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Channel 4 closedown followed by IBA dual language NICAM tests (albeit sadly only recorded on a mono VCR, so we don't get the second track)
(This post was last modified: 01-10-2023, 03:29 PM by
James2001.)
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(01-10-2023, 08:36 AM)Stooky Bill Wrote: This came up on my YouTube suggestions yesterday and it's quite an extraordinary bit of live TV. It's from The Late Late Show in 1997. They're ending the show with a postal competition to win a car, but when Gay Byrne phones up the (eventual) winner she has some terrible news for him which changes the atmosphere of the studio totally. So well handled by Gay
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It's a real shame that I can't really envision any opportunity in today's TV landscape where this sort of thing can happen anymore. As tragic and upsetting as this was, it was heartwarming to see not just the guests and the audience offering words of comfort and support to her, but for a host like Gay Byrne to find a way to metaphorically put an arm around the poor woman. Nobody seemed to care about how long the show was going to overrun, as everyone's priority was to offer their support to a grieving viewer. As sad as the clip is, it's also really lovely too.
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Apparently Gay Byrne met Rita a few years later on Nolan Live in 2004 which aired (an I believe still does) on BBC 1 Northern Ireland.
Rita died in 2021 according to comments on that video. Her death notice is still online:
rip.ie
(This post was last modified: 01-10-2023, 07:18 PM by
Neil Jones.)
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(01-10-2023, 03:28 PM)James2001 Wrote: Channel 4 closedown followed by IBA dual language NICAM tests (albeit sadly only recorded on a mono VCR, so we don't get the second track)
During the engineering tests, was the tone on sound channel 1 or 2?
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I just realised that it's been exactly 25 years since the launch of the Sky Digital satellite service.
Here's some Sky One continuity from the digital feed during the first month of service, courtesy of Transdiffusion.
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BrandonH: Archiving Television Past and Present.
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How did the launch of Sky Digital actually work? Did anyone have it installed ready for launch day, and if so, what was being shown beforehand? Or was the launch day the point at which people could start subscribing?
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I suspect it would have been installed at selected Sky staff homes for them to trial out, followed by selected customers as they've done with other trials for NOW and Sky Glass/Stream.
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(01-10-2023, 03:28 PM)James2001 Wrote: Channel 4 closedown followed by IBA dual language NICAM tests (albeit sadly only recorded on a mono VCR, so we don't get the second track)
I wonder what application the IBA had in mind for dual language transmissions? The only place at the time that would be able to make use of it was S4C
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Did Channel 4 used to show foreign language films? That could have been a use for it, I guess.
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(01-10-2023, 10:59 PM)James2001 Wrote: Did Channel 4 used to show foreign language films? That could have been a use for it, I guess.
Used to be fairly regularly in the 90s and 00s, and still does on Film 4.