BC
Back in my day it was "BFT" (But First This) on BBC 1 with Phillipa Forrester and I think Simon Parkin. And Sunday mornings was "Now on Two".
Blake Connolly
Founding member
Hymagumba posted:
HOT of course meaning "Holidays on Two". That poor song only came along in the later years.
I've recently seen the brand used on 1 as if it just means summer. We in the know of course are aware that when it's on BBC1 it's "HOOT" (Holidays on one today).
I've recently seen the brand used on 1 as if it just means summer. We in the know of course are aware that when it's on BBC1 it's "HOOT" (Holidays on one today).
Back in my day it was "BFT" (But First This) on BBC 1 with Phillipa Forrester and I think Simon Parkin. And Sunday mornings was "Now on Two".
TV
I can't believe the method of getting BBC Scotland to air was as crude as that. I certainly don't recall any picture distortion when we joined BBC Scotland - and I'm sure there would have been if the local feed to Divis was withdrawn.
During the 80s and early 90s when BBC N. Ireland occasionally closed down before BBC Scotland (but after Network), our transmitters would usually rebroadcast Scottish output. Picture quality varied considerably. I honestly don't recall the early school holiday broadcasts from BBC Scotland being that bad picture-wise.
My memory is little hazy but I'm nearly certain BBC N. Ireland came in around 10.30am-ish to broadcast some silly 5 minute animation thing...c. mid-80s...and again, no real picture roll when leaving Scotland.
If my memory is reliable, that was quite an achievement for BBC N. Ireland - who couldn't manage proper synchronisation between *local* sources - even in the 1990s!!! All a distant memory now of course.
marksi posted:
It was indeed a re-broadcast off-air feed of BBC ONE Scotland, which would have been simple to achieve - just switch off the local feed to the Divis transmitter and that's exactly what you'd get as an emergency feed...
I can't believe the method of getting BBC Scotland to air was as crude as that. I certainly don't recall any picture distortion when we joined BBC Scotland - and I'm sure there would have been if the local feed to Divis was withdrawn.
During the 80s and early 90s when BBC N. Ireland occasionally closed down before BBC Scotland (but after Network), our transmitters would usually rebroadcast Scottish output. Picture quality varied considerably. I honestly don't recall the early school holiday broadcasts from BBC Scotland being that bad picture-wise.
My memory is little hazy but I'm nearly certain BBC N. Ireland came in around 10.30am-ish to broadcast some silly 5 minute animation thing...c. mid-80s...and again, no real picture roll when leaving Scotland.
If my memory is reliable, that was quite an achievement for BBC N. Ireland - who couldn't manage proper synchronisation between *local* sources - even in the 1990s!!! All a distant memory now of course.
GB
I can't believe the method of getting BBC Scotland to air was as crude as that. I certainly don't recall any picture distortion when we joined BBC Scotland - and I'm sure there would have been if the local feed to Divis was withdrawn.
During the 80s and early 90s when BBC N. Ireland occasionally closed down before BBC Scotland (but after Network), our transmitters would usually rebroadcast Scottish output. Picture quality varied considerably. I honestly don't recall the early school holiday broadcasts from BBC Scotland being that bad picture-wise.
My memory is little hazy but I'm nearly certain BBC N. Ireland came in around 10.30am-ish to broadcast some silly 5 minute animation thing...c. mid-80s...and again, no real picture roll when leaving Scotland.
If my memory is reliable, that was quite an achievement for BBC N. Ireland - who couldn't manage proper synchronisation between *local* sources - even in the 1990s!!! All a distant memory now of course.
Your memory and thoughts are the same as my own.
I have dug-out a video from 1984 and the picture quality is fine - except that the world (BBC Scotland's) doesn't have all of those Pacific islands that the NI one at that time did (if you follow).
In 1985, NI came in for the final five minutes when BBC Scotland showed a Gaelic language programme (as AberdeenBoy indicated above).
