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Channel Television during the 1979 ITV Strike

How did it continue broadcasting? (June 2019)

This site closed in March 2021 and is now a read-only archive
MA
Markymark
I think it's been said that the Welcome Home promo was done by an outside company, hence why it was a still rather than an animation sequence - there was nobody at ITV to transfer it to a transmittable format.

It was shown animated, on the beginning of the menu trailer after the news

Presumably someone made that either at sometime during the strike or as soon as it was agreed when they were returning and what with

I had an uncle working at an ITV company at the time and I clearly remember him saying that it was a bit crazy about 5 days before it was announced they had come to an agreement. The unions knew they would win - they always did in the 70's. I remember the shop stewards were particularly Bolshie towards anyone considered 'management'
It was a good summer holiday though and it shoved me in the direction of my career. Shocked


One of my bosses in the 80s was a fairly militant (his own words) shop steward in a large ITV company in the 60s, the company solved the 'problem' by promoting him to management.
CO
commseng
There were many branch chairmen who become senior managers.
The branch secretaries were always less likely to be going in that direction!
NL
Ne1L C
The programme menu is pretty basic

The blue one or the one after the news?

As I suggested a few pages back, they only had programmes that were already at Thames to use for clips so it's not as comprehensive as it would otherwise have been



The blue one.
CO
commseng
Just following the ITV on strike twitter feed, it is a bit of a surprise that other than Thames, it seems to be mainly the smaller regions that went off air first.
Southern (who got back on air), Thames, Ulster, HTV, Grampian, and now Border and Tyne Tees.
ATV, Granada and Yorkshire are not having major problems - yet!
NE
News96
Yet being the operative word as Granada and Yorkshire just went off air (40 years ago of course!)! 9 down 5 to go before we're into complete blackout territory.



CO
commseng
So just Scottish, ATV, Anglia, Westward to go, as Southern has now gone off air too?
Leaving Channel all by itself.
CO
commseng
Going down like 9 pins now - with Anglia off air too!
MA
Markymark
Just following the ITV on strike twitter feed, it is a bit of a surprise that other than Thames, it seems to be mainly the smaller regions that went off air first.
Southern (who got back on air), Thames, Ulster, HTV, Grampian, and now Border and Tyne Tees.
ATV, Granada and Yorkshire are not having major problems - yet!


I remember tuning in to ATV from Oxford, (having lost our other two receivable regions!) and there were a few instances of programmes replaced by an ATV holding slide, but with the ad breaks going out every 20mins or so as normal
CO
commseng
Telly Selly Time was always important, but it can't have made for great viewing!
NE
News96
11 down, 3 (including LWT) to go! ATV Is now blacked out



UK
UKnews
11 down, 3 (including LWT) to go! ATV Is now blacked out




Transmitting a programme to network to other regions - including those who may have been at least partially blacked out / with industrial action taking place. A deliberate provocation by management? Or was it intended just for those regions still fully on air?
CO
commseng
It does look like provocation by the management doesn't it?
I'd forgotten about LWT - but of course they don't come on air until 7pm as it is Friday today (in 1979).

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