Indeed. I think the Chairman of Westward, Peter Cadbury made a strong case for having the TWW/HTV West area bolted on, as at one point in the 60s, Exeter was declared part of the TWW region. Nothing came of it of course. Guess that was down the transmitter situation at the time.
Here's a very cheeky and optimistic marketing map from TWW
It was an awful lot of work to get the signals over to Eitshal to be fair, and then for a relatively small population.
Not helped with the fire on site of course.
Indeed. I think the Chairman of Westward, Peter Cadbury made a strong case for having the TWW/HTV West area bolted on, as at one point in the 60s, Exeter was declared part of the TWW region. Nothing came of it of course. Guess that was down the transmitter situation at the time.
Here's a very cheeky and optimistic marketing map from TWW
It was an awful lot of work to get the signals over to Eitshal to be fair, and then for a relatively small population.
Not helped with the fire on site of course.
Yep, 1976 was the landmark year of the three innovative programme links to bring three channel colour to new and remote areas
Stockland Hill to Jersey
Inverness to Isle of Lewis/NW Scotland
North of Scotland to Shetlands link
Shows what could be achieved with both the BBC and IBA working together, and for the public good.
Love that TWW map by the way.
Exeter covered - there's another 100,000 people to add to the figures. Surely nobody could dispute that?!
Was what Peter Cadbury's response recorded anywhere?
This is interesting. Was switching Bluebell Hill from Thames/LWT to TVS in 1982 a belated bit of cleaning-up after the switchover? To this day the London region officially runs out as far as Gravesend as far as I understand, although neither BBC nor ITV London really cover it at all (or even Dartford which is largely inside the M25!).
I would imagine that the Bluebell Hill switch was to make the new South East part of the South & South East region more viable financially than just Dover and Heathfield.
The biggest change between VHF and UHF was down the east coast - the original plan skewed everything northwards, at the cost of Tyne Tees, who couldn't go north. I bet their board were on the phone to the IBA very quickly.
To be left with just Pontop Pike (and later Chatton), would have left them very weak.
No wonder Anglia was pruned back, and Yorkshire given Belmont instead of Bilsdale West Moor.
Anglia had also gained to the south where in VHF days coverage of even Chelmsford was within Dover's coverage.
Sudbury helped them there.
At the time of the 1980 ITV franchise round both VHF and UHF transmitters operated in parallel.
Did applicants largely ignore VHF coverage of territory when writing and submitting their applications, as it would be switched off in a few years time, or did the IBA take consideration towards viewers with VHF only TVs seriously when assessing applicants, and mark applicants down for choosing to ignore them?
I would doubt that VHF was much of a consideration by 1980 - the number of viewers to 405 line BBC1 and ITV must have been tiny.
Most would want colour, and BBC 2 too, driving the uptake of UHF sets.
The UHF coverage was being rolled out to cover those missing areas at a good pace, plus Channel 4 would be starting before too long.
I would imagine that the Bluebell Hill switch was to make the new South East part of the South & South East region more viable financially than just Dover and Heathfield.
The biggest change between VHF and UHF was down the east coast - the original plan skewed everything northwards, at the cost of Tyne Tees, who couldn't go north. I bet their board were on the phone to the IBA very quickly.
To be left with just Pontop Pike (and later Chatton), would have left them very weak.
No wonder Anglia was pruned back, and Yorkshire given Belmont instead of Bilsdale West Moor.
Anglia had also gained to the south where in VHF days coverage of even Chelmsford was within Dover's coverage.
Sudbury helped them there.
Don't forget either, the ITA toyed with the idea of allocating the (at the time future planned) Dover transmitter to the East of England franchise, that would have created a region from Brighton to Norfolk. I suspect if that had happened, Belmont would have been Granada, then YTV from the outset ?
At the time of the 1980 ITV franchise round both VHF and UHF transmitters operated in parallel.
Did applicants largely ignore VHF coverage of territory when writing and submitting their applications, as it would be switched off in a few years time, or did the IBA take consideration towards viewers with VHF only TVs seriously when assessing applicants, and mark applicants down for choosing to ignore them?
By 1980 VHF was well on the way out, it was often joked from about then that running the network, was more expensive than buying everyone with 405 lines a 625 telly. The last 405 line TV I saw working and in use was in a bar in West Wittering in 1978
The IBA and BBC started shutting down the 405 line sites from April 1982 anyway
Some regions, such as Tyne Tees, STV, and perhaps Border, were quite happy to concentrate on their own area, I think anyway. Others, most notably Yorkshire, were keen in the 1980s to expand their area, as mentioned by the fact their weather map
featured Cleveland and South Durham.
If anything, STV, Border, and Tyne Tees seemed more cuddly and friendly, wheras Yorkshire were aggressive, and trying to claim what really wasn't theirs. The fact YTV didn't have in vision continuity also gives me a feeling of someone hiding behind a mask, waiting to pounce on someone elses territory.
Though I'm not sure why Yorkshire would even bother, considering if you're north of the Eston Hills, it's tough to get Bilsdale, let alone Emley Moor.
Everyone is pointing at Pontop Pike, even if they're in range of the Eston Hills relay.
