Why was the tv listings stream lined? good odd days you could get 2.50, 6.55 etc now its all on the hour and half hour.. even Saturdays have become like this. Some one said it was all Michael grades fault.
Why was the tv listings stream lined? good odd days you could get 2.50, 6.55 etc now its all on the hour and half hour.. even Saturdays have become like this. Some one said it was all Michael grades fault.
Good question. Particularly on the BBC you used to get the evening's programmes scheduled at odd times - they had no adverts of course, and there weren't so many trailers in those days, so a 25-minute programme was given a 25-minute slot.
I believe that channel's would sometimes schedule a programme to begin five minutes before a programme on a rival channel, hoping viewers would tune in for the programme starting earliest then not switch over.
Why was the tv listings stream lined? good odd days you could get 2.50, 6.55 etc now its all on the hour and half hour.. even Saturdays have become like this. Some one said it was all Michael grades fault.
Yes, when Michael Grade became controller of BBC1 in the mid 80's and effectively relaunched the channel he sorted out the junctions so they started on the hour/half hour.
As you can see, the early evening news now finishes at 7pm rather than 6:40 or 6:55 and most programmes start on the half hour or hour. Slots that contain imports which are too short are bulked out by either extending Wogan or adding Points of View to 8:50.
Last edited by Inspector Sands on 5 December 2011 4:57pm - 2 times in total
Thanks Tony -- I would guess that union arrangements probably also had their influence as well...
I think it's quite telling that even WWN had what would have later been considered a reasonable spread of variation with TWW!
I have to say this is fascinating stuff, I keep looking over the list and finding more curious bits and pieces as you say. But would it be fair to say that this day is, even by the standards of the time, a special case? The decision by some contractors not to take the WC has thrown the entire schedule into chaos, and I'm quite sure that a lot of pres-nerds at the time who had access to DX equipment will have had a field day. Kind of makes me wish I was born 20 years earlier really, 1966 was before my time
I'm afraid you are correct. Those of us with motorised hi-gain Band three antennas, living on hills in the north... had great fun seeking out Moel, Winter, Emley, Lichfield, St. Hilary.. and when the weather was good (or bad, depending on your liking for co-channel interference), even greater challenges were there.. Burnhope..
Why was the tv listings stream lined? good odd days you could get 2.50, 6.55 etc now its all on the hour and half hour.. even Saturdays have become like this. Some one said it was all Michael grades fault.
Yes, when Michael Grade became controller of BBC1 in the mid 80's and effectively relaunched the channel he sorted out the junctions so they started on the hour/half hour.
As you can see, the early evening news now finishes at 7pm rather than 6:40 or 6:55 and most programmes start on the half hour or hour. Slots that contain imports which are too short are bulked out by either extending Wogan or adding Points of View to 8:50.
Interesting to note in 1985, the evening regional news was scheduled as 25 mins. (But, bearing in mind thesedays, 'The One Show' starts before 7 anyway, its gotta be roughly the same duration anyway!)
What would have been the 'regional' programme at 2245? Was it a specific regional programme anyway, or split England/Wales/Scotland/NI anyway?
Thanks Tony -- I would guess that union arrangements probably also had their influence as well...
I think it's quite telling that even WWN had what would have later been considered a reasonable spread of variation with TWW!
I have to say this is fascinating stuff, I keep looking over the list and finding more curious bits and pieces as you say. But would it be fair to say that this day is, even by the standards of the time, a special case? The decision by some contractors not to take the WC has thrown the entire schedule into chaos, and I'm quite sure that a lot of pres-nerds at the time who had access to DX equipment will have had a field day. Kind of makes me wish I was born 20 years earlier really, 1966 was before my time
I'm afraid you are correct. Those of us with motorised hi-gain Band three antennas, living on hills in the north... had great fun seeking out Moel, Winter, Emley, Lichfield, St. Hilary.. and when the weather was good (or bad, depending on your liking for co-channel interference), even greater challenges were there.. Burnhope..
