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Why does ITV Nightscreen still exist?

(April 2016)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
AN
Andrew Founding member
I too find it odd that they don't use the time available for another repeat - surely that would provide some value to the few viewers who are still up. Nightscreen might be automated, but playing out back-to-back repeats with next to no adverts at 4am is probably a pretty automated affair too.

For anybody who is interested the equivalent which is broadcast on Das Erste (Germany) is Deutschlandbilder : a loop of images of landscapes and day-to-day life across Germany. Again, cheap filler, but they only tend to fill gaps of 10-20 minutes with it (sometimes more). See the videos here.


They still need to go through compliance for those shows, pay repeat fees etc, for a tiny audience. Plus you'd actually have to build a schedule, with all the relevant elements included, and have a way of changing it if they were running over.

I think Nightscreen did have credits which basically was a copywriter and a designer, so it's probably entirely done by 2 people.

It's funny how half the threads here are mourning the loss of old fashioned items and the other half are wanting any that remain removing, see the thread wanting the 9:25 junction discontinuing as well.
BR
Brekkie
C4 the only one of the PSBs then to truly broadcast a 24 hour schedule. What is odder than Nightscreen though is C5 screening programmes from their very early days like House Doctor. Presumably as the newbie on the block back then they bought the rights to some commissions for all eternity.
NM
Neil Miles
For a short while, Meridian had two services. There was ITV Nightscreen, and in the half hour slot before the ITN Early morning news at 05:30, Meridian Freescreen. The latter had local information, local videos, and local bands playing.


That poor security guard had to do something to keep himself occupied during the wee small hours...

GO
gottago
C4 the only one of the PSBs then to truly broadcast a 24 hour schedule. What is odder than Nightscreen though is C5 screening programmes from their very early days like House Doctor. Presumably as the newbie on the block back then they bought the rights to some commissions for all eternity.
They only air endless House Doctor because it's got BSL on it. They're obliged to show a certain quota of BSL and they're too cheap to invest in any newly signed shows.
MA
Maaixuew
C4 the only one of the PSBs then to truly broadcast a 24 hour schedule. What is odder than Nightscreen though is C5 screening programmes from their very early days like House Doctor. Presumably as the newbie on the block back then they bought the rights to some commissions for all eternity.
They only air endless House Doctor because it's got BSL on it. They're obliged to show a certain quota of BSL and they're too cheap to invest in any newly signed shows.


BR
Brekkie
C4 the only one of the PSBs then to truly broadcast a 24 hour schedule. What is odder than Nightscreen though is C5 screening programmes from their very early days like House Doctor. Presumably as the newbie on the block back then they bought the rights to some commissions for all eternity.
They only air endless House Doctor because it's got BSL on it. They're obliged to show a certain quota of BSL and they're too cheap to invest in any newly signed shows.

OFCOM needs to close that loophole then and specify a quota of newly signed shows.
JA
JAS84
C4 the only one of the PSBs then to truly broadcast a 24 hour schedule. What is odder than Nightscreen though is C5 screening programmes from their very early days like House Doctor. Presumably as the newbie on the block back then they bought the rights to some commissions for all eternity.
They only air endless House Doctor because it's got BSL on it. They're obliged to show a certain quota of BSL and they're too cheap to invest in any newly signed shows.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9STUUaDzHCs

Well, that video is mistitled, Meridian Television never existed, it was called Meridian Broadcasting...
BR
Brekkie
If that's all you can contribute to the thread don't bother. Getting fed up with how pedantic some folk here are lately.

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