C4 seem to be having a few problems this afternoon during the ad breaks in the Cricket.
They keep bringing up the wrong slide briefly for example you see a brief flash of a schedule slide and then it turns to a slide for Text message updates on the cricket, and then the first advert seems to get chopped off just before it finishes.
Do Channel 4 have the sort of switching function where they can put one thing out on digital and something else on analogue as I was just thinking this could be why I'm seeing a brief flash of a different slide but I haven't checked whether it's different output on analogue to digital.
Regarding C4 ad-breaks, it seems Scotland and NI have different adverts. Anyone know if these are fed out from London, or do the regional offices / transmission stations opt-out?
Regarding C4 ad-breaks, it seems Scotland and NI have different adverts. Anyone know if these are fed out from London, or do the regional offices / transmission stations opt-out?
And indeed different parts of England have differing adverts as well; all variations can be seen on Sky if you're into that sort of thing.
[And indeed different parts of England have differing adverts as well; all variations can be seen on Sky if you're into that sort of thing.
Cheers DAS, didn't know that - I had thought the ads were nationwide after 1993. Any idea if they all play out from London, or if there are regional stations (or ITV centres) who opt-in/out?
I'm guessing all played out from London, only the London variation was broadcast to the whole country when the backup transmission facility at Millbank was used when Horseferry Road was evacuated for a gas leak. If ads were inserted locally then they would have continued.
When C4 started, all the local ITV contractors (remember the days? There used to be 15 of them!!) did local playout of the ads for C4 in their region. This was done from a manned pres suite in many cases, with an operator following the Cue Dot. It wasn't long before automation began to take over what must have been a pretty dull shift. London (Charlotte Street in those days) originated a "follows shortly" cap and music for any stations who didn't fill their break.
IIRC, C4 London had already taken over some of the regional ad playout before the time of the move to Horsferry Road, and once the move was made all the ads came from London. The ads are still sold on the basis of the traditional ITV map, AFAIK.
Yes - these days the only time C4 splits into regional variations is during ad breaks.
There have been a few times in C4's history, where programmes have been shown regionally. In the 1983 general election, C4's Scottish region transmitted SNP Party Election Broadcasts.
And during the "ITV Schools" on C4 broadcasts from 1987 to 1992, some of the ITV regions opted out of C4 for regional schools programmes. These regions were Border, Scottish, Grampian and Ulster. Apparently, some of these opts were technically pretty crude with glitches and non-synch cuts.
IIRC, C4 London had already taken over some of the regional ad playout before the time of the move to Horsferry Road, and once the move was made all the ads came from London. The ads are still sold on the basis of the traditional ITV map, AFAIK.
They're sold in 6 regions - London, South/East, Midlands, North, Scotland, Ulster, I assume these each correspond to a number of ITV areas
IIRC, C4 London had already taken over some of the regional ad playout before the time of the move to Horsferry Road, and once the move was made all the ads came from London. The ads are still sold on the basis of the traditional ITV map, AFAIK.
They're sold in 6 regions - London, South/East, Midlands, North, Scotland, Ulster, I assume these each correspond to a number of ITV areas
Not sure what Wales gets digitally
Yes - ISTR that it was possible to select a C4 Text page that showed the status of each ad region and the acronym was LEMNUS.