The TV Room posted:
marksi posted:
It was indeed a re-broadcast off-air feed of BBC ONE Scotland, which would have been simple to achieve - just switch off the local feed to the Divis transmitter and that's exactly what you'd get as an emergency feed...
I can't believe the method of getting BBC Scotland to air was as crude as that. I certainly don't recall any picture distortion when we joined BBC Scotland - and I'm sure there would have been if the local feed to Divis was withdrawn.
During the 80s and early 90s when BBC N. Ireland occasionally closed down before BBC Scotland (but after Network), our transmitters would usually rebroadcast Scottish output. Picture quality varied considerably. I honestly don't recall the early school holiday broadcasts from BBC Scotland being that bad picture-wise.
My memory is little hazy but I'm nearly certain BBC N. Ireland came in around 10.30am-ish to broadcast some silly 5 minute animation thing...c. mid-80s...and again, no real picture roll when leaving Scotland.
If my memory is reliable, that was quite an achievement for BBC N. Ireland - who couldn't manage proper synchronisation between *local* sources - even in the 1990s!!! All a distant memory now of course.
Your memory and thoughts are the same as my own.
I have dug-out a video from 1984 and the picture quality is fine - except that the world (BBC Scotland's) doesn't have all of those Pacific islands that the NI one at that time did (if you follow).
In 1985, NI came in for the final five minutes when BBC Scotland showed a Gaelic language programme (as AberdeenBoy indicated above).
GB
I'm sure you are right for these days, marksi, but that's not how it was then.
The picture quality when we got BBC1 Scotland if BBC1 NI had closed down or transmitters otherwise went down was watchable, but not as good as it was off Divis. Again, saddo that I am, I have some of this on video, from as recently as 1994.
Mentioning Divis, I wonder did viewers in NI who got their pictures from other transmitters get BBC Scotland in these circumstances, too?
marksi posted:
I didn't say that was *how they did* achieve it, but that the picture quality would be the same in that situation.
I'm sure you are right for these days, marksi, but that's not how it was then.
The picture quality when we got BBC1 Scotland if BBC1 NI had closed down or transmitters otherwise went down was watchable, but not as good as it was off Divis. Again, saddo that I am, I have some of this on video, from as recently as 1994.
Mentioning Divis, I wonder did viewers in NI who got their pictures from other transmitters get BBC Scotland in these circumstances, too?
MA
All NI transmitters are rebroacast stations of Divis, directly or indirectly. Therefore whatever went out from there would go out everywhere else.
However... there is something vague in my memory which suggests that I once heard a BBC ONE Scotland announcer welcome viewers in the EAST of Northern Ireland which suggests that only Divis was re-broadcasting BBC ONE Scotland. On the other hand, that was a long time ago and I may have made it up.
I'll ask a few questions about this stuff and see what I can find out.
Not sure I understand you there - if you were watching in these circumstances you were still watching off Divis, which was re-broadcasting BBC ONE Scotland.
However... there is something vague in my memory which suggests that I once heard a BBC ONE Scotland announcer welcome viewers in the EAST of Northern Ireland which suggests that only Divis was re-broadcasting BBC ONE Scotland. On the other hand, that was a long time ago and I may have made it up.
I'll ask a few questions about this stuff and see what I can find out.
Quote:
The picture quality when we got BBC1 Scotland if BBC1 NI had closed down or transmitters otherwise went down was watchable, but not as good as it was off Divis.
Not sure I understand you there - if you were watching in these circumstances you were still watching off Divis, which was re-broadcasting BBC ONE Scotland.
TV
I can confirm that BBC Scotland was not just rebroadcast from Divis. Limavady and its relays also rebroadcast Scottish transmissions. I'm sure Brougher Mountain was the same.
marksi posted:
However... there is something vague in my memory which suggests that I once heard a BBC ONE Scotland announcer welcome viewers in the EAST of Northern Ireland which suggests that only Divis was re-broadcasting BBC ONE Scotland. On the other hand, that was a long time ago and I may have made it up.
