[Bluecortina]

I'm a bit confused how BFBS worked then.

Did the link from London to Germany send just live programmes to be shown on the BFBS TV channel which was based there? Or from then on was the channel based in the UK and the whole channel sent down the circuit to Germany?

All very different to today, their channels are all based at Arqiva in Chalfont and use satellite distribution. There's a large and heavily encrypted transponder on Eutelsat 10 for this part of the world. Heavily encrypted presumably mainly because they carry some Sky Sports channels

Once the live link was in operation it was a mixture of live/pre-recorded (edited as required) from Stonebridge Park in London and Rheindahlen in Germany although the German end had no capability for in vision continuity. I vaguely recall the German end opened up on-air around midday, then closed down after lunch, then the service opened up again around tea time from London for the evening. Sorry to be so vague but it was over 35 years ago!

There was a 25 year celebration of the opening of the service at Chalfont in 2000. I attended (and still have a BFBS mouse mat guests were given). Perhaps there will be a 50 year celebration in 2025? 

The service moved to Chalfont after a period at the BBC in 1985.