On the day the strike spread to the whole country I was duty announcer at STV, and at 2pm we were due to transmit a feature film that was networked to us from Yorkshire TV. I was told to introduce the film, but not what to do if it failed to run. About ten minutes to go and the senior management of STV were in Master Control arguing loudly with the Transmission Controller and the ACTT Shop Steward. At one point the Director of Programmes and Transmission Controller were arguing about what I was supposed to say. Over talkback, I said "Gentlemen - you will know what I've said when you've heard me say it on air!"
The film was 'laced up' in YTV's telecine so we could see six in the gate on the preview monitor. (It took five seconds for a film to get up to speed so the film would be set up with the leader showing the number SIX. When it rolled the film leader would count down to 4 then go to black for the final couple of seconds before starting) I knew that if the film stayed on the SIX then we weren't getting it, and the Union had 'blacked' any local substitute which meant we would have to go off the air.
Ignoring the standoff in the control room (where it was very tense indeed) I introduced the film. Nothing happened. So I said "Well,I'm afraid that due to an industrial dispute we're unable to bring you the film. it's a lovely sunny day outside so I suggest you go and enjoy it now and we'll be back with you at 5.15 for "Crossroads"!"
We faded to black and everybody marched out. Black Hill took control and put out the apology caption and music. Later the crew came back to go through the whole pantomime again. Black Hill switched back to Cowcaddens for a commercial break, my colleague Pauline Muirhead introduced "Crossroads" (which of course failed to run) and then we let Black Hill show the caption for half an hour. Then back to STV for another commercial break and Pauline apologised for the absence of "News at 5.45" and we were off the air for 12 weeks.
I know its a bit LATE but I have been able to found out the Scottish listings for that day
Scottish
2.25: film THe Desperate Miles
3.50 Mork and Mindy
4.20 logans Run
5.15 Popeye
5.20 Crossroad
5.45 News
6pm Scotland Today
6.30 Beverly hillbillles
7.00 Sapphire And steel
7.30 thudercloud
8pm Street of San Fan
Grampian
2.25: mystery movie
3.50 quick on the draw
4.20 little house
5.15 Baileys
5.40 News
6.00 Gampain news
6.10 Rolf harris show
6.35 crossroads
7.00 Sapphire And steel
7.30 this England
8pm incredible hulk
Borders;
2.25: mystery movie
3.50 quick on the draw
4.20 Grizzly adams
5.15 makin it
5.40 News
6.00 lookaround
6.35 crossroads
7.00 Sapphire And steel
7.30 ththuderclound
8pm hawil five o
Twelve weeks later I was back in the chair on the night the strike ended. Although Thames undertook continuity for most of the regions, we did our own and opened up with the normal IBA Caption and music, and I did some in-vision continuity later although it looked a bit odd because the camera hadn't been lined up properly for 12 weeks. My first words on air were "As I was saying when I was interrupted, this is STV."
On the day the strike spread to the whole country I was duty announcer at STV, and at 2pm we were due to transmit a feature film that was networked to us from Yorkshire TV. I was told to introduce the film, but not what to do if it failed to run. About ten minutes to go and the senior management of STV were in Master Control arguing loudly with the Transmission Controller and the ACTT Shop Steward. At one point the Director of Programmes and Transmission Controller were arguing about what I was supposed to say. Over talkback, I said "Gentlemen - you will know what I've said when you've heard me say it on air!"
The film was 'laced up' in YTV's telecine so we could see six in the gate on the preview monitor. (It took five seconds for a film to get up to speed so the film would be set up with the leader showing the number SIX. When it rolled the film leader would count down to 4 then go to black for the final couple of seconds before starting) I knew that if the film stayed on the SIX then we weren't getting it, and the Union had 'blacked' any local substitute which meant we would have to go off the air.
Ignoring the standoff in the control room (where it was very tense indeed) I introduced the film. Nothing happened. So I said "Well,I'm afraid that due to an industrial dispute we're unable to bring you the film. it's a lovely sunny day outside so I suggest you go and enjoy it now and we'll be back with you at 5.15 for "Crossroads"!"
We faded to black and everybody marched out. Black Hill took control and put out the apology caption and music. Later the crew came back to go through the whole pantomime again. Black Hill switched back to Cowcaddens for a commercial break, my colleague Pauline Muirhead introduced "Crossroads" (which of course failed to run) and then we let Black Hill show the caption for half an hour. Then back to STV for another commercial break and Pauline apologised for the absence of "News at 5.45" and we were off the air for 12 weeks.
I know its a bit LATE but I have been able to found out the Scottish listings for that day
Scottish
2.25: film THe Desperate Miles
3.50 Mork and Mindy
4.20 logans Run
5.15 Popeye
5.20 Crossroad
5.45 News
6pm Scotland Today
6.30 Beverly hillbillles
7.00 Sapphire And steel
7.30 thudercloud
8pm Street of San Fan
Grampian
2.25: mystery movie
3.50 quick on the draw
4.20 little house
5.15 Baileys
5.40 News
6.00 Gampain news
6.10 Rolf harris show
6.35 crossroads
7.00 Sapphire And steel
7.30 this England
8pm incredible hulk
Borders;
2.25: mystery movie
3.50 quick on the draw
4.20 Grizzly adams
5.15 makin it
5.40 News
6.00 lookaround
6.35 crossroads
7.00 Sapphire And steel
7.30 ththuderclound
8pm hawil five o
Twelve weeks later I was back in the chair on the night the strike ended. Although Thames undertook continuity for most of the regions, we did our own and opened up with the normal IBA Caption and music, and I did some in-vision continuity later although it looked a bit odd because the camera hadn't been lined up properly for 12 weeks. My first words on air were "As I was saying when I was interrupted, this is STV."
