A detailed treatment of a subject.
Category: Features
The history of the BBC trade test transmission
First published in 2008. Last updated: 24th May 2020. This page contains examples of the various tuning signals and test cards used on BBC Television since the 1930s. The feature remains a work-in-progress and we’d …
RTÉ TV daily start-ups
Long after elaborate daily start-up routines were dispensed with on British TV, the tradition continued on Irish TV – until c. 1997 in fact. Though it must be said, RTÉ’s daily ritual was a fairly …
Early in-vision teletext in Ireland
Until the late-1980s, the test card filled most of the daytime hours on RTÉ One and RTÉ Two. And actually, even by the 1980s, the RTÉ One analogue transmitter network only came back online at …
When major events impact broadcasting
There have not been many occasions when extraordinary events or national crises have had a fundamental effect on broadcasting. Normally the impact of a news story is limited to specific schedule changes to allow for …
The history of Pages from Ceefax
First published in 2008. Last updated: 17th March 2020. The world’s first teletext service, BBC Ceefax (“See Facts”), was launched on 23rd September 1974. The technology was developed out of a desire to create a …
ATV brand needlessly consigned to history?
Today station rebrands are ten a penny but the most radical rebrand of all came at the instigation of the regulator. Central was not a brand new company when it took to the air in …
Mid-80s BBC One: the benefits of one big relaunch over piecemeal changes
18th February 1985 was a red letter day for BBC One. A “new look” to the channel was heavily promoted. Leading the troops into action, Terry Wogan with his new chat show. The following night …
Engineering information for the TV and radio trade
Last updated: 30th December 2019. Other than TV and radio tradesmen and engineers – and presentation enthusiasts – few members of the public will have known about, or paid much attention to, a short unbilled …
Pres implications for ITV Daytime in the new year?
ITV’s new morning schedule starts on 6th January 2020 but will it mean changes to on-screen presentation? The main change concerns the scheduling of Lorraine and This Morning. Lorraine will run from 9am to 10am, …
General election treats for pres fans
General elections are big events for broadcasters. Huge efforts go into mounting the overnight programmes – reporters and crews need to be on hand at as many counts as possible and be placed close to …