CERTAIN factors have had to be met in our proposals to the Pilkington Committee.

The first one we must face is that the people of this country have spent somewhere around about £1,000,000,000 [£19.7bn in today’s money, allowing for inflation – Ed] in buying themselves TV receivers on the 405-line standard.

The Television Advisory Committee, however, recommend that the 625-line transmission offers worthwhile improvements in quality over the present British 405-line transmission. It has other advantages too.

Therefore it seemed to ATV that we should make what contribution we could to the development of television as a whole in this country over the next ten years.

This Company has said in three Annual Reports in succession that we do not like finding ourselves occupying a monopoly position and that we would welcome competition.

So one of the things we feel is that, as there is an available channel in Band III, it should be opened up for an alternative and competitive independent television service.

Competitive Service

Now we, as a Company, do not favour the idea that this third available channel in Band III should be given to the BBC. The BBC has already said that it would require a licence of at least £5 [£100] if it is to operate an additional service.

We see no reason why the public should pay more and we see every reason why true competition should be introduced in the independent television field.

Monopoly situation

We are perfectly prepared to face competition. But we are going a good deal further than that. Although this answers the objection to a monopoly situation, it doesn’t even begin to take care of the technical advancement to 625 lines. And unless we advance to 625 lines we shall be lagging behind the whole rest of the world.

Therefore we must find some way of taking care of this. There are two ways of doing it.

We are perfectly ready to pay the necessary costs to the ITA for a new set of 625-line transmitters in Bands IV and V to carry a 625-line service as well.

In other words:

1. ATV is ready to face competition.

2. ATV is also ready to institute a 625-line system in Bands IV and V.

That is one proposal. But we don’t by any means limit it to that.

Again we are prepared, within that four hours, to put out one hour of colour per day in Bands IV and V.

This means that, as the situation remains at this moment, ATV is openly inviting competition and we also want to get into 625 lines because the future of television in the country as a whole depends upon it.

Now let’s meet the members

THE Pilkington Committee was set up last autumn to consider the future of radio and television in Britain.

Its terms of reference included: To advise on the services which should in future be provided in the United Kingdom by the BBC and ITA; to recommend whether additional services should be provided by any other organisation: and to propose what financial and other conditions should apply to the conduct of all these services.

The Chairman is industrialist Sir Harry Pilkington and the members include: Mr. H. Collison, General Secretary of the National Union of Agricultural Workers; Mr. Elwyn Davies, secretary of the University of Wales; actress Joyce Grenfell; Richard Hoggart, lecturer in English at Leicester University; Mr. E. P. Hudson, managing director, Scottish Agricultural Industries Ltd.; Mr. J. S. Shields, headmaster of Peter Symonds’ School, Winchester; Dr. R. L. Smith-Rose, Director of Radio Research in the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research; Mrs. Elizabeth Whitley, Vice-Chairman of the Association of Girls’ Clubs and Mixed Clubs; Billy Wright, the footballer; and Professor F. H. Newark, Professor of Jurisprudence, Queen’s University, Belfast.

The post What we’ve told the Pilkington Committee… AND WHY appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

JUST what is ITC and what does it do? One of the vagaries of ATV House is that there is no ground floor through-way between the eastern and western halves of the building. Maybe this is one of the reasons so many members of ATV themselves have little idea of what is happening in the western sector, occupied by ITC.

The initials stand for Incorporated Television Company.

It is a wholly owned subsidiary of ATV , and it has a dual function.

ITC is responsible for all the film series — such as “William Tell”, “The Invisible Man”, “Danger Man”, “Supercar” and “Sir Francis Drake” — for ATV. It is also responsible for the sales of all ATV-produced programmes throughout the world.

The ATV organisation leads the way in the international sales of television product, through ITC, London and ITC (Independent Television Corporation) New York, the latter with a team of salesmen selling to stations throughout America and covering the Western hemisphere. The company has agents in Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Thailand, Japan, Manilla, Canada and Australia, as well as many others. It is the largest integrated organisation in the world for the distribution of TV programmes.

All over the world people are watching ATV. Overseas sales of the Company’s products, through its subsidiary ITC, now exceed 3,750 different programmes.

We are therefore playing an important part in Britain’s export trade, bringing into the country much needed foreign currency — a fact which is all too frequently forgotten by our critics.

PIONEERING

ATV decided six years ago to make a long-term investment by planning to break into world markets almost before they existed. Even today, the full potential has by no means been reached. Almost every week, new television stations are being opened in various parts of the globe.

It was obvious that television film series could not be made as economic propositions for showing only in our country. To get their money back, they would have to penetrate markets which would come into existence in the years to follow. The production of these series therefore represented a heavy ATV investment in the future.

This pioneering has resulted in an organisation which is now taking ATV programmes to almost every country.

The “Adventures of Robin Hood” series first broke the ice in smashing into the American market. More recently, our “Danger Man” series has won a new regard for British-made product in the United States and elsewhere, and “Sir Francis Drake” has just been bought for peak-hour network showing by N.B.C.

“Supercar” is also enjoying phenomenal and rapidly increasing success in America, with the result that ITC has just embarked on a new puppet series. “Fireball XL-5”, which is being produced by the “Supercar” team.

Mike Nidorf, president of ITC in America, is now visiting London, and is more enthusiastic than ever about the future of our product in the States. “It’s a hard battle”, he points out, “The American attitude is, ‘We’ve got enough of our own mediocre material without having to take any from other countries. But give us something that’s really good, and we’ll be glad to take it’. They are so pleased with ‘Supercar’ and ‘Danger Man’ that we now have greater opportunities than ever. From what I can judge of ‘Man of the World’, ‘The Saint’ and ‘Fireball’, we’ll really be going into orbit this year!”

“Man of the World” is now in production at Shepperton Studios with Craig Stevens starring, and “The Saint”, with Roger Moore in the title role, is being made at the ABPC Studios, Elstree. Both are one-hour shows of twenty-six episodes.

DUBBED

Many of our programmes are “dubbed” into French, Spanish, German, Portuguese and Italian.

Our shows can be seen on TV screens in such areas as Arabia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bermuda, Canada, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Gibraltar, Holland, Hong Kong, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Luxembourg, Malta, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Poland, the Philippines, Portugal, Spain, Rhodesia, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Yugoslavia, Monaco and Czechoslovakia.

The adventures of John Drake in “Danger Man” are being followed just as avidly in such countries as Sweden, Poland, Germany and Portugal as they are in Britain. In Thailand the children are enjoying “Noddy in Toyland”. In Egypt and Japan they thrill to the adventures of William Tell.

DOCUMENTARIES

Sales abroad are not restricted to fictional TV programmes. Several of the documentaries we have made are being shown on overseas screens. Australia, Finland, Germany, Hong-Kong, Hungary, Malta, Norway and Sweden have all bought the brilliant documentary ATV producer James Bredin made in South America earlier this year.

ITC is right on the spot wherever new stations are opened, as with the new one at Lagos, Nigeria; another in Northern Rhodesia; one in Malta, and another in Gibraltar; and the soon-to-be-opened stations in Sierra Leone, Trinidad, and Nairobi. Australia has plans for several new stations as well.

If you’re working on programmes for ATV, don’t imagine that only home audiences are going to see them. You’re making them for viewers right the way round the world!

Our other interests

&nsbp;

THE work of ITC is only one of the ways in which the Company has been able to diversify its interests beyond that of being television contractor for London at the weekends and the Midlands, Monday to Friday.

Other companies in which ATV is concerned include:

ATV (Australia) Pty. Ltd.: This is a wholly owned subsidiary which has been operating for nearly four years in Sydney. It has holdings in seven radio stations and participates in the Australia-wide Macquarie Radio Network. Through a subsidiary called Artransa radio programmes are produced and sold in many countries outside Australia. ATV (Australia) also has interests in eight television stations in places such as Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane.

Planned Musk Ltd.: All over Britain people in offices, factories, shops and restaurants are listening every day to Muzak — a selected programme of music piped to them direct from several centres which have been set up. This company was started as an ATV subsidiary over three years ago.

Pye Records Ltd.: The Company owns 50 per cent of this, the third largest record company in the country.

British Relay Wireless & Television: ATV has more than two million shares in this company which serves 17 metropolitan boroughs in London with wired TV and radio and has networks covering extensive areas of the West Midlands, Yorkshire and Scotland. Big plans for participation in coin-in-the-slot TV, when permitted by law, have recently been announced by BRW.

Canastel Broadcasting Co. Ltd.: A wholly owned company in Halifax, Nova Scotia which has investments in radio and television stations at Halifax and in a Vancouver TV station, and also the company which supervises the networking of programmes in Canada.

Ambassador Bowling Ltd.: This company has been formed to cater for the ten-pin bowling enthusiasts. A centre has been opened at Ipswich and another will shortly come into operation at Stevenage, Herts. Other centres are also planned.

The post World Sales for our Shows appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

⏺ THE editing of video-tape is a vital part of TV production these days, with the vast majority of programmes going on to Ampex before they reach the public’s screens. Editing tape is a highly skilled operation — there are probably less than a dozen men in the country who can do it. A striking example of editing at its most intricate was the Charlie Drake Show series, which was literally “cut up into little bits and put together again” in six complete shows. We asked JOHNNY FIELDER, Video-Tape Editor, to unfold the mysteries of his work for us.

VIDEO-TAPE was first introduced as a means of carrying television pictures way back in 1956. Due to the vast size of America with time differences from coast to coast there was a great demand for a new system of recording and replaying television shows.

A system had to be devised which would ensure not only excellent production but it also had to be technically possible to replay the tape immediately after recording.

Video-tape made all this possible. Its invention enabled shows to be recorded in peak viewing hours in thousands of miles to other states, as well as Canada. Each state thus receive top shows at their own peak viewing time.

The introduction of videotape machines into this country followed soon afterwards.

The machine itself looks like an overgrown orthodox tape machine with large spools to carry two-inch-wide tape, the tape passing the heads at 15.6 inches per second. The videohead, which records and replays picture, has four separate heads embedded in a disc rotating at 250 revolutions per second. The sound head is displaced by nine inch or .6 second in front of picture. Approximate cost of this machine is £25,000 [£461,000 in today’s money, allowing for inflation – Ed].

It wasn’t long before it was realised that the ability to edit this tape would be an advantage, and the necessary techniques were developed.

The actual editing of videotape which contains sound and vision (married print sound in front of vision) needs some thinking about, since you can’t see by holding it up to the light.

While the tape is playing on the machine a picture is displayed on the monitor. You have to select your cut while playing, stop, run back and play again. But, this time, the machine is stopped at the point of the cut.

This point is marked, run back and played again, this time checking that when the mark reaches the video-head to coincide with the selected cutting point.

Of course the sound track will help you for this can be heard by rocking back and forward over the sound head. If it is a musical cut of which there were quite a few in the Charlie Drake shows then the edit must be made to the sound track.

Nowadays a tape can be reused with edits in it after it has been through a test recording over the cuts, but obviously too many cuts make the tape unusable.

The Charlie Drake shows produced by Colin Clews were recorded in sections. There were 178 segments of which between 25-30 were put into each show. After it was decided which piece was to go where, the show was then split into two reels, one reel carrying all the odds the other evens.

Here Colin Clews, with his production team, wiped from reel to reel.

All this was then recorded on yet another machine, giving the final result of a new TV show presented in a new way.

The post Johnny has got ’em all taped appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

A FINE tribute to the work of the Company’s Graphic Design Department appears in “Gebrauchs Graphic”, the journal of International Advertising Art.

Here are some extracts from the article, which is printed in three languages:

“Today, only a few years after the start of commercial television in Great Britain, there are already remarkable results to be seen in the graphic design work of these companies. This is clearly shown by the work of Associated TeleVision.

“ATV use only their own highly skilled staff for all graphic design requirements. The standard of the ATV work… results from great co-operation between staff.

“The graphic designers of ATV work under the supervision of Bob Wainright, in his position a link between production, stage and graphic design. Under the hands of his collaborators the wishes of the producers, which arrive as a typed order, are shaped into good graphic design.

“Remarkable is the skilful intermarriage between pictorial and lettering elements of the designs, more so as television demands so much on such a small area in such a short time.

“To achieve, under these conditions, a high standard of work, the graphic designers of ATV often work as a team, each member of the team again specialising in a particular field, like lettering, illustration, cartoon or symbolic design.

“For such work even an experienced graphic designer will need some conditioning. For this reason it is to be welcomed that some staff designers of the ATV graphic design studio, together with colleagues of other TV companies, have declared themselves willing to pass on their experience in evening classes to be held in the School of Graphic Design of the LCC Central School of Arts and Crafts, London.”

SOME EXAMPLES of the Department’s work which are reproduced in the magazine. They include titles for TV programmes, phases from the TV play “The Glove” and the children’s play “The Secret of the Nubian Tomb”. They are the work of Colin Cheeseman and Jerome Gask.

The post Success for graphic design appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

THE big news this month is the tremendous success which we are having with our Supercar series in overseas sales.

The programme started on Station WPIX in New York in January and achieved a rating of 15.6 — much higher than any other show on the air at the same time. The C.B.S. show in opposition had a rating of 9.6; N.B.C was 3.7.

So far, our U.S. sales have grossed 600,000 dollars [about $6.3m in today’s money, allowing for inflation – Ed] and we have just completed another regional sale which will soon bring Supercar’s earnings into the 1,000,000 dollar [$10.5m] bracket.

The series is also being shown in such countries as Canada, Australia, Italy, Portugal and Japan.

This is the first British-made puppet series to crash the world market in this way. The original idea was put to us by a team of four film technicians — Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, Reg Hill and John Read.

They showed us — in book form — a lay-out for the show with artists’ drawings of Mike Mercury, Supercar and the rest of the characters. Lew Grade was enthusiastic from the start — and we agreed to put up the money.

The series is produced by Gerry Anderson, 32 — his wife Sylvia is script editor and provides the voice of Jimmy and all the female parts. Actors and actresses speak for the rest of the puppets.

Art director Reg Hill, who designed Supercar itself, is in charge of all the sets and John Read is the chief cameraman.

A WEEK TO FILM

Each Supercar episode takes a week to film, followed by three months editing. A crew of 60 film technicians work on the programme and nine puppeteers under the direction of Christine Glanville and Mary Turner.

Making these half-hour Supercar films is a most involved and complex business — much more elaborate than any previous puppet series.

The Slough studios, where they are filmed, uses overhead gantries; three dimensional sets; revolving stages; back projection and special electronic equipment to enable the puppets to talk.

Two models of Supercar are used — one is seven feet long and the other, for trick flying shots, is 18 inches. Mike Mercury himself is 22 inches high.

Thirty-nine episodes have been filmed so far and we will soon be starting on a new series.

The success of Supercar as a TV series has, in fact, been as swift as one of Supercar’s flights on the screen. Fast going indeed.

The post Supercar’s big success – the inside story… appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

THE opening ceremony of our new studios at Elstree went off successfully, although I am sure that many members of the staff will regret the lost opportunity to show our guests the new studios in full operation. The lost opportunity arose through the action of some members of the ACTT [Association of Cinematograph, Television and Allied Technicians – Ed], and it is my view that the staff of the Company deserve a factual account of the events which involved the stoppages on this important day in the Company’s history.

On February 21, the Company and the union reached agreement on a number of issues raised by the union. Minutes were agreed recording the settlement, and a document issued by the union to its members listed the matters which were agreed, describing the whole as “a satisfactory settlement on the outstanding issues”.

The Company implemented all the decisions.

Without notice to the Company, certain ACTT members left their jobs at the Elstree Studios on the afternoon of Thursday, April 6 to hold a meeting.

This meeting passed a resolution which expressed “bitter disappointment at the Company’s failure to honour the agreement reached following the recent negotiations” and empowered the committee “to take further action to bring about a settlement”.

The committee referred to in the resolution was the ATV-ACTT shop committee.

Two Upgradings

The “failure to honour the agreement” proved to be an additional demand that the Company should upgrade immediately two people not mentioned in the agreed minutes recording the settlement reached, or in the document issued by the union to its members.

A meeting between the Company and local union representatives on Thursday evening produced no results other than a clear statement from the Company that it would not in any circumstances negotiate under duress but would deal with issues at any time through the properly agreed procedure.

The Company contacted ACTT’s acting general secretary and arranged a meeting for 10.15 a.m. on Friday.

The ACTT representatives did not arrive until 10.45 a.m. as a result of traffic hold-ups.

While the meeting was proceeding certain ACTT members left their jobs at Elstree Studios to attend another meeting at 11 a.m.

In view of this the Company’s representatives declined to continue the formal meeting until the members of the union had returned to work.

At about 11.45 a.m. work began again, and because of the opening ceremony the Company suggested a resumption of the meeting in the early afternoon.

Official Reception

The union’s acting general secretary told the Company at 12.35 (at the official reception) that unless there was a “gesture” — the concession of one or both of its demands — then work would stop again at 12.45 p.m.. just as the official ceremony was due to start.

The Company could only repeat its insistance [sic] on the need for constitutional procedures in matters of dispute.

Promptly, at 12.45, some members of the ACTT stopped work and during the afternoon some more members at other places of work followed them out.

Members of other unions continued working normally, and apart from the loss of “Emergency — Ward 10”, ATV maintained its full service to the public.

Successful Opening

Early Friday evening, an informal meeting with union representatives was held at which members of the shop committee stated that they would NOT use constitutional procedures in this matter.

The Company’s representatives could only reply that they were willing to hold themselves in readiness for negotiations as soon as the strike was called off. The union’s acting general secretary did not attend this meeting.

Later the same evening members of management met to ensure that ATV’s service to the public would continue. The Company also issued an assurance of its support both now and in the future for those employees in ACTT grades who remained loyal to the Company.

Talks Resumed

By Saturday morning the Management had perfected its plans to continue transmitting its programmes without a break until the morning of Sunday, April 9th, when the strikers resumed work. In the meantime, the Company had publicly announced that “Sunday Night at the London Palladium”wouldgo out as advertised. No further meetings took place until 4.15 p.m. when, at the request of the union, the informal talks were resumed.

These continued until about 10.15 p.m. Afterwards the following joint press statement was issued:

“As a result of informal talks between ATV and ACTT the members now on strike within the Company will resume work tomorrow, when official talks will take place immediately.

“There will be an early meeting next week seeking to resolve outstanding problems. The union and the Company both dissociate themselves from statements which have implied a lack of good faith between us. Both parties look to a more constructive relationship in the future.”

Throughout this Saturday evening the Company was heartened to know that all the other programme contractors supported ATV and transmitted its programmes except ABC Television which decided to put out its own re-arranged programming.

Normal Lines

Since the end of the stoppage, negotiations with the ACTT have proceeded on normal lines. On the morning of Sunday April 9, an agreement was reached for an independent inquirer to determine the grades of the two people about which the Company had earlier been accused of failing to honour its agreement.

Other decisions included a no-victimisation clause to be applied on both sides, and an insistence on talks with the union designed to improve local negotiating procedure within the framework of the national agreement.

Subsequently ATV put forward the names of three leading trade union officials to act as inquirers. One of these was free to conduct the independent inquiry and this gentleman was accepted by ACTT. The inquiry resulted in a finding that neither upgrading demanded by the union should take place immediately but should be deferred in each case.

These are the facts and I want every member of the staff to be aware of them.

I also want to take the opportunity of thanking, on behalf of ATV, those loyal employees who did not break their agreements but helped the Company to maintain its television service to the public.

VAL PARNELL
Managing Director

The post The facts behind the Elstree studio strike appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

Since he came over from Hollywood to star in the Company’s series of 26 hour-long TV films based on the Leslie Charteris fictional hero, Roger Moore has been featured in hundreds of magazines and newspapers ranging from “Roxy” to the half-crown glossies. Yvonne has been the link between Roger and the journalists.

In this article, Yvonne (pictured below with Roger) tells you what it has been like…

FOR the past 12 months my work-a-day activities have been mainly centred around “The Saint” series and consequently ROGER MOORE. In fact by now I think I must know more about this handsome British actor than his own family do.

Constant studio visits, press interviews, lunches, cocktails and photographic sessions have given me the opportunity to form a very clear picture of this television idol—a picture that is not visible to the average “Saint” viewer.

In my opinion the suave, sophisticated figure of Simon Templar is in fact Roger Moore with a new career.

In Leslie Charteris’ own words “The Saint” a roaring adventurer who loves a fight … a dashing dare-devil, imperturbable, debonair, preposterously handsome”.

FAST CARS

He loves fast cars, abhors badly cooked food and inefficiency. At times I wonder whether he was speaking of the fictional Simon Templar or the actor Roger Moore — as these words befit Roger as if they were written for him.

FIRST MEETING

My first meeting with Roger was in a taxi on the way to a lunch interview with a member of the press. As my latest memories of him were as Beau Maverick in the western series I suppose sub-consciously I was expecting a good-looking American-speaking cowboy, toting gun and stetson.

ASTOUNDED

Instead I was astounded to discover an impeccably dressed, cigarette-smoking Englishman, not toting a gun but a cellophane box containing an orchid which was gallantly handed to me in the most gentlemanly fashion.

Over my initial surprise, we all settled down to a hilarious lunch. Hilarious from the point of view that Roger has a very infectious sense of humour and not only were we entertained but it was noticeable that nearby tables were also affected.

The reporter almost forgot he was there for a story until I reminded him about the time. Well, he went back to the office with his story, rescued between quips, and I returned with a large box of chocolates, the orchid and a souvenir guardsman which Roger insisted on buying me from the confectioners next door. This now stands in a place of honour on my desk.

WON OVER

So much for our first meeting. From that moment I was won over. Of course it might have been the gifts that helped — being the early days of our relationship — but as the months passed I found the first impressions of Roger were proving to be correct.

Although they will never admit it, I believe that women both young and old enjoy feeling important in the presence of the opposite sex.

With Roger Moore around you are made to feel like a queen with every rule in the book of etiquette being put to use, from walking on the right side of the pavement, opening the door for you, your arm crossing the road, to the flick of his lighter for your cigarette.

Perhaps all this is just to create a first impression? Women journalists have said to me “Is he always like this or is it just because I’m a stranger?” All I can answer is “I’ve never known him to act differently during the time I’ve known him”.

EXCHANGING JOKES

To walk on the set during break in filming a visitor would have difficulty singling him out from the ordinary workers. He can generally be found clutching a huge mug of tea among a group of jolly cockney scene-shifters and prop men, exchanging jokes.

So the easiest thing to do is wait for peels of laughter then head in their direction.

Nine out of ten times you will find Roger amidst it all. I have been associated with many film productions in the past but can genuinely say I have never known a happier crew/actor relationship as that which exists on “The Saint” production stages.

RENOWNED

The film world is renowned for its stories of artists temperaments and tantrums on the set. This I have never witnessed from Roger Moore, in fact I have never even known him to be in a bad mood.

Obviously we all have our ‘down’ days as must he. Generally we find ourselves taking it out on other people, but not in his case unless it is something directly associated with production.

His outlook on life is ‘live and let live’. He’s always ready to give a helping hand or a word of praise to those around him. But he is equally ready to speak his mind on things which don’t please him.

In conclusion I feel all I can say is that “it’s hectic but a pleasure working in the shadow of such a perfect saint”.

The post In the shadow of The Saint appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

Edward J. Roth brings to ATV experience of working in television in four different countries.

Since he was demobilised as a Sergeant from the United States Marines there have been very few days when this tall — 6ft. 4ins. — American from Boston, Massachusetts, has not turned his hand to some job in television or radio.

On the way up from writing radio scripts to becoming No. 1 executive of a country’s TV and radio — he was Director General of Eire’s TV and radio until joining ATV — he has also gained academic qualifications in the communicative arts, receiving his Bachelor of Science degree from Boston University and becoming a Master of Arts at Columbia. He also gained an Encyclopaedia Britannica scholarship to Penn. State University.

In TV he has been producer, director, floor manager, programme controller, camera-man, sound technician, projectionist and script writer before becoming an executive.

EARLY DAYS

But he started work as a newspaper delivery boy while still at High School. It wasn’t that he liked the job — he just needed the money to continue his education. When the war started he worked as a plumber’s mate in the dockyards, helping refit the destroyers which the United States sent to Britain in the early days of Lease-Lend.

His ambition was to get into the Air Corps but his eyesight was faulty. He saw double owing to a muscle defect and to correct it he wore thick lensed glasses. The glasses did the trick, strengthened the muscles of his eye and eventually he was accepted in the Air Corps and trained for his pilot’s licence.

ACTIVE SERVICE

Later he joined the Marines and went into action in the Solomon Islands. His squadron received commendation after taking part in twenty-one bombing missions in a month.

October 31, 1945 (“I remember the date, even the exact time”) saw the buck sergeant back into civilian clothes again.

He went to Boston University in the day time and Harvard at night. And in what spare time he had, he worked as a mail sorter. After two years studying he received his Bachelor of Science degree. During this time he got his first working knowledge of radio, writing scripts on juvenile delinquency for a series made in co-operation with the FBI and also working on a newsboys’ programme. He continued his studies and in 1950 obtained his Master of Arts degree at Columbia University. Then came a brief stint working at Paramount News in New York and a period working as associated producer on two half-hour motion pictures.

INTO TV

In January 1951 Mr Roth joined the National Broadcasting Corporation of America. His first paycheque he used to meet the maternity hospital bill when his wife Kathleen presented him with their first child, Maureen, a month later.

There followed a succession of jobs for NBC either as a stage manager or associate director. He also produced news and public affairs programmes, and directed baseball OBs.

In 1955 Mr Roth went on behalf of NBC to Notre Dame University in Indiana to start a TV station [WNDU-TV – Ed] that was to become one of the best-known and most highly respected in the United States. He also taught at the university, assisting in the development of their communication arts (TV, radio and films) programme.

Two years in Chicago as programme manager followed on Station WGN (World’s Greatest Newspaper) which was on the air for 20 hours a day, the biggest independent TV station in America with no network.

It was around this time that Mr Roth became interested in international TV and in 1959 he was sent by NBC to help establish a station for Lima in Peru, where he stayed for one year. His work completed, he moved to Mexico City to do the same there, setting up the first two independent stations in the country, one in Guadalajara, the other in Monterrey.

MOVE TO EIRE

When Southern Ireland decided to have television they called in Mr Roth from across the Atlantic. He came with his wife and four children. Only the need to find a house in or around London keeps them all from crossing the Irish Sea, but Mr Roth hopes to solve this problem soon and bring his family; Maureen, now 12, Edward J. III, 10, Bridget, 5 and Lourdes, 2, and his wife Kathleen to England.

Hobbies: “I’ve never really had the time to get into any hobby. I played hockey and football at school.

Reading: At present anything from Variety and TV Times to “Anatomy of Britain”.

Religion: Roman Catholic. Politics: Democrat. He was director of the party’s public relations in Massachusetts and ran a radio campaign for Truman there in 1948.

“I am extremely pleased about joining ATV to work with Mr Grade. Both ATV and Mr Grade have international reputations, so you may well imagine how excited I was when Mr Grade asked me to join him and work for a company of which I had heard such a great deal on both sides of the Atlantic”.

The post Introducing Edward J. Roth, Deputy Managing Director appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

TELEVISION history was made last month—and ATV helped to make it, writes NORMAN HARE. Operation Telstar—providing a TV link across the Atlantic has proved, without any doubt, that when it comes to the big occasion ATV can meet it. In the many thousands of words which have been written about the occasion little mention has been made of the ITV contributions to its success. And because of an agreement between the companies not to seek individual publicity, no mention at all has been made of the skilled operators and facilities provided by ATV.

On the memorable Monday night when viewers in the United States looked-in on Europe, ATV provided the major contribution to the British programme.

An Outside Broadcasts unit was in Cornwall televising the launching of The Lizard lifeboat and another was in London providing night scenes with the Houses of Parliament as the focus of attention.

Tony Flanagan was the producer in charge in Cornwall with John Appleby as supervisory engineer. The pictures were fed into the GPO transmitter at Goonhilly in two “hops” by Links Dept men under Harry Angus.

