STV and UTV networked programmes

You could nip in this time and do a book for STV 60th Birthday

That's doubtful, one of the regions got a dressing down from OFCOM for pre-recording a subregional bulletin fairly recently. It's only in the last few years that pre-recording news has become acceptable to the regulator.

I believe at one time it used to be the case that all channel 3 licensees had to take ITN bulletins at the same time, as part of ITN's position as the nominated news provider? Possibly after the 1990 Broadcasting Act.

Did UTV originally plan on showing the quantity of networked programmes as they did over the years, or was the original plan that well over half of what they broadcast would by locally produced programmes?

As Tony said, ITN would supply the overnight headline bulletins at different times for the benefit of the regional schedules, but I do believe a bit of recording and playback went on at some stations. Against the rules, yes, but I think it happened.

IIRC the original plan (in 1959) was for UTV in its first year to produce just a few hours a week of local programmes. However, given the way that the ITV network operated in those days, that meant they would acquire and broadcast a fair amount of acquired film programmes (they didn't have VT at this point of course). So they would pick as much appropriate material as they could from what was available on the network and then fill the gaps with things like 'The Four Just Men'. They were an affiliate of ABC Television who looked after arrangements with the network on their behalf.

Did UTV ever produce any ITV schools programmes?

Local ones, yes, not sure any were shown throughout the UK.

The curriculum in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales varies against the English one.

Northern Ireland still had the 11+ exam until recently whilst England had SATS.

AFAIK Northern Ireland and the Republic both have very similar cirriccula compared to the England one.

ROI schools do use some UK schools programmes, at least in primary school we had Look and Read (which I know is BBC rather than ITV) at any rate.

I am aware of this although there is still an overlap between the two curricula so programmes suitable for both England and Northern Ireland can easily be produced.

Also bear in mind that the 'heyday' of BBC and ITV schools programmes was before the National Curriculum came into force in 1988. A sizeable proportion of BBC and ITV schools programmes produced before 1988 do not fit neatly into the National Curriculum subjects, or their equivalents in Scotland and Northern Ireland, so are just background material.



There are many differences between the two. Students in Northern Ireland take GCSEs using the CCEA exam board and are not covered by Michael Gove's recent reforms.

I've a vague recollection of a UTV produced schools programme being transmitted on ITV Schools on Channel 4. I remember being curious at the time as to whether it was being shown across the UK, or if UTV was opting out of Channel 4 to show it. The ad breaks in those days were essentially opt-outs... as Channel 4 was routed through UTV... so the mechanism was there. Did any other ITV region ever show an opt-out programme on Channel 4 (either schools or mainstream programming)?

Denton - I may be misinterpreting your question, but UTV regularly opted out of ITV Schools (both in the ITV days and the ITVSon4 days. I think they showed at least four local programmes a week in lieu of the network offering. Same goes for Scotland and Wales - and many more areas in the ITV days.

Is that what you meant?