• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Clean Feed

Clean Feed

  • Timeline
  • News
  • Opinion
  • PresWatch
  • Bloopers
  • News+
  • Resources
  • Other Pages
    • About This Site
    • Contact Us
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
  • Our Other Websites
    • Rewind
    • Showreel
    • Studio A
  • Related External Websites
    • Pres Café
    • TV Pres

Afternoon edition of Countdown falls off air

Posted on 14th February 2023 by The Clean Feed Team
Last updated on 20th February 2023 Filed under Bloopers

This afternoon’s edition of Countdown on Channel 4 was was off the air for thirteen minutes due to a playout fault.

Shortly before 2.30pm, the video and audio froze. Within seconds, the programme fell off air completely, leaving almost two minutes of black and silence before an animated ‘Programmes continue shortly’ graphic appeared.

For the next few minutes, this caption occasionally gave way to black and silence. Frozen frames from a couple of advertisements also popped up.

For the next nine minutes or so, the ‘Programmes continue shortly’ graphic remained on screen, in silence.

There was no verbal apology from the announcer during the 13-minute break in the programme.

Daytime announcements on Channel 4 are pre-recorded. It’s possible the technical issues prevented even a pre-recorded apology from being played out.

Thirteen minutes after it disappeared, Countdown finally returned – but from an earlier point in the programme than it was at when it fell off air.

To get things back on schedule, some ad breaks were dropped and a 45-minute, alternative edition of A Place in the Sun replaced the billed hour-long edition of the programme.

VIDEO: the afternoon edition of Countdown falls off air for 13 minutes on Channel 4. TX DATE: 14th February 2023. COPYRIGHT: Channel 4 Television Corporation.

Related

Acknowledgements

Related

FEATURE IMAGE:

PICTURED: Channel 4 'programmes continue shortly' graphic. COPYRIGHT: Channel 4 Television Corporation.

Related

Related

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Sidebar

Tags: Breakdowns, Channel 4, Channel 4 Television Corporation, Countdown

Dates for the Diary

3rd April 2023: BBC News Channel and BBC World News merge.

November/December 2023: World Radiocommunications Conference (WRC-23).

Q1 2024: SD versions of BBC channels close on satellite.

2024: BBC Four and CBBC go online-only.

2024: BBC Radio 4 Extra goes online-only.

Don’t Miss Out – Follow Us on Twitter

Our Twitter account will usually report the latest broadcast-related events shortly after they've happened and ahead of the website. You'll also catch a variety of items there that will not be covered on the website.
Clean Feed on Twitter.

Latest updates over on: Rewind

UK Gold continuity including programme promotion for Jonathan Creek (9th May 2001)

UK Gold continuity including programme promotion for Jonathan Creek (9th May 2001)

TG 4 continuity (9th May 2001)

TG 4 continuity (9th May 2001)

90 Soicind closing, TG 4 continuity followed by Gillette World Sport opening (9th May 2001)

90 Soicind closing, TG 4 continuity followed by Gillette World Sport opening (9th May 2001)

© 2023 The TV Room. This site is not affiliated with any broadcaster, production company or design/marketing/talent agency.

Back to top