Steve Wade produced the Company’s contribution in London with “Tiny” Crane in charge of engineering.

Sharing overall production responsibility with a BBC man in the whole of the London ITV/BBC contribution was Alan Chivers and at the nerve centre — the International Control Room at the BBC — sat Bill Ward and Len Mathews, the two men who, more than any others in ITV, had contributed towards the success of the operation. On the nights of the experimental transmissions and receptions, July 10-11, Company facilities were also used.

John Harrison was at Goonhilly operating the Mobile Ampex recording unit and put on record that first flickering picture which excited millions of viewers who had stayed up until lam to see the experiment. In the back of the van was the sound equipment which brought to ITV viewers the voice of Ian Trethowan the commentator. Here, John Appleby was in charge.

A behind-the-scenes crisis occurred when the rotary converter which the Company had sent to Goonhilly showed a bearing fault.

Without this aid the conversion from the English 50 cycles to the American 60 cycles would have been impossible and this would have placed the whole Telstar operation in jeopardy, so far as British participation was concerned.

An emergency call to London got our new diesel generator on the road heading for Cornwall as quickly as it could be driven by Geoffrey Humbling, accompanied by fitter Eric Griffiths. They left at teatime on Monday, drove 332 miles through the night and arrived at Goonhilly at 10 am on the Tuesday when Telstar went into orbit. They were later joined by fitter-driver Cyril Penfold.

Another ATV contribution to Telstar was the 20-minute film produced by Phil Wrestler and shown to viewers on both the Tuesday and Wednesday nights of the experiment.

Cameramen were Alan Harries and Mike Whittcutt at Westminster and Dave Higgon at The Lizard. Sound was handled by Ron Harding at The Lizard and Len Penfold, John Parker and Dave Ashley-Smith at Westminster. The backroom staff:— Dave Haley (Managing Engineer, Communications), Freddie Dix (Managing Engineer, OBs), Ross Compton (OB Planning Manager), Brian Longman and Ralph Taylor.

The post This team helped to make history appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

• Last time we told how Val Parnell brought modern quick-fire variety to the London Palladium for the first time and then, after the war, started a season of international variety . . .

FIRST American to top the bill under the new regime at the London Palladium was Mickey Rooney. But Mr Rooney failed to please either the public or the critics. Yet, if he had heeded “The Guv’nor’s” advice the story might have been very different.

At the Monday morning run through, showman Val sat in the empty stalls and watched Rooney run through his act. He crammed in everything—singing, dancing, playing drums and a few impressions.

“You’re doing too much”, Val Parnell told him. “Your act lacks cohesion. It’s too scrappy, much better to slow it down”.

But the star from Hollywood thought he knew better . . .

Another American artist who didn’t do too well was the comedian Jack Carson. His opening night was hardly a success. This was largely due to his insistence on including comedy material which Mr Parnell told him would have little appeal to London audiences. Afterwards he changed it and had a much better reception.

CHARLES HENRY’S PUSH

After congratulating Danny the Marquis said he thought his cousins would also like to see the show. Danny, not realising who they were, said “Sure, bring them along”.

And they came, too — Princess Elizabeth and Princess Margaret. They brought their parents along as well — the King and Queen. Val Parnell was there to welcome them, the first time a reigning monarch had ever been to an ordinary music-hall performance and the first time Royalty had sat in the stalls with the paying public.

But Val Parnell not only brought vaudeville back to London, but according to Jack Benny he did the same for New York too.

Writing about Val Parnell in “The Hollywood Reporter”, Mr Benny has pointed out that the fabulous success of the variety seasons at the London Palladium were also responsible for the reopening of the Palace Theatre, New York, as a vaudeville house with Judy Garland topping the bill and Max Bygraves in support.

MAX’S CHANCE

Judy Garland was the most nervous star. She was so frightened on her opening night that Charles Henry, Val Parnell’s production manager who still assists him in our “Sunday Night at the London Palladium” series, had to push her on the stage from the wings.

Another nervous performer — Danny Kaye.

“A great worrier beforehand”, says Mr Parnell, “and until he got started, a bundle of nerves. But from that moment on he was terrific”.

Danny Kaye was Val Parnell’s biggest success. He followed Mickey Rooney into the London Palladium in the summer of 1948 and certainly did more than any other performer to establish the London Palladium as the great Mecca of international vaudeville.

On the second night of his opening, Vai Parnell took the Marquis of Milford Haven back stage to meet the American star. The theatre had been packed and the Marquis had seen the show standing at the back of the circle.

It was “V.P.” who gave Max his first big chance too, putting him into the Palladium to deputise for Ted Ray. And he found Ted Ray at the Palace, Luton, giving him a free pass for the Palladium so that he could watch other performers, improve his style.

Peggy Mount came down from Wolverhampton Rep. to audition for the role of the witch in a Palladium pantomine. She was so good that Vai Parnell gave her the job on the spot—after the dress rehearsal increased her salary. It was her first West End part.

LAS VEGAS

The fame of the Palladium bills even reached Las Vegas. The year before ITV started “The Guv’nor” took a party of British performers for a six weeks season at the Desert Inn. They were billed as “Palladium Varieties” and offered a typical London Palladium show — slick and fast moving with twelve acts on the bill.

On opening night, the manager of the Desert Inn took Mr Parnell aside.

“You’ve too many acts, you’ll run overtime” he told him.

“How much do you bet?” Val Parnell replied.

“I bet you 200 bucks [$2,300 in today’s money, allowing for inflation – Ed] you don’t get through the show under ninety minutes”, said the manager.

WITH A SMILE

The two men shook hands and when Val’s “Palladium Varieties” closed in seventy-five minutes the American paid up with a smile. He didn’t want his customers kept away too long from those gaming tables.

This, then, is something of the show business background to ATV’s Val Parnell.

In the world of British entertainment, his position is unique.

And it was only natural that when Lew Grade — then a variety agent — foresaw the possibilities of commercial television he should seek the help of the man for whom he had supplied so many of the star acts for the London Palladium and the Moss circuit.

“Val” he told him over the phone “You’re in commercial television”.

“But — what’s all this Lew?” asked Val.

“Don’t argue” said Lew “Leslie (his brother) and I are forming a company to apply for a TV licence … and we want you in with us”.

Val Parnell asked for more details — and agreed. But a few minutes later he was back on the phone … to Lew.

“Lew, there’s a snag in this” he told him “I’ve an exclusive contract with Moss Empires and I’ll have to get an okay from that Board”.

This was obtained and it followed that when Moss Empires finally entered the commercial television field in 1953 through its shareholding in ATV, Val Parnell was put on the TV Board. A few months later he was asked by the Board to take over the managing directorship of the company with Lew Grade as his deputy. Things remained this way until last year when he resigned as Managing Director.

But, as he has already indicated, Val Parnell will still be with us … as executive producer of his “Sunday Night at the London Palladium” series and he also retains his seat on ATV’s Board.

Writing in the Daily Mirror at the time his resignation was announced, Clifford Davis called Mr Parnell “The Last of the Great Showmen”.

I can’t think of a better description … or a finer tribute.

The post The Val Parnell Story: When Judy Garland had to be pushed on… appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

Last time we described how Val Parnell rose from 5s-a-week office boy to become General Manager of the vast Moss Empires theatrical concern.

Since then, right up to the time he joined ATV as full time Managing Director five years ago, he booked every act for the Palladium and he built up Moss Empires into the world’s biggest chain of live theatres controlling not only the Palladium but 30 other theatres and music halls.

At that time, the Palladium was a cinema — and losing money. Parnell persuaded his board to let him bring his Birmingham policy to the London Palladium.

At the start, it was far from easy. Parnell’s biggest competitor was the Stoll circuit. As well as his provincial theatres. Sir Oswald Stoll [his granddaughter, Yvonne, works in ATV’s Press Office] also ran the London Coliseum and the Alhambra in Leicester Square (the latter site is now filled by the Odeon).

Sir Oswald presented the cream of the international variety talent available. And again he operated barring clauses to prevent Parnell from booking their acts.

TO SMASH STOLL

Parnell set out to smash the Stoll circuit’s grip on the West End music-hall – and he did. He found his own acts and whenever a Stoll artist was available he booked him for Moss Empires.

Gradually the Palladium bills began to outshine those of the Coliseum and Alhambra. Acts that Stoll booked to top the Coliseum bill on their own appeared at the Palladium in support of other performers.

Parnell used the same techniques he had used at Birmingham. He booked many more acts per programme. And the performers had to cut their material, streamline their routines. In most cases Parnell did it for them.

The West End was offered modern, quick fire variety at the London Palladium for the first time. And you could get a reserved scat in the back of the ground floor for only 2/6 [12½p in decimal, about £7 in today’s money, allowing for inflation – Ed] and up in the top balcony a reserved numbered seat for 1/- [5p in decimal, about £3 in today’s money, allowing for inflation – Ed].

He found new stars too. Older music-hall patrons will remember Billy Bennett. “The Guv’nor”, as Parnell was called, gave him his bill matter of “Almost A Gentleman”. He also wrote some of his songs. He found and brought to stardom Layton and Johnstone; Sid Field and Max Miller and many more.

NO HOLIDAY

And the same judgment which was in later years to launch Bruce Forsyth and Norman Vaughan also brought the Crazy Gang into being. This was in 1931 and “V.P.”, busy booking weekly variety bills, found he hadn’t time for a holiday.

So he had the idea of putting a show into the Palladium which could run for more than one week — to enable him to get away to the seaside.

The first Crazy Show featured Nervo and Knox, Naughton and Gold and a husband and wife comedy team Billy Caryll and Hilda Mundy.

Parnell had some trouble persuading Nervo and Knox to appear with Naughton and Gold – there had been a row between them over “stealing” material. At the Monday morning band call the trouble flared up again and Parnell had to go down to the theatre to make peace between them.

Parnell gave the comics a free hand to get laughs. They were joined by the comedy juggler Eddie Gray (Parnell also gave him his “Monsewer” title) and later Flanagan and Allen were added to the team.

FLANAGAN & ALLEN

Parnell brought Bud Flanagan and Chesney Allen as unknown comics to the Holborn Empire where they were an immediate and sensational hit—he later added them to the Crazy Gang and Bud Flanagan (Allen having retired) stayed with the Gang until its recent break up.

One of Parnell’s first Palladium revues after the war was “High Time” with Tessie O’Shea. Jewell and Warris and Nat Jackley.

Tessie O’Shea made her entrance on an elephant but at a matinee performance she was thrown into the orchestra pit. This put Tessie out of the revue for three months — an accident which never would have happened if its trainer had realised the elephant was 12 months pregnant. Six months later she gave birth.

After “High Time”, Val Parnell put in another revue “Here There and Everywhere”. In between he ran five week’s variety — George Formby topping one bill; Laurel and Hardy the other.

JERRY ALLEN’S START

He also turned his attention to the Prince of Wales Theatre — presenting Sid Field in a revue there. This was “Piccadilly Hayride” and it gave a whole crowd of talented newcomers their first West End break—among them Terry-Thomas, Derek Roy and swing organist Jerry Allen, now resident with his trio in our Midlands “Lunch Box” series.

He altered the Hippodrome, so that it could present a floor show type of entertainment “Starlight Roof”.

The stars of “Starlight Roof” were Vic Oliver, Pat Kirkwood and Fred Emney. Among many unknowns, three people were auditioned by him to whom he gave their first Chance in this show. They were Michael Bentine. Jean Carson and Julie Andrews, who was then 12. Bentine offered a comedy act with a chair back and a rubber plunger; Jean Carson played a cigarette girl and was understudy for Pat Kirkwood. Julie Andrews sang a soprano solo. The show ran for two years.

With three shows running in the West End. Val Parnell began to plan future policy. It was then he decided to build the London Palladium into the world’s No. 1 vaudeville theatre.

STAR HUNT

To succeed, however, he needed stars — big top of the bill attractions. In January 1946, he flew to New York on his first international star hunt.

But not only stars, he brought back a whole list of good supporting acts — reasoning he had to offer the public something special if he wanted them to pay 14/6 [72½p in decimal, about £22.50 today] for a stalls seat. This is why big time, international variety came to the Palladium under Parnell’s management.

The list of stars who came to appear for him still reads like an international Who’s Who of Show Business… Danny Kaye; Lena Home; Johnny Ray; Bob Hope; Jack Benny; Kay Starr; Guy Mitchell; Dorothy Lamour; Duke Ellington; Grade Fields; Ella Fitzgerald; Edgar Bergen; Martha Raye; Phil Harris; Jean Sablon; Danny Thomas; Betty Hutton; Frank Sinatra; Eddie Fisher; Judy Garland; Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis; Sch-nozzle Durante; Sophie Tucker; Howard Keel; The Andrew Sisters; Tony Martin; Allan Jones; Jo Stafford; Nat “King” Cole; Benny Goodman…

They were all given the star treatment — dressing rooms were redecorated, modernised and the current headliner had his or her name outside the famous No. 1 dressing room — on a brass plate with the date of appearance. The plates were unscrewed — mounted on polished wood and given to them as a souvenir at the end of their engagement.

He booked Katherine Dunham’s Dancers for the Prince of Wales Theatre. One girl in the show also had a small solo spot in which she sang a number. Her name? One of this year’s Royal Variety Show performers — Eartha Kitt.

NEXT TIME: Mickey Rooney’s flop . . . when Charles Henry had to push on Judy Garland . . . Peggy Mount’s début . . . how Max Bygraves got his chance.

The post The Val Parnell Story: Crazy, Gang Crazy! appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

VAL PARNELL gives up his post as our Managing Director this month and will be succeeded by Mr Lew Grade, his Deputy.

He has had a remarkable career — rising from a 5/- a week office boy to holding Managing Directorships of two of Britain’s biggest entertainment organisations — Moss Empires and then ATV.

He built up Moss Empires into the world’s biggest theatre circuit — at one time controlling 30 theatres and music halls.

He has brought the public — first in theatres and then on television — the world’s greatest entertainers. Many of them were unknown performers till “V.P.” gave them their first chance.

He came into commercial television at the start. In 1957 he took over as full time Managing Director of ATV and turned our £1,500,000 losses into a profit.

He will still continue his association with the Company — as Executive Producer of “Sunday Night at the London Palladium” and as a Director of ATV.

But now, for the first time in 57 years, “V.P.” will no longer arrive in a theatrical or television office in the morning for the start of a day’s work …

VAL PARNELL was born into show business.

His father was Fred Russell, a famous top of the bill entertainer and the pioneer of ventriloquism as it is known today.

Fred Russell was the first “vent” to face an audience with a single dummy. Till then, ventriloquists worked with as many as a dozen dolls. Arthur Worsley, Peter Brough and all the others have followed in his footsteps.

REVOLUTIONISED

Years later, it was his son who revolutionised the British Music Hall by streamlining running orders, cutting artistes’ time on the stage and presenting, for the first time. “High Speed Variety” as we know it today.

Val Parnell, born on St Valentine’s Day, was two years old when his father gave up the editorship of the Hackney Gazette to become a full time entertainer with his Pearly King dummy “Coster Joe”.

He had been given a tryout at the Palace Theatre — for £10 [about £1,100 in today’s money, allowing for inflation – Ed]. He did so well he stayed 20 months.

At that time, Victorian England was rocked with a sensational divorce case involving an Irish politician named Parnell and Kitty O’Shea, a married woman. To avoid confusion, Thomas Frederick Parnell became Fred Russell.

For the next 40 years Fred Russell was a star. He was a contemporary of Marie Lloyd, Little Tich, Charles Chaplin—all the great entertainers in the lush golden hey-day of British music-hall.

But conditions were very different to those today. Artistes had little or no protection. There was no standard contract between managements and performers. Fred Russell saw the need for variety performers to organise themselves.

With the help of a few fellow performers he organised a trade union — the Variety Artistes’ Federation. And Fred Russell became its first chairman.

BRIEF STRIKE

Managements, however, didn’t take too kindly to the idea. And although, after a brief strike, the music-hall performers won the right to negotiate conditions of employment and obtained a standard contract which, with modifications, is still in use today, Fred Russell found himself ostracised.

For four years he was unable to secure any worthwhile bookings in this country. So, instead, he embarked on World tours visiting America, Australia, Canada, South Africa and other countries — anywhere where they spoke English.

The postscript to this, of course, is that earlier this year his son found himself in dispute with the same union his father founded. But, fortunately for all, the disagreement was short lived.

Fred Russell died in 1957 — aged 95. And there is a bronze bust to “Variety’s First Gentleman” in the foyer of the London Palladium.

TOY THEATRES

With this background, it is no surprise that his son’s first playthings were toy theatres.

At 13, Val Parnell ran away from boarding school in Margate, to enter show business. But he never thought of himself as a performer. It was the managerial side that attracted him.

His first job — as a 5/- [25p in decimal, about £26 now] a week office boy with Sir Walter de Frece, husband of Vesta Tilley, who ran a theatrical company and a few small theatres. At night, he went to Pitman’s to learn shorthand.

When he was 15, he added 12/6d [62½p in decimal, about £64 now] to his 7/6d [37½p in decimal, about £38 now] a week wages by going from his day time office job to sell tickets at night at the box office at the Metropole Theatre, Camberwell.

BOOKING ACTS

A couple of years later he was booking acts for four small provincial theatres.

The end of 1914 saw Parnell in the army and he served overseas until 1919 when he returned to England to resume his employment with Sir Walter de Frece.

When de Frece sold out to the Charles Gulliver circuit, Val Parnell became booking manager for 10 of Gulliver’s provincial theatres — one of these was the newly opened Birmingham Hippodrome.

Here, Val Parnell found himself in opposition to two Moss Theatres in the same town. Both were regarded as No. 1 dates.

The stars naturally preferred working for the well established Moss circuit. And, just to make things more difficult, all Moss contracts had a barring clause against appearances at Birmingham Hippodrome.

Parnell, finding he couldn’t get headline attractions, decided on a new policy. For a start, he booked many more acts per bill. He cut their time, streamlined their routines. And at Birmingham Hippodrome, modern fast moving variety was born.

In 1928, the Gulliver circuit was sold to The General Theatre Corporation and Val Parnell took over the booking of the whole chain of theatres, including the London Palladium. In 1931 the newly formed General Theatre Corporation took over the management of The Moss Empire Chain of Theatres and Val Parnell became General Manager and in complete charge of the booking of all artistes and attractions.

NEXT TIME: His battle with Sir Oswald Stoll . . . The start of the Crazy Gang . . . When Tessie O’Shea fell off an elephant . . . How Jerry Allen of “Lunch Box’’ got his start.

The post The Val Parnell Story: They called his father ‘Variety’s first gentleman…’ appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

WHAT type of man is the new Chairman of the Company, Sir Robert Renwick, Bart., K.B.E.; stockbroker, company director, pioneer of Independent Television and chairman of the newly formed British Space Development Company?

He has been described in the newspapers as “tough”, “shrewd”, “enthusiastic”, “hard-working” and “a man fanatically interested in what he is going to do next”.

He is 57 — his birthday was the fourth of this month — has five grandchildren, one son and three daughters. He does most of his work from a small office down a lane off Threadneedle Street and spends most of his spare time at his country cottage at Winkfield, Berks.

Most mornings of the week Sir Robert takes a ninepenny ride on the Underground from Marble Arch to the Bank.

BY TUBE

“I go by tube because it is the best means of communication in London at that particular time of the day” he says. On the subject of communication Sir Robert can be considered to have expert knowledge. During the war he was Controller of Communications, Air Ministry and Controller of Communications Equipment, Ministry of Aircraft Production.

He played a big part in setting up the vast radar network which ringed Britain during the vital years of the struggle for supremacy in the air and the radar system later used to such good effect in the offensive by Bomber Command. He was also chairman of the Airborne Forces Committee which directed the fitting out of Britain’s airborne expeditions.

When the war ended Sir Robert returned to the great County of London Electricity Supply Company, founded by his father, Sir Harry Renwick. But these were the days of nationalization and when the Government took over electricity Sir Robert resigned his chairmanship and turned to other interests.

He saw the great potentials of television, both as a form of entertainment and a means of communication. And he resented greatly the monopoly which the Government had vested in the BBC to run the country’s TV service.

Long before ITV was ever talked about in the lobbies at Westminster, long before the term “commercials” ever crept into the vocabulary of the advertising fraternity, Sir Robert and Mr Charles Orr Stanley, who is also an ATV director, campaigned for an independent television service. They received a powerful ally in Mr Norman Collins — now ATV’s Deputy Chairman — who had resigned from the top post in television at the BBC.

FIRST COMPANY

They joined in forming the Associated Broadcasting Development Company in August 1952, the first commercial television company to be created in Britain.

As early as 1947 Sir Robert, as President of the Television Society had urged the Government to give TV more financial support or agree to have commercial programmes on the BBC for a trial period.

When nowadays they casually switch channels for alternative entertainment few viewers remember the tremendous battle the early advocates of ITV had to get them that privilege. Powerful interests were waged against them and at no time could they rally the kind of prestige support which the BBC and anti-ITVers could command.

ACTIVE MEMBER

Sir Robert and his colleagues eventually won the day. ITV came on the air in September 1955 and ATV, the company which had grown out of the original ABDC, helped to provide the first programmes. In the six years of its development Sir Robert has always been an active member. He, Mr Val Parnell, and Mr Lew Grade constitute the executive committee responsible for the day-to-day running of the company.

Now Sir Robert has become the occupant of the chair vacated by Mr Prince Littler, who will continue to serve on the board. He brings to the chairmanship an expert’s knowledge of company affairs. He has twenty other directorships and is chairman of the British Relay Wireless and Television Company Ltd., and the Reliance-Clifton Cables and Industrial Products Co. Ltd.

He is also deputy-chairman of the Institute of Directors, an organization he has helped to build up from a membership of 450 in 1948 to 37,000.

SINCERE BELIEF

He has a sincere belief in the future of television and of ATV in particular. He is a man of vision — a man who has his feet firmly on the ground but has his eyes on the space above us.

“This world of space is to be conquered” he says. “We can only begin to envisage the future that lies ahead in the atmosphere. It is the real Eldorado of the future. The money in space is more than any man ever dreamed of and the future gentlemen of space have a much bigger chance of vast wealth than ever did the adventurers of the Hudson Bay and East India Companies.

“So far as television is concerned we are now only at the bow and arrow stage. Satellites 22,300 miles high will, sooner or later, make world-wide television possible.

“There is no question at all that space communications will come. The language of space communications will be English — and, if we will take the initiative, the centre of communications will continue to be England”.

A BIG POWER

Sir Robert sees this country as a big power in the realms above the clouds providing we grasp our opportunities.

With so much business to attend to, Sir Robert finds little time for relaxation but most nights he drives home to his cottage where he reads the papers, watches television and then goes off for a walk in the fields with his poodle Benjamin.

Sir Robert has decided views about television. He has been very impressed with the work of the company’s engineers and technical staff whose recent exhibition he visited. He thinks technically the industry may have gone ahead of its programmes.

Programmes, he believes, could do with a good deal of improvement. Of personal preferences he says:

“I like Westerns and plays that don’t leave you in mid-air when they end. I believe that most viewers like a good story told in dramatic form without the author trying to be too clever.

ORIGINAL MATERIAL

“Outside Broadcasts, such as our recent visit to the circus, make wonderful television and sport is excellent to watch. I’m not overfond of old films as I think we should produce more original material for television. Series such as “Danger Man” are fine.”

As for the 625-405 line controversy, Sir Robert has had his mind made up longer than most people have had television sets. When TV was restarted after the war he supported Lord Cherwell in the view that it was wrong to go back to 405.

Sir Robert gives the impression of being a man who can completely lake command of any given situation, a man of integrity and purpose who would neither suffer fools gladly nor be impressed by the charlatan. His experience in commerce and industry has convinced him of the great value of concerted effort.

TEAMWORK COUNTS

“It is teamwork that counts — and will count in the future of ATV” he says. “If you are talking to men you know and have faith in, you can get something done in half an hour that would take all day to accomplish with virtual strangers. You must have a good team and inspire them — make them feel that they are doing something worthwhile.”

The post Sir Robert Renwick looks ahead at the Company’s future appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

FIVE years of success in the Midlands were celebrated last month when ATV staff, their friends and families packed the Aston studios for the Gala Anniversary Programme.

Mr Val Parnell, who had just returned from the United States, came to Birmingham to produce the programme personally.

When the gala show went on the air at 11.15 p.m., it was five years ago almost to the minute that Independent Television in the Midlands was launched.

In 1956 less than 1,000,000 viewers were watching. Now that figure has rocketed to more than 5,500,000.

Beryl Reid, Morecambe and Wise, Jimmy Jewel and Ben Warriss came from Midland pantos for the sparkling 45-minute variety show directed by Reg Watson and introduced by Noele Gordon.

The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Birmingham, Ald. Garnet Boughton and Mrs Boughton, were welcomed by Mr Philip Dorté, Midlands Controller, and Ald. Mrs Pearl Hyde, Midlands Public Relations Officer.

Others who took part in the show included: Jerry Allen and his Trio, Alfie Bass (Bootsie) and Bill Fraser (Snudge), Jean Morton, Patricia Cox, Susan Denny, Eula Parker, Evadne Price, Roy Edwards, Alan Grahame, Ken Ingarfield, Pat Astley, Peter Regan, Lionel Ruben, Leslie Dunn, The Ponytones and the George Carden Dancers.

The post Our Midlands party appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

THE Midlands administrative staff move into new offices this month.

The company has acquired the entire ground floor of a new multi-storey building in Edmund Street, Birmingham.

The new offices will be light and airy. They will also use the Open Plan principle which has proved so successful at ATV House in London.

Muzak has been installed to provide background music and the accommodation provided is the Midlands match to London’s ATV House in Great Cumberland Place.

Although the move has not been made yet — final touches are still going on — the building was officially opened last month by Alderman Garnet Boughton, Lord Mayor of Birmingham, by cutting a length of video tape at the entrance.

The ceremony was attended by Mr Prince Littler, Chairman of ATV; Mr Norman Collins (Deputy Chairman); Mr Val Parnell (Managing Director) and Mr Lew Grade (Deputy Managing Director).

The company’s London delegation were welcomed by Mr Philip Dorté, the Midlands Controller.

After the opening 150 Midlands dignitaries were entertained to lunch at the Grand Hotel. The Lord Mayor congratulated the company on its success and referred to television as “Another star in the firmament of our city”.

CHAIRMAN’S REPLY

In reply to the Lord Mayor’s speech, Mr Littler recalled that it was nearly five years since Independent Television had been inaugurated in the Midlands.

“In those five years ATV’s audience in the Midlands has grown from a handful in 1956 to well over four million today”, he said.

“Nowadays, 71 per cent of the Midland television audience with a choice of programme elects to view ATV in preference to the BBC, whose share is 29 per cent”.

Mr Littler added that although Mr Dorté the Midlands Controller met so many local people, and members of the Board visited Birmingham regularly, this was the first occasion for four years his Board of Directors, as a whole, had played host to a reception gathering of Midland civic, ecclesiastical and ambassadorial leaders.

ALPHA PROGRESS

Meanwhile, work continues on the new Alpha studios. Here, incidentally, the workers probably down tools more often than any other builders in Britain. And it’s all on account of TV.

“We had to issue programme bulletins to the foreman to enable him to call a stop to all noise while we are on the air”, Frank Beale, General Manager of Alpha, told me. While noise is a headache for the television staff, office accommodation for the production staff is at a premium too. But as soon as the new building is completed (August is the target month) there’ll be six floors of space with comfortable accommodation for everyone. But the building operations haven’t always been inconvenient.

SPECIAL FEATURES

One of ATV’s best “Lunch Box” shows was actually done on the building site. Special features in the new Alpha building will be: a control area on the top floor; a canteen covering the whole second floor and electric underfloor heating.

“We’ll turn on the current at night, and off in the day-time. This should keep the building comfortably warm all day” said chief engineer David Whittle.

The post New offices for midlands appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

WHAT is the difference between television and journalism?

