Telelvision history and genres

1
Telelvision history and genres

• Television in Britain

2
Television after the war in Britain

• First broadcast 7.6.1946
• Adherence to pre-war technical standards with 405
  lines 625 line Pal system adopted in 1960
• As far as early 50s one hour in the morning, one
  in the afternoon, few in the evening
• Something for everyone and everything for
  someone
• Televising of the London Olympic Games, 1948
• Televising of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth
  II, June 1953

3
Independent television (ITV, 1955)

• The Popular Television Association
• Television Act, 1954
• ITV begins broadcasting in 1955
• Independent Television Authority (ITA) is set to
  monitor operations
• Independent Television News (ITN)
• By 1957 more demand for advertising time than can
  be incorporated into programming
• Regions / programme time divided between
  contractors which form a network

4
The first major contractors

• Anglia Television East of England franchise
• Associated-Rediffusion (A-R or ARTV, London
  weekdays)
• Associated TeleVision (ATV, London weekends and
  Midlands weekdays)
• ABC Weekend TV (Midlands and North weekends)
• Granada TV Network (North weekdays)
• Scottish Television Central Scotland franchise
• Southern Television South and South East England
  franchise
• TWW Wales and West of England franchise
  (19581968)
• Tyne Tees Television North-east England
  franchise (1958)
• Ulster Television (UTV) Northern Ireland
  franchise (1959)

5
Early ITV favourites

• Cool for Cats (1956-59).
• Emergency - Ward Ten (ATV, 1957-67)
• Coronation Street (Granada 1960 -)

6
Reviewing the broadcasting environment

• Beverage report 1951
• Pilkington report 1962
• Annan report 1977

7
BBC programmes in the new broadcasting environment

• Juke Box Jury (1959-67)
• Cathy Come Home (1963)
• The Great War (1964)
• Till Death Us Do Part (1965-75)
• The Forsyte Saga (1967)
• Civilization (1969)
• Monty Pythons Flying Circus (1969-74)
• The Ascent of Man (1972-73)

8
Major contractor after 1968 franchise round

• Associated TeleVision Midlands (19681981)
• Granada NW England franchise (1968)
• Harlech Television (HTV ) Wales and West of
  England franchise (1968)
• London Weekend Television (LWT) London Weekend
  franchise (1968)
• Thames Television London weekday franchise
  (19681992)
• Yorkshire Television Yorkshire/Lincolnshire
  franchise (1968)

9
Changes in the 1970s

• 19 January 1972 day restrictions on broadcasting
  hours finally lifted
• Independent Local Radio System (ILR, 1972) stirps
  BBC of its radio monopoly
• Rapid spreading of colour television in the early
  1970s
• Broadcasting about national and international
  turmoil strains relationships both with the
  governemtn and the opposition

10
Celebrated programmes in the 1970s

• ITV
• A Family at War (Granada, 1970-72)
• Upstairs Downstairs (LWT, 1971-77)
• The World at War (Thames, 1974)
• The Muppet Show (1976-81)
• BBC
• The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970)
• I, Claudius (1976)
• Pennies from Heaven (1978)
• Not the Nine OClock News (1979- 82)

11
The Annan Report (1977) principles

• British broadcasting should be characterized by
• Accountability through Parliament to a public
  which is given more chance to make its voice
  heard
• Diversity of services
• Flexibility of structure
• Editorial independence

12
The Annan Report recommendations

• The new channel should be awarded to ITV
• The channel should cater for interests and
  minorities presently ill served by television
• It should be supervised by an Open Broadcasting
  Authority
• It should function as a commissioner of
  programmes funded by the Open University, the
  Arts Council, charities, advertising etc.
• Further regulatory bodies Public Enquiry Board,
  Broadcasting Complaints commission,
  Telecommunications Advisory Committee

13
Jeremy Isaacs Channel Four aims

• Increase the variety of programmes offered
• Offer programmes also for minorities
• Bring out the entire spectrum of political
  opinions
• Satisfy educational needs
• Encourage valuable independent production

14
Controversial Channel 4 programmes

• The Friday Afternoon (1982-83)
• Vietnam A Television History (1984)
• Union World (1984-85)
• One in Five (1983)
• Out on Tuesday (1988)
• Sex Talk (1990)