TV AM 1983-1984

It was more about being 'the first' rather than any long term plan.

After watching "Storm In An Eggcup" and reading "Inside Story" by Greg Dyke, which has a whole chapter on his tenure at TV-AM, I have come to the following conclusions about why TV-AM struggled in its first few years and what could have been done better.

Firstly, financial. TVAM wasn't launched off the back of an existing company (whereas GMTV used LWT's South Bank Studios) which meant they weren't able to "double up" on existing facilities.

Secondly, Content. TVAM was in my opinion far too reliant on "The Famous Five". Frost et al were and still are damn good presenters (*) but were far more suited for prime time. Perhaps a better strategy would have been to select unknown presenters and allowed them and the station to grow together as Owen and Diamond did and later Morris (*)and Kelly.

Thirdly and finally, news. Again watching S.I.A.E. I saw the "Daybreak" clips had a farming section. In all honesty I can't see how a farming bulletin could have fitted into a popular breakfast TV station as TVAM was supposed to be (**).

*-RIP Robert Kee and Mike Morris
**-That isn't a slur on farmers, its just that such small audience interest issues would have been better served by Radio 4 and ITV's sunday programming.

I think also, the regulators have made similar mistakes over the years - both LWT and TV-am promised highbrow content and the ITA/IBA lapped it up, without realising that that type of content was not suited to the times they went out at (LWT weekend primetime, TV-am mornings).

Yes, although it's not really the facilities (as in the equipment, studios etc) but having a purpose built centre that would have been the main financial burden. TVam probably didn't do it cheaply either.

Again that's a factor that caused problems for another failed broadcaster - Sky went for an out of town industrial park, BSB went for designer art deco in Battersea.

Hidsight and all that - but wouldn't dismiss the farming aspect. Who'd have thought Countryfile (admitedly hardly about farming anymore) would be getting 7m viewers in primetime a few years ago, while there's always been oddities in the schedules, such as the shipping forecast for example.

I guess too with TV-am being a station rather than a programme it probably had a remit to go beyond what would be populist - and of course at that time it would have been fledgling, so they weren't to know what would be considered popular morning programming.

also because it was a station it meant Roland Rat and wide awake club was shipped in.

I'm not dismissing farming at all. I suppose in 1983/4 Farming was still a fringe subject (would love to see the shipping forecast on TV )

Maybe if GMB had been part of a TVAM with a wider range of programming with say a comedy programme thrown in e.g Happy Days it may have been different but I agree wholeheartedly that this is all 20/20 vision.

That could have happened even if it was just a programme. Roland Rat started as an insert in Good Morning Britain and as mentioned GMB did have episodes of Happy Days and cartoons

Yes, there was no precedent except radio and a few weeks of Breakfast Time, they didn't know what would work and what wouldn't. Radio 4 has a farming programme and farmers are up early... you can see the logic

And I don't see the inclusion of farming news as any more odd than the inclusion of business news in what generally otherwise is fairly lightweight schedule.

I'm sure that other people would see farming as an essential news item. It was my personal view that it wasn't suitable for a breakfast bulletin.

Why not, Who else would be up that early? Famers have to be up at 4-5am sometime,