I'm watching the TV-AM documentary "Storm In An Eggcup" (available on youtube) and there was a small segment about how the channel's troubles in 1983/4 nearly led to the station being closed down.
My question is this:
"If TVAM had been closed down by the IBA in 1984, what if anything would have happened?"
My two answers are this.
1.No service at all until or unless a replacement was launched.
2. A "caretaker" service maybe encompassing ITN for news and maybe Thames/LWT for entertainment.
I guess if it had switched off nobody would fancy a go at a replacement for a long time, until they knew it could actually make some money so most likely the airtime would have been handed back to the ITV companies. Bearing in mind in the mornings at that point ITV showed schools programmes I can't really imagine what they would have filled the airtime with, if anything.
It does make you wonder if TV-am did collapse then it could have changed everything. The IBA probably would have readvertised the licence (don't forget by around this time they were seriously considering having Night time as a separate franchise), but if no-one would have gone for it then I would guess ITV would have had to step in at some point. You also have to see it from this point in 1984 that ITV did need TV-am, as around this time they wanted to switch Schools and Racing to C4, Racing they did do in 84, but Schools waited until 87, having TV-am in the schedule surely would have backed up their case even more so for a daytime service on ITV.
:-(
A former member
TVAM was badly treated in the first place, it got delayed because of the launch of CH4, Only the IBA knows, its not like both were competing with with other at that time. Then BBC come along take the advantage thus TVAM had to rush on air within 17 days.
Even with its million viewers in the summer of 1983 its was the Greg dyke who help saved the station but he had real trouble making everything work. He told the IBA give us some time or we'l just pull the plug. Brighton bombing never helped either, and that was the kicking point to improve the news.
YTV wanted School programmes of ITV as early as 1983, but because IBA had to make sure S4C was fully available for the everyone in wales to watch it, there had no money or resources to make the remaining transmitters cover 100% of the uk with CH4.
Considering BBC Breakfast Time was presumably doing relatively well I suspect they'd have still been plenty of interest in the franchise had TV-am forfeited it. If there hadn't been I wonder if the regions would have been allowed to extend their hours instead.
:-(
A former member
was there anything to stop them before? Many did start up at 08.30...
2. A "caretaker" service maybe encompassing ITN for news and maybe Thames/LWT for entertainment.
Remember that there would have been a brand new studio centre and a staff sitting all there ready. It might well have ended up with the ITV companies being forced to keep TVam going until they worked out what to do. Things being as they were then the permanent replacement would almost certainly have been required to take over the building and staff.
The IBA/ITA had been there before, TWW gave up the rest of their franchise and a temporary solution was run to keep programmes on air until HTV were ready
:-(
A former member
Of course LWT was forced to take old wemleby studios and Staff from Rediffusion.
Considering it too 5-6 years for TVam to launch were the services by Yorkshire and Tyne Tees actually deemed successful?
That the problem, we cant tell, since TVAM was able to get 56millions viewers, the best either YTV or TT could have gotten was 6Million each. TVAM had a bigger remit covering national news other stuff.