If only some recorded that!
Don't suppose anyone has the ATV listings for that day do they? I always thought they went off during kiddies programmes. Didn't Paul Nicholas have a series around this time?
I was under the impression that the strike was across the country (ex Channel) by Wednesday, 8th August, 1979. The listings above are either a Tuesday or Thursday, as there is no Coronation Street in the listings and I'm sure Sapphire and Steele was a Tuesday / Thursday show, so are the above listings becuase Scotland went off sooner?
Anyway assuming ATV went off air on the Wednesday (if it was a different day, please let me know, I'm sure it says somewhere in the thread, but I couldn't flick through it all), here are the listings for ATV for Wed 08 Aug 79:
9.15 Something Different
9.30 The Living Body
9.45 It's More Life
10.00 Farrmhouse Kitchen
10.30 Here Comes Mumfie
10.40 The Nature of Things
11.35 The Lone Ranger
12.00 Cloppa Castle
12.10 Stepping Stones
12.30 Emmerdale Farm
1.00 News
1.20 ATV Newsdesk
1.30 Crown Court
2.00 After Noon Plus
2.25 Racing from Redcar
3.50 Definition
.4.20 The Sooty Show
4.45 The Famous Five
5.15 Sam
5.45 News
6.00 ATV Today
6.35 Crossroads
7.00 Don't Just Sit There
7.30 Coronation Street
8.00 The Benny Hill Show
9.00 I look Like This
10.00 News at Ten
10.30 Murder at the Wedding
11.30 Have Girls, Will Travel
12.30 Close
I was under the impression that the strike was across the country (ex Channel) by Wednesday, 8th August, 1979. The listings above are either a Tuesday or Thursday, as there is no Coronation Street in the listings and I'm sure Sapphire and Steele was a Tuesday / Thursday show, so are the above listings becuase Scotland went off sooner?
Anyway assuming ATV went off air on the Wednesday (if it was a different day, please let me know, I'm sure it says somewhere in the thread, but I couldn't flick through it all), here are the listings for ATV for Wed 08 Aug 79:
The first actully day for the everyone was Friday 10th.
Scottish TV went of on the Thursday, as it was one of the last companies to get pushed of air.
now of course a number of other compaines have started going out the window before this
I was under the impression that the strike was across the country (ex Channel) by Wednesday, 8th August, 1979. The listings above are either a Tuesday or Thursday, as there is no Coronation Street in the listings and I'm sure Sapphire and Steele was a Tuesday / Thursday show, so are the above listings becuase Scotland went off sooner?
Anyway assuming ATV went off air on the Wednesday (if it was a different day, please let me know, I'm sure it says somewhere in the thread, but I couldn't flick through it all), here are the listings for ATV for Wed 08 Aug 79:
The first actully day for the everyone was Friday 10th.
Yes, I remember it being a Friday. Southern vanished at 2pm, ATV lumbered on with ads only until about 4pm, I think Thames had gone during the morning ? There was an IBA caption on Crystal Palace saying that 'ITV hoped to resume service at 7pm' obviously there was some hope early that day that LWT might be on, that didn't happen of course.
I was under the impression that the strike was across the country (ex Channel) by Wednesday, 8th August, 1979. The listings above are either a Tuesday or Thursday, as there is no Coronation Street in the listings and I'm sure Sapphire and Steele was a Tuesday / Thursday show, so are the above listings becuase Scotland went off sooner?
Anyway assuming ATV went off air on the Wednesday (if it was a different day, please let me know, I'm sure it says somewhere in the thread, but I couldn't flick through it all), here are the listings for ATV for Wed 08 Aug 79:
The first actully day for the everyone was Friday 10th.
Yes, I remember it being a Friday. Southern vanished at 2pm, ATV lumbered on with ads only until about 4pm, I think Thames had gone during the morning ? There was an IBA caption on Crystal Palace saying that 'ITV hoped to resume service at 7pm' obviously there was some hope early that day that LWT might be on, that didn't happen of course.
Were they hoping to do a networked service at that point? Would've been better than nothing, I suppose.
Wonder why ATV continued with ads only at that point? (Slots already paid for?)
Does this tie up with a memory I have of 'ATV Today' one night being presented over stills of the show logo & the odd prerecorded interview, or was that something else?
Yes, I remember it being a Friday. Southern vanished at 2pm, ATV lumbered on with ads only until about 4pm, I think Thames had gone during the morning ? There was an IBA caption on Crystal Palace saying that 'ITV hoped to resume service at 7pm' obviously there was some hope early that day that LWT might be on, that didn't happen of course.