In the 1980s I was up to similar tricks, albeit with a wideband aerial sat on a wardrobe From rural County Durham I frequently managed to pick up Winter Hill, Emley, Sheffield, Moel-y-Parc, Waltham and Sandy Heath, and very occasionally one of the TVS transmitters, though I have no idea which one. The Pennines annoyed me though as they prevented reception of Border TV (although from what I've seen of it I'm not sure I was missing all that much ).
During Telethon 90 I was picking up TVS clearer than Tyne Tees, which was an odd one
Why was the tv listings stream lined? good odd days you could get 2.50, 6.55 etc now its all on the hour and half hour.. even Saturdays have become like this. Some one said it was all Michael grades fault.
Yes, when Michael Grade became controller of BBC1 in the mid 80's and effectively relaunched the channel he sorted out the junctions so they started on the hour/half hour.
As you can see, the early evening news now finishes at 7pm rather than 6:40 or 6:55 and most programmes start on the half hour or hour. Slots that contain imports which are too short are bulked out by either extending Wogan or adding Points of View to 8:50.
Interesting to note in 1985, the evening regional news was scheduled as 25 mins. (But, bearing in mind thesedays, 'The One Show' starts before 7 anyway, its gotta be roughly the same duration anyway!)
What would have been the 'regional' programme at 2245? Was it a specific regional programme anyway, or split England/Wales/Scotland/NI anyway?
Not sure on that one - possibly an 'Inside Out' type politics programme?
Looking at the 1984 listings, it reminds me about the lack of regional news bulletins in London and the South East, sometimes replaced by cartoons. Why was this, and how long was it the case - surely there was plenty of local news relevant to Londoners that wasn't appropriate for the national bulletins?
What would have been the 'regional' programme at 2245? Was it a specific regional programme anyway, or split England/Wales/Scotland/NI anyway?
Not sure on that one - possibly an 'Inside Out' type politics programme?
Not that Inside Out is a political programme of course.
It could be anything, back then there were more regional slots and they'd put out all sorts of programmes, some of which made it the network. In the 70's there were even more, there is an example of a now famous programme, possibly Monty Python being only seen in the South East for it's first showing due to being in a regional slot.
Coming back to Inside Out, it's worth remembering that it was the first national regional brand. Until about 2002ish all the regional documentaries and political shows were totally different.
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Looking at the 1984 listings, it reminds me about the lack of regional news bulletins in London and the South East, sometimes replaced by cartoons. Why was this, and how long was it the case - surely there was plenty of local news relevant to Londoners that wasn't appropriate for the national bulletins?
There was no South East region until the mid-to late 80's. Nationwide and Sixty Minutes used to have South East news but that came from the same team that did the national segments. I expect there was a similar arrangement for Breakfast Time.
It was only once Sixty Minutes was axed and the 6 o'Clock news launched that it had it's own production team and London Plus was born. Although looking at the schedules they obviously had a half hour programme but no lunch and afternoon bulletins for a while. Amazingly in the summer after the end of Sixty Minutes the South East got their regional news from Southampton
Looking at the 1984 listings, it reminds me about the lack of regional news bulletins in London and the South East, sometimes replaced by cartoons. Why was this, and how long was it the case - surely there was plenty of local news relevant to Londoners that wasn't appropriate for the national bulletins?
There was no South East region until the mid-to late 80's. Nationwide and Sixty Minutes used to have South East news but that came from the same team that did the national segments. I expect there was a similar arrangement for Breakfast Time.
It was only once Sixty Minutes was axed and the 6 o'Clock news launched that it had it's own production team and London Plus was born. Although looking at the schedules they obviously had a half hour programme but no lunch and afternoon bulletins for a while. Amazingly in the summer after the end of Sixty Minutes the South East got their regional news from Southampton
Partly misinformed, partly getting mixed-up about Inside Out being a political programme. I was confusing it with North Of Westminster et al.
