JW
Thanks for that upload, Rob. I had no clue at all that Sir AB did the 545. Nice find.
Let’s agree on purple-pink!
Let’s agree on purple-pink!
IT
itsrobert
Founding member
No worries, James.
Yeah, Sir Alastair launched the 545 in 1976. I think he stayed on that bulletin for a couple of years before taking the helm of News at Ten. He was then replaced by Leonard Parkin on the 545, followed by Michael Nicholson.
They all seemed to move round quite a lot as I think when News at One relaunched in 1976 (having been First Report with Robert Kee before that), Leonard Parkin was at the helm. But when he replaced Sir Alastair on the 545, Peter Sissons took his place on NAO. I think it was the launch of Channel 4 News in 1982 that shuffled things round again - Sissons to C4, Parkin to NAO and Nicholson to the 545. That's a bit of guesswork and drawing on accounts from books like Peter Sissons' and Richard Lindley's.
Yeah, Sir Alastair launched the 545 in 1976. I think he stayed on that bulletin for a couple of years before taking the helm of News at Ten. He was then replaced by Leonard Parkin on the 545, followed by Michael Nicholson.
They all seemed to move round quite a lot as I think when News at One relaunched in 1976 (having been First Report with Robert Kee before that), Leonard Parkin was at the helm. But when he replaced Sir Alastair on the 545, Peter Sissons took his place on NAO. I think it was the launch of Channel 4 News in 1982 that shuffled things round again - Sissons to C4, Parkin to NAO and Nicholson to the 545. That's a bit of guesswork and drawing on accounts from books like Peter Sissons' and Richard Lindley's.
MA
I think Michael Nicholson became the 545 main presenter after he had returned from the Falklands (where he and the Beeb's Brian Hanrahan became household names, due to their daily pooled reports from there)
So winter 1982 sounds about right.
No worries, James.
Yeah, Sir Alastair launched the 545 in 1976. I think he stayed on that bulletin for a couple of years before taking the helm of News at Ten. He was then replaced by Leonard Parkin on the 545, followed by Michael Nicholson.
They all seemed to move round quite a lot as I think when News at One relaunched in 1976 (having been First Report with Robert Kee before that), Leonard Parkin was at the helm. But when he replaced Sir Alastair on the 545, Peter Sissons took his place on NAO. I think it was the launch of Channel 4 News in 1982 that shuffled things round again - Sissons to C4, Parkin to NAO and Nicholson to the 545. That's a bit of guesswork and drawing on accounts from books like Peter Sissons' and Richard Lindley's.
Yeah, Sir Alastair launched the 545 in 1976. I think he stayed on that bulletin for a couple of years before taking the helm of News at Ten. He was then replaced by Leonard Parkin on the 545, followed by Michael Nicholson.
They all seemed to move round quite a lot as I think when News at One relaunched in 1976 (having been First Report with Robert Kee before that), Leonard Parkin was at the helm. But when he replaced Sir Alastair on the 545, Peter Sissons took his place on NAO. I think it was the launch of Channel 4 News in 1982 that shuffled things round again - Sissons to C4, Parkin to NAO and Nicholson to the 545. That's a bit of guesswork and drawing on accounts from books like Peter Sissons' and Richard Lindley's.
I think Michael Nicholson became the 545 main presenter after he had returned from the Falklands (where he and the Beeb's Brian Hanrahan became household names, due to their daily pooled reports from there)
So winter 1982 sounds about right.
JW
Yes, you’re right. Michael Nicholson became “desk-bound” (in a positive sense) after the Falklands conflict.
SW
This was the era when ITN were making a point of alternating people between reporting and presenting, to emphasise that everyone on screen was a journalist rather than just someone reading an autocue. Some people enjoyed it, others, like Michael Nicholson, didn't appear to like it very much.
As you say, Alistair Burnet did the 5.45 when it was relaunched in 1976, when he rejoined ITN after an unhappy spell editing the Daily Express. Then when Andrew Gardner went to Thames in 1978, Burnet moved back to News at Ten. You can see from that clip why they used much tighter camera shots on the 5.45 in later years.
Yes, you’re right. Michael Nicholson became “desk-bound” (in a positive sense) after the Falklands conflict.
This was the era when ITN were making a point of alternating people between reporting and presenting, to emphasise that everyone on screen was a journalist rather than just someone reading an autocue. Some people enjoyed it, others, like Michael Nicholson, didn't appear to like it very much.
