1. There was a list of stuff people had rung in that they wanted to swap, and what they wanted to swap it for. Other people rang in offering to do this. I've always assumed they gave the two people each others phone numbers or addresses. However giving out kids addresses to strangers would not be acceptable in this day and age... E-mail or phone number may be OK.
2. Keith Chegwin used to present OBs from around the UK, where people would bring stuff they wanted to swap, and at the OB Keith would get people up on stage with what they wanted to swap, and match them with other people in the crowd who had stuff they wanted to swap.
The key thing about Swap Shop wasn't really the swapping, it was that kids could ring in, not just to swap stuff, but to ask questions of the guests in the studio, which was really quite radical for the BBC at that time (in fact for telly in general)
I'm trying to figure out how the Beeb could get away with this these days, legally and - especially - charter-wise.
And failing.
Er, why wouldn't they be allowed to bring back Swap Shop? I can't think of any legal reason why not
Perhaps they could link it to Freecycle?
I think the major issue would be giving kids names and addresses to total strangers who rang in. (If that is how it used to work - and I think it was)
In the last 15 years or so , even showing kids paintings on air requires you to remove or mask their names and addresses (hence the request to write it on the back not the front...)
I'm trying to figure out how the Beeb could get away with this these days, legally and - especially - charter-wise.
And failing.
The report is in the Sun - so that should speak volumes. But even if Swap Shop DID come back, why would there be legal issues?
Assuming the BBC own the rights to the format - then I suspect that most issues would be towards the BBC arbitrating contracts between two people. (What if the toys swapped don't have CE marks etc.), and privacy issues for kids.
The world has changed - in perception, if not reality - since the 70s.