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ITV Night Time Franchise In the 1980s

What happened to it? (September 2016)

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NJ
Neil Jones Founding member
I read somewhere that there were plans to franchise out TV-AM style the overnight hours on the ITV network at some point in the 1980s. That ultimately never happened, and a few of the regions went off and did it anyway or at least extended until around 2 or 3am as they thought there was a demand.

The history of overnights suggests it was very fragmented and patchy before ultimately collapsing in part towards a national service with regional opt-outs which may have been similar to what the IBA proposed but never actioned.

Was it ever disclosed why the plans evaporated or was it just speculation in the first place?
WH
Whataday Founding member
Neil Jones posted:
I read somewhere that there were plans to franchise out TV-AM style the overnight hours on the ITV network at some point in the 1980s. That ultimately never happened, and a few of the regions went off and did it anyway or at least extended until around 2 or 3am as they thought there was a demand.


I don't know if anything had been considered by the IBA, but there certainly seemed to be a rush by the ITV companies to pee on their territory once it was clear there was money to be made at TV-am. Previously they'd scoffed at the idea of breakfast or late night making money, and initially they'd been proved right.
DV
DVB Cornwall
Remember talk, but suspect it floundered because of the issue as to when 'Nighttime' would begin.
:-(
A former member
Yes it was part speculation by the IBA, to get certain ITV station to start broadcasting overnight.

Good amount of details for other links can be viewed here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_Network

It is missing one piece about early NT which was taken out my an editor:

Quote:
The arrangement come about when Yorkshire were able to get a three month trail from the IBA to broadcast the station overnight from the last programme until 06.15. IBA said "it would review the trail, but if loads of youngest are going in bleary-eyed through watching that its a questioned of parental responsibility, but if its a teenager or a little older that is the decision we will evaluate from the public" <ref>"Yorkshire to get all-night pop trial" The Guardian10 May 1986: P3</ref>. The trail lasted until Friday, January 02, 1987; Thereafter, Yorkshire ran a teletext-based ''Jobfinder'' service for one hour after closedown with a ''Through Till 3'' strand on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights introduced a few months later<ref> Television and radio. The Times (London, England), Friday, January 30, 1987; pg. 43</ref>"


IBA give out the trail, no major issuse were found and so there pushed for it. WHY that was taken out instead of being revised i've never know why....

Remember with ITV people have to deal with Ch4 until 2-3am the staff were already in place.
JA
JAS84
Why was that cut? It had citations.
WH
Whataday Founding member
Because it looks like it was written by a 5 year old?
:-(
A former member
Strangely..... part of that come straight from the newspaper...
WH
Whataday Founding member
Which part, the name of the newspaper?
:-(
A former member
Whataday posted:
Which part, the name of the newspaper?


Really??? it got <ref>"Yorkshire to get all-night pop trial" The Guardian10 May 1986: P3</ref> does not give you a big clue Wink

here it is: "it would review the trail, but if loads of youngest are going in bleary-eyed through watching that its a questioned of parental responsibility, but if its a teenager or a little older that is the decision we will evaluate from the public" as can be seen below:

*
WH
Whataday Founding member
That is not the same text as quoted in the Wiki article. The quote in the Guardian article is articulate and exactly what you'd expect from the IBA. By the time it reached Wikipedia it might as well had been written in crayon.
:-(
A former member
If you can provide a better job, please do Very Happy
JA
jackhendo
An interesting idea, but would have saved us from Teleshopping and Casinos?

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