As you say, Alistair Burnet did the 5.45 when it was relaunched in 1976, when he rejoined ITN after an unhappy spell editing the Daily Express. Then when Andrew Gardner went to Thames in 1978, Burnet moved back to News at Ten. You can see from that clip why they used much tighter camera shots on the 5.45 in later years.
MA
Also at 01:11 take a look at HTV West's ludicrously large and over optimistic coverage on that map.
UHF from Mendip went nowhere near that patch of North Devon. Even Ch 10 VHF from St Hilary will have struggled beyond the coast, and I don't think HTV West as a region even existed on VHF, Ch 7 was Wales, Ch10 was 'General Service' ?
Sad to hear about Richard Lindley. I've got his book about ITN somewhere, it was a good read from what I can remember.
While we're on the subject of ITN in years gone by, I've come across a newly uploaded video that is the earliest example of a News at 545 bulletin that I've ever seen. It's from 1977 and is from the time when Alastair Burnet was still at the helm. Sadly, it's only the closing moments, but interesting to see the wideshot of the studio and the luminous pink/purple (can't quite tell which due to my colour blindness) background behind Alastair. It seems they made some tweaks to the bulletin's presentation at some point by the early 1980s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuKqs60wQDM
While we're on the subject of ITN in years gone by, I've come across a newly uploaded video that is the earliest example of a News at 545 bulletin that I've ever seen. It's from 1977 and is from the time when Alastair Burnet was still at the helm. Sadly, it's only the closing moments, but interesting to see the wideshot of the studio and the luminous pink/purple (can't quite tell which due to my colour blindness) background behind Alastair. It seems they made some tweaks to the bulletin's presentation at some point by the early 1980s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuKqs60wQDM
Also at 01:11 take a look at HTV West's ludicrously large and over optimistic coverage on that map.
UHF from Mendip went nowhere near that patch of North Devon. Even Ch 10 VHF from St Hilary will have struggled beyond the coast, and I don't think HTV West as a region even existed on VHF, Ch 7 was Wales, Ch10 was 'General Service' ?
DA
HTV using the same theme as Southern did for 'Scene South East' there!
Sad to hear about Richard Lindley. I've got his book about ITN somewhere, it was a good read from what I can remember.
While we're on the subject of ITN in years gone by, I've come across a newly uploaded video that is the earliest example of a News at 545 bulletin that I've ever seen. It's from 1977 and is from the time when Alastair Burnet was still at the helm. Sadly, it's only the closing moments, but interesting to see the wideshot of the studio and the luminous pink/purple (can't quite tell which due to my colour blindness) background behind Alastair. It seems they made some tweaks to the bulletin's presentation at some point by the early 1980s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuKqs60wQDM
While we're on the subject of ITN in years gone by, I've come across a newly uploaded video that is the earliest example of a News at 545 bulletin that I've ever seen. It's from 1977 and is from the time when Alastair Burnet was still at the helm. Sadly, it's only the closing moments, but interesting to see the wideshot of the studio and the luminous pink/purple (can't quite tell which due to my colour blindness) background behind Alastair. It seems they made some tweaks to the bulletin's presentation at some point by the early 1980s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuKqs60wQDM
HTV using the same theme as Southern did for 'Scene South East' there!
CO
It has to be the UHF plus the VHF channel 10 General Service to give that coverage map.
From MB21 - the St Hilary coverage on ch10.
http://tx.mb21.co.uk/info/405/itv/wales_west.gif
From MB21 - the St Hilary coverage on ch10.
http://tx.mb21.co.uk/info/405/itv/wales_west.gif
MA
Yes, though the HTV map also shows Clovelly, Gt Torrington, and even Bude in Cornwall covered!
It has to be the UHF plus the VHF channel 10 General Service to give that coverage map.
From MB21 - the St Hilary coverage on ch10.
http://tx.mb21.co.uk/info/405/itv/wales_west.gif
From MB21 - the St Hilary coverage on ch10.
http://tx.mb21.co.uk/info/405/itv/wales_west.gif
Yes, though the HTV map also shows Clovelly, Gt Torrington, and even Bude in Cornwall covered!
MA
HTV using the same theme as Southern did for 'Scene South East' there!
Yes!, And Graham Miller with a fantastically 70s tie! Ref 2:13
Sad to hear about Richard Lindley. I've got his book about ITN somewhere, it was a good read from what I can remember.
