NL
True. Returning to ABC. Their "news" service wasn't anything like what we know "news" to be. It was more cultural and entertainment based and gave the impression that anything outside the North and Midlands didn't exist.
Quote:
The show would open with a roundup of local news, read by one of the continuity announcers brought specially to a main studio in Didsbury. It was a joint programme for north and midlands, although it came from Manchester, and no attempt was ever made at separate editions for ABC’s two regions.
What this meant in effect was that for the weekend only, these two Independent Television regions became one, and a tall map on the wall behind the ‘newsreader’ showed the ABC ‘region’ as white within a shaded England, the north and midlands ‘as one’. This gave the surreal impression that the part of the country that mattered was that part north of Watford, and south of that point was some rather parochial place called ‘London’ that “need not concern us at ABC”.
What this meant in effect was that for the weekend only, these two Independent Television regions became one, and a tall map on the wall behind the ‘newsreader’ showed the ABC ‘region’ as white within a shaded England, the north and midlands ‘as one’. This gave the surreal impression that the part of the country that mattered was that part north of Watford, and south of that point was some rather parochial place called ‘London’ that “need not concern us at ABC”.
Last edited by Ne1L C on 30 March 2019 9:39pm
MA
The later may well have been Emley losing its primary feed, and the RBS switching to Waltham. Of course only noticeable ( unless you were looking at the local Ceefax pages) when there was an opt. I’m told the ‘wrong’ region on RBS was supposed to be inhibited, ( have noise and static instead) but it still happened here in the South, and I saw it in the South West once.
I remember on a couple of occasions where Look North had a technical problem and we got either London Plus or East Midlands Today.
The later may well have been Emley losing its primary feed, and the RBS switching to Waltham. Of course only noticeable ( unless you were looking at the local Ceefax pages) when there was an opt. I’m told the ‘wrong’ region on RBS was supposed to be inhibited, ( have noise and static instead) but it still happened here in the South, and I saw it in the South West once.
BR
Was the ATV London contractor the same that then had the Midlands contract and ultimately became Central?
Also were the ABC and ATV primetime weekend schedules largely networked or did they do their own things? Guess Sunday Night at the London Palladium was the most notable weekend show pre-1968.
Also were the ABC and ATV primetime weekend schedules largely networked or did they do their own things? Guess Sunday Night at the London Palladium was the most notable weekend show pre-1968.
JA
I definitely happened on Emley once when I was a kid, Look North went off and we got either Midlands Today or East Midlands today for a few minutes. It confused me for years until I found out about the RBS system.
NL
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associated_Television
Was the ATV London contractor the same that then had the Midlands contract and ultimately became Central?
Also were the ABC and ATV primetime weekend schedules largely networked or did they do their own things? Guess Sunday Night at the London Palladium was the most notable weekend show pre-1968.
Also were the ABC and ATV primetime weekend schedules largely networked or did they do their own things? Guess Sunday Night at the London Palladium was the most notable weekend show pre-1968.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Associated_Television
NJ
Neil Jones
Founding member
I think ATV were the only ITV company to get a seven day transmission slot across two completely different areas, so in some ways their getting the 7 day contract for the Midlands after 1968 wasn't a big step up from what they were doing previously anyway. ABC sort of drew the short straw as up until 1968 they only held weekend licences.
In an alternative universe I wonder what could have happened if the ABC and Rediffusion merger to create Thames hadn't happened? I presume there were other bidders for London weekday, though I think we came to the conclusion before of whoever won what franchise and assuming the legislation played out the same as it did, the end result of a single ITV was always going to be the same just possibly with a different merging operation.
In an alternative universe I wonder what could have happened if the ABC and Rediffusion merger to create Thames hadn't happened? I presume there were other bidders for London weekday, though I think we came to the conclusion before of whoever won what franchise and assuming the legislation played out the same as it did, the end result of a single ITV was always going to be the same just possibly with a different merging operation.
:-(
A former member
ABC at least held two which give them double the income? How much of the content was shared? Granada was huge back pre 68 so in fact there had 3 ITV areas each weekend, not a bad deal.
JK
In terms of local news for London, it did become a sort of joke when the rest of the country got their regional news, and London/SE got "Get Smart".
Happened on ITV too, when Rediffusion would "rest" their local news over the summer, Three After Six would be replaced with cartoons or Bonanza.
Happened on ITV too, when Rediffusion would "rest" their local news over the summer, Three After Six would be replaced with cartoons or Bonanza.
JK
It was weird during the early days of BBC Breakfast Time in 1983, when the rest of the country opted out for local news at 6.45am, London/SE had Frank Bough sitting on the couch telling us of London news stories and Francis Wilson would give a brief update in the weather in the capital before the rest of the network rejoined.
I have to say that ITV were better at trying to produce a better local news for London from 1977 onward, with Thames at 6. At least they tried to bother.
BBC One just didn't, and were happy to continue that path until 1984 with the launch of London Plus.
I have to say that ITV were better at trying to produce a better local news for London from 1977 onward, with Thames at 6. At least they tried to bother.
BBC One just didn't, and were happy to continue that path until 1984 with the launch of London Plus.
:-(
A former member
In terms of local news for London, it did become a sort of joke when the rest of the country got their regional news, and London/SE got "Get Smart".
Happened on ITV too, when Rediffusion would "rest" their local news over the summer, Three After Six would be replaced with cartoons or Bonanza.
Happened on ITV too, when Rediffusion would "rest" their local news over the summer, Three After Six would be replaced with cartoons or Bonanza.
Many local areas did that, Grampian only had three, 6pm bulletins a week until 1978.. It wasn't until the late 70s most stop the summer gap. Grampian kept the name summer north tonight until 1990...
Why was the BBC so bad for Kent Viewers?