I remember South East at Six in the early 80s - was that after Nationwide ended but before Sixty Minutes launched? Is this the programme from So'ton you're referring to?
So the London/SE news was read out as part of the national broadcasts until 1984 - and I assume was the sustaining feed for the other regions. I'm still confused as to why the BBC felt that London/SE did not need local news headline bulletins when the other regions were seeing them - I remember the Radio Times listing 'Tom and Jerry' in their place for SE viewers. Did Joe Bloggses in East Ham, Dover and (I think) Oxford not need to know about breaking news in their own town?
I remember South East at Six in the early 80s - was that after Nationwide ended but before Sixty Minutes launched? Is this the programme from So'ton you're referring to?
I can't remember if the Southampton thing was between Nationwide and Sixty Minutes or between Sixty Minutes and London Plus. Unfortunately the best place on the web for the history of such things, TVRadioBits closed a while ago. I suspect it was the former, although Sixty Minutes did end unexpectedly early so that seems more likely
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So the London/SE news was read out as part of the national broadcasts until 1984 - and I assume was the sustaining feed for the other regions.
Yes and that lasted until the early 2000's
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I'm still confused as to why the BBC felt that London/SE did not need local news headline bulletins when the other regions were seeing them - I remember the Radio Times listing 'Tom and Jerry' in their place for SE viewers. Did Joe Bloggses in East Ham, Dover and (I think) Oxford not need to know about breaking news in their own town?
Yes, the 'South East' was Oxford all the way through London to Dover back then. Tom and Jerry was the replacement on Saturday evenings I think.
You say 'breaking news' but of course news was a lot less immediate and there wasn't really such a thing then. It does seem odd now but I suppose it was a different age, if you ever see any clips of ITV's regional news of the same era, it too was a lot less newsy than we're used to these days.
I can't remember if the Southampton thing was between Nationwide and Sixty Minutes or between Sixty Minutes and London Plus. Unfortunately the best place on the web for the history of such things, TVRadioBits closed a while ago. I suspect it was the former, although Sixty Minutes did end unexpectedly early so that seems more likely
It was both. South East at Six continued for about two months after the demise of Nationwide in August 1983 (with a slightly new look I recall, which I've never seen on the internet anywhere), then we joined up with South Today for the last two weeks or so before Sixty Minutes began in October.
I had more difficulty remembering exactly what happened immediately after Sixty Minutes finished in July 1984, but I was informed by a visitor to my old website that South East at Six (starting at 5.55!) returned for two weeks with the Sixty Minutes presenters; then what I do remember is once again joining with South Today throughout the second half of August, until the Six O'Clock News and London Plus started on 3rd September.
I suppose in both cases the Lime Grove studio was being set up for the new programme and there were no alternative facilities in London for the South East news.
Last edited by Robert Williams on 6 December 2011 8:54am
What would have been the 'regional' programme at 2245? Was it a specific regional programme anyway, or split England/Wales/Scotland/NI anyway?
I have the Radio Times (London edition) for this date, which lists the following regions:
London/South East: Loose Ends (quiz show, oddly enough produced by Pebble Mill!)
South: Southern Life
Midlands: The Barmaid's Arms
East: Spectrum - Speaking Personally
West: Sporting Talk
Scotland: 10.45-11.00 The Collectors, 11.00-11.15 Jean Redpath
Wales: Soccer - Newport v Wrexham
In other words, a slot where the regions could show pretty much whatever they felt like. The South East programme wasn't a regional programme at all, reinforcing the idea that at this time the South East version of BBC1 was essentially a 'default' BBC1 that didn't carry regional programmes apart from the 6.35pm news.
From rural County Durham I frequently managed to pick up Winter Hill, Emley, Sheffield, Moel-y-Parc, Waltham and Sandy Heath, and very occasionally one of the TVS transmitters, though I have no idea which one. The Pennines annoyed me though as they prevented reception of Border TV (although from what I've seen of it I'm not sure I was missing all that much 