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The ITV strike of 1979 |
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#1 |
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The ITV strike of 1979
It's just over 34 years since the biggest strike in television history occured and ITV was off air for ten weeks, meaning viewers only had two BBC channels to watch and quite a lot of people became angry at losing shows such as Coronation St and Crossroads. It was also odd seeing a blue caption on ITV stating it was off air and it seemed like the strike was going on forever. Anyone else have memories of this strike?
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#2 |
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Was that also during one of the power strikes? At that time everything seemed to be on strike, undertakers, TV, trains, you name it!
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#3 |
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#4 |
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What do you think would happen today, if staff of a TV company, like ITV, were that peed off at the management? I cant see a full scale strike happening today!
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#5 |
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Welcome home to ITV!
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#6 |
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Channel TV effectively had a no-strike agreement with its staff and struggled on although it was not able to maintain a full service. It relied on films and VT flown from the mainland.A strike of any length would have bankrupted them.
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#7 |
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Quote:
What do you think would happen today, if staff of a TV company, like ITV, were that peed off at the management? I cant see a full scale strike happening today!
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#8 |
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I think ITV could have run an emergency service as they did in 1968, they chose to pull the plug instead thinking it would weaken the unions resolve- it didn't.
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#9 |
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Quote:
Was that also during one of the power strikes? At that time everything seemed to be on strike, undertakers, TV, trains, you name it!
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#10 |
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Join Date: Dec 2000
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Quote:
What do you think would happen today, if staff of a TV company, like ITV, were that peed off at the management? I cant see a full scale strike happening today!
Also TV has far fewer staff and most stuff is automated now than what it used to be then and I imagine a respectable service of sorts could be provided. |
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#11 |
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#12 |
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Welcome home to ITV, welcome home!
These days even if ITV was heavily unionised and had an all out strike, not that many people would care if it went off air as we all have Freeview and Sky. |
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#13 |
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Join Date: Jun 2010
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Welcome home to ITV, welcome home!
These days even if ITV was heavily unionised and had an all out strike, not that many people would care if it went off air as we all have Freeview and Sky. Don't forget when SKY started it actually had the status of a "pirate" broadcaster as it had no UK Government licence. |
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#14 |
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Was at the European Open Golf at Turnberry in 1979 only to see empty TV towers as strike prevented any coverage from ITV. Almost certain there was no coverage of Ryder Cup either.
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#15 |
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Remember it well it was three months it was off for July to October 1979 was just very young at primary school but remember the excitement when it was resolved and itv was coming back.
After all for three months you were left with just bbc1 and bbc2 |
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#16 |
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Quote:
It's just over 34 years since the biggest strike in television history occured and ITV was off air for ten weeks, meaning viewers only had two BBC channels to watch and quite a lot of people became angry at losing shows such as Coronation St and Crossroads. It was also odd seeing a blue caption on ITV stating it was off air and it seemed like the strike was going on forever. Anyone else have memories of this strike?
If Snake Plissken really did shut down the Earth, I'd be bored as hell! ![]() Quote:
What do you think would happen today, if staff of a TV company, like ITV, were that peed off at the management? I cant see a full scale strike happening today!
Also, unions have no power any more. Wherever I've worked over the past 20 years, where strikes are possible, a strike doesn't mean picketing outside the workplace all day, it means having a lie-in and putting the Xbox on. |
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#17 |
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Join Date: Aug 2013
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Quote:
Remember it well it was three months it was off for July to October 1979
But it took until Friday of that week for all the regions to follow including Channel but they came back within a few days and showed a summer of a much improved schedule . Imports , films and independent productions , although not many independents at that time - only The New Avengers IIRC . Restricted hours from Channel too but at least they were on air. ITV returned in October , fortunately during half term for many kids who were able to enjoy the daytime showing of Spartacus . |
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#18 |
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Just 10 at the time and recall it well, especially the big switch back on. I think the first thing that came back on was the ITV News at 5.45pm with Leonard Parkin, which was mid-week during the school half term on Wednesday, 24th October, 1979.
I've always thought that the BBC had their own all out strike blanking screens out for a time as well, during the same era, but feel I must be wrong on that. One can wonder what the nation might be like if ALL telly was blanked out for a 9 week stretch from this point in August until late October. I wonder what positive and negative effects absolutely no TV until late October this year would have on the UK? |
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#19 |
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If the TV unions had not been "broken" there would be no Freeview or SKY.
Don't forget when SKY started it actually had the status of a "pirate" broadcaster as it had no UK Government licence. |
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#20 |
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I had a friend who was a district nurse and she said she visited lots of homes that had their TVs on all day showing the ITV strike caption or test card, in the hope that it might come on again.
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#21 |
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Join Date: Sep 2012
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Remember it well. Only two channels throughout the summer, not that I cared as I was 19 at the time and out most nights. I remember when it came back they showed 3-2-1 and Quatermass, starring John Mills. True, it wouldn't happen now and it wouldn't have the same effect as there are more channels with Sky and Freeview, as well as ondemand TV and DVDs.
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#22 |
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I don't recall the BBC ever having an all-out strike.The news people did strike on occasions, there was one over the introduction of new technology and there might have been a few local disputes. But they would have enough senior managers and recorded material to keep going. They were, in any case, different unions from ITV.
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#23 |
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Quote:
Imports , films and independent productions , although not many independents at that time - only The New Avengers IIRC .
![]() Quote:
I had a friend who was a district nurse and she said she visited lots of homes that had their TVs on all day showing the ITV strike caption or test card, in the hope that it might come on again.
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#24 |
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Quote:
Just 10 at the time and recall it well, especially the big switch back on. I think the first thing that came back on was the ITV News at 5.45pm with Leonard Parkin, which was mid-week during the school half term on Wednesday, 24th October, 1979.
I've always thought that the BBC had their own all out strike blanking screens out for a time as well, during the same era, but feel I must be wrong on that. One can wonder what the nation might be like if ALL telly was blanked out for a 9 week stretch from this point in August until late October. I wonder what positive and negative effects absolutely no TV until late October this year would have on the UK? If all the pay channels also went on strike too, then people would cancle their pay TV subs and that would be an end to Sky and Virgin and would cripple BT! |
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#25 |
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Has the strike actually ended? It doesn't feel that way in UTV land.
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