusion have a handy breakdown of how each company phrased the announcment: https://www.transdiffusion.org/2001/09/01/announce

Thanks Steve. The variation in the wording of the announcements (and the staggered method in which they were discontinued) is surprising - exactly what HAD to be said, I wonder?

Interesting that they'd have a CA in every morning - especially as most of the year in the week the companies would throw almost immediately to ATV/Central who took care of continuity for the morning. I suppose they might be needed if they lost ATV/Central - what would Thames etc. have done in that case?

As I understand it from Tony Currie's previous posts, there was a union agreement that there would be an announcer present at all times.

"Good Morning. This is Central, which provides your programmes on the Midlands transmitters of the Independent Broadcasting Authority"

Well some stations had a news summary first thing.... and an announcer would always be required for breakdowns etc. It's only in recent times that running without cover on a significant TV station has ceased to be considered thoroughly unprofessional.

Of course ITV were doing startups as late as 2002!

And here's a TSW startup!

I can understand the need for an announcer - in the 70s/early 80s it wasn't uncommon to hear local announcers around 10.30 when schools programmes took a mid-morning recess, and of course they may have been needed should the feed from ATV/CEN fail altogether.

But if there was a CA around, why did so many regions play out a recording at 9.25?!

I guess maybe it kept it consistent and prevented any mistakes at such an important (as far as the regulators were concerned) moment?

See under Colin Weston for example