When I made the happy decision to journey from Fleet Street to Cumberland Place I put the question to Mr Norman Collins, ATV’s Deputy Chairman.

We are both, by the way, children of Fleet Street, for when I joined the Sunday Express in the ‘twenties your Deputy Chairman was a fully paid-up member of the National Union of Journalists making a name for himself on the News Chronicle.

“Newspapers freeze the picture. Television animates it. That’s about it”, said Mr Collins.

It is a first-rate summary, for compare the contents of your daily newspaper with a day’s television programmes:

The News

• Both mediums present news — news of politics, industry, sport, crime and punishment, human and violent happenings. (NOTE: We are always reading headlines blaming TV for crime, but what about the newspapers blaming themselves for causing crime by glorifying sex and sin in a way TV never does?)

• Both mediums devote a good deal of attention to entertainment. (NOTE: Newspapers loftily criticise those quiz show prizes but themselves offer such inducements as £10 a week for life or half a dozen new cars in order to attract readers. I don’t blame them, but why do they blame TV?)

• Both mediums publish fiction — TV with plays and comedy situation shows, newspapers with strip cartoons and jokes. (NOTE: Nothing I have read in the newspapers for years equals in moral value and reforming zeal our own “Probation Officer” or “Emergency — Ward 10”.)

• Both mediums make money out of advertising. (NOTE: Four newspapers have died this year because they did not secure sufficient advertising).

DO I MAKE MY POINT?

Newspapers are completely free and under no form of supervision or censorship.

They may be pornographic (some of them are).

They may be biased politically.

They may suppress news, colour it, print it upside down if they wish.

Nor is there any limit to the amount of advertising they may carry, or the kind of advertising either.

I would not have it otherwise, nor would any thinking person.

But television operates under an altogether different set of rules.

The BBC is responsible to the Postmaster-General. The Commercial Companies are responsible to that same gentleman through the Independent Television Authority.

If a political argument is carried on via television it must be balanced as between one viewpoint and another.

The strictest rules govern references in plays to drink, drugs, sex, suicide and the like, and woe-betide the play producer who infringes. Advertising too is strictly controlled as to volume and content.

Freedom…

It seems incongruous to me that while the newspapers are free to say just what they like about television programmes, there is no right to reply with equal freedom on TV!

For us the “balanced” programme is the only way; we cannot do television propaganda on our own behalf.

Is there much difference between working for television and working for a newspaper?

As a newspaper Editor, I was able to dream up an idea in the morning and see it in my columns the next day. That was a great advantage.

Television can work that fast on news happenings, but not so fast in the development of programmes.

A good documentary takes several weeks, often months, to mature.

Urgency, Too

A play is in rehearsal for up to three weeks before it is ready and, as in the theatre, is in preparation for months if script writing, rewriting, casting and set designing are included.

Yet there is always a tremendous sense of urgency in ATV House.

I was in fact fairly blasted into activity on my first day when I was asked by Mr Lew Grade to give him a hand with a new series called “Deadline Midnight”.

Five Weeks

The series was due on the screen in five weeks from that date and by the time Hugh Rennie the producer and I had made our deadline I felt that I had jumped out of the Fleet Street frying pan into the ATV fire!

The office of ATV’s Managing Director corresponds to the Newspaper Editor’s sanctum.

It is here that Mr Val Parnell and his deputy Mr Lew Grade get things humming long before 9 a.m. every morning.

The office jointly occupied by Editor-in-Chief Val Parnell and Managing Editor Lew Grade can be as lively as my own was on V.E. Day in 1945!

Mirror Tour

In fact I would not mind if it were used as the background set for the new series of “Deadline Midnight” plays which go on the air on Saturday, March 11.

I took Rex Firkin, the new “Deadline” producer, to the Daily Mirror office the other week where Hugh Cudlipp, one of ATV’s directors and Editorial Director of the Mirror group, showed him how the wheels go round in Fleet Street.

“Not all that different from ATV” said Rex.

And I have to agree.

The post From Fleet Street to television, there’s always a deadline to beat appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

THE men who really make television — but rarely make the news — had the unusual experience of being in the limelight when an exhibition of their work was staged at ATV House.

Members of the Company’s Development Department and Planning and Installation Department had assembled a selection of some of the most advanced television equipment that can be seen not only in Britain but in any part of the world.

And every piece of equipment on show was the result of work by ATV staff.

More than 300 people, including the new Chairman of the Company. Sir Robert Renwick, representatives of the national and trade press, electronic manufacturing companies and the BBC visited the impressive exhibition.

Centre-piece was the 34-channel fully transistorised studio sound mixer, designed and manufactured by Pye Ltd. to ATV’s requirements. This mixer is installed in the new studios at Elstree.

Peter Fowler and Ray McCabe dealt with hundreds of enquiries from visitors who marvelled at this remarkable piece of engineering which is quite unrivalled in the field of technical equipment.

The control vision mixer, designed and manufactured by the Development Department was explained to visitors by Ken Searle and Arthur Burbidge. This is a great contribution towards the stabilizing of the studio output picture. Unique circuits stabilize the picture against large variations of voltage and temperature.

ON DISPLAY

Among the interesting items of equipment designed and made by ATV were:

Cut and Effects Mixer. At the touch of a button or fader it provides inter-frame cutting and separate fading from twelve picture inputs.

Line Up Panel. This enables the accurate and speedy alignment of the many electronic circuits concerned with the vision mixing unit.

Special Effects Control Unit. This is used to select special visual effects to make programmes more interesting. Inlay and over lay may be used.

FOR OB’s

OB Portable Video Distribution Amplifier. The unit provides four separate vision outputs from a single co-axial input, particularly -useful at OBs where large areas are involved.

Transistorised Video Amplifier. Sixteen separate vision outputs are provided with integral power units.

Transistorised Microwave Transmitter. Designed for testing microwave paths before use on programmes. It is used in conjunction with a portable radio telephone.

Transistor Intercom Units. One is a simple transistor amplifier for a small technical centre. The other is a multi-studio system capable of operating between 44 stations in a studio centre.

Helping to explain the workings of these and other pieces of equipment were members of the company’s Engineering Department, all of whom have contributed to their development and manufacture.

The post Engineers on parade… appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

COLOUR pictures were cast 25 miles across London last month in a demonstration which showed how the latest television techniques can be used by companies in promoting their products.

Carreras Ltd, the tobacco manufacturers, were introducing their new Piccadilly filter-tip cigarettes at the Piccadilly Hotel. They wanted to show those present how the cigarettes were being made at their factory in Basildon, Essex — and show it all in colour.

It was the task of ATV engineers to link the factory with the hotel suite. This they achieved via a water tower at Laindon Hills, Essex, and the company’s permanent link at Hillcrest, Highgate. E.M.I equipment was used for the linking, Marconi equipment for the “shooting” at the factory and Bush monitors enabled the party at the Piccadilly to see the various processes taking place at the factory.

For ATV Bob Cooper, Stan Merrick and Bill Smith were at Basildon. Dennis Sippings and Arthur Durrell at Laindon Hills, Gordon Daniels and Vic Zytek at Highgate and Cliff Whiting, Percy Tickle and Henry Hall at the Piccadilly Hotel.

MOST LIKELY SYSTEM

When Britain gets Colour TV the system most likely to be used is the NTSC system now operating in the United States.

Len Mathews, Assistant Technical Controller, Communications and OBs, told guests at the Carreras colour demonstration some of the advantages and disadvantages of the system, with particular reference to the importance of the linking ATV had provided.

The NTSC system is a colour specification proposed by the National Television System Committee, an American industrywide engineering group set up between 1950 and 1953 to develop colour TV specification for the United States, said Mr Mathews.

FAIRLY COMPLEX

Although the NTSC system is a fairly complex one, which requires the use of what is known as a coding and a decoding equipment, it has two main advantages.

Firstly, it is compatible with the present monochrome system.

Secondly, the bandwidth occupied by the television signal is the same as required for the present-day black and white.

The post Colour TV in Piccadilly appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

IT is just over two years since ATV became interested in the Australian scene by purchasing the commercial radio and television interests of the Daily Mirror group. ATV (Australia) Pty. Ltd. was then formed to be ATV’s Australian company.

The commercial radio interests acquired by ATV included shareholdings in Station 2GB Sydney and in Stations 3AW Melbourne and 5DN Adelaide, as well as in Station 2CA Canberra in the Australian Capital Territory and stations in the provincial cities of Wollongong, Young and Lithgow in the state of New South Wales.

In addition, ATV became a major partner in the Macquarie Broadcasting Service, the only Australia-wide network of commercial radio stations. It also took over a large investment in television station ATN Sydney.

EXPANDED INTERESTS

The Macquarie Network is made up of 22 member stations (including the ATV group) and 39 co-operating stations, on which Macquarie produced programmes are placed. These 61 stations of a total of 109 commercial stations cover 75% of the population.

In the past two years, our Australian interests have greatly expanded. We have acquired shareholdings in commercial television stations QTC Brisbane and NWS Adelaide and also in five provincial television stations which will operate in Canberra, Wollongong, Orange, Lismore and Ballarat.

Pye Records is established in business as our Australian record company and we are about to give the folk in Sydney and Melbourne the benefit of Muzak.

Last, but by no means least, ATV has produced “Whiplash”, the first major TV series made here for world-wide distribution.

Since the first TV transmissions just over four years ago this exciting medium has grown rapidly, so that today there are two commercial stations and one national station in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide, and one commercial and one national station in Perth and Hobart.

Total sets licensed in these cities exceed 1,000,000, representing approximately 70% saturation in Sydney and Melbourne, and over 50% in the other four cities.

Within 12 to 18 months, a further 13 commercial stations and 13 national stations will open in country and provincial areas bringing over 70% of the total population within coverage of TV.

GROWING MARKET

In this rapidly growing market ATV (Aust.) has been very active selling and distributing your programmes. We now have 37 film and 12 telerecorded series on Australian screens totalling 2,130 half-hours of entertainment. Half of this is British material.

Our Company is easily the biggest distributor of British product in a market where 88% of programme footage imported last year came from the United States and 10% from the United Kingdom.

Programmes currently keeping ATV in the public eye include: Deadline Midnight; Probation Officer, Emergency–Ward 10; The Larkins; Arthur Haynes; Saturday Spectaculars; Television Playhouse; Whiplash; Danger Man; Four Just Men; Interpol Calling; Robin Hood; Invisible Man and William Tell.

This is a hungry market. Transmission hours are longer than in the United Kingdom and the commercial stations in Sydney and Melbourne are on the air for an average of 12 hours per day.

NEW ZEALAND SALES

ATV (Aust.) Pty. Ltd. is also selling and distributing programmes in the New Zealand market where transmissions started in Auckland some nine months ago. Coverage is expected to extend to Wellington, Christchurch a Dunedin shortly and we look forward to an increasing volume of sales in this new market.

So far, we have secured a large share of the present programmes scheduled in Auckland where some 500 half hours have been sold.

This then, is the overall picture of what is happening on the other side of the globe.

We are very proud of our association with all you good folk in England and we look forward to many years of co-operation with ATV in Britain.

The post Report from Australia appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

AGAINST the name of Geoffrey Hodgson in the records of the Dorset Regiment it is stated that on a memorable occasion in 1944 he “worked steadily and imperturbably”, a phrase which applies well today to his administration of the Studio Centre at Elstree.

The phrase was part of the tribute paid in an official citation recording the award of the Military Cross to Captain Hodgson, Platoon Commander.

Geoffrey Hodgson’s battalion was being heavily shelled in a wood near the Siegfried Line. It was his job to get anti-tank guns into position.

The citation records that “Capt. Hodgson worked steadily and imperturbably, despite numerous air-bursts, for over four hours, without thought of taking cover. Had it not been for the magnificent work and splendid example of this officer, the battalion might well have had to withstand a counter-attack by enemy tanks without anti-tank guns”.

Geoffrey was wounded a week later and sent back to Brussels — the place where he first met the young Belgian lady who was to become his wife in 1948.

When the war ended Geoffrey, demobilised with the rank of Major, rejoined his old firm, Unilever, and went out to Sierra Leone to work for the United Africa Company.

His first married home was a wooden house on stilts in a remote jungle station called Segbwema. This name is now inscribed on a strip of mahogany which hangs in front of Mr and Mrs Hodgson’s home at St Albans.

The only European neighbours for the Hodgsons were five Methodist missionaries.

Chimpanzees played in the garden, leopards prowled close by. And the Hodgsons lived happily in their house on stilts, breeding ducks, entertaining many travellers who called on their way through the jungle, and operating a real trading outpost of the Empire.

Their first child, Priscilla, was born while they were there. Now there are Alan, 8, and four-year-old Martin.

The Hodgsons spent 12 years in West Africa. They returned to Britain in 1959 and Geoffrey joined ATV.

He worked first in Mr Max Gumpel’s department and held a watching brief on the development of the new Studio Centre of which he is now the administrator.

The post First home was on stilts appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

Keith Rogers, ATV’s Operations Controller has had a varied background.

In his teens he was a wireless operator on board a Fleet Reserve oil tanker during the first World War. Bom in London, Mr Rogers attended Mill Hill School. When he left school the exciting new world of wireless, just opening up, beckoned him.

In 1917 he joined the Marconi Company as a wireless operator. “Sometimes now, after all those years, if I happen to hear a snatch of Morse code on the radio I automatically translate it,” he says.

After two years at sea, Mr Rogers continued working for the Marconi Company until 1922.

Mr Rogers was with a radio technical journal until 1935 when he started to write freelance articles on scientific subjects for Fleet Street.

“I was aware of developments in television quite early,” he says. “I had written articles about Baird and I had been carrying out experiments on the reception of television on cathode ray tubes with the Edison Swan Company.”

When war came in 1939, he was commissioned in the R.A.F. and was concerned in the installation of radar in Britain. It was then that he first met Mr. Philip Dorté, now ATV Midlands Controller.

After the war he rejoined the Marconi Company, in their television and radar department. He supervised radar installations in Denmark.

Then, by chance, he met Philip Dorté again. “Why not join the BBC as an outside broadcasts producer?” he suggested. Mr Rogers took his advice.

“I enjoyed the work tremendously. Television outside broadcasts are a form of reporting and I had done plenty of journalistic work in the past.

“During my last few years with the BBC, as Senior OB Producer, I was responsible for organising the Royal broadcasts.”

When ATV started in 1956, he was one of the first to join the Company. His job then was head of the Outside Broadcasts Department. After a few months he was asked to take charge of Operations.

This was a challenge, for commercial television on the British pattern had not been tried anywhere else in the world.

Mr Rogers helped to thrash out networking details with the other contractors to establish the practice necessary for networking to function efficiently.

“I thrive on a sense of urgency,” says Mr Rogers. “We feel this strongly in Operations because we are always working against the clock.”

Mr Rogers’ department is responsible for the cohesion of everything transmitted by ATV.

That includes the transmission of live and recorded programmes, preparation and transmission of films, the insertion of commercials, announcements, weather forecasts, station identification and promotion of forthcoming programmes.

Everything is timed to the second by clocks synchronised with TIM.

Although his job leaves little time for hobbies, Mr Rogers enjoys gardening at his Haywards Heath, Sussex home. He is married with one son, who is a doctor.

The post MORSE is engraved on his memory… appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

PHYSICALLY, he is a big man, way above the six-foot limit.

You can see that he has Irish blood. And you can tell that there are two sides to his nature.

He gives the air of a man of great physical energy who would like to be expending his strength on such things as horses or boats.

And you can tell by looking into his eyes that he is not the kind of man to be easily swayed or persuaded. He is used to pondering the significance of any facts or statistics that may have been placed before him.

As it happens both readings of his character are right.

On the one hand, his favourite form of exercise is horse-riding — while he says the reason he is always broke is because he owns “a beautiful Bermudan ketch” in the South of France.

On the other hand – the more business-like side this — he charters the ketch, and apparently makes a profit!

This side of Pat Henry is the one in which we at ATV are clearly most interested — for it is his responsibility to ensure that we get our advertisement revenue.

As ATV takes about one-fifth of all the money — about £77 million [£1,500m in today’s money, allowing for inflation – Ed] gross in 1960 — spent on ITV, it is obvious that Patrick Henry’s activities, and those of his Department, are of more than academic importance to the rest of us.

“On a straightforward basis of the number of ITV homes in our two areas, the number of hours we transmit, and the success of our programming,” Pat Henry says, “it is fairly simple to calculate the share of the ITV cake we ought to get.

“Our job in Sales is first to advise and cherish that ‘share’; second, to try to get a bit more; and third, to play a leading part in enlarging the whole ITV ‘cake’.”

At a recent meeting of the Regent Advertising Club, of which he is a Patron, he was asked how he selected his salesmen.

He put enthusiasm for selling plus a clear mind as the first priorities — with a knowledge of TV and advertising next.

When Pat Henry left school, he gave up the idea of going to university in favour of joining a whaling ship which hunted its quarry in the frozen southern oceans.

“A spell at a tough job is good for a young man”, he says.

After a short term in advertising, he served in the Army, rising from private to captain.

After the war, he became a documentary film producer, then advertising scriptwriter, manager of several film departments and, eventually, advertisement manager of ‘Woman’ magazine until he joined ATV in April 1955 as Sales Director.

Pat Henry’s manner is easy and frank, his conversation friendly — and he has a good sense of humour.

Because he tends to be a bit of a stickler for insisting that his men and women salesmen

create a good impression in and out of business hours, he himself tries to set the example.

“If you conduct yourself properly after office hours, the chances are you’ll do the same while working”, he says.

“My Department is essentially a team, and that team must always give clients a good impression — otherwise it will never be able to command that respect without which no salesman’s story will ever be accepted”.

The post The man with the big job appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

BILL WARD is a name that’s direct, easy and straight-forward — a name that personifies ATV’s Production Chief.

And although he’ll answer any question about his favourite subject, television production, he doesn’t like to talk about himself.

“Television production is essentially the result of team work”, he tells you. “A man on his own is pretty unimportant”.

From his first job as a youth, working in the engineering department of the BBC in Plymouth, Bill Ward is now acknowledged one of the finest TV producers in the country. An energetic person, he’s known to most of ATV’s staff. A big, balding man this, with a commanding presence, he moves with surprising speed along office corridors and studio floors.

Pam Matthews who’s been his PA at Roxburghe House for two and a half years sums him up this way: “Mr Ward is a very easy-going boss”, she says. “He’s also very stimulating to work for. Perhaps the most distracting thing about him is his fantastic memory. He can recall memos he sent out before ATV really began. Then it’s my headache trying to track them down for him”.

Valerie Buries, now Harold Jameson’s secretary, has also worked for Bill Ward. Indeed, there’s a saying round ATV “If you can get past Bill Ward’s bodyguard, seeing Bill himself is no trouble”.

“It’s always easier working for someone with a sense of humour”, says Valerie. “When I handed over my job as Mr Ward’s secretary to Diedre Berry I wrote out a list of instructions. This list included some remarks about Mr Ward’s method of working. “Against one of these I added ‘This is how he dealt with this matter when I was working with him. I don’t know how he’ll be with you, but you’ll soon find out!’

“Soon after I heard a huge guffaw from Mr Ward’s office and he called me in.

“He told me he’d discovered my list. ‘So this is what you think of me, eh,’ he roared. ‘You’ll certainly have to go now!’

“But of course he was only joking. He thought the whole thing very funny.”

And now here’s Bill Ward’s own summing up of the stages which make a perfect producer.

“In charge of production for the first time, the new producer is terrified. He relies on the people who are with him to pull him through.

“The confident stage, when in fact he grows over confident. He thinks it’s all too easy and wonders why there’s all this nonsense about it being a difficult job. He starts to get technical. He suddenly discovers television is a visual medium and one night has his show full of cuts, montages and dissolves. He goes down to the pub afterwards expecting his colleagues to tell him how excellent the show was. They tell him, of course, that it was dreadful.

“Now he’s at the oversimplification period, the direct opposite of Stage Three.

“Finally, the detached outlook — when at last he’s able to stand away from the programme and consider it impersonally.”

A facsimile reprint of issue 1 of the ATV Newsheet is available as part of Transdiffusion’s “ITV70” print pack. On sale until 31 January 2025, for delivery in March. £20 inc p&p worldwide.

The post Bill Ward appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

STEPHEN WADE, Head of Outside Broadcasts,
took his camera to Moscow for us.

Here is his report in pictures.

The post Our men (and girls) in Moscow appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

Russian viewers to see our O.B.

YURI FOKIN, Russia’s top television commentator, will face an ATV camera next month to introduce the first live outside ITV broadcast from Britain to the Soviet Union.

An ATV outside broadcast unit will be covering the Soviet State Fair at Earls Court, which will open on July 7.

The Russians are sending their own TV producer to direct the unit and the whole operation is part of our reciprocal deal with the Soviet State Committee for Radio and Television.

The first part of the exchange took place last month when British viewers saw our coverage of the British Trade Fair in Moscow.

The Moscow relay was introduced by Mr Norman Collins, Deputy Chairman, from the Foley Street studio.

Originally, the introduction was planned to last four minutes but half way through — since Moscow wasn’t ready — a chalked “Keep Going” notice was put in front of the camera. And Mr Collins kept going — for eight and a half minutes.

Then came the dramatic moment for James Ferman, who directed the relay, to say “Cue Moscow” … and ATV’s first live link with the Soviet capital was on the air.

Our 90 minutes relay also made TV history through the enterprise of ATV commentator Shaw Taylor. Shaw pushed his way through the crowd with a microphone to obtain a TV scoop by interviewing Mr Kruschev.

This was the first time any TV commentator had secured an off-the-cuff comment from the Russian Premier.

The ATV team in Moscow were Bill Ward, Productions Controller; his P.A. Pam Matthews; Len Mathews, Assistant Technical Controller, Communications and Outside Broadcasts; Stephen Wade, Head of Outside Broadcasts; his P.A. Doreen Ayres; floor manager, Bill Glaze and commentators, Shaw Taylor and Reginald Bosanquet of ITN.

ATV’s Russian programmes included a ballet performance direct from the famous Bolshoi Theatre directed by Bill Ward.

Our mobile recording unit, with recording engineer, John Harrison and rigger driver, Cyril Penfold, were also in action recording documentary material for future programmes.

One of these projects has been provisionally entitled “Gorki-street, U.S.S.R.” and will be a Russian equivalent to “Main-street, U.S.A.” in which we depicted the lives of typical American families.

ELSTREE VISIT

The details of the programme we are sending to Russia next month were arranged during a visit to the Elstree Studio Centre and ATV House by a team of Russian television experts.

This was the first time a Russian television delegation had visited any ITV studios.

Heading the delegation was Mr Konstantin Kuzakov, Deputy Chairman of the Soviet State Committee for Radio and Television.

His colleagues were Mr Yuri Fokin, Head of Russian Television News and Mr S. J. Martsenitsen [sic: usually transliterated as S. I. Martsenitsen – Ed], Deputy Head of the Main Department of the Soviet Ministry of Communications.

COMPLETE TOUR

They made a complete tour of the Elstree Studio Centre accompanied by Bill Ward, Stephen Wade, Len Mathews and Technical Controller, Terence Macnamara.

The Russians were particularly interested in the control rooms of Studios C and D and the advanced technical equipment designed by ATV’s own engineering staff.

In the evening the Russians were entertained at a party at ATV House by Mr Norman Collins, Deputy Chairman; Mr Val Parnell, Managing Director; Mr Lew Grade, Deputy Managing Director and Lord Bessborough, Director.

Mr Kuzakov said they would like to prepare a documentary programme on Lenin’s life in London and some kind of musical programme.

His immediate concern, however, was the coverage of the Soviet State Fair next month.

The post Moscow here we come appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

ANY journey to Moscow must have an element of excitement, as one never knows just what to expect, and also there is always so much to learn about the Russians.

The trips made in connection with ATV’s live programme exchange deal have had the added excitement of the pioneering feeling, for, whatever stories have been written in the Press, ATV has truly pioneered this television break-through.

The first trip, in company with Lord Bessborough [Frederick Edward Neuflize “Eric” Ponsonby, 10th Earl of Bessborough – Ed], Mr Norman Collins, Messrs [Terence] Macnamara and [Stephen] Wade, was placed in what now appears the “dim and distant past” of December 1960, and although lasting less than a week, the stay in Moscow enabled us to learn a little of the Muscovite, and “what makes him tick”.

As a result of our business meetings, we made a number of social contacts at varying levels.

Over meals in our hotel with these “new found friends” we were able to find out how and where they live; their likes and dislikes; and we of course reciprocated.

We were rather surprised to find that they were very like us in many ways, and even more surprising, they even looked like us!

Food and Drink

Most Muscovites live in rather large apartment houses, State-controlled of course. The apartment rents are paid to the Government, and there appears to be no choice of location. As a result, the intellectual professor may live next door to the crossing sweeper, who will, incidentally, be a woman!

The Muscovite is very fond of his food and drink, and in our hotel eating and drinking appeared to be the favourite pastime. There was in addition a small four or five piece band playing what sounded suspiciously like capitalist music, to which the clientele danced western foxtrots, quicksteps, etc.

THE modern Moscow young lady appears to have discovered that beauty preparations and stylish clothes have a desirable effect, for we saw much evidence of lipstick and jewellery, being worn with dresses which were prettier than we would have expected.

There were, of course, still a number of people attired in more utilitarian clothes, but we suspected that they were slightly envious of their better dressed neighbours.

We also had the opportunity of a quick shopping expedition in Gorki Street, where the largest shops are to be found. Most of the shops are big and imposing as buildings, but take on the appearance of rather sombre “self-service stores” inside, where one finds a perpetual fur-hatted crowd all trying to reach the counter at the same time.

The Gum Store

One large multiple store by the inspiring name of “Gum” [Государственный универсальный магазин, Gosudarstvennyy universalnyy magazin, State Department Store] dominates a large area close to Red Square.

This is a most remarkable building which I can only describe as similar to the conventional prison block, because it consists mainly of balconies around the inner wall, up to I believe three stories, connected horizontally and vertically by steps and bridges.

Colour TV

We were further privileged to be given a conducted tour of the Moscow Television Centre, which, in addition to the normal studios for black and white transmission, houses a studio from which a colour programme is transmitted on most evenings.

This colour service is in the form of a test, as the programme time is rather limited, and we understood that only people intimately concerned with television had a colour receiver.

The senior engineer of the colour studio was, like a number of other senior staff — a woman.

We enjoyed a lengthy discussion in English and Russian, illustrated with little drawings, into the niceties of the various television waveforms.

ON leaving Moscow, to our surprise and pleasure, we were given presents of vodka, caviar and, believe it or not, Russian perfume called “Red Moscow” from our hosts, and I think we were all agreed that we liked them (our hosts).

The post This is Moscow! appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

A REPORT of high merit has been received by the Company on a 19-year-old member of the staff, John Steppings, who took a month’s course at the famous Outward Bound Mountain School at Ullswater earlier this year.

John works as a clerk in the Property Department of Supply Manager, Leslie Harrison, at Elstree. He has been with the Company for three years, starting in the Mailing Department and then working for Accounts.

The month’s course was during some of the worst weather this year and for anyone to pass it with merit demanded a high standard of fitness, tenacity and strength of character.

GROUP LEADER

John was made a group-leader during the course in which 80 chosen youngsters took part.

Something of what was ahead of him became apparent for John when he arrived and was issued with an ice-axe! It came in very useful during the month as he had to climb to the top of Helvelin [sic: Helvellyn – Ed], the second highest mountain in England, which at the time was covered in snow.

John’s only previous experience of rock-climbing was on such minor rocks as can be found at Tunbridge Wells.

FIRST WEEK

The first week at the school was spent learning to climb, how to tie the right knots, first aid and map-reading. On the second week the young men went out with instructors, each carrying their own 40 lb [18kg] packs.

Weariness and blistered feet vied with their sense of achievement at the end of the days. During the third week each youngster went out on his own for 24 hours, with the summit of Helvelin as the target.

The fourth week saw John in charge of a group with 70 miles and two ranges of mountains to cover in three days.

“There was no molly-coddling.” says John. “The days began at 6.30 with a cold shower or a jump into the lake. But it was a wonderful experience. Every young man should go on a course like this. It really is worthwhile.”

John, whose home is at Edmonton is no “toughie” to look at. He scales about 9st [57kg] and is 5ft 5ins. [1.56m] in height. “It was the big tough looking ones who seemed to fall out first.” he recalls.

WISELY

He wisely went into training before the course, doing a spot of weight lifting and “walking 15 miles or so to get my boots easy”.

John’s hobby has nothing to do with physical training. He is a motor-cycle fan. Not a “ton-up” boy but a member of a club at Wood Green. He has won rally cups and shields, and he also won a medal as a boy footballer.

The post It’s tough getting to the top – of a mountain appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

LIFE is full of “ups and downs” for liftman Arthur Hale these days, but before he came to ATV House he worked for 38 years on street-level — driving London buses.

Arthur holds 34 awards for safe driving, including the gold and silver stars of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and their 15, 20 and 25 years’ brooches.

In his breast pocket he keeps what must be one of the oldest driving licences in existence. The year of issue — 1917.

He has driven buses in London for more than half a million miles and for many years he was a driver on the well-used No. 6 and 11 routes through Central London.

Driving London’s buses, particularly in recent years, is a job that makes big demands on nerves and skill.

Arthur’s philosophy for driving: “Keep your mind on your job. And never try to get your own back when another road user takes advantage of you”.

Arthur’s experiences of locomotion have not been confined to years behind the wheel of a bus. He was one of the pioneer members of the Royal Flying Corps and was flying in action on Zeppelin patrols when still in his teens.

As a youngster he was mad on the new science of aviation. Several times he tried to get into the air by joining a balloon school but without success until, at 18, he was accepted in the Royal Flying Corps.

At 18 he was in France with No. 12 Squadron, RFC. After an injury he was returned to England where he flew as an observer on a 120 horse-power FE2B — a plane that seemed mostly held up by bamboo sticks and will-power of the pilot and observer as they scouted the German Zeppelins.

They flew at 75 mph — a terrific speed in those days — without radio or any other contact with the ground.

It was a matter of following a course by map and compass and hoping you would see a railway station if you got lost.

Arthur still bears two scars on his face which are mementos of the occasion when his aircraft forced-landed in a farm field in Lincolnshire and pitched over in the ploughed furrows giving both pilot and observer a nasty shaking up.

The post Ex-airman Arthur plays it safe… appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

BERNARD BLAKEMORE, 47, has joined our Midlands staff as Administrative Assistant to Mr Philip Dortd. He replaces Bob Morrison who has left to join his family business.

Mr Blakemore thus renews a wartime association with our Midlands Controller — a wartime Group Captain — under whom he served as a squadron leader employed on radar defences with 60 Group at Leighton Buzzard.

Our new Midlands executive is also an engineer. He has spent most of his life in the technical field of radio, electronics and television.

After serving his apprenticeship with Rediffusion Ltd. [aka Broadcast Relay Services, providers of wired radio services – Ed] he joined the BBC’s Engineering Department in 1937. Two years later, on the outbreak of war, he was one of four BBC technicians selected to work on radar development at the Air Ministry Research Establishment at Bawdsey, near Ipswich.

After his spell at Leighton Buzzard he spent some time at the Air Ministry and was then posted to Delhi as Wing Commander, Chief Radar Officer. On demobilisation, he returned to the BBC and was then appointed Deputy Station Director and Chief Engineer of Radio SEAC in Ceylon.

Here, he first made contact with the programme side of radio and the staff included a number of young men who have since made big reputations for themselves on both TV channels.

“Three of our announcers were McDonald Hobley, David Jacobs and Desmond Carrington of ‘Emergency – Ward 10′”, he told me, “Hobley and Carrington were army captains. David Jacobs was a chief petty officer in the navy”.

After a year in Ceylon, Mr Blakemore returned to England to look after family affairs and later took up an appointment as an executive engineer with the Lancashire Dynamo Electronics Products Ltd where he has been for the last four and a half years.

During this period, his firm sent him to Moscow for a month — “But I don’t think I’d like to work there” he says.

A former Wolverhampton councillor, he is now a member of Tettenhall, Staffs, council where he lives with his family of three daughters — Rosemary, 9, Felicity, 7, and Veronica, 5.

“I’ve always wanted to get back into the executive side of radio and television” he told me. “So, when the chance came to join ATV I was naturally very pleased”.

The post Ex-radar man takes over admin post appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

THE man who is planning the Company’s participation in spanning the Atlantic in a split second this summer once took three months to cross from Liverpool to New York.

That was when LEN MATHEWS, M.Brit. I.R.E., Assistant Technical Controller (Commumcations and Outside Broadcasts), was in the Royal Navy aboard an armed merchant-cruiser dodging U-boats in a trans-Atlantic convoy.

Wartime service took Len all over the world setting up maintenance and development sections for radar and radio to be used by the Services.

His job was one of the “hush-hush” type — a Special Service appointment. The knowledge he had was considered to be of such importance that the Admiralty issued him and his colleagues — there were six of them chosen for the job — with “suicide pills” to be taken if captured by the enemy.

The nearest he came to being captured was when his ship was sunk by a Japanese aerial torpedo, but he was lucky enough to be rescued by a Dutch ship. Many of his shipmates were not so fortunate, being picked up by the Japanese and receiving brutal treatment when put ashore at Singapore.

Len went to India, Africa, Australia and America, and served a long period with the Far Eastern Fleet.

When the war ended he joined the BBC where he spent some time in charge of regional control rooms and was subsequently transferred to a group concerned with the expansion of the TV network.

He helped to establish the links between London, Manchester and Scotland and eventually obtained a special assignment that took him into all departments of BBC Television in order that he should gain experience of every facet of the operations.

At one time he attended a course on production, which he has always regarded as great benefit as it enabled him to see the producer’s point of view.

In July 1955 Len came over to ATV to build up a communications department before the company went on the air, and shortly afterwards he took over the OB Department.

LEADING EXPERT

He is now recognised as one of Europe’s leading experts in TV communications.

He planned the links between Moscow and London for the first ITV television exchange with the Soviet. At present his big job outside normal duties is dealing with the way in which trans-Atlantic TV will get to viewers’ screens not only in Britain but also in several Continental countries.

When the satellite TV experiment was announced ITN called on Len to explain to viewers in layman’s language what it was all about. He was also called in as adviser on their Colonel Glenn [John Herschel Glenn Jr (1921–2016), first American to orbit the Earth – Ed] coverage.

He is ATV’s representative on the British Space Development Company’s technical committee.

His paper on “Television Communications Using Earth Satellite Vehicles”, presented to the British Institute of Radio Engineers at Oxford last year, is regarded as one of the most important contributions to knowledge of communications to be made for many years.

A report of the National Association of Educational Broadcasts, submitted to the United States Administration, refers in detail to this paper, and the European Broadcasting Union recommends it to members as an essential authority on television communications.

It is in the family tradition of the family that a Mathews should be taking part in new developments in communication.

Len s grandfather worked on the design of the first-ever submarine cable and his father was a senior engineer at Siemens.

It seemed natural for Len, after attending Birmingham Technical College, to start a student apprenticeship in telecommunications.

Now 45, Len lives at Dartford, Kent. One of his sons, Paul, works in the Company’s Engineering Department at Elstree and the other, 15-year-old Anthony, is studying for his GCE.

SPARE TIME

In his spare time Len has done some painting and drawing. In his younger days he was quite an athlete combining running the mile with playing wing three-quarter at rugby, and also scoring considerable success in the boxing ring as a southpaw lightweight.

A spare-time task which Len considers of great importance nowadays is his work as the examiner for the Television Graduate Examination of the British Institute of Radio Engineers.

He sets the questions and marks the papers which means that most of the young men who will be concerned with the technical future of television in Britain will have gained something from the knowledge of our Len Mathews.

The post The man behind our Space plan appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

THE start of colour television in the Midlands coincides with the completion of a remarkable achievement, technical and in construction, that marks a major stage in Birmingham’s development as a source of television programme production.

Programme-making switches from the Alpha Television Theatre at Aston Cross to the new city centre studios of ATV Network, part of a £6,000,000 [£84½m in today’s money allowing for inflation – Ed] development.

When the administrative block is ready late next year, the TV unit will be the first completed section of the £15,000,000 [£211m] entertainment and hotel complex that is to rise on the site of the former West End Cinema and car park.

In design and fitness, the contrast between the two buildings could not be more vivid. At Aston ITV began in 1956 in a building converted from a former cinema which itself had replaced a theatre of Edwardian days.

The new building at ATV Centre houses the world’s most up-to-date complex electronic machines that create programmes for colour television — the new look viewing standard for the 1970s.

It could be a happy augury that ATVs new home goes on the air in little more than 15 months from the day construction of the building began.

Equipment

Progress on a complicated operation has called for the most exacting of timetables.

About half of the £6,000,000 outlay has been on studio equipment. The building, to which the administrative block is to be added, will occupy three acres of the six-acre West End site.

At the end of the year the Alpha studios will close, but the offices in Edmund Street will be occupied for another year. Then the new television headquarters will house a staff of 550.

What has most impressed the broadcasting world is the efficient, compact design that breaks away from the familiar system of lateral studio layout favoured in the past. ATV Centre embodies new architectural and acoustic features.

It has been planned so that the group of three main studios are at the heart of the structure, apart from essential service departments, but still within easy teach,

Control room design embodies a new principle that seems appropriate to 1970 thinking.

Now a producer, or director, must select his pictures for transmission solely from the array of monitor screens that light up the pictures captured by individual cameras.

Lighting and sound controllers command impressive galleries that include computer-regulated “memory banks” of lighting effects. By pre-selection these can store a vast range of patterns which can be “keyed” for use as the sdript demands.

Completion of the first stage of this development sets the seal on one of the most spectacular transformation scenes in a Birmingham accustomed to a major clearance projects and achievements that are re-shaping the city.

That achievement has earned the admiration of visitors from overseas and from many parts of Britain who have toured the building.

It required a dovetailing of building and operational priorities that depended on the installation of many thousands of pounds worth of intricate equipment for sound and vision.

Trend-setting colour

COLOUR TV is likely to prove an even more forceful mass persuader than it has been in the past. It will influence styles in many ways.

Girls won’t always be the trendsetters in fashion — though colour will emphasise the smartness of way-out clothes.

Masculine styles will encourage more attention for the peacock look.

Cosmetics will get sharper scrutiny because of colour’s “truth.” Blonde and brunette will be registered with a clarity that monochrome cannot match.

Pastel shades, too, will alter ideas about the household.

You can expect to see kitchen and cooking equipment in a wider range of colours — check how food really looks while it is being prepared and served.

Roasted meat joints, or poultry, will have to be seen to be the “lovely golden brown” the chefs proclaim.

We’re colourful in black and white… but look at us now!

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 15th. ATV the Midlands network goes colour. Programmes produced at our new colour studios in Birmingham’s Television Centre will be beamed to viewers from the Sutton Coldfield transmitter. Your favourite characters, drama, news, sport, outside broadcasts, all will have a new richness, a new reality — in living colour!

What colour are Tom Jones’ eyes? Can you tell the Sky Blue of Coventry from the Old Gold of Wolves?

Is Noele Gordon wearing the same dress as last night? In colour it all comes true! And ATV gives you colour at its most natural. After all, we’ve been producing colour programmes for the world longer than anyone else in Britain. As far back as 1964 American viewers were enjoying ATV colour programmes. But even if you’re not quite ready yet to switch to colour viewing, your ATV favourites will still be entertaining you, as colourfully as ever, in black and white.

The post ATV’s own spectacular! appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

IF 70-year-old Joe Riley wrote his life story he would call it “The Memoirs of a Royal Milkman” — and it would make fascinating reading.

For Joe, who now operates a lift at ATV House, served milk to the famous for more than 40 years and his customers included several members of the Royal Family, including the Queen herself when she lived at Clarence House.

Joe’s round was the most aristocratic in the world. He would start out in the morning around 5 a.m. with a delivery list that read like a page from Burke’s Peerage.

The Queen Mother and the Princesses; Queen Mary, The Princess Royal, the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester and the Duke of Connaught all drank Joe’s milk. Clarence House he remembers as being a particularly large order, sometimes amounting to as many as 36 quarts a day [72 pints – Ed].

Until the last five years of his service Joe went round with a milk-float pulled by a horse called Bill.

“He was a good old pal and well known to members of the Royal family” says Joe. “I could tell you some stories, but I regard what happened while I was on duty as being strictly confidential. After all, they don’t like royal servants writing about what they know after they have left the service. I feel in the same position.”

When he left the milk round the Princess Royal presented him personally with a wallet and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester gave him an antique jug.

Joe’s cheerfulness, whatever the weather, was noticed by a number of members of the Royal Family and there were times when they stopped for a few minutes to talk to him.

Apart from his royal mementoes Joe has a prized possession at home — a Safety First Star presented to him by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents. It is an award for 42 years on his round without having an accident. This achievement is all the more creditable because of the fact that since birth Joe has had only one arm.

RECOGNITION

One day recently a well-known peer got into his lift at ATV House. “I seem to recognise you from somewhere” he said to Joe.

“Yes sir, I used to serve your mother with milk in Little College Street” replied Joe.

Last month Joe surprised his friends at ATV House by revealing that he was getting married. His bride is someone he has known for many years since the days when she sold programmes and acted as usherette at the old Empire Theatre, Leicester Square, in the days when it was owned by Sir Alfred Butt.

The post The life of Riley! appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

LESLIE ABBOTT, Head of Contracts and Copyrights arrived at Gt Cumberland Place via a stockbroker’s office, Broadway and Tin Pan Alley.

For as many years as most people remember the name of Abbott has been associated with music publishing and when Leslie, dissatisfied with working in the City, joined the firm of Francis Day and Hunter he was following a family tradition.

After a year in Denmark Street he went to America to work for Irving Berlin, his main object being to gain experience, because in those days American songs were sweeping the world.

Leslie started song plugging. It meant working until three or four o’clock in the morning visiting the clubs and hotels where artistes were appearing making sure that the song he was plugging was on their minds — and lips. He was the only Englishman in the organization and had to take a good deal of ribbing. Paul Whiteman used to stop whatever his band was playing when Leslie arrived and start up with “Here Come the British”, a popular number at the time.

Show Friends

Back from America, Leslie joined Chappells and continued plugging songs, but with all the experience he had got from mastering the American method. When Radio Luxembourg opened up he joined the organization in charge of copyright.

The war started and into the RAF went Leslie and he was fortunate enough to be posted to Blackpool where he met up with many of his friends in show business.

He was in England a year and then went overseas to South Africa. At the end of the war he was the Adjutant at the Headquarters, RAF, S. Africa at Pretoria.

Demobbed, Leslie went straight back into music again rejoining his first firm Francis Day and Hunter in an administrative capacity. Eventually he became a director of the company but resigned in 1952 to become managing director of the Southern Music Company.

Three years later commercial television appeared on the horizon and he joined what was then ABDC [Associated Broadcasting Development Company – Ed], the forerunner of ATV, on April 4 1955 to look after contracts and copyright. Or at least that was what was written on his contract. Actually it turned out to be much more. In those early days everyone joined in setting up a TV organization that would work and he found himself hiring rehearsal rooms, reading scripts, negotiating with the Musicians’ Union and making arrangements with the Performing Rights Society in addition to a hundred and one other jobs. The Personnel Dept came under his wing for some time.

Lucky Escape

Those early days were interesting, absorbing and at times not without risk. He recalls the occasion when he was at Wood Green when the dressing room roof was being removed. As he walked through the stage door half a ton of concrete fell immediately behind him, missing him by inches. “You really shouldn’t have come through here” explained the foreman.

Leslie didn’t wait to explain that he very nearly didn’t.

Nowadays life is full of copyrights, contracts, and agreements and there is not much time for song. But Leslie Abbott still has a great affection for the world of music.

He believes that despite the near-monopolization of the “pop” world by the Americans, Britain has still a good deal to sing about. Our composers are far ahead of any in the world when it comes to writing light music of the type that gets played again and again for several years, as distinct from the “overnight” successes and failures in the Hit Parade.

His Favourites

At 50, Leslie Abbott can look back on a life full of music and entertainment. He is a friend of hundreds of stars. Married in 1938, he now has a 19-year-old son who is an assistant TV time buyer with a big company. His home is at Brookman’s Park.

Leslie has one passion in his spare time — motor racing, and he goes to most of the big meetings. Naturally, he likes to listen to music, and if asked to choose his favourite numbers he would probably plump for some of Gilbert and Sullivan’s works. He has one pet aversion — parodies of good music.

The post Life has been a song for Leslie! appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

Bernard Bibby is one of the men who, on that memorable night of September 22, 1955 when ATV first went on the air, [jointly with Associated-Rediffusion; they began their own transmissions on Saturday 24 – Ed] kept his fingers crossed and hoped that the “string and sealing wax” improvisations would survive.

He had joined the company from the BBC in June, as deputy to Terence McNamara [sic – name given as Macnamara in his staff profile in an earlier edition], and had to tackle the tremendous task of getting things to work at Wood Green. In 10 weeks he and his colleagues did what it would have taken about 18 months to do back at the BBC.

“Everyone worked like blazes to get Wood Green equipped properly for the opening night’s show ‘Channel Nine’” he says. “The equipment arrived in bits and pieces. Sometimes it wasn’t addressed to us at all but we grabbed it. I doubt if any of us got more than three hours sleep a night in the week before the start of programmes”.

Now, having left engineering to become Production Facilities Controller with the Elstree, Foley Street, Highbury and Wood Green studios to deal with Mr Bibby usually gets a normal night’s rest. But there are still plenty of tough problems to be solved every week. At 37, he is responsible for everything that goes into the studios apart from the electronics.

Bernard Bibby has always been interested in making things work. As a boy in North West Lancashire he dabbled in radio sets, motor bikes, cine-projectors and anything electrical or mechanical.

Some time later Bernard turned his talent to motor bikes and in 1948 he was roaring around the famous Isle of Man circuit touching 115 miles an hour on his Norton as a competitor in the Junior Tourist Trophy Race.

Nowadays he finds time for more relaxing hobbies in his lovely home high on the Hog’s Back in Surrey. It is a converted stable block and a good deal of the conversion he is doing himself including the digging of a wine cellar, which has a certain amount of fame in ATV, not to mention popularity, and a swimming pool in the garden.

In the cellar he keeps more than 1,000 bottles of wine and just now he’s very pleased with some ’57 and ’59 burgundies and clarets which he bottled himself. They’ll be fully matured in about 10 years time, but, as visitors to Little Down know, there are plenty of other wines there which taste very good at present.

Bottling wine, keeping bees and playing the harpsichord are amongst the ways in which Bernard Bibby relaxes away from television. His interest in wine came when, in his own words, he “got fed up with drinking the beer served up by the pubs soon after the war”. His interest in the harpsichord came through a fascination with 16th and 17th century music. He has two — both Kirckmans.

Mr Bibby has spent all his working life in radio or television. He joined the BBC in 1948 to work in the Recording Department. He was in London, Manchester, Bristol and Bangor at various periods and met his wife in the BBC’s Recording section. When television re-started after the war Mr Bibby went to Alexandra Palace on “racks”.

Then came the move to Lime Grove where Mr Bibby became a Technical Operations Manager. He occupied this post until joining ATV at Regent House when the early staff were being recruited.

The post Bernard Bibby, wine bottler appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

WHAT IS THE fasted growing show business organisation in Great Britain? The answer must surely be Associated Television. For this company, headed by such entertainment veterans as Val Parnel [sic throughout – it should be Parnell – Ed], Prince Littler and Lew Grade, is now about the strongest in the business.

In the five years commercial television has been established in this country, the rate of ATVs progress has been fantastic. With hardly any experience in the television medium, the Parnel-Littler-Grade combination had, within two years, established an ascendancy over the other contractors in the amount of programmes bought and sold.

Profit

By 1956 the company, through its affiliated production organisation, Incorporated Television Production Company, was sponsoring more TV production than anyone else in the business, and a year later was able to announce that its profit for the period ending May, 1958, was over £4,000,000 [£79m in today’s money allowing for inflation].

Since then ATV has negotiated a deal with Jack Wrather, which has made the company the third largest distributor of television programmes in the world, and, through the purchase of ITPC, strong enough to guarantee a minimum of five television series a year, including the most expensive TV production to be made in Great Britain, “The Four Just Men,” with Jack Hawkins, Dan Dailey and Vittorio de Sica.

Holdings

ATV has also acquired large holdings in Australian radio and television stations, giving them a greater outlet in that country than probably any other television distribution company.

Moreover, ATV has gone into the record business and has purchased a substantial interest in Pye Records, Ltd., the subsidiary of the television and radio manufacturers.

This week Parnel was flying to the States to sign up some of the big American stars who have previously appeared in his London Palladium shows for record contracts with the Pye-ATV recording company. While he is away his colleague Lew Grade, deputy managing director of the company, will be busy with new programmes, some of them bought from America to the other contractors, in readiness for the longer viewing hours which ITV anticipates will be approved by the government for January 1, 1959.

Campaign

The next stage in ATV’s campaign for more power and profit in television will be to try to speed up government approval for the third network being placed at the disposal of the ITV companies. Prince Littler, chairman of ATV, was the first programme contractor to go on record in favour of the third network and requested the company to be given London for five days under any proposed changes instead of its present schedule of London weekends and Midlands weekdays.

Compete

Thus the company would be prepared to compete on equal terms with the present weekday contractor, Associated Rediffusion. Chairman of this company, Paul Adorian, has gone on record rejecting the third network at the present time because of the economic and financial difficulties in the way of its operation.

ATV is also interested in the possibility of commercial sound radio, should it come about in this country. A company has been formed headed by one of the ATV directors, Norman Collins, with a view to operating a commercial radio station if the government gives its approval when the BBC’s charter comes up for consideration in 1960.

Liaison

While ATV has made no move towards feature film production, on the other hand there is a very close liaison between Lew Grade and Parnel and the Eros brothers, Phil and Sid Hyams, through ITPC, of which all were directors, which has led to a number of medium-size British pictures adapted from ATV’s television successes. Such productions as “The Mystery of Planet X” and “The Trollenberg Terror” are two serials which have been produced as feature films by Eros. Another successful serial which is being made into a feature by that company is “Emergency [–] Ward 10.”

Doubtlessly, if feature production becomes more profitable, one of the first steps of ATV will be to set up a company to secure another slice of show business profit.

Already its American partner, Jack Wrather, has been able to combine a successful TV distribution programme with film production. Now that he is associated with ATV in Television Programmes [sic – Programs] of America, Inc., the third largest distributionproduction in the world, the possibility that the organisation will also handle cinema features is not remote.

In other words, ATV has become a world-wide show business entity whose future progress seems at this time of writing to be limitless.

The post The sky’s the limit for Associated TeleVision appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

THE qualifications required to become a competent company secretary are precisely laid down in the textbooks. They do not include playing rugby, squash or sailing your own 14-foot International dinghy. No mention is made of studying engineering, stage managing musicals or digging up mines in the desert.

But this is the kind of experience that provides the background for 41-year-old JACK BARHAM to work with efficiency and skill as the secretary to Associated Television. Being a qualified chartered accountant can also come in useful, by the way.

In his job Mr Barham has to combine the precision of an expert on company practice with the enthusiasm of an adventurer in a new medium of entertainment.

Jack Barham’s functions range from recording the minutes of the board meetings to solving personal problems of members of the staff.

There are many times when he has to have both the skill of the chess player and the optimistic anticipation of the man with only one number to go for a fullhouse at Bingo.

One important factor that makes him well-liked throughout the company is that he always is very approachable.

Born at Woodbridge, Suffolk, the son of a local solicitor, Jackson Barham was studying engineering when the war came. He left London University for the Army to serve in the Royal Engineers.

In North Africa he found himself engaged in the delicate task of avoiding being blown up by mines and preventing the same thing happening to the advance troops of the First Army.

His field company cleaned-up vast stretches of desert territory prior to the push into Tunis, but one little stretch almost cleaned up Jack Barham.

A mine that exploded at the wrong time sent him back to Blighty on a stretcher.

When the war ended Mr Barham decided he would become an accountant. The fact that the firm to whom he was articled did a good deal of work in show business was probably the first signpost along the road that led him into television.

Qualified as an accountant, he joined the Stoll Theatre Group, but in order to gain practical experience he worked at first as a stage-manager.

Some time later he was appointed Personal Assistant to Mr Prince Littler who was to become the chairman of ATV.

Jack Barham came into ATV in January 1956.

At that time there were less than 100 ATV shareholders. Now there are more than 15,000, and a host of subsidiary companies scattered throughout the world which Mr Barham has helped to form.

With so much business to attend to he has little chance these days of taking part in the sports at which he showed so much promise in his younger days. Rugby and athletics are out, although he plays regularly squash and occasionally gets a chance of sailing.

But it’s pottering about the garden at his home in Purley that takes up most of his leisure time. He has a 15-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son, and a wife named Nora, who no doubt sometimes speculates on how much more ordered family life would have been if her loving husband had gone back to civil engineering after the war.

The post He does more than keep the books… appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

OUR Administration Controller, 55-year-old LESLIE LEWIS, is the man who keeps the wheels turning for ATV.

“I suppose administration is something I have always liked. Probably because I’ve got a methodical sort of mind,” he says reflectively.

Mr Lewis was born in London and was educated at Highgate School. He left school early to study in Switzerland and is bilingual in French and English. He started his career in his family’s business of woollen merchants.

This gave him many opportunities to travel — to France, Belgium and Germany. But work was not the only thing that occupied him at that time. In 1926, he joined the Territorial Army and served in the Honourable Artillery Company until 1936.

Then he found a new leisure interest — motor racing at Brooklands. “I shared a succession of cars with a friend. We had an Alta, an M.G. Magnette and an E.R.A. [English Racing Automobiles – Ed] And we won some races,” he recalls.

But after a time another sport beckoned — “I decided to take up flying”. And it was while he was learning to fly at Hatfield that he met his future wife. Mr Lewis’s wife, Andrée, is French, and they were married in 1937.

In August 1939, he was recalled to his regiment and in February 1940, commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Welsh Regiment. After some time, when he had reached the rank of Major, he was seconded to a War Office experimental training scheme.

Then he was posted to the Middle East where he joined the Forces Broadcasting Service as administration officer. “We were just setting up the service then — starting it from scratch” he says.

When he came home he returned to the family business but on the death of his father in 1955, Mr Lewis joined ATV.

“It was pretty hectic in those early days” he says. “I was a jack-of-all-trades — I looked after personnel, insurance, the maintenance of our various buildings.

“I even worked the teleprinter and on occasions I serviced duplicating machines and moved furniture.

“Our most chaotic period was when we moved into Television House while it was still being adapted for our use. Nothing was working properly, no heating, no water and at times no lighting, except Tilley lamps and candles!”

His Philosophy

His philosophy about administration is simple: “The Administration Department of any large company should function as a team, with every member pulling his weight no matter how heavy or light. Unless everyone does his job, the internal organisation could very easily break down”.

He does not believe in an accumulation of charts and statistics for their own sake. He uses them only when they are functional. He describes the job of the Administration Department as “servicing all the other departments of the Company”.

He has never regretted joining ATV. “I enjoy working for this company,” he explains. “It’s exciting — I never know what I am going to cope with next.”

The post He keeps the wheels moving appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

PHILIP DORTÉ, ATV’s Midlands Controller, was only 22 when he was offered a job by the General Electric Company of America to work on the development of radio at their Schenectady works in New York.

From Downside he had gone to Cambridge but finding no provision there for the study of electrical engineering he attended Faraday House instead.

After reading a paper on radio to students at the Institute of Electrical Engineers, the young Dorté was approached by a member of his audience.

“Would you like to work for us in New York?” asked the G.E.C. man [sic: American General Electric was known as G.E.; the unrelated British General Electric was G.E.C. – Ed]. The young radio engineer jumped at the chance.

At New York, however, his sense of humour at once got him into trouble.

“Do you suffer from moral turpitude?” asked the immigration official.

“I said ‘Yes'” recalls Mr. Dorté “and I spent the night on Ellis island. The next morning the G.E.C. people had to come and get me out”.

In America he worked on the development of both TV and talking pictures and when his company secured the contract to build Toronto’s first high powered radio station, Mr. Dorté was put in charge.

While in Canada, he had the idea of approaching the French Government to secure a concession for broadcasting commercial radio programmes to Britain.

The French agreed and Mr. Dorté formed Radio Publicity Ltd. — in opposition to Mr. John Reith, as he then was, and his British Broadcasting Company.

“I suppose, I must have been the first Englishman to see the possibilities of commercial radio” he recalls.

“These were sponsored programmes and we had plenty of advertisers too — Black Cat cigarettes; Revelation suitcases and Grosvenor House Hotel…”

Transmissions were beamed to London on long wave. Tom Ronald, BBC sound radio producer, was one of the announcers.

Soon after this, Captain Leonard Plugge obtained a similar concession to operate Radio Normandy — on medium wave.

“Captain Plugge suggested an amalgamation” says Mr. Dorté, “I was agreeable but the rest of the Board were against it. I resigned.”

From commercial radio, Mr. Dorté switched to talking pictures. Basil Dean was just starting Ealing Studios and with his knowledge gained in America, Mr. Dorté was put in charge of the sound recording side.

From Ealing he joined Michael Balcon at Gaumont British, working in the old Lime Grove studios, now used by the BBC.

“I went on location abroad for all the big British films of that time” he says “This kept me out of the country for months on end. My wife took a dim view of this.

“Then one day I met an old friend of mine, John Hytch at the BBC, He told me the BBC were just about to start a television service and why didn’t I join them?”

Mr. Dorté thus became the BBC’s first TV Head of Outside Broadcasts. And for the next few years everything he organised was a FIRST.

“The first O.B. was the Coronation of George VI and Queen Elizabeth in May 1936″ he says. “Then there was Wimbledon, the Boat Race, a show a week from the London Coliseum and both the 38 and 39 Derbies.”

In the Spring of 1939, Mr. Done joined the RAF Volunteer Reserve. It was while he was doing an O.B. from the London Zoo that his wife came round with his calling-up papers.

With his TV and engineering background, he was a natural for radar.

Demobilised with the rank of Group Captain, he was awarded the OBE (Military Division) for his services.

As BBC TV expanded, Mr. Dorté switched over to films, becoming Head of TV Films in 1949.

“It was a constant battle with the film industry” he recalls “I fought them all the time. Finally I told them that if they wouldn’t co-operate with us over the question of newsreel coverage, we would start our own.

“They roared with laughter. They reminded me that cinema newsreels were fast going out of business. They said I didn’t stand a chance.”

Events proved Mr. Dorté right. He even put out a better service than the cinemas — by providing the BBC with a different newsreel daily as against the twice a week offering in the cinemas. And he started a Children’s TV Newsreel too.

In 1954 he quit the BBC to join Mr. Norman Collins as a senior executive of the original Associated Broadcasting Development Company which later merged with Moss Empires and other interests to become ATV.

In the early days of ITV he was seconded to Independent Television News for a year, then — as he puts it — Val Parnell asked him if he’d start the Company’s Midlands Operation.

“I’m still starting it” he says.

The post He pioneered commercial radio appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

TERENCE C. MACNAMARA, ATV’s Technical Controller, has worked in television and radio since the pioneer days.

He joined the BBC engineering department in 1923 and saw the building up of both the BBC sound and television services. Today he is in charge of ATV’s 179-strong engineering department.

At the age of 56, he has seen the growth of the industry since the earliest days. He proudly remembers showing Marconi around the BBC’s Savoy Hill studios in 1923 and Lord Rutherford around Alexandra Palace in 1936. He also worked with James Logie Baird [sic: John – Ed].

Baird, he remembers as “a lovable man of great vision — impractical, though, and with no idea of money.”

Mr Macnamara was responsible for the complete installation at Alexandra Palace after he moved to the television section of the BBC engineering design and installation department, of which he ultimately became head.

In 1951, he joined Norman Collins in High Definition Films Ltd., making electronic films with Pye Ltd. at Highbury. Mr Macnamara has chalked up some notable “firsts” during his career.

He was in charge of the first television outside broadcast ever carried out at the coronation of George VI, and also supervised the first TV outside broadcast of the Oxford and Cambridge boat race from a launch following the boats.

When ATV started there were only five months to get the service going.

“It was an enormous strain on the technical people. We worked all day and all night. The job was planned by about three people.

“Today we are using a similar team to plan the great new Elstree studio scheme”.

During the war Mr Macnamara worked for the BBC team used by the Air Ministry. Their job was radio counter-measures such as distorting German beacon signals to throw their aviators off course.

Mr Macnamara helped to deal with a German mystery voice that interrupted London programmes. The voice, which the technicians called “Funf” came from a transmitter on the continent. He and his colleagues had to devise a way of blotting out the German signals.

Looking to the future, Mr Macnamara says: “I’m a supporter of the introduction of the 625-line system. I’ve seen colour TV too, both in America and Russia, and we keep a close eye on developments in that direction.

“I believe young people with a bent for engineering should be encouraged to go in for the technical side. We started a trainee scheme straight away at ATV and nearly all the original trainees are now in posts of considerable responsibility.”

Mr Macnamara has been married for 33 years and lives with his wife, Kathleen in a “minute Regency terrace house in St John’s Wood.” But at weekends he goes to his country house in the village of Cadbury, Devonshire.

The post His first O.B. – a Coronation! appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

The most severe of A.T.V.’s critics have found it difficult to say hard words about the plays. Whether ‘live’ or filmed they have maintained a very high standard throughout. The parade of stars has been most impressive and varied. Actors and actresses of the calibre of Eric Portman, Flora Robson, Dame Edith Evans, Roger Livesey, Barbara Kelly, Bernard Braden, Helen Haye [sic – Hayes], James Donald, Nora Swinburne, Dorothy Tutin, and Elisabeth Welch, have appeared in the A.T.V. drama series.

The plays have included many which have run successfully in London and, in some instances on Broadway too.

The best plays, the best actors, the best producers — that is the aim of A.T.V. when presenting drama, with the intention that a high level will always be achieved and maintained.

The post Drama for everyone! appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

IT’S SATURDAY MORNING MADHOUSE time, and the terrible Tiswas team — led by Chris Tarrant and Sally James — is back with plenty of disorganised mayhem and general chaos. First shown in Birmingham in 1974, the programme has become a cult watched by five million adults and children. Fan mail reveals that students lay down their books, housewives stop vacuuming and husbands watch it in bed.

Anything can happen and it usually does. The most unusual aspect of Tiswas is that the actors and studio audience all attack each other. Adults beg to be locked in The Cage and have buckets of water, custard pies, egg and ketchup flung at them. In between competitions, film clips, cartoons and quizzes pop stars are doused in mid-interview and return for more.

Tiswas has been translated as “This Is What They Want”, “This Is Saturday Watch And Smile” or “This Is Saturday Watch And Suffer”. What is certain is that Saturday mornings are not the same any more.

✹

CHRIS TARRANT

Maestro of Tiswas. Producer and presenter. Not averse to getting soaked

The Cage

“Twelve thousand people have written to ask if they can go in The Cage. We’ve had two vicars, a chief of police who couldn’t say where he was from, and half a dozen Inland Revenue men inside. We’ve not had any politicians yet. I intend to work on that one.

The Dying Fly

“The Dying Fly was introduced to us by Jasper Carrott. Once, during his act, a drunk came on stage and said: ‘You’ve got to do the Dying Fly.’ Suddenly the whole audience were lying on their backs and waving their arms and legs in the air. We introduced it to Tiswas. We hold the world record. We got 1,700 people to do it in Leicester. I read a list of dangerous sports compiled by R.o.S.P.A. (Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents). They banned the Dying Fly as dangerous unless supervised, along with hang-gliding,” jokes Tarrant.

The Phantom Flanflinger

“I pay his wages but I’ve never seen him.”

Most Requested Film Clip

Says Tarrant: “Kids keep asking for the most gruesome scenes. Especially Monty Python. The Black Knight losing arms and legs is requested most often. So are scenes from Life of Brian.”

✹

Q: What eats hay and sees equally well from either end?

A: A horse with its eyes shut.

✹

HOW TO DO THE DYING FLY

Lie on your back on the floor. Lift your legs up, bending them at the knee. Bend your arms at the elbows and raise them upwards. Bend hands at wrists but keep your hands straight.

When the music of the song The Dying Fly starts, kick your legs around and wave your arms in time with the music.

✹

SALLY JAMES

Pretty witty presenter. Famous for brilliant interviews. Looks better than ever when thoroughly damp.

“It’s firn being the only girl but a bit messy. It’s different for boys. The custard pies are made of shaving foam and stick to my mascara. One Saturday I worked out that I’d washed my hair four times during the day after being soaked in the Bucket of Water song. I get through hair conditioner by the litre.”

✹

✹

LENNY HENRY

Resident comedian

“I love Tiswas. I think Chris really understands the rebellious feelings in children.”

Says Bob Carolgees: “Lenny Henry used to do a very funny newscast as Trevor McDoughnut. One day Chris secretly smuggled Trevor McDonald into the studio and produced him as Lenny finished his act. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen Lenny go white.”

✹

BOB CAROLGEES

Owner of Spit the dog and Charlie the monkey

Says Bob Carolgees: “My dog was originally called Spot. The reason I gave him that name was because he didn’t have any. But when I first started using him in my act I accidentally called him Spit. Everybody thought it was funny so I added the spitting gesture and now Spit has really taken off.

“Spit gets a personal fan mail of 50 to 100 letters a week. Many people call their dogs after him, especially if they are Cairns or Scotties which Spit thinks he is. He gets sent scarves and hats and bones. Charlie is a really friendly puppet and is very popular. He receives quite a lot of nuts and bananas now.”

Spit is in for a big surprise in the new series. He is going to have a rival. “His name is Cough the cat and I think he will give Spit a run for his money.”

✹

Q: What do you get if you cross a porcupine and a skunk?

A: A smelly pincushion.

✹

HOPPING

“This autumn hopping will be the craze,” says John Gorman. “Everyone will be hopping mad and I predict we shall all have a very Hoppy Christmas.

“Hopping has reached a state of great popularity. It has spread with astonishing rapidity to nearly every country in the known world (and a couple in the unknown too).”

Famous Hoppers include:
Hoppalong Cassidy
Bugs Bunny
Long John Silver
Kermit the Frog

✹

JOHN GORMAN

Ex-Scaffold singer and chief loon. Manly responsible for the extraordinary popularity of the Bucket of Water song.

“I was chosen as the resident loon because of my devastating good looks. I am especially responsible for instructive work. I am the expert in the art of hitting your head with a tray. I have crowned heads from Europe and Tower Hamlets. It is not a piece of cake. That’s made with flour.”

The post Chris, Sally and Spit – organising meyhem every Saturday appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

WHEN tackling a fresh event the Producer must work out the mechanical framework necessary to achieve the best results. This requires a broad outline knowledge of the event, and a visit to the venue with the Unit planner, who must obtain and cope with, the right equipment — the lighting engineer, who must ensure perfect lighting, and the communications engineer. The tricky planning to get the programme on to the television screen in the best possible way.

Tackling an O.B. programme is quite different from filming an event. The O.B. Producer has the difficult task of editing the show as it happens, unlike the film man who can edit the film after the event. The success of the venture also depends on the adaptability of all the crew. It is important that each member of the production staff slip into the mood of the programme and be at one with it. Recently, for example, the A.T.V. crew covered a religious programme and followed it after a short interval with an “All-In Wrestling” event. For the first O.B. it was necessary to feel the solemnity of the occasion and adjust the speed of presentation to fit, so that all the solemn atmosphere was portrayed to the viewing audience. Then, shortly afterwards, came the brash excitement of the Wrestling match.

The idea that the O.B. people are a leisurely crowd who point their cameras at cricket matches and get sun-burnt or weatherbeaten at leisure is a fallacy. It takes initiative, a liking for hard work, planning and split second timing and as one O.B. Producer said, “Above all a liking for the challenge of the unexpected, for Outside Broadcasts are not rehearsed, and one never knows quite what is likely to crop up at the last minute.”

The post Outside Broadcasts appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

Wood Green Empire, first built in 1912 as a twice-nightly variety theatre, took on a new lease of life in 1955 when Associated Television converted it into one of the busiest of the television studios.

Since September 1955, thousands of people have stepped through the Empire’s doors to watch some of the most popular A.T.V. programmes presented at Wood Green. “Val Parnell’s Saturday Spectacular,” “Free Speech,” “The Carroll Levis Show,” “Val Parnell’s Startime,” are just a few of the programmes originating from the old Empire.

The Theatre has always had a busy, bustling show-business life. In 1930 it changed over to films, but was converted back to variety in 1936. Then, in January 1955, the Empire was closed as a live Theatre, and taken over by Associated Television in May 1955. On to the empty stage marched an army of carpenters, builders, painters, fitters and electricians. By September, their jobs were completed and the Empire was ready for “Channel 9”, the first programme on the air for Independent Television which was transmitted on September 23rd 1955, from this studio. [This sentence appears to be completely inaccurate in every regard – Ed]

The Theatre still has its bevy of “stage door johnnies,” but now they are in the modern garb of the autograph hunters and fan club leaders.

The post Wood Green Studio appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

The year which ended on 31st March 1981 proved the most difficult in the company’s history. Turnover rose to £250 million [£916.1m in today’s money allowing for inflation – Ed] but pre-tax profits declined to £2.6 million [£9.5m]. New financial measures have been taken and these will, I believe, restore the Group to a satisfactory level of profitability.

Certain of the divisions, notably Television, Music Publishing, Travel and Hotel, Insurance and Property, produced excellent results and, in due course, consideration will be given to expansion in appropriate areas. Meanwhile, a committee has been appointed to advise on future development.

Central Independent Television Ltd., a new subsidiary to be owned 51% by ACC, has been awarded a seven-day-a-week 8-year franchise from the Independent Broadcasting Authority for the East and West Midlands areas, in succession to the contract previously held by ATV Network.

The results of the Film division were unsatisfactory and, for the future, the Group will not embark single-handed on feature film production.

Pre-recorded video cassettes constitute a new growth industry. Precision Video Ltd. is already extremely profitable, though another subsidiary, PRT, suffered the ill effects of the overall recession in the record industry.

An independent valuation of Group property in March 1981 shows an appreciation to some £90 million [£329.8m] as compared with the last published figure of £67 million [£245.5m].

The company is being re-registered as a PLC. Share certificates will remain valid. New certificates will be issued when a holdings is transferred.

The post ATV financial results: 1981 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

“The profit figure of £14,101,000 is the second highest in the 25-year history of the company. Indeed, had it not been for a national industrial dispute which kept the whole of Independent Television off the air for eleven successive weeks, the profit would undoubtedly have exceeded the record of £16,308,000 which was achieved in 1978/79”

[£14,101,000 is £57.5m in today’s money allowing for inflation. £16,308,000 is £66.5m – Ed]

Television

ATV’s current contract for seven-day-a-week television runs until 31st December 1981. By the end of 1980 the Independent Broadcasting Authority will reach its decision on the award of new contracts which will run for eight years. For the period of these contracts the Midlands franchise area will be a dual region comprising the East and West Midlands and ATV has applied for the contract.

A new company, ATV Midlands Limited, has already been set up and a second studio complex is planned for the East Midlands.

T.V. programmes

Initially a proportion of ATV productions will continue to be made at Elstree. Thereafter, Elstree will become available for additional television productions and for special programmes for export.

A new company, Daybreak Television, in which ACC has a minority interest, has made an application for the proposed nationwide breakfast-time television franchise, and Elstree has been suggested as the ideal production centre.

Films

Our subsidiaries now embrace all three aspects of production, distribution and exhibition and the acquisition of Classic Cinemas place more than 140 screens at our disposal. The full-length ‘Muppet Movie’ has broken box office records and its much sought after successor is already in production. Altogether, the film division production schedule has never been stronger.

Theatres

The theatre division enjoyed a year of truly outstanding successes and its profit figure of £1.1 million [£4.5m] stands at an all-time record. The year saw packed houses for Yul Brynner in ‘The King and I’ at the Palladium and ‘Annie’ at the Victoria Palace. The theatrical costumiers, Bermans & Nathans, established new overseas records and their work is to be seen in London’s exciting new attraction – ‘The Palladium Cellars’.

Music

Our main music publishing subsidiary, ATV Music, rose to be the No. 2 company in UK music publishing, and profits and prospects are both excellent. Its subsidiary company, Bruton Music, is now firmly established as a prominent supplier for both television and films.

Records

In common with all other record companies, Pye Records had to face a world-wide recession within the industry. Special attention is now being paid to the important new development of video cassettes and video discs.

Property

The results of Bentray Investments – up from £3.5 million [£14.3m] to £4.2 million [£17.1m] – are impressive and the acquisition of Intereuropean Property Holdings has added a new portfolio, including the important Eros site at Piccadilly Circus.

Telephone answering

For the second year in succession the results of Ansafone have been outstandingly successful and in spite of competition at home and abroad the growth rate has been one of 40%.

Insurance

Two Bermudian companies were purchased by Marbarch Insurance Company and a new company, Bryanston Insurance, has been established. Subsidiaries have been set up in Australia, Hong Kong and Gibraltar, and trading has been profitable throughout.

Jetsave

The Group acquired an 85% stake in Jetsave, a company which is both a pioneer and a leader in the rapidly growing field of trans-Atlantic holiday travel.

The post ATV financial results: 1980 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

Lord Grade of Elstree, Chairman and Chief Executive of the international group spanning TV・Theatres・Cinemas・Music Publishing・Films・Records and Tapes・Property・Theatrical Costumiers・Ansafone・Insurance, and Merchandising says…

“I foresee another year of widening opportunity”

For the third time in succession, I am happy to be able to report the highest profit figure in the twenty-four year history of the company.

At £16.3 million [£76.3m in today’s money allowing for inflation – Ed] the profit before tax for 1978/79 is 19% higher than the previous record of £13.7 million [£64.1m] achieved last year and represents an increase of no less than 46% on the result for 1976/77.

Our earnings per “A” ordinary stock unit after taxation were 16.77p [78.48p] (1977/78 16.83p [78.76p]) and the total dividend of 8p [37.44p] per unit recommended by the Board was declared at the Annual General Meeting on 13th September. An interim dividend of 3.1p [14.51p] was paid in March and a final dividend of 4.9p [22.93p] will be paid on 1st October.

The activities of the company are now widely diversified and internationally based, and A.C.C.’s leading position in the field of world entertainment is now acknowledged everywhere. In the light of present performance and prospects I foresee another year of widening opportunity.

Television

ATV Network has enjoyed another distinguished year including winning the British Academy for Film and Television Arts award for the best documentary programme of the year. The Muppets, of which 72 episodes have already been shown in well over 100 countries, is about to enter its fourth series.

There has also been a steady build up of local coverage. In order to strengthen this service a News and Information Centre has been established in Nottingham and a similar centre will be opened in Oxford during the current year.

To meet the increased production required from ATV Centre £1½ million [£7m] will be spent on technical equipment this year in addition to the capital investment of approximately £1 million [£4.7m] made last year and there have also been additions to both staff and premises.

Film Production

Our American distribution has been placed on an entirely new footing by the formation of a new American company, Associated Film Distribution, set up jointly with EMI to handle new productions with “Firepower” as first of the Spring releases.

Films made under the Marble Arch banner have been sold both to the American networks and for financial release.

The Group now embraces one of the most extensive film-making and film distribution organisations in the world, and I regard the prospects of this aspect of our activities as most encouraging.

Thirty major films including “Capricorn One”, “Boys From Brazil”, “Autumn Sonata”, “Voyage of the Damned”, “Movie Movie”, “Escape to Athena” and “Firepower” are now in international distribution, and will continue as a major source of revenue for years to come. Already the full-length film of “The Muppets” promises to be one of the year’s world-beaters. The mammoth spectacular, “Raise the Titanic”, is in production and will be released next summer.

Theatre

Despite the terrible winter weather the Theatres Division has enjoyed its most successful year.

At the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, “A Chorus Line” ran into its third year; “Filumena” has enjoyed more than 700 performances at the Lyric; “Annie”, at the Victoria Palace, is clearly a record-breaker in the making; “Aladdin”, with Danny La Rue as its star, was the acknowledged attraction of the Christmas season and the Palladium production of “The King and I”, starring Yul Brynner and Virginia McKenna is the major event of the London theatrical season.

Music Publishing, Records & Tapes

The ATV Music Group has once again produced record profits. During the year there has been further progress along three principal current lines of policy. These are the signing of new, and development of existing, signed [sic] writers; the building-up of one of the world’s most extensive background music libraries and the acquisition or creation of directly owned subsidiaries overseas, including the establishment of new subsidiaries in Canada and Italy.

Although the record industry suffered a second year of recession, the strength of the company’s catalogue, both in terms of established artists and fresh talent, gives confidence for the future.

Property

Bentray properties are located throughout the whole of the United Kingdom and profits have risen from £2.52 million [£11.8m] to £3.46 million [£16.2m] – an increase of 37%.

Important new developments include the rebuilding of numbers 37, 38 and 39 St. Martin’s Lane to include a restaurant, a public house, shops and approximately 10,000 sq. ft. of office space.

We have also acquired a unique site of 1¼ acres in the prime area adjoining Shaftesbury Avenue and Piccadilly Circus. Plans have been approved for the erection of a lavishly equipped entertainment centre for the showing of the most ambitious stage spectaculars, and the doors will open in the early 1980’s.

Other Interests

Ansafone achieved truly remarkable trading results with profits exceeding £1 million [£4.7m] for the first time – an increase of no less than 154%.

Bermans & Nathans, the theatrical costumiers achieved the distinction of receiving The Queen’s Award for Export.

ATV Licensing, one of out liveliest subsidiaries, increased its profits by 15% and our subsidiaries concerned with insurance and commercial leasing operated profitably and efficiently.

Copies of the full Report and Accounts for the year to 31st March 1979 are available from the Secretary, Associated Communications Corporation Limited, ACC House, 17 Great Cumberland Place, London W1A 1AG.

The post ATV financial results: 1979 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

Associated Television Corporation
now, in view of its highly diversified activities, renamed
Associated Communications Corporation

‘I am anticipating new record profits in our current financial year’

Review of the year to 26 March 1978

For the third year in succession the figure of profit has risen most significantly.

The 1977/78 profit before tax of £13,700,000 [£71.1m in today’s money allowing for inflation – Ed] is 22% higher than for the year 1976/77 which was, at the time, the highest in the history of the Company.

Comparison with the preceding year, 1975/76, is even more striking inasmuch as the 1977/78 profit shows a rise of no less than 122%.

Profit after tax attributable to members is £8,050,000 [£41.8m].

Once again the Group Results amply justify the confidence which I expressed in my last Annual Statement, and I have every reason to enjoy that same confidence today. I am happy to be able to say that all divisions in the Corporation are trading profitably.

Earnings and Dividends

For 1977/78 the earnings per “A” stock unit after taxation were 16.83p [87.35p] (1976/77 – 14.68p [76.19p]). Accordingly, the Board is able to recommend a dividend of 6.606p [34.29p] per “A” stock unit, being the maximum permitted by the Treasury.

An interim dividend of 2.772p [14.39p] per unit was paid in March and a final dividend of 3.834p [19.9p] per unit (which reflects the reduction in the standard rate of income tax) was approved at the Annual General Meeting.

Tribute to Staff

My thanks are due to all staff at home and overseas – numbering nearly 5,000 – for the part they have played in building the Corporation to its present size and prominence.

Group Activities

Television

Despite the change of name of the Corporation, the name of ATV Network Ltd., which holds the Midlands franchise granted by the Independent Broadcasting Authority, remains unchanged.

ATV is most favourably placed. “Crossroads”, the ever-popular series of which the 3,000th episode was broadcast in August 1978, is produced in ATV’s Birmingham studios; and ATV’s up-to-the-minute topical programme, “ATV Today”, also a product of the ATV Centre, Birmingham, and already recognised as an outstanding service of Midland television news and information, is being still further strengthened by the setting up of regional news centres in Nottingham and Oxford respectively.

One of the year’s most notable and acclaimed programmes from the Midlands production team was Trevor Nunn’s two-and-a-half-hour musical version of Shakespeare’s “The Comedy of Errors”, specially recorded at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Stratford-on-Avon.

It is against this background of 339 hours of programmes produced in the Midlands that the Company’s national contribution produced in ATV’s other studio production centre at Elstree should be reviewed.

I need hardly say that, at the appropriate moment, ATV Network will automatically be applying for the continuation of the 7-day Midlands franchise which it has held since 1968, following on the 5-day Midlands franchise granted at the inception of Independent Television in 1954.

Film Production

ATV Corporation, through its ITC Entertainment subsidiaries, is already one of the world’s major film producers, and over the years I have been at pains to stress the large-scale investment required to finance film production. It is therefore highly gratifying to be able to draw attention to this year’s earnings from the film division, and to remind shareholders that the flow of revenue from this source is just beginning.

In order to streamline the marketing operation of ITC Entertainment films, a new subsidiary – ITC Film Distributors Ltd. – has been formed.

The setting up of a new American subsidiary, Marble Arch Productions Inc., marks yet a further stage in the Corporation’s progress.

Theatre

The Stoll-Moss Theatre Group had a most successful year. “A Chorus Line” continued to break all records at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. In addition, the past ten months have seen such productions as “Filumena”, “Cause Celebré”, The Old Country”, “Donkey’s Year”, “The Kingfisher”, and “The Rear Column”. Our new international star policy has brought many of the world’s most famous artists to the London Palladium, including Bing Crosby, Sammy David Junior, Julie Andrews, Shirley MacLaine and Liberace, as well as the record-breaking American musical, “Annie”, to the Victoria Palace.

Music Publishing, Records and Tapes

Music publishing has enjoyed an excellent year. There has been a substantial investment in the development of a background music library and considerable effort has been made in the development and encouragement of new writers.

In the UK, ATV Music was placed in the top three music publishers for 1977 by “Music Week”, and our USA company had its most successful year to date.

The Results of Pye Records showed further improvement, with The Brotherhood of Man and The Muppets scoring notable successes.

Other Interests

Property

Bentray Investments has made conspicuous progress and now ranks among the outstanding property-owning companies in the UK. Profits over the past three years have risen by no less than 45% and the valuation of Bentray’s assets, recently completed by outside valuers, shows an increase of over £11 million [£57.1m] in the period.

Theatrical Costumiers

Bermans & Nathans, our theatrical costumiers, has shown steady improvement with a continuing development of its export business.

Telephone Answering

Following the reorganisation at Ansafone, previous losses have been converted into a profit and we expect the current year to produce record results.

Insurance

The Marbarch Insurance Group is trading profitably and we plan considerable developments both at home and overseas.

Licensing

ATV Licensing made excellent progress in all fields and is one of our most rapidly expanding subsidiaries.

Copies of the Report and Accounts are available from The Secretary, Associated Communications Corporation Limited, 17 Great Cumberland Place, London W1A 1AG.

The post ATV financial results: 1978 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

the International Group spanning TV, Theatres, Theatrical Costumiers, Films, Music Publishing, Records and Tapes, Property, Insurance, Ansafone and Merchandising

‘Pretax profits are up by 81% to all time record’

Review of the year

The results speak for themselves. The pre-tax profit figure is £11,161,000 [£32.3m in today’s money allowing for inflation – Ed], the highest in the year history of the company, and shows an increase of 81% over 1976.

The improvement in the Group Profit may be attributed in the main to two causes: first, to the resurgence in television advertising revenue and secondly, to the very substantial contribution made this year by the Corporation’s film division.

I can also confirm that all the main divisions within the Group are currently thriving and look well set for the future.

Directors

ATV Corporation

Mr. Jack Gill, C.B.E., already my Deputy Chairman, has, in addition, been appointed Deputy Chief Executive of the Corporation. Mr. Gill’s new designation thus gives public recognition to the part which he has played in building up ATV’s prosperity.

Mr. Norman Collins, who has held the position of Deputy Chairman from the inception of the Company, now gives up that post, but I am most happy to say he has agreed to remain a member of the Board.

I have been most happy, also, to appoint Mr. Louis Benjamin my other Deputy Chairman.

ATV Network

It is a condition of the franchise granted by the Independent Broadcasting Authority that 70 should be the maximum age for Directors of the licensed Companies.

Accordingly, while remaining Chairman and Chief Executive of Associated Television Corporation – the Group which embraces all the subsidiary activities – I shall be relinquishing my Chairmanship of the ATV Network Division of the Group on 1st October, 1977. I am delighted to say, however, that the Board of ATV Network has, with the full approval of the Authority, unanimously elected me to the post of President, and I am also fortunate in having Mr. Jack Gill, already my Deputy Chairman at ATV Network, ready to succeed me as Network Chairman.

Under the same age-rule of the Independent Broadcasting Authority, Mr. Norman Collins, a founder-member of the Company, will be retiring from the Network Board.

Television

As a result of improved transmitter coverage, ATV Network now serves an area extending from Stoke on Trent in the north to Oxford in the south, and from Hereford in the west to Peterborough in the east.

Due to the upturn in television advertising revenue, the profit of ATV Network, before tax, was £4,281,000 [£23.9m] against £1,945,000 [£10.9m] for 1976.

The financial revival of ATV Network should be seen against the background of the results for the year 1974/75 when the profit before tax had dropped to £1,677,000 [£9.4m].

The urgent and necessary economies which were introduced were not, however, at any time allowed to impinge on direct expenditure upon programmes.

In the result, the high standards of the service were fully maintained, and the year saw the presentation of such notable programmes as the six-part “Moses The Lawgiver”, and the irresistible, 24-episode series “The Muppet Show” – 1977 winner of the Golden Rose of Montreux Award.

The Annan Report

The long-awaited Annan Report on the future of broadcasting has now been published and I must thank Lord Annan for his welcome acceptance of the basic principles of Independent Television.

I must, nevertheless, admit to being disappointed that the Committee did not see fit to recommend that the available – and at the moment, entirely unutilised – fourth Channel should be allocated to the IBA.

Film Production

In my last two annual statements, I have been careful to draw attention to the magnitude of borrowings necessary to finance large scale film production and the inevitable time-lag between outlay and reward.

That reward, in very considerable measure, is now beginning to accrue with a contribution of £2,908,000 [£16.2m] this year.

Zeffirelli’s majestic production of “Jesus of Nazareth” was first shown in this country on Palm Sunday, 3 April 1977. It achieved immediate success both at home and abroad. In Britain, the audiences amounted to 21 million viewers; in the USA to over 91 million and in Italy 84% of the viewing public saw the film.

I have no hesitation in saying that this film, representing ATV’s largest single film-production investment, will prove an asset of inestimable worth to the company and provide a valuable annuity over the years to come.

Among the Film Division’s other successful releases, “The Return of the Pink Panther” has proved particularly outstanding. Further investment in film production is currently being undertaken in the light of up-to-date practical experience of the international market.

The overseas interests of ATV have during the past decade been steadily expanding. In consequence, the Group is now a large-scale earner of foreign currency.

Theatres

The Stoll-Moss Theatre Group enjoyed a most satisfactory year. Included amongst its outstanding achievements are the record-breaking “A Chorus Line” at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, and the musical hit, “Ipi Tombi”, at Her Majesty’s Theatre.

Moreover, the Group’s Shaftesbury Avenue theatres – Queens, Globe, Lyric and Apollo – all showed to best advantage, with long-running performances by such of our leading actors as Sir Alec Guinness and Sir John Mills, and with the work of many award-winning dramatists.

The twelve months at the London Palladium proved equally stimulating and successful. The new international star policy launched with Frank Sinatra in 1975, brought before the public such artists as Sammy Davis Jnr., Julie Andrews, Bing Crosby and Shirley Maclaine on her triumphant return visit; and the box office demand became overwhelming.

Music Publishing, Records and Tapes

Music publishing produced record profits with an increase of 21% against the previous year and there is every indication that the current year should again make a major contribution to the Group’s finances.

The decision has been taken to start new companies in the major territories outside USA and Switzerland, where we already have our own music publishing subsidiaries. We have therefore acquired a controlling interest in Allo Music in France and investigations are proceeding with the object of establishing companies in Germany and Italy.

The results of the Pye Records Group show improvement over the previous year despite a non-recurrent setback in the company’s trading in the United States.

Among the Pye artists who won international acclaim were the Brotherhood of Man with their 1976 Eurovision Song Contest winner “Save Your Kisses For Me”, and Max Bygraves and Lena Martell both earned top places in the overseas Charts.

Other Activities

It is a remarkable achievement that Bentray Investments should have increased its profits by nearly 20% in a year which was a notably difficult one for property companies.

A complete re-organisation has been undertaken at Ansafone and the new range of equipment being offered shows every sign of being able to meet the steadily growing demand.

Bermans & Nathans, our theatrical costumiers, are now trading profitably.

The Marbarch Insurance group is steadily expanding its business overseas and the whole outlook is most promising.

ATV Licensing has most enterprisingly expanded its activities. In addition to the wide range of “Space 1999”, a forthcoming range based on “The Muppet Show” and our own long established “Rupert Bear” should ensure another good year.

Tribute to Staff

Thanks are due to all directors and staff of the Group’s companies at home and abroad for their staunch support throughout the year. The growth of ATV is something of which we can all feel justly proud.

Group results at a glance

Year to 27 March 1977

Turnover rose from £69.2 million [£386m] to £89.3 million [£498.7m] an increase of 29%. After paying an increased television levy of £6.03 million [£33.7m] against £2.73 million [£15.3m] in 1976, the profit before taxation was £11,161,000 [£62.3m] (1976 – £6,151,000 [£34.4m]). Taxation accounted £4.75 million [£26.5m] (£3.17 million [£17.7m]), leaving a profit after tax of £6.41 million [£35.8m] (1976 – £2.98 million [£16.6m]). Earnings per ‘A’ stock unit were 15.32p [85.49p], an increase of 118.5% over for last year.

An interim dividend of 2.275p [12.69p] per ‘A’ stock unit, together with a final dividend of 3.099p [17.29p] to be paid on 3 October, makes a total of 5.374p [29.99p] per ‘A’ stock unit – the maximum permitted.

After paying these dividends, the profit retained in the business amounted to £3.82 million [£21.3m].

The post ATV financial results: 1977 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

“The Company’s present position and prospects are both excellent”

• The improvement in the Group profit before taxation to £6,626,000 [£42.4m in today’s money allowing for inflation – Ed] is attributable to the greatly improved results achieved by the Film Division and the economic recovery which has taken place within Independent Television. Earnings per ‘A’ Stock Unit were 7.56p [48.47p] and the total dividend is 4.3p [27.56p].
• Strict internal economies were introduced at ATV Network in every field, except that of direct expenditure on programmes. These measures, combined with an intensive drive by the Network’s admirably-directed Sales Department and an upturn in the national expenditure on television advertising, succeeded in producing a profit of £2,409,000 [£15.4m].
• Our most important recent development has been the formation of a new Anglo-American company, Associated General Films, which will serve to consolidate our position as a major force in the international film industry.
• Profits from investment in a greatly expanded programme of film production – £1,139,000 [£7.3m] against £337,000 [£2.2m] – have exceeded our expectations and I can confirm that really substantial earnings will accrue this year.
• Music Publishing continues to be a major contributor to earnings and Pye Records finished the year in spectacular style by winning the Eurovision song contest.
• In a year generally regarded as a difficult one for the theatre, Stoll-Moss has succeeded in coming forward with improved results.
• Our property company now owns some 1.8 million sq. ft. of lettable space and we have let twenty-four of the twenty-seven floors in the ATV tower block in Birmingham.
• Our policy of diversification has once more fully justified itself.

Copies of the Report and Accounts for the year to 28 March 1976 are available from the Secretary, Associated Television Corporation Limited, ATV House, 17 Great Cumberland Place, London W1A 1AG.

This illustration depicts some of ATV Corporation’s interests. In addition to the seven day-a-week television franchise for the Midlands, group activities include film making, theatres, record, tape and music publishing companies, and the manufacture and supply of telephone answering equipment. The Group’s prestige tower block in Birmingham – the ATV Centre – is also shown.

The post ATV financial results: 1976 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

“Thanks to the policy of diversification your Company is now very soundly based … all monies expended now are an investment for the future”

Results and Dividend

The Group profit of £5,746,000 [£42.4m in today’s money allowing for inflation – Ed] before taxation, as against £7,268,000 [£53.7m] for the year 1973/74, reflects the reduced profitability of the operation of the television franchise and the increase in finance charges.

It speaks highly for the buoyancy of the other subsidiaries that in these circumstances the figure of Group profit should not have been more seriously impaired. Thanks to the policy of diversification the Company is now very soundly based.

Earnings per ‘A’ Stock Unit were 6.51p [40.04p] (1973/74 – 8.64p [63.76p]). The final dividend of 2.05p [15.13p] with the interim of 1.85p [13.65p] already paid, makes a total of 3.9p [28.72p] per ‘A’ Ordinary Stock Unit for the year.

Television

The reduction in the television profits from £3.07 million [£22.7m] to £1.68 million [£12.4m], after a payment of £2.85 million [£21m] as Exchequer Levy, is closely in line with the forecast made last year. Exchequer Levy and Corporation tax together consumed no less than 83 per cent of the profits of the Network.

Film Production

Benefit from investment in film production is never short-term, and profits should not be looked for before the second year. However, with careful forward planning of distribution, all monies expended now are an investment for the future.

I become more and more convinced that personal visits overseas are essential if the needs of the international film and television markets are to be properly understood. During the past year I made a total of 26 such trips.

Theatres

Stoll Moss has enjoyed a good year. “Billy” at Drury Lane has proved the most successful musical since “My Fair Lady”, and “Hans Andersen” at the London Palladium has established a new record as a family musical that has run from Christmas into the summer months and beyond. The results of Bermans & Nathans, the theatrical costumiers, though disappointing show improvement over last year.

Records, Tapes and Music Publishing

The success of Pye Records and Precision Tapes has proved outstanding in every way, and with profits now exceeding £2 million [£14.8m], these companies represent a major force within the musical industry.

ATV Music Publishing has again shown itself a source of major strength and is now one of the most important operations of its kind in the world today.

Ansafone, acquired in 1973 has continued to show steady growth and an entirely new range of apparatus has been developed for Continental and American markets.

Property

The results of Bentray Investments, at over £1.7 million [£12.6m], are most satisfactory. The company is responsible for 156 properties and in the major development — the ATV Centre, Birmingham — 18 complete floors of the Tower have already been let.

Copies of the full Report and Accounts are available from the Secretary, Associated Television Corporation Limited, ATV House, 17 Cumberland Place, London, W1A 1AG.

ATV Corporation interests, in addition to the 7 day-a-week television franchise for the Midlands area, include film making, theatres, record, tape and music publishing companies, the manufacture and supply of telephone answering equipment, theatrical costumes, and merchandising and property companies.

ASSOCIATED TELEVISION CORPORATION LIMITED

The post ATV financial results: 1975 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

“ATV Network remains the keystone of the Company’s operations. Nevertheless it is my firm intention that the corporation should comprise a wide variety of operations all with strong potential”

Results and Dividend

I am pleased to be able to report a Group Profit of £7,268,000 [£65.5m in today’s money allowing for inflation – Ed] before taxation which is marginally above the record profit made last year. The earnings per ‘A’ Ordinary Unit after taxation were 8.64p [77.85p] (1972/73, 10.42p [93.88p]). Your Board has decided to recommend an increase of the dividend to 5.125705p [46.18p] per ‘A’ Stock unit. This is equivalent to an increase of 5 per cent in the rate of the dividend (the maximum permitted under Phase III of the Government’s Counter-Inflation Legislation) making a total for the year of 30.067 per cent.

Television

In the year under review the prosperity of your Company clearly reflected the economic state of the nation. It was thus a year of sharply contrasting fortune. The first nine months proved highly profitable. Indeed, if the results for that period could have been maintained, the figure of profit would have been conspicuously the highest in the Company’s history. The final quarter, however, spanned the disastrous weeks of the energy crisis. ATV Network, in particular, was gravely hit.

Here it should be borne in mind that, in the past, the operation of the television franchise has been responsible for approximately half the profits of the Corporation. It therefore speaks highly for the healthy state of the other diversified activities that the figure for Group profit should remain virtually unaffected.

I am happy, moreover, to be able to say that the severe setback suffered by Commercial Television in the winter of 1973 and the early spring of 1974 proved to be only temporary. Confidence in the medium as an essential element in efficient salesmanship has been re-affirmed by the manufacturers, and the advertising revenue of ATV Network already shows full recovery.

Your Board welcomes the statement by the Authority that, subject to appraisal during 1974 of the performance of the Companies, no change in the present allocation of franchises will be made before 1979.

Diversification

Your Board has vigorously pursued its policy of expansion into other fields, and future possible acquisitions are constantly being investigated. The acquisition last year of 80 per cent of Ansafone Holdings Ltd. has abundantly justified such a policy. Elsewhere, there has been steady growth in the principal divisions already within the Group.

Film Production

Your film producing and distributing subsidiaries ITC–Incorporated Television Company Ltd., Independent Television Corporation (U.S.A.), and ITC of Canada — have all been exceptionally active.

Theatres

Despite the dislocation caused by the power cuts, petrol shortages and impaired train services during the winter months of 1973/74, your subsidiary Stoll Theatres Corporation Ltd. enjoyed a reasonably satisfactory year.

Records, Tapes and Music Publishing

Your record company, Pye Records, and your cassette and cartridge tape company, Precision Tapes, have both experienced exceptional success. Together with ATVs music publishing operations, they have returned a profit 83 per cent higher than last year’s at a figure of £2,502,000 [£22.6m].

Property

The results of your property subsidiary, Bentray Investments, have been most satisfactory, and your major development, ATV Centre, Birmingham, is now a valuable contribution to Group finances.

The post ATV financial results: 1974 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

Record pretax profit in an encouraging year

reported by Associated Television Corporation Limited

• Turnover up from £38.0 million [£392.8m in today’s money allowing for inflation – Ed] to £45.5 million [£470.3m].
• Group profit before tax £7.2 million [£74.4m] – an increase of 16%.
• Dividend 7.27p [75.17p] per share against 6.92p [71.55p] – the maximum permitted.
• Increase in broadcasting hours resulted in advertising revenue up from £16.2 million [£167.4m] to £20.6 million [£212.9m].
• Government proposal to extend IBA’s Charter welcomed. Second channel awaited.
• Property revaluation shows surplus of over £8.7 million [£89.9m].
• Eighty per cent interest acquired in Ansafone – future potential immense.

The post ATV financial results: 1973 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

“Pretax profit highest in Group’s 17-year history”

The Seventeenth Annual General Meeting of Associated Television Corporation Limited was held in London on September 28th 1971. The following are extracts from the Statement by the Chairman, Lord Renwick of Coombe, K.B.E., for the year ended 26th March, 1972:

Results

The Group Profit of £6,240,000 [£70.3m in today’s money allowing for inflation – Ed] before taxation is the highest in the 17-year-old history of your Company.

This wholly admirable result shows an improvement of 27 per cent on the profit for the preceding year and fully justifies the confidence which I expressed at the time of the half-yearly interim statement.

This confidence remains unimpaired. Accordingly, your Board has recommended an increase in the total dividend for the year from 28½ per cent to 30 per cent, and proposes to recommend an increase in the Corporation’s share capital and a scrip issue.

Approximately half the Group Profit was derived from the Network operation and half from diversified activities. This is entirely healthy. And it is in both these fields that a continuing growth is to be foreseen.

Prospects for Television

From the Autumn of this year, the enforced restriction on broadcasting hours will be lifted, and ATV Network will be able to transmit programmes from mid-day onwards and thus provide the housewife with a full afternoon service of news, entertainment and information. This long-awaited development in the ATV Network operation is something which your Board has always been seeking.

The lifting of the restriction will mean that Independent Television in the Midlands will be on the air for an extra 40 hours a week. This extension of the Service will offer entirely fresh opportunities not only for new programmes, both local and national, but also for both new and established local and national advertisers.

The market demand is certainly unquestionable, and the extension of hours should be seen against the background of the year’s trading in which advertising revenue rose by nearly 14 per cent, from £14,255,000 [£160.5m] for 1970-71 to £16,232,000 [£182.8m] for 1971-72. It was this increased volume of sales, together with the reduction of Turnover Levy (£2,483,000 [£28m] for 1971-72 as against £3,865,000 [£43.5m] for 1970-71) which enabled the Network to do more than absorb the increase of nearly £600,000 [£6.8m] in the rental payable to the Authority.

Export Potential

Nor is large-scale growth foreseeable only in the operation of Television in the U.K. The export potential both for film series and for Special Programmes is enormous, and your production and distribution subsidiary ITC-Incorporated Television, and your American distribution subsidiary, Independent Television Corporation, are once again in a dominant position in the market. This situation could not have been achieved without a massive investment of some £7,000,000 [£78.8m]. Benefits from the income generated by this investment will be reflected in the current and subsequent years.

The other main subsidiaries are all in good order and offer assurance for the future.

Theatres

Stoll Theatres Corporation and Moss Empires enjoyed a year which fell only slightly below the previous record year and the present year promises well.

It remains to be said, however, that over the whole world of the theatre hangs the ominous question mark of Value Added Tax. If this tax — from which newspapers, for example, are to be completely exempted — is applied indiscriminately to the theatre, then the results will inevitably be far-reaching and deplorable. Such a tax, without alleviation, may well compel the eventual closure of certain Provincial theatres.

Records & Tapes

I am happy to be able to report that Pye Records has more than maintained its 10 per cent share of the total UK record production. Precision Tapes has, in its first two years of trading, achieved sales amounting to nearly one-third of the total UK market for tape cassettes and cartridges.

Music

Northern Songs’ music catalogue has been further strengthened by a new seven-year co-publishing agreement to cover future compositions with Paul and Linda McCartney. In order to rationalise, the whole of ATV’s interests are shortly to be re-grouped and controlled by ATV Music Limited.

Planned Music, which provides the Muzak service is also steadily expanding.

Indeed, within the Group the results of only two of the subsidiary companies, Ambassador Bowling and Bermans & Nathans, have proved disappointing.

Property & Investment

Of especial importance to the Corporation is your subsidiary, Bentray Investments Ltd., which is responsible for all ATV properties.

The last valuation of Land and Buildings was made in 1966, and a full re-valuation is being undertaken during the current year. This operation will serve not merely to enable a realistic figure to be quoted under Fixed Assets, but to provide a proper financial basis for the development of various of the Group’s valuable properties in London and elsewhere.

Up to date, Bentray’s major development — representing an investment of some £12,000,000 [£135m] — has been confined to Birmingham. The 29-storey, 200,000 square-foot office tower at ATV Centre will be available for tenancies by December.

In the Spring of 1973 the Holiday Inns Hotel at the Centre will be ready for occupation. During the coming year, therefore, the greater part of the whole six-acre complex will become revenue earning.

In June 1972, ATV’s holding of 4,290,000 shares in British Relay Wireless and Television Ltd., was disposed of for a profit before tax of £2,519,810 [£28.4m] and the cash inflow will serve most usefully to reduce current finance charges.

Directorate, Management and Staff

To the Corporation’s Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive, Sir Lew Grade, I must extend not only my thanks but my congratulations. ATV and Sir Lew are by now synonymous.

Finally, I extend my thanks to Management and Staff at all levels in Birmingham, Elstree, London, New York, Toronto, Sydney, Paris and Lausanne.

The post ATV financial results: 1972 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

“Another highly satisfactory year…”

The Sixteenth Annual General Meeting of Associated Television Corporation Limited was held in London on 23rd September, 1971. The following are extracts from the Statement by the Chairman, Lord Renwick of Coombe, K.B.E., for the year ended 28th March. 1971:

This has been another highly satisfactory year; and one that holds great promise for the future.

For the third time in its history, your Corporation has been honoured by the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement.

I will now refer to the improved position in which your subsidiary Company, ATV Network Ltd., finds itself. During eleven of the twelve months under review the whole television industry was still labouring under the load of the high-rate Television Advertising Levy. In that single year ATV Network had, apart altogether from normal Corporation Tax, to pay a Levy of no less than £3,865,000 [£46.4m in today’s money, allowing for inflation – Ed]. It was to this level of forfeiture that I was referring in my last Statement when I said that if the rate of Levy were not reduced, Independent Television would no longer be commercially viable.

I therefore wish publicly to express my thanks to Lord Aylestone and the Authority for all that they did in presenting the facts of the case to the Government. It is not too much to say that the resultant action of the Minister in amending the scale on which the Levy is extracted from the advertising revenue of the Companies prevented inevitable financial collapse within certain sections of the industry.

Bearing in mind the current buoyancy in advertising revenue and the reduced rate at which the Levy is now operative, it is possible to view the future of the Network Company with a degree of confidence that would have been quite unthinkable a year ago.

Broadcasting Hours

It is a source of further encouragement that the awaited permission for further broadcasting hours cannot now be long delayed. ATV Network is already fully equipped to provide the programmes. All that is needed is the Minister’s approval.

Also, at the moment, only the BBC offers a dual service. There is no reason whatsoever why this should be so. It is wholly within the competence of the industry as it is at present constituted to provide ITV 2, and your Directors will continue to press for this highly desirable extension of the national broadcasting service.

Film Production

The current schedule of production is the strongest in the Company’s history and overseas sales — notably to the American networks and to Australia — have reached a level never previously achieved.

ATV Centre

The ATV Centre in Birmingham, of which the Network studios occupy a third of the total site area, is in itself a major piece of civic development. It represents an investment in excess of £12 million [£144.2m]. Building operations have throughout been most commendably on schedule, and the whole complex of office block, hotel, exhibition hall, restaurant and shops will be revenue earning by 1973.

Stoll Theatres

ATV is proud of its position in the theatrical world. Stoll Theatres under the chairmanship of Mr. Prince Littler has enjoyed a most excellent year. In total, half-a-million more tickets were sold at the box office than in the previous year and the profit figure improved by £96,000 [£1.2m].

Music

ATV is equally proud of the positions which it occupies in the world of music and music-publishing. The new management of your wholly-owned subsidiary company, Northern Songs, is certainly to be congratulated on its success. Moreover, the jointly-owned Company, ATV-Kirshner, has now established a worldwide organisation that is trading profitably in 14 countries.

Similarly, Pye Records which has steadily earned an increasing share of the disc market shows continuing improved results. The profit figure for music and records of over £1,800,000 [£21.6m] is substantially higher than earlier it had been felt safe to estimate.

Audio and Video Cassettes

Looking to the future when the use of audio cassettes will become wide-spread both in the home and in the car, your Board felt it wise to acquire the whole share capital of Precision Tapes Ltd., previously owned only 50 per cent by the Group. Already the sales of cassettes produced by this Company are mounting most encouragingly.

Again, in order to keep level with technical innovation your Corporation has entered the rapidly expanding market for video cassettes — the device which enables programmes of the viewers’ own choice to be shown on the home television screen. The potential here is enormous and, to exploit to the full the global opportunities which the video cassette offers, ATV has entered into 50-50 partnership with one of the three great American networks, the American Broadcasting Company. The entire programme resources of entertainment, information and education of both organisations have been pooled. It is an acknowledgment of the unique standing of this new Anglo-American enterprise that the National Theatre Company in London should have granted it the exclusive video cassette rights of the National Theatre productions.

Finally, for the future development of the Corporation, ATV has announced that it will seek to be active in Commercial Broadcasting as soon as legislation permits. ATV will both apply for a licence in its own right and in conjunction with newspapers, and will be ready and equipped to supply full programme services to other operators.

Summary

The Group, now widely diversified within the whole field of entertainment as well as in property, is both more securely based and more capable of further development than ever before in its history.

It is here that I must pay tribute to the one man who more than any other has made it so. When, for the third time, the Corporation was honoured with the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement, it was once more recognition of the fact that Sir Lew Grade is the master-salesman of the entire television industry. But it was more than that. It was also a recognition of the fact that Sir Lew is television’s supreme impresario. Indeed, his singleness of purpose, his energy and his farsightedness are displayed in every aspect of the Corporation’s activities.

Management and Staff

I will close by saying on behalf of the Board how grateful I am to members of Management and Staff at all levels in Birmingham, Elstree and London, as well as to our Corporation colleagues abroad in New York, Toronto, Sydney, Paris and Lausanne.

The post ATV financial results: 1971 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

“Altogether a most excellent year….”

The Fifteenth Annual General Meeting of Associated Television Corporation Limited was held at ATV House, Great Cumberland Place, London, W.1. on 24th September, 1970, at 12 noon.

The following are extracts from the Statement by the Chairman, Lord Renwick of Coombe, KBE, for the year ended 29th March, 1970:-

Not only is the Group profit (after levy but before taxation) of £5,635,000 [£73.5m] the fourth highest in ATV’s history, but this outstanding result has been achieved despite the fact that the profit from your television subsidiary, ATV Network, has fallen away by no less than £2,152,000 [£28.1m].

In short, the Corporation’s long pursued policy of planned expansion in the entertainment industry is now reaping the reward of earlier long-term investment, and the warning in my last Annual Report of the impending unhealthy state of Independent Television has been sadly kustified.

I will deal later with the causes, mostly foreseeable but unfortunately beyond the Board’s control, of the current decline in the television Industry. For the moment I will confine myself to those aspects of the Group where there is every indication of continuing prosperity.

FILMS. First must come film production and distribution which contribute no less than 41% to the Group profit. The success in this sphere of your subsidiary companies, Independent Television Corporation of America and Incorporated Television Company Limited of England, represents an altogether remarkable personal achievement on the part of the Group’s Chief Executive and Managing Director, Sir Lew Grade. Until the mid-sixties, British-made television production was regarded as virtually unsaleable in the United States. The degree to which a transformation has occurred may be judged from an article in the April issue of America’s leading entertainment journal, “Variety.” I will quote the opening paragraph;

“Sir Lew Grade may do single-handedly to American television what it took four strapping Liverpool boys to do to American popular music. The British video impresario, who heads Associated Television there, is all by himself the first major foreign influence in the hitherto all-American tele industry.”

MUSIC. Equally gratifying have been the results of ATV’s expansion into music publishing. With the acquisition of Northern Songs, which owns the musical copyrights of Lennon and McCartney, your Corporation now possesses a commanding property. Profits of Northern Songs for the eleven months to the end of March, 1970, considerably exceed the profits for the preceding full year, and the volume of business is steadily increasing.

Taken in conjunction with Pye Records, which continues to hold an important and growing position in the international disc market, ATV’s operations in music and records are now firmly and broadly based. The profits from this division amount to 32% of the Group’s total.

THEATRES. ATV’s theatrical interests are of key importance within the Group, and the Stoll Theatres Corporation and its subsidiary, Moss Empires, under the chairmanship of Mr. Prince Littler, have once again enjoyed a good year. I am pleased, moreover, to be able to report that results for the current year are substantially better than for the year under review.

CRISIS IN THE TELEVISION INDUSTRY

In July, 1969, the rate of Turnover Levy was increased to a level calculated to extract a further £3 million from the industry. This, as I had already given warning would happen, immediately produced a crisis which changed the whole financial structure of Independent Television and endangered the very existence of some companies not protected by diversified operations.

In April, 1970, the Turnover Levy rate was amended to provide for a remission of £5 million. This purely stop-gap relief was, however, offset by the fact that over the year 1969/70 national television advertising revenue had itself declined by some £5 million. This decline is symptomatic of the state of the country’s economy. It is not possible to forecast the date by which the Government will feel able to take measures to raise, rather than to depress, the level of domestic spending upon which all domestic advertising depends. What is possible to forecast is the date by which the Independent Television industry will find itself unable to finance its increasingly costly operations. This date is 1971.

TURNOVER LEVY. Clearly, the Turnover Levy, which is imposed on revenue, and is required to be paid before meeting operational expenses and before paying Corporation Tax on profits (if there are any), should be abolished altogether leaving the Television Companies to make their contribution to the Exchequer entirely through Corporation Tax in the usual way. This would remove the invidiousness of a discriminatory levy imposed upon a single industry, and would place Independent Television upon an equal footing with all other commercial operations. On this basis – and on this basis alone – can the return both to shareholders in Independent Television Companies and to the Exchequer be made fair and equitable.

BROADCASTING HOURS. Because of the limitation on broadcasting hours, ATV Network alone is denied extra revenue of not less than £½ million [£6.5m] per annum. Any review of Independent Television must take into account the effect on the industry of the new major franchise — Yorkshire — granted by the Authority in 1968. While we welcome this recognition of Yorkshire’s independent status, it cannot be overlooked that the introduction of a fresh contributor to the Independent Television network has meant that other contributing companies have been left with considerable under-utilized studio facilities.

The redistribution of franchises in 1968 brought with it, moreover, heavy capital demands on some companies for the provision of new studios. ATV Network’s own development in Birmingham, for example, has called for some £6 million [£78.2m]; and this capital investment comes on top of some £1.5 million [£19.6m] previously required for the conversion of ATV’s Elstree studios to Colour on the 625-line standard.

Finally, rising costs — not least labour costs – within the industry continue to erode and, in many instances, entirely erase the narrow margin of profit which remains after the payment of the Levy.

AWAITING GOVERNMENT ACTION. The Independent Television Authority is no less concerned than the companies at the gravity of the situation which has arisen, and all the figures for the industry have been submitted for investigation by the Prices and Incomes Board. It is not too much to say that the whole future of Independent Television now depends action by the Prices and Incomes Board, the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Minister of Posts and Telecommunications.

MANAGEMENT AND STAFF

On behalf of the Board, I pass on my thanks and appreciation to members of the Management and Staff at all levels.

The post ATV financial results: 1970 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

The 14th Annual General Meeting of Associated Television Corporation Limited was held at ATV House. Great Cumberland Place. London, W.1. on 25th September, 1969 at 12 noon.

The following ore extracts from the Directors’ Report for the year ended 30th March, 1969.

Sir Lew Grade. Your Board was truly delighted to learn on January 1st that Her Majesty hod bestowed the honour of a knighthood upon Sir Lew Grade for his services to export. This wos a magnificent recognition of the untiring efforts Sir Lew has mode on behalf of your Corporation in overseas markets.

Queen’s Award. The Company’s 1968-69 year is memorable for another reason, for we were notified that your Company was to receive a second Queen’s Award to Industry for its export achievement.

GROUP RESULTS

The profit for the Group before levy and taxation is £11,042,000 [£152.5m in today’s money allowing for inflation – Ed] a decrease of £1,327,000 [£18.3m] from last year. After the payment of £5,431,000 [£75m] for Levy and £2,498,000 [£34.5m] in taxation, the Group profit is £3,113,000 [£43m], which is £300,000 [£4.1m] less than last year. The Board has considered these results and has decided to recommend a final dividend of 12.9625%, making the total distribution for the year 28.4625% (same).

Shareholders’ Funds are £24,238,000 [£334.8m], compared with £23,812,000 [£328.9m] for 1968.

BENEFITS OF DIVERSIFICATION

It must be recognised that ATV Network’s seven-day licence in the Midlands will be less profitable than the two-day London and five-day Midlands licence which ATV previously held. Not only is the income from advertising inherently lower, but servicing of the capital required to provide the new Midlands studios complete with equipment for colour, rising costs, the heavy incidence of S.E.T. and, above all, the increased rote of the Turnover Levy combine to produce a situation which cannot be regarded as other than financially unsatisfactory.

It is because the margin of profits of the television operation is bound to be severely reduced that your Directors are pleased to be able to report the success of their policy of diversification. In the year under review the profits of ATV’s non-television subsidiaries already amount to no less than 51% of your Group’s total profits and, in the current year, the advantages to your Corporation of planned expansion outside the television network operation will become increasingly apparent.

TELEVISION AND RELATED ACTIVITIES

New Midland Studios. We ore well pleased with the progress in completing our new television studios of Paradise Centre in Birmingham which will be available for transmissions from the target date next month. However, it will not be before the early part of 1970 that all parts of the Paradise Centre Television Studios will be fully operational.

Programmes. The centre of ATV Network’s activities is in its programmes. In spite of the many difficulties of the post year, ATV has once again produced a wide range of programmes of all types. There hove been indications of o reduction in the total amount of viewing for television programmes. The largest proportion of the decline has fallen to BBC programming in spite of its control of two channels ond monopoly of free advertising for its television programmes on BBC rodio. In the last six months, ATV Network’s proportion of the total television audience has risen substantially, ond now stands at approximately 56%, with BBC 1 and BBC 2 combined having 44%.

FILM PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION

During the course of the year, this division of the Group further extended the already wide ranqe of its activities.

ITC’s sales effort embraces every category of film ond television programmes — from documentaries ond religion on the one hand through the whole range of drama series to international variety, sport ond feature films.

It is unprecedented for any British company to have four major variety shows and four filmed series on the American networks in the same year.

THEATRES

The Stoll Theatre Corporation has had another successful year. Total admission receipts were slightly up although, due to rising costs and in particular the unfair burden of S.E.T., profits were marginally down.

MERCHANDISING AND PUBLISHING

Your merchandising and general publishing activities are now grouped together under Century 21 Enterprises. The merchandising division has been successful in obtaining exploitation rights for properties both inside ond outside the field of television. We hove been appointed exclusive licensees to handle a majority of CBS properties in the U.K. A new children’s comic titled ‘Joe 90’ was successfully launched and ‘TV 21,’ our other children’s weekly, celebrated its fourth anniversory.

RECORDS AND MUSIC

Pye Records. During the year, we completed a re-equipment of our recording studios with the most modern equipment and we are now able to record in eight track. This technical improvement hos attracted a great deal of further business to our studios from other record companies and third parties.

New overseas licensing arrangements have been made in many overseas countries, including Japan, Denmark, India and Pakistan. We are also delighted to report that exports increased by 41% over the previous yeor.

Soho Record Shops. During the year we completed negotiations to acquire the remaining 49% of the Alex Strickland chain of retail shops called Soho Record Shops.

Other Developments. Negotiations hove been completed with General Recorded Tape Company of California to form a joint record company in the States and negotiations are progressing to form a joint company in the U.K. for the manufacture of recorded tapes, cartridges and cassettes. This is a development of major importance for our record ond music division.

Music Publishing. In line with our policy of planned expansion in the music publishing field, on agreement was reached for the purchase of a 32.1% share in Northern Songs, additional to the 2.7% which ATV already owned. As part of the agreement, an offer was made for the purchase of the remaining shareholding in the company. This offer has now lapsed and your Board is keeping the position under review. Meanwhile, Mr. Jack Gill and Mr. Louis Benjamin have been elected to the Board of Northern Songs to represent your interests.

Welbeck Music continues to flourish. It has extended its agreements with the Music Corporation of America and has also formed two new music companies with M.C.A.

PROPERTY AND INVESTMENT

Bentray’s first major development, Paradise Centre in Birmingham has got off to a good start. The television studios will be fully complete in the Autumn, approximately twelve months after a start was made.

We are now embarking on the second stage, the building of car parks, restaurant and multi-purpose Hall/Theatre together with some offices ond a canteen for ATV Network. The foundations of the tower block are also being laid at the present time and we hope this great feature in Birmingham will be completed in 1972. Negotiations for an hotel are also well advanced.

British Relay Wireless and Television Ltd. BRW, in which we have on important investment, continues to move steadily ahead. The Group is one of the largest rental and relay organisations in the U.K. and long-term prospects remain extremely bright.

Canada. During the year a contract was mode with Western Broadcasting Company of Vancouver to sell our investment holding company in Canada — Canastel Broadcasting Corporation — at a price around $2½million [C$20m]. The necessary Government consents have been obtained and completion was effected at the end of July. This sale represents a profit on the original investment of approximately $1 million [C$8m].

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Ambassador Bowling. In spite of the very adverse conditions in the Bowling Industry which resulted in the closure of twenty bowling centres operated by competitors, your subsidiary company, Ambassador Bowling, has remained profitable.

Planned Music. Soles of contracts for Muzak continue to improve and hove now reached a record level with a 20% rise on the preceding year.

Bermans. The post year turned out to be outstandingly successful for Bermans. Its profits increased by 70% to a record level. The Company’s established position as a leading costumier to the theatrical industry outside the United States has been further strengthened.

MANAGEMENT AND STAFF

The past year has been a difficult one for the United Kingdom’s economy as a whole and this has produced many snags and problems for the managements of your Group of Companies. In particular the problems arising in Independent Television have been extreme. Your Boord wishes to express its gratitude to the management of all ATV’s companies and their staff for their efforts over the past year.

The post ATV financial results: 1969 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

The 13th Annual General Meeting of Associated Television Corporation Limited was held at ATV House, Great Cumberland Place, London, W.1, on 26th September, 1968 at 12 noon.

The following are extracts from the Chairman’s Statement read at the meeting.

Since the year end we have been able to announce a further multi-million dollar U.S. deal for a new Millicent Martin television film series.

ATV Corporation is already one of the world’s greatest producers of filmed television series for international distribution. Current production costs run at some £7 million [£101.8m in today’s money allowing for inflation – Ed] a year and by 1970, when we will also be among the world’s greatest producers of feature films for international distribution, ATV’s annual expenditure will have been approximately doubled. Very large revenues indeed will by then be flowing in from overseas and these, of course, are in no way subject to the Turnover Levy which falls so heavily upon ATV Network.

A recent issue of The Financial Times quoted a table showing the major U.K. companies in order of merit judged by their net profit as a percentage of capital invested. We were delighted to see that ATV came fifteenth out of all British Industry. This is a very high tribute to your management team led by Mr Lew Grade our Chief Executive, Mr. Robin Gill our Managing Director and Mr. Jack Gill our Finance Director.

The financing of Paradise Centre and the Group’s general needs are being looked at with our advisers, so that we have the appropriate cash available for our planned expansion.

The following are extracts from the Directors Report for the year ended 31st March, 1968.

GROUP RESULTS

The profit for the Group, before Levy and taxation, is £12,369,000 [£179.8m], an increase of £530,000 [£7.7m] over the results of last year.

This improvement is more than offset, however, by the increased amount of Levy (£6,186,000 [£89.9m] this year as against £5,761,000 [£83.8m] last year) in respect of your Company’s ATV Network operation, and the increased amount of taxation (£2,770,000 [£40.3m] as against £2,348,000 [£34.1m] last year) for the Group as a whole. Levy and taxation together reduce the Group’s profit to £3,413,000 [£49.6m] which is £317,000 [£4.6m] less than last year.

In the light of these trading results, your Board nevertheless feels fully justified in recommending on increase in the rate of dividend for the year. The final dividend of 15.9625% will bring the total for the year to 28.4625% (as against 27.5% lost year). This represents the maximum increase permitted by the Treasury.

Shareholders’ funds are £23,812,000 [£346.2m], as against £22,708,000 [£330.1m] for 1967.

DIVERSIFICATION

The proportion of Group Profits attributable to Subsidiaries has, during the year, risen to 45% as against 42% in the previous year and 30% for the year 1965/66. Inspection of the Group’s Financial Statistics will, indeed, reveal that progress in the Group’s trading activities outside the TV operation has been both rapid and consistent, viz., the conversion of a net loss situation of £303,000 [£4.4m] in 1962 into a profit figure of £2,749,000 [£40m] in this year’s Accounts.

The value of Group Export sales for the year totalled £5,650,000 [£82.1m].

TELEVISION AND RELATED ACTIVITIES

New ITA Contract. ATV Network Limited was awarded the Independent Television Authority’s Contract for the Midlands Area for six years, commencing 30th July, 1968. This is the major Contract under the current allocation of the Independent Television Authority.

New Midlands Studios. By the end of 1969, the Television Studio portion of the new ‘Paradise Centre’ in Birmingham will be complete. These studios will be fully equipped for the start of Independent Television’s Colour transmissions at the end of 1969, and will be the most modem in the world. Every advantage will be token of the latest technological developments In the television field, and of our years of experience with colour programming at Elstree.

PROGRAMMES FOR ALL SEASONS

During the year your Company mode more than 1,000 contributions to the Network, and fully maintained its leading position among the Independent Television programme makers.

One programme, the Royal Variety Performance, established a new record. Designed as a charity show in aid of the Variety Artistes’ Benevolent Fund, and given in the presence of Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh, this production was seen in 11½ million homes, representing some 40 million viewers.

‘Spotlight,’ a production for CBS of America, and ‘Show Time,’ seen on the same trans-Atlantic network, were both among the Colour programmes produced in ATV studios. Indeed, in the whole matter of Colour, ATV has been to the forefront. Even while home-viewers could see ATV programmes only in black-and-white, the Documentary department has been producing in full Colour. One programme in particular, ‘The Last Shangri-La,’ has been internationally acclaimed for the beauty of its photography.

FILM PRODUCTION AND DISTRIBUTION

ITC—Incorporated Television Company. It is this company which is responsible for all ATV’s film productions, and for distribution of films and television programmes in the Eastern hemisphere.

The current production schedule is an unusually full one. No fewer than four series are currently being filmed. Sales, moreover, are fully abreast of production.

Independent Television Corporation. This company, which acts as distributor of ATV films and television programmes throughout the Western hemisphere, has enjoyed an outstanding 12 months’ trading. The current year promises to be equally rewarding. ATV Series ‘Man in a Suitcase,’ ‘The Saint,’ ‘The Prisoner,’ ‘Show Time,’ and ‘The Champions’ hove all been shown on the U.S. Networks.

Century 21 Productions. The puppet films made by Century 21 Productions are world-famous in television and cinema alike. A new TV series, ‘Joe 90,’ is now ready; ‘The Secret Service,’ a revolutionary piece of production in which a live actor doubles with his puppet counterpart, is already on the studio floor.

THEATRES

Stoll Theatres Corporation. This Group has enjoyed a record year. It is particularly pleasing to announce that your theatre, the London Coliseum, has now become the new Opera House for Sadler’s Wells.

RECORDS AND MUSIC

Pye Records. Pye Records had a conspicuously successful year with profits again reaching a new record level. In 48 weeks out of 52, it has appeared among the Top Twenty despite the increased efforts of American competitors.

Music Publishing. Our existing companies, Welbeck Music, New World Music and Jubilee Music, continue to produce excellent results, and active steps are being taken to enlarge the scope of our music publishing interests.

PROPERTY AND INVESTMENT

Properties. All the various property assets of the Group are being concentrated within our subsidiary company Bentray Investments Limited.

These properties make an exciting portfolio with every indication of steady income growth over the years. There ore also large-scale development possibilities in the long-term in connection with certain of them though, for the time being, there are Government restrictions on office development and building in city centres.

The first major development of Bentray will take place in Birmingham. This, the ‘Paradise Centre’ site adjacent to the Town Hall in the heart of the city, will ultimately comprise a 6-acre development which is unique in character, and the final cost could exceed £15 million [£218m].

Canada. Our investments in British Columbia Television and CJCH Halifax are held by our wholly owned subsidiary, Canastel Broodcasting Corporation.

British Columbia Television has commenced to pay dividends and the company has achieved excellent growth during the lost two or three years. In the cose of CJCH the progress is slower and the market a more difficult one. However, in our opinion the value of our investment is well protected.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Ambassador Bowling. This company has continued to be profitable. Indeed, the general recession in the industry which has led to the closure of a number of competing bowling centres has proved a direct benefit to Ambassador Bowling.

Planned Music Group. Substantial progress was mode during the past year. It is calculated that approximately 3½ million people in the United Kingdom listen to Muzak every week, and this number is growing steadily. Worth-while contracts for the supply of equipment hove been obtained from Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Norway and Israel.

Bermans. This company has hod the most successful year in its history. On the continent, Bermans is now recognised as the major film and theatrical costumiers of Europe.

MANAGEMENT AND STAFF

The Board wishes to express its most sincere thanks to those members of ATV’s staff at all levels who have so conscientiously served the Corporation during the past year.

The post ATV financial results: 1968 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

“POLICY OF PLANNED EXPANSION WILL BE VIGOROUSLY PURSUED”

Before I comment on the year’s results — which, for the fourth successive occasion, I must describe as truly excellent — let me refer to four important events in your Company’s history.

(i)        ATV Network Ltd., your wholly-owned subsidiary, has been awarded the seven-day-a-week Contract for the Midlands from 30th July, 1968, for a period of six years. This is the major Contract offered by the Independent Television Authority.

(ii)        Associated Television, the first television, film and programme producing Group to be recognized in this way, has been honoured by being chosen as a recipient of the Queen’s Award to Industry for Export achievement in 1967.

(iii)        The range of your Company’s operations is now so extensive that your Board has felt for some time that a new title would be more proper Accordingly, it is being proposed that Associated Television Ltd., the parent Company of the Group, should be renamed Associated Television Corporation Ltd.

(iv)        Mr. Lew Grade has been appointed a Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive of your Company, and Mr. Robin Gill has been appointed Managing Director.

GROUP RESULTS

The consolidated Profit and Loss Account shows a profit for the Group, before Levy and taxation, of £11,838,787 [£179.3m in today’s money, allowing for inflation – Ed], an increase of £779,476 [£11.8m] over the results of the previous year (£11,059,311 [£167.5m]).

The Levy on Television Advertising Revenue amounts to £5,761,068 [£87.2m] and is £328,702 [£5m] higher than last year. After deducting this levy, the profit before taxation amounts to £6,077,719 [£92m] (last year £5,626,945 [£85.2m]).

Taxation for the year is £2,348,188 [£35.6m] as against the previous year’s figure of £2,780,325 [£42.1m]. After adding back £528,697 [£8m] in respect of a provision for depreciation no longer required, the Group profit after deducting the Levy and taxation amounts to £4,258,228 [£64.5m] as compared with £2,846,620 [£43.1m] last year.

The Shareholders’ funds, at £22,708,000 [£344m], are more than £5,000,000 [£75.7m] greater than at the end of the previous year. The total increase since 1963 now amounts to £12,589,000 [£190.7m].

ATV GROWTH FACTOR. In an article, entitled “British Business Growth League,” published in the June, 1967, issue of “Management Today,” ATV was shown as the top company in the country for percentage increase in pre-tax profit for the period 1957-66.

In the same article, ATV was included in the list of Top Ten companies for percentage increase both in net capital employed and gross cash flow for the same period.

FUTURE PROSPECTS. I must refer to the disturbing economic conditions which prevail, but in your Company’s affairs, two major factors, both highly encouraging, now colour the whole situation.

In the first place, the matter of the ATV Network Licence is satisfactorily settled, and your subsidiary’s profitable working into the mid-1970s can realistically be predicted.

Secondly, in the year under review, the non-licence operations within your Group contributed some 42% to the Company’s overall profits; and the high level of these non-licence earnings should be at least maintained.

I am able, therefore, to inform shareholders that I find both sides of your Company’s activities in good order, and can assure them that our announced policy of Planned Expansion will be vigorously pursued.

ATV NETWORK

THE NEW MIDLAND CONTRACT. I have already referred to the new seven-day-a-week Contract for the Midlands (10.4 million population) which the Authority has awarded to your Company.

This is the Contract for which your Company applied. It enables us to enlarge our long-standing interest in the Midlands, and also to maintain the greatest possible output of programmes for the national network.

From the outset of Independent Television, ATV has urged undivided weekly working as preferable in every way to the weekday/week-end split; and your Company is delighted that it will now be able to provide the unified and unbroken seven-day-a-week service which the Midland viewer deserves.

Shareholders will appreciate that the previous short Licence period of three years, the extension of one year, and uncertainties as to the future shape of Independent Television, rendered long term planning impossible. For the first time, your Company con see a clear course ahead of it, and a new studio complex will be erected. Plans for this were commissioned over three years ago. The studios will be the most up-to-date in the country and will be built with all the requirements of Colour in mind.

Now that the Authority has clarified the whole position, and ATV Network con concentrate its interest on the Midlands viewer, the Board of ATV Network will be strengthened by the addition of leading Midlands figures, and resident Executive Directors from within the Company.

I am very happy indeed that it should be Mr. Bill Ward, for so long one of the key men in ATV who becomes an Executive Director of ATV Network. Mr. Leonard Mathews, who, as Midlands Controller, has played such an important role for the Company, has also been appointed to the Board.

THE MIDLANDS. Both local and nationally networked programmes hove shown a notable increase during the past year.

The daily serial, “Crossroads,” continues to enjoy top programme ratings, and the televising of the 500th episode in 1966 was celebrated by a dinner in Birmingham attended by viewers drawn from all parts of the United Kingdom.

ATV’s weekday network programme for children, “Tingha and Tucker Club” — the most popular in British television — has been joined by a Sunday network programme, “Tree House Family,” which is now seen in over 4 million homes.

The new regular weekly programme, “Midland Member,” enables a Member of Parliament from one of the 107 constituencies in the area to give a first-hand account of the work at Westminster; this is now recognised os providing one of the most important political contributions to Midlands life.

The magazine programme, “ATV Today,” continues to attract an audience of well over three million viewers; and, during the year ATV’s film unit covered more than 70,000 miles in collecting items for “Midland News.” No fewer than 66 Midland news stories provided by ATV appeared in the national news service of ITN.

In co-operation with the Midlands Police Forces, ATV has presented 52 episodes of the weekly “Police Five” programme. Over 250 crimes have been reported, and the police regard the information provided by television viewers as responsible, in at least ten per cent of the cases, for the successful outcome of police enquiries.

For the fifth successive year, ATV’s presentation of the Royal Show from the National Agricultural Centre, Kenilworth, received nation-wide coveroge.

VIEWING HOURS. ATV shareholders and the viewing public at large should be aware of the fact that your Company, in common with all other Independent Television companies, is denied the right to provide the full and comprehensive service which it is naturally anxious to present. Hours of transmission ore rigidly restricted by order of the Postmaster General, and protests from the Company have proved unavailing. The Authority has listened sympathetically, and is fully aware of the extra programmes which your Company is seeking to provide. Your Company has all the facilities for the immediate provision of the extra hours. Nevertheless, the ban remains, in spite of the fact that the BBC with its two services now provides some thirty more hours of broadcasting each week than is permitted to Independent Television.

COLOUR. In my last Report I stressed the fact that the ATV Network studios at Elstree would, by the autumn of 1966, be fully equipped for Colour operations in the various international line standards. This has been accomplished, and major drama productions electronically recorded in Colour now include three plays, namely “Ivanov” with Sir John Gielgud; “The Tormentors” starring James Mason and Stanley Baker; and “Present Laughter” with Peter O’Toole and Honor Blackman.

Light entertainment productions in Colour include the two-hour programme, “The Heart of Show Business,” in aid of the Aberfan victims; a series of 13 one-hour productions, “Piccadilly Palace,” with Morecambe and Wise, and Millicent Martin; and a series of 26 one-hour programmes, “Spotlight,” with British, American, and other international star artists.

All these productions are additional to the Colour programmes on film, to which I have referred earlier, and to mony documentary programmes made in Colour. Taken together, they constitute the largest library of TV Colour productions in Great Britain.

I am delighted that one of our news film teams, Mr. Gary Hughes and Mr. Noel Smart, should have won the Bronze Medal in the “hard news” section of the 1966 British Television News Film awards. This is the second year running in which ATV network has won on award.

ALPHA STUDIOS, ASTON. ATV Midland transmissions are co-ordinated through the Presentation Centre of Aston, either for networking or for routing to the Authority’s transmitters at Lichfield and Membury.

The Alpha Studios accommodate nearly one hundred hours of rehearsals, recordings and transmissions each week.

SALES. During a year in which there was a standstill in television advertising rates under the tight economic conditions of the “Squeeze,” the Sales Department of ATV Network nonetheless achieved an increase in net revenue of some 4½%. This growth was accomplished in a year when total national advertising appropriations fell for the first time since 1946.

ATV Network has developed the whole scope of television advertising. Holiday Tours, Fashion, and the Big Stores ore all now represented on the London screen; and, in the Midlands, the service has been extended to small businesses, retail shops and garages. Local advertisements now amount to some 1,500 a year. Moreover, industry throughout the Midlands responded warmly to the introduction by ATV Network of a Staff Recruitment Bureau, and viewers have been informed of over 500 vacancies, ranging from drivers and clerks to management accountants and project engineers.

ATV’s “Midlands Merchandiser,” a trade paper for grocers, now reaches more than 8,000 shops, and provides the only service in the industry which forms a direct link between television and the retailer.

“TV WORLD.” The programme journal for the Midlands is owned jointly by ATV Network and ABC Television, and is published by Odhams Press.

From the outset, this magazine set up new publishing records. The circulation has risen steadily from 640,000 when the magazine first appeared in September, 1964, to the figure of over 737,000 at which it stands today. A long and prosperous future had, therefore, confidently been foreseen. Under a new ruling by the Authority, however, separate programme publications will cease after July, 1968, and a national weekly, with regional editions, published on behalf of all companies will supersede them.

I must, on behalf of viewers in the Midlands, enter a plea that the distinctive character and individuality of “TV WORLD” should be preserved intact in the new publication.

EXPORTS

QUEEN’S AWARD FOR EXPORT ACHIEVEMENT. “Her Majesty The Queen has been graciously pleased to confer Her Award in 1967 upon Associated Television Ltd., London, W.1, for export achievement” — I quote the wording of the official citation which gave the world of British entertainment its first Queen’s Award to Industry.

The formal presentation of the Award was made by Major-General Sir George Burns, Lord Lieutenant of the County of Hertfordshire. The ceremony, which the Postmaster-General and members of the Independent Television Authority attended, took place on 4th July in your Company’s Elstree Studios.

I will not attempt to conceal my feelings of pride when I first read the Royal message. Nor will I conceal the fact that I regard it, in unique degree, as public recognition of the untiring work and devotion over the years of one man, your joint Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive, Mr. Lew Grade.

Shareholders should know that the establishment of a television export market for films has been a long, arduous and, at the outset, a heart-breakingly frustrating business. One by one, Mr. Grade has overcome the objections raised by foreign buyers when offered British products; and it is not too much to say that, through his efforts, your subsidiary, Incorporated Television Company, is now one of the most sought-after production sources in the world.

Knowing the strains that are involved in the many and complex transactions I am glad to think that, on his visits abroad, Mr. Grade should have your Managing Director, Mr. Robin Gill, there beside him. Together I believe, they represent the world’s strongest partnership in television film production and international distribution.

ATV EXPORTS TODAY. The turnover figure for your Company’s export of television programmes continues to rise steadily. U.S. dollar sales have passed the $10,000,000 [$91.1m] mark and sales in the European Hemisphere have correspondingly increased. There is every indication that this present trend will not only be maintained, but will be improved upon.

INDEPENDENT TELEVISION CORPORATION. This year your Company will have no fewer than five Colour television series on the American networks. This is the highest number in the history of the Company. In addition, a number of individual plays and documentaries have been sold to the American networks.

These results in the United States could not have been achieved without your Company’s American subsidiary, Independent Television Corporation.

INCORPORATED TELEVISION COMPANY. Nor could these export results have been obtained had it not been for the magnificent work of your production group, Incorporated Television Company. The schedule of work in hand has never been so extensive as at the present moment, and the following series, all in Colour, are currently reaching completion: “Man in a Suitcase”; “The Prisoner”; “The Saint”; “Spotlight”; “Piccadilly Palace”; “The Champions.”

The wealth of British talent among producers, directors, script writers and actors available to I T C has led to a deal with United Artists for three feature films starring Roger Moore. Further feature film productions are in negotiation. All of these are for distribution to cinemas throughout the world.

In addition to its production activities, Incorporated Television Company is responsible for Eastern Hemisphere television sales where the year produced record results. Your company’s programmes are now being shown in 62 countries on this side of the Atlantic alone.

THEATRES

STOLL THEATRES CORPORATION. I am happy to be able to report that this Group, under the chairmanship of Mr. Prince Littler, has enjoyed another successful year.

The current production, “Fiddler On The Roof” at Her Majesty’s Theatre has proved a triumph, and “There’s A Girl In My Soup” at the Globe Theatre has established itself as one of the outstanding attractions of the West End stage. Earlier in the year the centre of theatrical London was to be found at the Queen’s Theatre, which housed Noel Coward’s “Suite In Three Keys,” and the National Theatre Season.

The London Palladium pantomime, “Cinderella,” again broke all records, and “The Black & White Minstrel Show” at the Victoria Palace continues undiminished into its sixth year.

The satisfactory results of the Stoll Theatres Corporation have been achieved despite the dual burdens of Selective Employment Tax and rising costs. Elsewhere in the West End, however, and among the provincial theatres the effects of rising costs and S.E.T. have been most damaging.

PROPERTIES — CENTURY 21 — PYE RECORDS — MUSIC PUBLISHING – MUZAK — BOWLING

PROPERTIES. During the year we have brought our many property interests together within Bentray Investments. We now have a steady programme of improvement and expansion planned for the years ahead.

CENTURY 21. On both sides of the Atlantic it is acknowledged that the “Thunderbirds” series of Gerry and Sylvia Anderson established entirely new levels in film-making ingenuity. Equally remarkable technical advances have now been achieved with a new range of puppets which will be seen for the first time in “Captain Scarlet,” a series of 32 half-hour episodes currently in production in Colour.

CENTURY 21 MERCHANDISING LTD. — PUBLISHING LTD. — TOYS LTD. The business of these three companies is the exploitation of subsidiary rights in television and motion picture properties.

In conjunction with City Magazines Ltd., a subsidiary of the “News of the World,” four children’s weeklies are now being produced and “TV Century 21” and “Lady Penelope” in particular enjoy outstanding success.

PYE RECORDS. The year’s trading has been highly satisfactory. Among Pye Records successes are the First and Second Prize winners in the Eurovision Song Contest. Pye Records has, furthermore, established its Marble Arch Label in the forefront of the growing market for lower-priced LPs.

Overseas, the sale of Pye Records has increased by nearly 9%.

MUSIC PUBLISHING. Our joint companies with Chappells are progressing well.

MUZAK. Over 180 leading companies, practically all household names in British industry, now have the Muzak service of background music installed in one or more of their premises. The rate of recruitment to the Muzak service is greater than at any previous time in the company’s history, and shows recognition of the fact that Muzak provides the only programmed background music service with completely non-repetitive new programmes every day.

AMBASSADOR BOWLING. This company continues to operate profitably despite reduced attendance at bowling centres throughout the country.

TOP DIRECTION — YOUR BOARD – INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS — ATV STAFF

TOP DIRECTION. The rate at which your Company has developed and the steadily widening scope of what I have referred to in earlier Reports as our policy of “Planned Expansion,” has necessitated a new framework at the top.

The new post of Chief Executive has been created, ond this will naturally be filled by Mr. Lew Grade. Knowing, as I do, what every phase of your Company’s activities owes to the brilliant direction of Mr. Grade, let me add that it is only fitting that he should also be appointed a Deputy Chairman of your Company.

The name of Mr. Grade is synonymous with the emergence, over little more than a decode, of the name of ATV as a Company of world-wide standing; and I am delighted to have this opportunity of congratulating him.

I can, moreover, regard myself as fortunate in having on the Board a Deputy Managing Director in the person of Mr. Robin Gill, to whom the wider duties of Managing Director can so confidently be entrusted. I om happy to add my thanks to Mr. Gill for the great part which he is playing in your Company’s affairs. The partnership between Mr. Grade ond Mr. Gill to which I have referred earlier in connection with our Overseas Sales, is one which I am happy to say extends also to every aspect of your Company’s business.

During the post year. Mr. Grade become Chairman of Independent Television’s Network Planning Committee, and Mr. Robin Gill hos been asked to continue for a further period as Chairman of the Independent Television Companies Association.

My thanks, too, must go to the Company’s Finance Director, Mr. Jack Gill whose contribution to the running of the Company has proved of immense value.

Finally, I have to report that, owing to other business commitments, Mr. R. P. T. Gibson has tendered his resignation from your Board. Mr. Gibson has been a Director of your Company since 1957, ond I om only sorry that this long connection should now be broken.

BOARD OF ASSOCIATED TELEVISION. Let me say how deeply appreciative I am of all the help which I have received over the year from the various members of your most distinguished and experienced Board.

INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS. Despite the unprecedented problems set by the Government’s Prices and Incomes policy, the Group has been able to continue its progressive approach towards the Unions, and has maintained good relations with its staff and with the Unions with which it negotiates.

A completely new system to productivity payments on the part of ATV Network Ltd. was worked out with the Unions and has been approved by the Ministry of Labour. New inter-Union arrangements were negotiated for Century 21 Productions, and these will eliminate various awkward lines of demarcation.

MANAGEMENT AND STAFF. My co-Directors join me in expressing their warmest thanks to everyone at all levels: Managerial staff, sales staff, accountancy staff and secretarial staff play their part equally with the technicians, the skilled craftsmen and the artistic producers and directors within the Company, and without their loyal and untiring efforts these admirable results could never have been attained.

The post ATV financial results: 1967 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

“Results no less than excellent”

Profits, tax and levy

The Consolidated Profit and Loss Account shows a profit for the Group, before Levy and taxation of £11,059,311 [£171m in today’s money allowing for inflation – Ed]. This represents an increase of £1,699,370 [£26.3m] over the results of the previous year (£9,359,941 [£144.7m]).

Moreover, this year’s trading has had to bear the full brunt of 12 months’ Levy on Television Advertising Revenue. Thus, the sum of £5,432,366 [£84m] had to be set aside for this purpose, as against the sum of £3,837,593 [£59.3m] for the 8 months of the year to the 4th April, 1965 — the year in which the Levy was introduced.

Taxation for the year amounts to £2,780,325 [£43m] as against last year’s figure of £2,752,639 [£42.6m]. In total, therefore. Levy and taxation have consumed no less than £8,212,691 [£127m] (74%) of the Group profit.

It should furthermore be noted that this figure of Levy and taxation payable to the Exchequer is in addition to the sum of £985,253 [£15.2m] payable to the Independent Television Authority for the rental of the London and Midlands Transmitters.

Nevertheless, the Group profit after Levy and taxation amounts to the final figure of £2,846,620 [£44m] as compared with £2,769,709 [£42.8m] for the previous year.

EFFECT OF GOVERNMENT POLICY

In June your Directors announced the intention of recommending a final dividend of 10%, making a total of 26% for the year. The year’s accounts were accordingly drawn up on this basis.

In view, however, of the Government White Paper, “Prices and Incomes Standstill”, I have to tell you that your Directors now feel bound to recommend that the final dividend should be 6½% and not 10%, thus leaving the total dividend at 22½%, as for the previous year.

EXPANSION

The Chairman of a Company which is expanding so rapidly as Associated Television naturally finds himself at a disadvantage in preparing a Report which must suffer some delay before it can reach the hands of the shareholders.

Accordingly, even though these developments have occurred after the end of the financial year under review, I feel that I should report several new acquisitions to your Group’s interests.

First, there is our joint undertaking with Chappell’s in music publishing through our acquisition of a 50% interest in two companies New World Music Limited and Jubilee Music Inc. Secondly, there is the 50% interest in a new publishing company to be formed jointly with the International Publishing Corporation to operate in the general field of educational and industrial training publications and in connection with television programmes.

Thirdly, we have now acquired the remaining 50% of Pye Records making the company a 100% subsidiary of ours.

In addition we have acquired the remaining 49% minority interest in J. Rosenthal (Toys) and are arranging for the acquisition of a 7½ % interest in an insurance company already established by IPC, Reeds Paper Group and Eagle Star.

THEATRES

In my last Report, I referred to your Company’s “largest and most important single investment” in the shape of the acquisition of the whole of the share capital of the Stoll Theatres Corporation and of Moss Empires.

I am now happy to be able to speak of the eminently satisfactory – indeed substantially improved – results of the Theatre Croup, under the Chairmanship of Mr. Prince Littler.

A new record was established for the London Palladium; and, throughout the West End, our theatres played to well-filled houses. Conspicuous among other successes has been Noël Coward’s repertoire of three plays at the Queen’s Theatre which played to capacity business, and “Hello, Dolly!” at Drury Lane.

It is nevertheless sad that the theatre industry, so recently relieved of the burden of Entertainment Tax, should now be saddled with rising costs deriving from the Selective Employment Tax.

ATV NETWORK

In my last year’s Statement I referred to your Company’s policy of “planned expansion”. As this expansion of activities extended into fields other than television, it became increasingly apparent to your Board that a completely new Company framework was required. Accordingly, steps were taken to reconstruct the Group in such a way that the parent Company would become purely the holding Company of its various trading subsidiaries – including a new subsidiary company to be entrusted with the Television Service operated under licence from the Independent Television Authority.

In April, 1966, this major move was completed. A subsidiary company, ATV Network, was created. It was to this new company that, with the agreement of the Independent Television Authority. the Programme Contract with the Authority and the ancillary television activities were transferred.

TV WORLD

The Midlands programme journal for Independent Television is published by Odhams Press Limited on behalf of ATV Network and ABC Television Limited. The success of the magazine has been unprecedented, and sales have risen steadily to well beyond the 700,000 mark.

MERCHANDISING

In none of your Company’s subsidiaries has expansion been more rapid or more satisfactory.

The publishing venture, in association with the News of the World Organisation of the two magazines “TV Century 21” and “Lady Penelope”, has proved eminently successful, and their combined circulation is over the million mark.

The new subsidiary company, J. Rosenthal (Toys), which markets products associated with television programmes is now equipped to become the major distributor in this field, and shows substantial profits.

COLOUR

Colour on the 405-line standard could be made immediately available to the entire British receiving public in the existing VHF services. Those viewers content to watch only black-and-white pictures would remain entirely unaffected. If 405-line Colour Television were authorised in the New Year, ATV Network alone could immediately contribute not less than 20 hours of Colour programmes a week to the Independent Network.

In order that this country should not lag behind in the development of Colour Television, we therefore advocate the earliest possible introduction by the ITA of colour on the 405-line standard in the existing VHF service. By this Autumn, ATV Network’s Studios in London and Elstree will be equipped for Colour operations in the various international line-systems.

EXPORTS

For the first time in television history, British series have been purchased simultaneously by all three American TV Networks. Columbia Broadcasting System purchased 45 episodes of “Secret Agent” (known to British viewers as “Danger Man”), the National Broadcasting Company purchased “The Saint”, and “The London Palladium Show”, and the American Broadcasting Company purchased “The Baron”, “Court Martial” (jointly produced with MCA), and “McGill”, a new series for next season. The triple jackpot of selling to all three networks has at last fallen into British hands.

I am glad, moreover, to be able to say that, for the Eastern Hemisphere, the sales curve of ITC continues to point sharply upwards. Indeed, for the first six months of the current calendar year total sales approximate to the whole of the previous 12 months’ turnover. These sales have been made in more than 50 different countries.

FILM-MAKING

Another intensive programme of film production is currently in hand, including “The Saint” and “McGill” together with a new Patrick McGoohan series “The Prisoner”.

PYE RECORDS

This is the first Annual Report in which I am able to refer to Pye Records as a wholly-owned subsidiary, even though the results contained within the Consolidated Profit and Loss Account reflect only the dividends received under the 50% ownership which then existed.

During the past year, Pye Records has maintained a leading position within the industry. Although in the United States the sudden vogue for British Pop records has somewhat declined, sales have remained good and the overseas sales of Pye Records in other markets have shown a steady improvement.

THE MIDLANDS

At no time in your Company’s history, has the operation of the weekday licence played so conspicuous a part in Midland affairs and the scope of local programming has notably increased.

The first successful five-day-a-week serial, “Crossroads”, originates in Birmingham, and has proved to be nationally popular.

Another Midlands ATV Network programme – this time designed for the young – “Tingha and Tucker” has, as a result of its overwhelming local popularity, now won itself a place in the national Sunday network.

MUZAK

It is all the more agreeable, bearing in mind the originally slow acceptance of this commercial and industrial amenity, to be able at last to refer to its established success. Growth has been rapid, and the daily Muzak audience in the British Isles now numbers some 2,000,000 persons.

BOWLING

In the year under review, the ten bowling centres, comprising 273 bowling lanes, produced satisfactory results showing an improvement over the previous year.

The effects of the Selective Employment Tax cannot do other than affect future profitability.

MANAGEMENT AND STAFF

The debt which your Company owes to the efforts of its Managing Director, Mr. Lew Grade, can in no way be exaggerated. His energy, flair and foresight are apparent in every phase of the Company’s operations and, once again, I most gladly take this opportunity, on your behalf, of thanking him.

I am glad, too, to place on record how fortunate I feel that the Company was to secure the services of Mr. Robin Gill as Deputy Managing Director. The top management team of Mr. Lew Grade and Mr Robin Gill has proved an inestimable asset in the Company’s manifold and expanding affairs.

No less do I and my co-Directors wish to thank all members of Staff throughout the Group. The present healthy and vigorous condition of the Company could never have been achieved without their loyal and devoted work.

The post ATV financial results: 1966 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

“Trading Profit £5.5 million”

“Another Excellent Year”

In my 1964 Statement I was able to report “an excellent year’s trading”, and I added that I had “every confidence in your Company’s prospects for the ensuing year”.

I am now happy to be able to say that my prediction has proved justified. Associated Television Limited has enjoyed another excellent year — in fact, despite the effects of 8 months’ levy on turnover, the second most profitable in the 10 years’ history of your Company’s activities.

The consolidated Profit and Loss Account shows that the profit of the Group, before taxation, stands at £5,522,348 [£88.9m in today’s money allowing for inflation – Ed] for the 52 weeks to 4th April, 1965.

EXPORTS

This year has been historic as the first in which ATV has broken into the American networks. The series “Danger Man” — re-named “Secret Agent” in the United States — was sold to CBS. Its reception was unprecedented. Following upon three shows which hod failed one after the other it promptly reached first place in the national ratings for programmes in that time period. In consequence, CBS has now placed an order for a further series of “Secret Agent” for next winter. The United States contracts for “Secret Agent” alone ore worth more than $3,000,000 [$30m].

The unique puppet series, “Stingray”, has now earned the highest prices ever paid in syndication — that is to say in sales to individual stations throughout the United States The revenue from this series will, it is estimated, exceed $1,500,000 [$15m] in the United States alone.

During the year 1964/65, overall exports to some 100 Countries throughout the world have resulted in a Sales revenue of nearly £2,000,000 [£32.2m]; and in the current year this figure should be passed by a very substantial margin.

EXCHEQUER LEVY

The levy on turnover, collected by the Independent Television Authority on behalf of the Exchequer, will be in force for the whole 12 months of the ensuing financial year (1965/66). This levy rises at the top end of the scale to no less than 45% of advertising receipts — the highest rate of discriminatory taxation in the history of British industry.

It would be idle to pretend that the effect of the levy on your Company’s profits will not be adverse. It cannot be otherwise. On the other hand, it would be totally misleading to attempt any direct equation between the amount of the levy and the resultant amount of the profits.

In the first place, your Company’s revenue from advertising is substantially higher than it has been at any time in its history: this is due to the exceptional performance of the ATV Sales department. Secondly, internal economies affecting every phase of the ATV operation except programme production have already shown good results. Thirdly, the benefits of diversification are apparent in the form of additional revenue coming from sources which are not subject to the television levy.

EXPANSION

ATV’s policy has been one of planned expansion in those fields in which your Directors and their Management have the widest background of experience and therefore the greatest contribution to make for the future. It was in line with that policy that your Company made its largest and most important single investment by acquiring the whole of the share capital of the Stoll Theatres Corporation Ltd , and of Moss Empires Ltd.

In London, the Stoll Theatres Corporation controls — either freehold or leasehold — the following theatres Coliseum (leased to Cinerama Ltd); Palladium; Victoria Palace; Hippodrome (leased to “Talk of the Town”); Apollo; Her Majesty’s; Globe; Queen’s; Lyric; Phoenix; and Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. And in the provinces: Birmingham Hippodrome; Bristol Hippodrome; Brighton Hippodrome; Liverpool Empire; Manchester Palace; Manchester Hippodrome (site awaiting development); Morecambe Winter Gardens; Nottingham Empire (closed); Nottingham Theatre Royal; and Stoll Picture Theatre, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. Considerable as these interests are, they do not in any sense constitute a monopoly of the live theatre, either in London or in the provinces. Nevertheless they do provide a wide and substantial bridge between Television and the Theatre, and I am fully satisfied that this is to the advantage of both.

Still pursuing our line of planned expansion within the entertainment industry, in October of last year your Company purchased a controlling interest in M Berman Ltd., one of Britain’s leading firms of film and theatrical costumiers.

ATV AWARDS

Throughout the country the programmes produced by Independent Television have been preferred to those produced by the BBC in the ratio of 64% to 36%, and the programmes of ATV have greatly contributed to this success. Indeed, never before have so many distinctions for programmes been earned in any one year by the artists, personalities, writers and producers connected with a single Company.

The Guild of Television Producers and Directors made four ATV awards; The Screen Writers Guild made four ATV awards; The Variety Club of Great Britain made three ATV awards; and The Television Society two ATV awards. The awards constitute the acceptance of the outstanding position of Mr. Bernard Braden as the ITV personality of the year, and of “The Plane Makers” as the outstanding dramatic series of the year.

AUDIENCE

The Authority’s transmitter in the London area, where ATV is responsible for the week-end operation, reaches a potential audience of 13.8 million. In the Midlands, where ATV is responsible for the week-day operation, the audience has — as a result of the opening on 30th April, 1965, of the Authority’s Membury relay transmitter — now risen from a potential audience of 8.7 million to one of 9.2 million. This increase in audience potential will in due course be reflected in the revenue-earning potential of the Midand operation.

THE MIDLANDS

During the year we have entirely reshaped the pattern of our regional programmes in the Midlands. At a regular time throughout the week-days, our viewers now see a daily Midlands news and news magazine programme (“ATV Today”). ATV Midlands moreover has established the first successful five-day-a-week serial in British television. This programme, “Crossroads”, originating in the Alpha Studios in Birmingham, has now spread across almost the whole national network, and regularly appears in the regional Top Ten ratings. A national critic recently went so far as to say: “‘Crossroads’ is the biggest television success of 1965”.

COMMONWEALTH

In the past I have indicated that our investment in television companies in Canada has proved disappointing because of the heavy initial losses which these companies incurred. I am now, for the first time, able to report that the companies are soundly profit-making and that the value of ATV’s Canadian holdings has correspondingly increased.

ATV (Distributors) Pty. Ltd., is in the happy position of having been able to arrange sales in Australia of all the major ATV series and programmes which they have been asked to handle.

EDUCATION

ATV has continued to produce three fully networked programmes for schools. These have been well received throughout the entire country In the Midlands, where ATV maintains its own Education Officer, the number of schools in which there are provisions for regular viewing has increased during the year from 1,130 to 1,480.

Outstanding in the field of adult education was the series devised by Mr. Harold Wiltshire, Director of Adult Education at Nottingham, and produced by ATV in co-operation with that University. For the first time in the history of adult education on television in this country, the series (on basic economics) offered viewers the opportunity to enrol for a correspondence course based on the programmes and to have personal contact with tutors. Over 1,600 viewers enrolled, and a further course on a national basis is now being planned.

PYE RECORDS

Pye Records, which is 50% owned by ATV, has enjoyed a year of overall success and of individual successes.

On no fewer than five occasions, records under the Pye label reached the Number One position in the British Top Ten listings. Moreover, during this period British pop discs in general, including those of Pye Records, achieved a new fashionable status in the American market. No one would ever presume to predict how long any trend will continue in the pop record field particularly in the U.S.A. but, as a result of the sudden British boom — described by some critics as a “cult” — the dollar earnings of Pye Records more than doubled. Elsewhere in the world, where the trends are usually steadier, overseas sales of Pye Records have shown on increase of more than 50%.

BOWLING

Ambassador Bowling profitably operated 10 Tenpin Bowling Alleys with a total of 273 bowling lories. Three new Centres were opened during the course of the year — in Hounslow, Wolverhampton, Edgware.

Approximately 250,000 people visit our Centres each week. Tenpin Bowling is a sport which covers all age groups but, it should be noted, by far the greatest numbers fall between the ages of 16 and 26.

“TV WORLD”

The new weekly Midlands programme journal, “TV World,” published by Odhams Press Ltd. and jointly owned by ATV which provides the week-day programmes in the Midlands and by ABC Television Ltd. which provides the Midlands week-end programmes, was launched on 26th September, 1964. Its success was immediate. The circulation has grown consistently and now stands close to the 700,000 mark.

MUZAK

Though in the post the growth of this service of background music for offices, factories and public areas has proved slower than anticipated, the position has appreciably improved during the past year. The total value of contracts secured stands at a figure in excess of £1,000,000 [£16.1m], and is now growing rapidly as the benefits of the service become more widely appreciated.

MANAGEMENT AND STAFF

It would have been impossible for me to write in such confident terms of ATV’s overall buoyancy and prospects for the future if it were not for the vigorous, zealous and able leadership given to the Company by the Managing Director, Mr. Lew Grade. I also send my most sincere thanks and those of my colleagues on the Board to all the Staff throughout the Group for their loyal and hard work.

The post ATV financial results: 1965 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

“An Excellent Year”

The Ninth Annual General Meeting of Associated Television Limited will be held on Thursday, 10th September, 1964, at 12 noon at ATV House, Great Cumberland Place, London, W.1.

The following are extracts from the circulated statement by the Chairman, Sir Robert Renwick, Bt., K.B.E. :-

On the 7th January, 1964, the Independent Television Authority informed your Company that the licence to broadcast in London on the week-ends and in the Midlands during the week-days was to be renewed after the expiry of the present licence on the 29th July of this year.

In the light of that event, it is all the more gratifying to be able to report an excellent year’s trading both in the home market and in the export field; and I may add that I have every confidence in your Company’s prospects for the ensuing year. The profit of the Group before taxation is £5,460,424 [£91.9m in today’s money allowing for inflation – Ed]. It will be noticed that the profit stands £2,054,710 [£34.6m] higher than for the 11 months of the Company’s 1962/63 financial period.

Your Board recommends the capitalisation of £4,650,000 [£78.3m] to be applied in paying up in full 18,600,000 “A” Ordinary Stock Units of 5s. each to be issued to Ordinary Shareholders and “A” Ordinary Stockholders on the basis of 4 “A” Ordinary Stock Units for every £1 Ordinary Share and 1 “A” Ordinary Stock Unit for every “A” Ordinary Stock Unit held by them respectively on 12th August, 1964. This will necessitate an increase in the authorised capital of the Company.

NEW LICENCE

The renewal of your Company’s licence is for three years from the 29th July, 1964, or until the opening of a second Independent Television Service, whichever shall be the sooner.

The licence provides that, if the date for the start of the second Independent Television Service should be after July 1967, the Authority may (subject to a review of rentals) extend the existing licence for a maximum period of a further three years. The immediate uncertainties which had been hanging over the whole television industry have thus been removed, and your own Company has been able to re-organise its operations in readiness to meet the changed conditions of the future.

The terms of the new licence which came into effect at the end of July of this year do not by any means follow the lines of the licence under which your Company has been operating since 1954. Quite the contrary, in fact.

First the levy on turnover, against which I had protested so strongly when the Government’s White Paper appeared in March 1963, begins to apply in August 1964. The amount of this levy on turnover – additional, it must be remembered, to normal income tax and profits tax – will, as far as can be judged, amount to something in the order of £4,500,000 [£75.8m] on a full year’s trading.

There is, admittedly, some respite inasmuch as, in the financial year 1964/65, only 8 months of turnover will be subjected to this reprehensible impost. This relief is, however, only temporary. And it is because the full effects will be felt in the financial year 1965/66 that your Board is taking active measures, which I believe will prove effective, to safeguard the overall financial position of your Company by building up additional revenues not subject to the Television Turnover Levy.

In this Report I am able to speak of the Company’s future with greater confidence than I have felt at any time during my Chairmanship. This is in no small measure because of the policy of growth through diversification consistently pursued by your Board. And I am happy to be able to say that there has been an overall improvement in your Company’s subsidiary activities.

MULTIPLE INTERESTS

Our production subsidiary, Incorporated Television Company Limited, has once again increased its volume of sales of film series and telerecordings in the Eastern Hemisphere.

In the Western Hemisphere our American subsidiary, Independent Television Corporation, has increased its sales to a figure in excess of $4,600,000 [$45.1m].

Late in 1962 we acquired the share capital of the A.P. Films group of companies, which includes a vigorous and expanding merchandising company. A.P. Films are the producers of the popular puppet film series “Supercar” and “Fireball XL5”. Their latest and most advanced production in colour, “Stingray”, is scheduled for showing in this country in the autumn and has already been offered a network showing in the U.S.A. I have never before predicted the success of any television series but, on this occasion, I do so without hesitation.

Our Australian group has continued to show satisfactory profits with improving results from television operations, and the decline in revenue from the radio operations resulting from the impact of television competition has been halted. For some time, however, your Board has been feeling that with the Company’s already large and steadily increasing activities in the film distribution field it would be better if it held no interests in individual stations and was therefore able to deal with all possible customers on terms of strict impartiality. Accordingly, since the year end we have sold our Australian interest to Fairfax Corporation Pty. Ltd. at a price of £2,060,000 [£34.7m] which compares with a book value of £543,815 [£9.2m]. We have excluded from the sale our Australian Television Programme Distribution Department which will be incorporated into a new company. The distribution operation, it should be noted, has been providing approximately 25 per cent of the profits derived from the Australian investment.

Commercial television in Canada has been gaining ground, and both stations in which we have an interest have now reached a profit-making stage though initial losses remain to be recouped.

Muzak, our background music service, continues its planned growth and your Board is confident that it will become profit-making in the not too distant future.

Ambassador Bowling Limited is already operating profitably and with the continuing increase of the popularity of this sport your Board is satisfied that this will prove a most rewarding investment.

Pye Records Ltd., of which your Company owns 50 per cent., has made most encouraging progress in the past year and there is every indication that the current financial year will show rapid and continuing expansion.

RANGE OF PROGRAMMES

The range of Independent Television programmes, already wide, grows steadily. Among the more serious contributions which have attracted large and attentive audiences are the weekly “Ombudsman” programmes, “Fair Play”; the highly topical and penetrating “Braden Beat”; the series of three programmes by Sir Kenneth Clark, “Discovering Japanese Art”; and the three programmes by Mr. Felix Greene on Red China which contained entirely new and hitherto unobtainable film material.

The programme year was memorable, moreover, for the second “Golden Hour” from Covent Garden in which Maria Callas and Tito Gobbi appeared in the whole of the second act of “Tosca”. This performance was seen by more than 9,000,000 viewers.

Adult Educational programmes in which, as the week-end Contractor in London, your Company has pioneered, continue to achieve successes which educationists in previous generations would have regarded as impossible. To cite an example, “Mesdames, Messieurs”, the adult French series, is regularly watched by some 300,000 viewers, and the companion volumes published on ATV’s behalf by Penguin Books have already sold over 60,000 copies.

ATV’s religious broadcasting amounted to 50 hours. It included the Coronation of Pope Paul in Rome; “Requiem for a Dead Statesman”, an anthology on the occasion of President Kennedy’s death; and the two programmes “Church and State” in which the Rt. