Trade Test Transmission

No sure if this has been asked and answered before ....

During the seventies and early eighties when the test card ruled the daytime line up on the BBC (apart from schools programmes) prior to the station opening the test card would fade to black for 30 seconds before the formal station 'welcome announcement' - was there an official reason for the 30 second blank screen?

I seem to recall when the test card finished on ITV the blank screen lasted longer - 45 seconds maybe even a minute before the opening sequence. It was certainly a longer blank screen in the ATV region than BBC.

It was I believe to act as a demarcation device to separate programming from 'engineering trade test',
the Postmaster General pre 1972 imposed strict limits on programming 'hourage'. Things like schools
programming, and the trade test colour films BBC 2 showed were exempt, as I think were special live events (Moon landings, royal events etc).

Also, in the case of ITV, it was the ITA/IBA who transmitted the test card ( from their regional control rooms) . The ITA would fade to black, and switch to Tx the incoming feed from the local ITV station, so it was during the long period of black when that switch occurred

Probably also a bit of a creative decision, it just looks neater to have a gap between test and the channel proper. In those days they weren't scared of some breathing space

The Postmaster General was very strict with allocating broadcasting hours up until 1972. Every minute had to be accounted for on both the BBC and ITV.

I always liked seeing the ITV regions, especially Granada ensuring they used every single second of their allocation during these restricted times, compared to the BBC, who would nearly every day always fall short of their allocation and enjoyed too, as it saved them money.

People forget how regulated the hours were until 1972. For example, 50 years a go, the typical allocation of "normal programming" per day could not exceed 7.5 hours (later increased to 8 when the Tory government came to power in 1970).

Trade Test Transmissions filled in a lot of blanks and otherwise dead air, along with Schools programming, adult education, sport, state occasions and for some weird reason Welsh language programming.

On a side note - why did the Welsh get exempt programming hours?

Sounds like better schedule filling than Teleshopping and online casinos!

Yes, there’s some mileage in that !

There was an interesting thing stated on the Old Grey Whistle test retrospective that was shown about a year ago. Often TOGWT and its parent programme Late Night Line Up would go ‘open ended’ and break the Postmaster General limits. Nothing happened because the PMG used the published schedules in Radio Times to measure the allocations ( and the programmes were on far beyond the civil servants’ bedtime probably !)

The Welsh programming was provided on English transmitters that provided a signal to parts of Wales that were not at the time served by any Welsh transmitters, and on Crystal Palace because that served a significant number of ‘ex pat’ Welsh folk; apparently

I think it was more that broadcasting additional programmes in Welsh didn't have an impact on English programming hours?

I think that’s right. The Welsh programmes that were shown on English transmitters were at lunchtime. BBC Wales itself had to revert to the test card while they were shown. They were preceded by continuity from Llandaff too, which was moderately exciting to see ( in the dull old early 1970s)

Alternated with 'Nai Zindagi Naya Jeevan' if my mind isn't playing tricks with me.

It’s not ! Bizarre 12:27hrs published start time I recall too ?

Particularly because it gave us an extended look at the BBC Cymru Wales version of the globe, which stayed on screen while the interval piece, Tros y Garreg was playing, rather than cutting to a 'follows shortly' slide.