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TV Breakdown Appreciation Thread

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TI
TIGHazard
Very similar to my clip (the Folk Dance one). Curious question - In general (not this clip) would the prerecorded announcer on duty, do a breakdown announcement even if none of the programmes had a problem?

Eh? How would the announcer who's doing the pre-recording know that none of the programmes were going to have a problem?


I think what Ben is asking is did each announcer record a breakdown announcement each day, or was it just a generic announcement and by luck the recording was of the right announcer?

(I think it would be have been a mix of both - a generic recording from each announcer)
RO
robertclark125
On the HTW website, looking at HTV wales and west, they have a breakdown section. One bit refers to the 1990 ITV telethon, when London was doing a tour round the ITV regions, and when they got to HTV Wales in Cardiff, they were unable to get sound.

It leads me to ask this question about the ITV Telethon, which also then applies to BBC Children in Need. When they go to the regional opt outs, if there's a technical problem preventing BBC South from opting out during the slot, what do they do then? Can BBC South switch to a neighbouring region, or does London play something generic for the other regions?

And that question also applies in the days of analogue TV, when it wasn't possible for South East to play stand by material in case an opt out failed, as BBC South East was the default region.
TI
TIGHazard
On the HTW website, looking at HTV wales and west, they have a breakdown section. One bit refers to the 1990 ITV telethon, when London was doing a tour round the ITV regions, and when they got to HTV Wales in Cardiff, they were unable to get sound.

It leads me to ask this question about the ITV Telethon, which also then applies to BBC Children in Need. When they go to the regional opt outs, if there's a technical problem preventing BBC South from opting out during the slot, what do they do then? Can BBC South switch to a neighbouring region, or does London play something generic for the other regions?

And that question also applies in the days of analogue TV, when it wasn't possible for South East to play stand by material in case an opt out failed, as BBC South East was the default region.


This happened during last years CiN.

https://www.tvforum.co.uk/forums/post1195968#post-1195968

London opt-out is not appearing now. The SE opt-out is now on the network feed.
LL
Larry the Loafer
Contender for shortest breakdown?

IS
Inspector Sands

And that question also applies in the days of analogue TV, when it wasn't possible for SouthEast to play stand by material in case an opt out failed, as BBC South East was the default region.

(taking these questions in the opposite order)
For Children in Need, London (South East as was) has alway been the default 'sustaining' - if a region does nothing then they'll see the local bit that the London area are getting. This isn't the case for most regional news these days but is for Breakfast.

I can't remember what they did when digital first started and no region could opt out. They might have rotated round the regions each opt?

When they abandoned the 'local presenter in a leisure centre' format for a few years the opt outs were little films and I think they were subtly London based so it wasn't as obvious.

Quote:

It leads me to ask this question about the ITV Telethon, which also then applies to BBC Children in Need. When they go to the regional opt outs, if there's a technical problem preventing BBC South from opting out during the slot, what do they do then? Can BBC South switch to a neighbouring region, or does London play something generic for the other regions?

Nope, see above. Like any other regional opt out it'll just default to whatever's on the network. In CINs case BBC London's CIN segment. These days just like Breakfast if London can't go to air they have South East available to them. That was the case last CIN night


Years ago if a region could still actually opt out (i.e. the fault was to do with the production side of things) I'm sure if they had the foresight to get a circuit up from another region they could have used that instead, but until fairly recently vision circuits were in short supply especially on CIN night

These days if the region knows they can't do it in advance and the decision is made that a neighbouring region should replace it then that is possible in the place that encodes the channels for distribution

What happened with the Telethon I've no idea, maybe the main studio had a standby film running, or a GMTV style caption loop? Or maybe they would have just got whatever the London area got
Last edited by Inspector Sands on 16 June 2020 7:33am
SP
Steve in Pudsey
The Telethon example was surely HTV contributing to a regional round up in the network show? In which case the network studio would just move on as per any other fault with an OB.

If they lost sound on a local opt out, presumably the local continuity announcer would step in as per usual, in that era.
BL
bluecortina
The Telethon example was surely HTV contributing to a regional round up in the network show? In which case the network studio would just move on as per any other fault with an OB.

If they lost sound on a local opt out, presumably the local continuity announcer would step in as per usual, in that era.


The main show from LWT was ‘just’ an incoming network programme to each regional ITV station - just like normal really. There was no requirement for any sort of sustaining programming.
MK
Mr Kite
Also, their local output would've had some LWT branding and promotion, which wouldn't have been palatable to most ITV companies and perhaps nor the IBA.
IS
Inspector Sands
Also, their local output would've had some LWT branding and promotion, which wouldn't have been palatable to most ITV companies and perhaps nor the IBA.

I don't think there was much branding on the London telethon bits, mainly just 'Thames LWT' under the logo. I don't see it would have been a massive issue either way


Which reminds me, I remember going down to Brighton for the day around Telethon time and seeing a huge TVS sign on the beach, presumably one of their OB locations.
HC
Hatton Cross
Should return there with a spade and start digging. May be where some of the archive is buried...
TU
TellyUK

As i believe, there is a same breakdown video on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXv3XwZze30
VM
VMPhil

You've inspired me to upload this comparison between BBC1 and BBC Wales for the Heaven Can Wait breakdown in 1996. Only a short video but interesting to hear the Wales announcer waiting for the network announcer to introduce the replacement programme.

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