[Humphrey Hacker]

It was, the live link was a very long time coming and it’s prospect was the butt of jokes for many years. At the time we were told the hold up was due to the lack of PTT permissions for the microwave masts in Belgium. A change of engineering management at the top of BFBS coincided with a push to get the link completed, a complete re-installation of the London Control Centre etc*. The microwave link was installed by Marconi and the UK part of it was maintained under contract by the IBA. It was incredibly reliable but then again it was completely engineered to military standards so I guess it should have been. I’m told by engineering colleagues who went to the German end of the link that the technical quality was such that unless you knew different you would think the signals were coming from a room next door rather than north London. 

* I’ve had look at a few bits of that video again now and it shows the London end as it was originally with quad vtrs etc. It was a long time ago, but from memory the whole technical area was re-engineered before the service went live with 1” vtrs etc etc. So, I’m not sure when this video was made and how it relates to the actual live service? All too long ago to recall by me with any accuracy. 

The whole idea of the tv service to the troops and their families in Germany was the idea of BFBS’ controller at the time in the early 1970’s - a chap called Ian Woolf. He dreamt it up and pushed it through to fruition. He was a very very charismatic man and his obit is worth looking up on the www.

There is, of course, an alternative ‘engineers’ version of that video but I couldn’t possibly post it!

The obits are behind paywalls but I did find this:
pmcdeered.livejournal.com