[Stooky Bill]

This thread is really interesting… right up my street! This might be a teeny bit OT, but it’s relevant…. I’m aware TV-am was fed directly to the TX sites outside of the main ITV distribution network… however who made the decision for it to be transmitted that way? Was it a IBA requirement? Surely it would have been easier for TV-am just to be fed to the ITV companies and they could then handle regional advertising for them etc? And I believe GMTV had its own way of transmission as well, albeit linked to the local companies? Anyone able to shed some light?

Remember the ITV companies in those days weren't broadcasters as such, they were programme contractors. They supplied their output to the IBA who transmitted it. So when it was on air it was fed directly to the IBAs transmitters, when the regional companies were in air they were instead. This is why they were franchises, not licenses

Part of the idea was to increase plurality of news and programme provison and get a contractor that was new. I can't remember if ITN or any of the ITV companies were involved in bidding for the franchise but I imagine if the breakfast franchise was from within ITV they might have made use of ITVs facilities. I think there was some antipathy towards TVam at the start


Of course going forward to 1993 and the IBA was gone and GMTV was part owned by an ITV company. They got the ITV companies to supply news for them and so the easiest way to do this was for GMTV to pass through them.

My understanding is that LNN put out several versions of GMTV with different adverts, these went to each ITV company, but not through their presentation area. Instead it passed through the news gallery who opted out for the bulletins. At 9:25 the regional companies presentation areas were switched back into line