I can confirm that BBC Scotland was not just rebroadcast from Divis. Limavady and its relays also rebroadcast Scottish transmissions. I'm sure Brougher Mountain was the same.
TV
I think Gavin means that the quality of Scottish rebroadcast off Divis was not comparable to the quality of the usual BBC ONE NI transmission from Divis.
This basically is along the lines of what I was saying earlier. The quality of the rebroadcast signal was often very dodgy. Like Gavin, I do not recollect the early morning Kids' broadcasts from BBC Scotland being that ropy.
marksi posted:
Not sure I understand you there - if you were watching in these circumstances you were still watching off Divis, which was re-broadcasting BBC ONE Scotland.
I think Gavin means that the quality of Scottish rebroadcast off Divis was not comparable to the quality of the usual BBC ONE NI transmission from Divis.
This basically is along the lines of what I was saying earlier. The quality of the rebroadcast signal was often very dodgy. Like Gavin, I do not recollect the early morning Kids' broadcasts from BBC Scotland being that ropy.
TV
Also - IIRC, in a conversation with a BBC engineer back in the early '90s, I believe it was stated that Limavady had the ability to rebroadcast BBC Scotland if it lost the signal from Divis.
The TV Room posted:
I can confirm that BBC Scotland was not just rebroadcast from Divis. Limavady and its relays also rebroadcast Scottish transmissions. I'm sure Brougher Mountain was the same.
Also - IIRC, in a conversation with a BBC engineer back in the early '90s, I believe it was stated that Limavady had the ability to rebroadcast BBC Scotland if it lost the signal from Divis.
MA
I'm not sure why I have the "east" bit in my head. Could I have made it up? Possibly?! Though even I don't see how it would have been technically possible! Unless it was a case of someone telling the Scotland announcer that they were going out from Divis and it all got mixed up...
Now - the latest hazy memories (all of this is up for debate, I'm by no means claiming it's gospel!) are that we think the first year was 1984, and at one point there was a local voiceover but BBC ONE Scotland vision... which must have been a little confusing for people...
...and in 1985 the cuts from their output to the BBC ONE NI globe were accompanied by huge frame rolls (we apparently have taped evidence of this...)
Now - the latest hazy memories (all of this is up for debate, I'm by no means claiming it's gospel!) are that we think the first year was 1984, and at one point there was a local voiceover but BBC ONE Scotland vision... which must have been a little confusing for people...
...and in 1985 the cuts from their output to the BBC ONE NI globe were accompanied by huge frame rolls (we apparently have taped evidence of this...)
GB
Folks,
The quality of the picture (and sound to a lesser degree) from BBC1 Scotland's output (though they called themselves BBC Scotland in those days) when we got it after BBC1 NI closedown was definitely not as good as the normal BBC1 NI output. There tended to be lines across the picture, interference, a cloudiness, thpose sorts of things.
This was NOT the case with the childrens programmes I was talking about.
By the way, the Gaelic programme was 'Mag is Mog'. We (in NI) got a cartoon.
Funny, I never remember any of this with BBC2, though I am aware of some problem in the late 1980s where we ended up getting BBC2 North West for a while as a temporary measure, again with poorer quality ....
Thanks for your own observations.
The quality of the picture (and sound to a lesser degree) from BBC1 Scotland's output (though they called themselves BBC Scotland in those days) when we got it after BBC1 NI closedown was definitely not as good as the normal BBC1 NI output. There tended to be lines across the picture, interference, a cloudiness, thpose sorts of things.
This was NOT the case with the childrens programmes I was talking about.
By the way, the Gaelic programme was 'Mag is Mog'. We (in NI) got a cartoon.
Funny, I never remember any of this with BBC2, though I am aware of some problem in the late 1980s where we ended up getting BBC2 North West for a while as a temporary measure, again with poorer quality ....
Thanks for your own observations.