While we're on the subject of ITN in years gone by, I've come across a newly uploaded video that is the earliest example of a News at 545 bulletin that I've ever seen. It's from 1977 and is from the time when Alastair Burnet was still at the helm. Sadly, it's only the closing moments, but interesting to see the wideshot of the studio and the luminous pink/purple (can't quite tell which due to my colour blindness) background behind Alastair. It seems they made some tweaks to the bulletin's presentation at some point by the early 1980s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuKqs60wQDM
While we're on the subject of ITN in years gone by, I've come across a newly uploaded video that is the earliest example of a News at 545 bulletin that I've ever seen. It's from 1977 and is from the time when Alastair Burnet was still at the helm. Sadly, it's only the closing moments, but interesting to see the wideshot of the studio and the luminous pink/purple (can't quite tell which due to my colour blindness) background behind Alastair. It seems they made some tweaks to the bulletin's presentation at some point by the early 1980s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuKqs60wQDM
HTV using the same theme as Southern did for 'Scene South East' there!
Yes!, And Graham Miller with a fantastically 70s tie! Ref 2:13
PI
HTV using the same theme as Southern did for 'Scene South East' there!
Yes!, And Graham Miller with a fantastically 70s tie! Ref 2:13
And the other guy is Richard Wyatt, the chap who got clobbered by a light aircraft in the days before risk assessments
The fabulously newsy tune is called Telegraph House.
Jan Leeming and Alison Holloway were Report West anchors, though not at the same time. Alison and Jan glimpsed briefly together at the end of this clip purely by spooky chance.
Sad to hear about Richard Lindley. I've got his book about ITN somewhere, it was a good read from what I can remember.
While we're on the subject of ITN in years gone by, I've come across a newly uploaded video that is the earliest example of a News at 545 bulletin that I've ever seen. It's from 1977 and is from the time when Alastair Burnet was still at the helm. Sadly, it's only the closing moments, but interesting to see the wideshot of the studio and the luminous pink/purple (can't quite tell which due to my colour blindness) background behind Alastair. It seems they made some tweaks to the bulletin's presentation at some point by the early 1980s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuKqs60wQDM
While we're on the subject of ITN in years gone by, I've come across a newly uploaded video that is the earliest example of a News at 545 bulletin that I've ever seen. It's from 1977 and is from the time when Alastair Burnet was still at the helm. Sadly, it's only the closing moments, but interesting to see the wideshot of the studio and the luminous pink/purple (can't quite tell which due to my colour blindness) background behind Alastair. It seems they made some tweaks to the bulletin's presentation at some point by the early 1980s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuKqs60wQDM
HTV using the same theme as Southern did for 'Scene South East' there!
Yes!, And Graham Miller with a fantastically 70s tie! Ref 2:13
And the other guy is Richard Wyatt, the chap who got clobbered by a light aircraft in the days before risk assessments
The fabulously newsy tune is called Telegraph House.
Jan Leeming and Alison Holloway were Report West anchors, though not at the same time. Alison and Jan glimpsed briefly together at the end of this clip purely by spooky chance.
Last edited by pip2 on 12 November 2019 7:17pm - 2 times in total
IT
HTV using the same theme as Southern did for 'Scene South East' there!
Yes!, And Graham Miller with a fantastically 70s tie! Ref 2:13
And a full head of hair!
itsrobert
Founding member
Sad to hear about Richard Lindley. I've got his book about ITN somewhere, it was a good read from what I can remember.
While we're on the subject of ITN in years gone by, I've come across a newly uploaded video that is the earliest example of a News at 545 bulletin that I've ever seen. It's from 1977 and is from the time when Alastair Burnet was still at the helm. Sadly, it's only the closing moments, but interesting to see the wideshot of the studio and the luminous pink/purple (can't quite tell which due to my colour blindness) background behind Alastair. It seems they made some tweaks to the bulletin's presentation at some point by the early 1980s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuKqs60wQDM
While we're on the subject of ITN in years gone by, I've come across a newly uploaded video that is the earliest example of a News at 545 bulletin that I've ever seen. It's from 1977 and is from the time when Alastair Burnet was still at the helm. Sadly, it's only the closing moments, but interesting to see the wideshot of the studio and the luminous pink/purple (can't quite tell which due to my colour blindness) background behind Alastair. It seems they made some tweaks to the bulletin's presentation at some point by the early 1980s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuKqs60wQDM
HTV using the same theme as Southern did for 'Scene South East' there!
Yes!, And Graham Miller with a fantastically 70s tie! Ref 2:13
And a full head of hair!