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ITV Why Ch3?

(December 2007)

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DE
deejay
Oh absolutely, get hold of an old RT, even a post deregulation one, and you'll be amazed how many column inches each programme gets. So, cwathen you got both RT and TVT?! Clearly a multi-channel household even then Wink
BR
broken
deejay posted:
Very old ITV franchise idents have the VHF channel number on them. I'm sure I've seen a Westward ident somewhere which clearly animates Channel 9 and Channel 12 vertically down the left and right hand side of the screen.


Yes there was. In the early days of Tyne Tees, it was referred to in the idents as "Tyne Tees Television Channel 9". And I think TWW broadcast on Channel 10 and it ws referred to on the ident.
SP
Spencer
broken posted:
Yes there was. In the early days of Tyne Tees, it was referred to in the idents as "Tyne Tees Television Channel 9"..


Channel 8 actually. Wink
BR
broken
Spencer For Hire posted:
broken posted:
Yes there was. In the early days of Tyne Tees, it was referred to in the idents as "Tyne Tees Television Channel 9"..


Channel 8 actually. Wink


Well I knew it was something along those lines, thanks Spencer. Smile
RJ
RJG
I'm showing my age here...but I remember when Tyne Tees had its own listings magazine called The Viewer...it was advertised with a jingle (to the tune of Blaydon Races)...

Oh me lads ye've got to get the Viewer
Ye'll never be late for Channel 8 if you get the viewer.

The old VHF signals travelled much further than UHF. It had its advantages...far fewer transmitters were needed. But it did mean co-channel interference was much more common. In the Borders for instance, BBC 1 from Ashkirk, on channel 1, was badly affected from time to time mainly by, ironically, BBC 1 from Crystal Palace. Border, on 13 from Selkirk, didn't suffer so much but, since it was a relay of Caldbeck, the feed, on channel 11, could be affected from time to time. Border TV's channel 13 signal actually covered parts of Fife. Some parts of the Borders could receive a watchable picture from STV at Black Hill on channel 10. One night, in the late 60s, after STV shut down, I was able to watch a programme from Yorkshire TV, which also broadcast on channel 10 from Emley Moor.
AN
Andrew Founding member
cwathen posted:
Quote:
It may seem hard to imagine how we ever found TV programmes to watch at all. If you only took the Radio Times (as we did when I was a nipper), you had little idea what was on 'the other side'. In fact, we only turned to ITV when we had decided that the BBC had nothing to offer (usually this was during Triangle or some other dirge). In this day and age of EPG, Digital Text, tens of TV listings magazines, full schedules in the papers etc, it seems odd that 'navigation' is such a high priority for the maketing droids that are in charge of tv channels.

Yep, I remember us having both Radio Times and TV Times on top of the telly. It might seem a bit arcane to have to buy two magazines just to see listings for only 4 channels, but listings were so much more detailed and better written then.

Indeed and it's hard to believe that TV Times used to be as detailed as the Radio Times is now
BR
Brekkie
To be frank how much information do we need about Loose Women and Cash in the Attic?


I'm sure quite a few of us here have memories of buying both the TV Times and Radio Times at Christmas, something I know we did for a few years after they had listings for all channels.


Remember too the TV Times at least also used to have a pull-out planner for the week too.
NH
Nick Harvey Founding member
Do you still get a free TV Times if you work for an (sorry, the) ITV company?
JO
Joe
Brekkie Boy posted:
To be frank how much information do we need about Loose Women and Cash in the Attic?


Yes, that's all that's on television these days.
NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
Inspector Sands posted:
In 1984 the last VHF TV transmitter closed down, so anyone who hadn't bought a new TV set lost their TV pictures, although this affected very very few people as they'd has 16 or so years to move to colour sets


Would I be right in saying that Sutton Coldfield, the first TV transmitter outside the London area, was also the last to stop transmitting VHF TV signals in 1984?

Technically the mast was rebuilt before 1984 (and they're on about extending it's height by another 80ft for digital switchover before 2011) so I suppose it technically wasn't the last one to finish VHF?
TV
tvmercia Founding member
Nick Harvey posted:
Do you still get a free TV Times if you work for an (sorry, the) ITV company?

don't know about that - but auntie has recently stopped giving out free RTs
MA
Markymark
Neil Jones posted:


Would I be right in saying that Sutton Coldfield, the first TV transmitter outside the London area, was also the last to stop transmitting VHF TV signals in 1984?

Technically the mast was rebuilt before 1984 (and they're on about extending it's height by another 80ft for digital switchover before 2011) so I suppose it technically wasn't the last one to finish VHF?


No, Sutton Coldfield closed on Jan 3rd 1985 along with Lichfield, Crystal Palace, Croydon, Emley, Holme Moss and the other major VHF sites.

The last 405 line Tx to shut was Melvaig in N Scotland, on Jan 5th I think. Something to do with the extra new year Bank Holiday they have in Scotland.

Construction of the new mast at SC started in 1983, but in any case the old mast was not demolished until UHF services were finally transferred over in 85, or perhaps even 86 ?

http://tx.mb21.co.uk/gallery/suttoncoldfield/sc03.php

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