Northern Ireland news thread

A mini-update of fresh archive images featuring Jackie Fullerton shown on last night's UTV Live Tonight.

Fronting UTV's coverage of the 1982 World Cup...

...but I thought Jackie travelled with the NI squad during their campaign in Spain? Does anyone know what the situation was, as I sincerely doubt UTV would have been able to book out studio space for their own set in a foreign country in 1982 - never mind now

Leading a studio discussion on "Good Evening Ulster", c. 1980/1981

I'm not sure who the two gentlemen joining him in the studio are.

And, finally, an unusual cameraman...

The video quality on this was not broadcast quality so this could be sourced from a UTV Christmas tape from the late 1980s. Think this is on the Six Tonight set.

And regarding last night's UTV Live Tonight, looks like Lynda had to step in at the last minute for Clarky, as the interview he did with Jackie was pre-recorded, even with the link returning from the break which they had to fade the sound on when VT rolled, but you still heard the notes of the break return jingle dying out

The last bunch of images with Eamonn Holmes to come - later.

And here they are, clips from "The Eamonn Holmes Show" - and I'm not kidding. Unlike the other guest hosts this week who were more dignified and slightly nervous in their one-off duties, Holmes came across as smug, domineering and as if he was still in Sky News mode. I even felt sorry for poor Lynda Bryans being sidelined.

You all know what he looks like now, but anyway:



The archive footage featured the Rory Gallagher interview that's already on YouTube, the breakdancing clip that's done the rounds on clip shows, him co-hosting Miss Norn Iron '86 from the Threepenny Bit in the King's Hall with Linda Lusardi, and the only original clip was this:



Of more interest (to me anyway) was seeing Jimmy Greene, one of the original announcers and presenters on Ulster Television:





...And that's it; back to normal again next week. Hope all the screen captures didn't bore you too much!

The diva that is Eamonn Holmes. I remembering hearing one time, can't remember where that he was a demon with his dressing room demands?

Hey there everyone, pleased to see so many compliments about UTV and particularly the 50 years celebrations. Have you all seen the microsite dedicated to it? There are some great clips there! Not to mention the full shows from the series we ran on it! Check it out http://bit.ly/DoO0B

Are you all NI based?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iC5Awb6f1H4 'Julian Skywalker' Simmons

Is embedding video disabled?

He's turned into the person he once hated.. Anthea Turner!

Amusing to see the one and only Caitríona Ruane described on a caption to the 10.25 BBC Newsline this evening as the "Education Correspondent".

Well, if Maggie Taggart's up for a swap, many in Northern Ireland might well rejoice .....

Noticed on this afternoon's newsline update that the camera in the background has moved. Instead of seeing the lagan and cavehill we now see the Odyssey Arena on the left with the H&W cranes on the right. Don't know when this changed as it's the first time I've noticed so I assume it has only been changed today.

It was like that for last Saturday lunchtime's bulletin as well, Whiteside, but back to normal during the week.

When did UTV go into colour, seeing the same logo/studio in some of the above caps in both B & W & colour?

The Divis transmitter began colour transmissions in September 1970. The 1972 opening sequence to "UTV Reports" featured a mix of colour and b/w film inserts, and the clips from 1973 that have appeared on UTV in the past few weeks suggest "UTV Reports" went completely in colour during that year.

Although the first two colour productions made by or for UTV came before colour officially arrived in NI, "Rich and Rare" in 1959 and "No Surrender" in 1969.

While most other ITV regions had local news today, UTV had about four minutes of trailers, two commercial breaks and clips pilfered from "UTV Rewind". I know it's a Bank Holiday today, but if the BBC can offer a news service to viewers in Northern Ireland today, why is UTV not doing so? Is this what UTV are going to be doing from now on when it's a Bank Holiday? They can put news stories on their radio station, and their website, but not the reason the company exists in the first place?!? Insane.

It was bad enough that yesterday's local news output from Havoc House consisted of the insufferable Rita Fitzgerald, who still cannot read a news bulletin for toffee, the weather forecasts read out-of-vision, half the time devoted to sports reports with peroxide Ruth Gorman who must challenge Deirdre Barlow for the roughest female voice on commercial television, and somehow they still managed to fit in plugs for "Your Story" and UPlayer to fill the bulletin out.

I'm probably in the minority of wondering how UTV get away with such a let-down of a regional TV news service - especially compared to what it was a few years ago before all the lay-offs - and still beat Newsline in the ratings. God help those in Wales and the North East and Borders if they get their hands on the local news franchise...

Judith Hill on the UTV lunchtime bulletin today - GO JUDE! She had to deal with a broken autocue though.