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Would the ITV companies have started up earlier without regulation?
Richardcoulter
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I had always assumed that the new ITV companies from 1955 onwards didn't start up until the early evening because they were new businesses wanting to slowly build up their experience and expand the business gradually throughout the day.
I've since learned that it was because broadcasting hours were regulated.
My question is, at their formation, would the ITV companies have started earlier in the day if there was no legislation to limit them from doing so?
I don't actually think that they would because of the reasons given in my first paragraph.
Many years later, Channel 4 started and, IIRC, they initially didn't broadcast during the day either.
However, by the time Channel 5 came along, they were 24/7 from the start- maybe by then the expectancy of 24/7 television had overrode the luxury of being able to build up the business and experience??
I've since learned that it was because broadcasting hours were regulated.
My question is, at their formation, would the ITV companies have started earlier in the day if there was no legislation to limit them from doing so?
I don't actually think that they would because of the reasons given in my first paragraph.
Many years later, Channel 4 started and, IIRC, they initially didn't broadcast during the day either.
However, by the time Channel 5 came along, they were 24/7 from the start- maybe by then the expectancy of 24/7 television had overrode the luxury of being able to build up the business and experience??
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I can't remember if it was 1966 or 67 (or maybe both), but for Boxing day Rediffusion broadcast from 7am (including news bulletins- so it wasn't just cheap fillers) to show what all day tv might be like.
The big game changer was the ability to video tape shows so you could record half a dozen half hour editions of the same show in one day. Studios could then be be used far more productively than in the past.
In the very early days on Associated Rediffusion there was a mini soap called Sixpenny Corner broadcast at 10.45 on weekday mornings. Not sure how long it lasted.
In those days they had an evening closedown period from about 6.00 pm until 7.30pm. to allow mothers to put their children to bed or prepare their husband's tea. A very weak excuse in my opinion but there again understandable as everything was done live with with limited resources. That was why you used to get frequent interlude periods because maintaining continuity of the service was extremely hard work.
Then at 5pm there was 'Flickwiz' and the day ended with 'And so to Bed' at 10:57 followed by the Epilogue at 11pm.
Tyne Tees TV had afternoon programmes....
Its an interesting question. There were restrictions on daytime TV that manifested the exception of "live" coverage such as racing and show-jumping. You could argue perhaps that the daytime television expansion that happened in the '80s might have occurred a little earlier in the '70s; even so I can't see that Lady Plowden's IBA would have agreed to replace schools programmes with soaps.
Even if all the restrictions and school's TV were not in the way, its doubtful that daytime TV would have worked commercially in the '50s and '60s, Britain was socially a much efferent place to what it became in the '70s and '80s.
Religious programmes (in either churches or studios)
Ministerial and party political broadcasts
Outside broadcasts up to a maximum of 350 hours in any calendar year
Christmas Eve, Christmas Day,Boxing Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day were exempt
School broadcasts
Repeats of school broadcasts
Welsh language broadcasts
On Sundays:
No broadcasting between 6.15 and 7.25 p.m. apart from religious programmes or outside broadcasts or in Welsh
Any programmes between 2 and 4 p.m. to be designed for adults
It suggests a rather uninteresting schedule
Not really.
Only real stars got on air, because you didn't have to spread limited talent across 800 channels. all on air 24 hours a day.
There was seldom 'nothing worth watching' in those days, unlike today.
What was the date of those programmes - there must have been a particular reason as the rules on broadcast hours were quite clear so it could not have been a regular occurrence? What was the full schedule that day - was there a "special event" that might account for it?
It was 1966 - Mon 26 and Tue 27 Dec (both holidays that year so broadcast hours exempt).
http://ukchristmastv.weebly.com/itv-1966.html
Didn't 60's pirate station Radio Scotland 242 also do a version of the One O'Clock Gang on the radio as well with Jack McLaughlan as presenter?
"As long ago as 1958 the ITA in agreement with the companies had asked the Post Master General to authorise an increase in the basic daily allowance from eight hours to eleven. More recently in February 1960 a modest request had been made for an extra half hour a day....However, the PMG had explained that the Government was unwilling to approve any change in advance of the report of the Pilkington Committee."
The main opponent of extension of broadcasting hours was always the BBC - more hours for them meant more expense, for ITV more advertising revenue. The ITA did not think that the limitation could be justified simply because the BBC "might not be able to increase its hours accordingly" They could not see why radio could broadcast for up to 18 hours a day but television could not.
In the end Pilkington was against anything more than a "moderate" increase. Attention moved to the proposed third channel (eventually to become BBC 2). However more time was allowed, following Pilkington, for adult education.
But I do remember until the end of the 60's ITV as well as BBC covered Wimbledon.
I also remember if Rediffusion (later Thames) was meant to be covering Racing, and it was called off, someone at the transmitter would get out the John Bull printing set, and stick something like
Racing from Sandown abandoned. Programmes commence at 4.45
on top of Test Card D (not instead of- as well as!)
Or the BBC with a locked camera at an ob showing the covers over a watery wicket with the caption 'rain stopped play' and test card music.
Maybe that explains why I remember Sunday mornings on BBC1 being full of programmes about learning a different language, DIY etc in the 70's.
I wonder why ATV didn't just simulcast both franchises apart from the news and local programming?
What do you mean?
In those days each region did its own thing, with only a small handful of programmes (eg Coronation Street, Sunday Night at the London Palladium) being fully networked.
I remember my aunt in Ipswich thinking I was a child genius because I got half the questions on University Challenge right (but only because I'd seen it in London 3 days earlier).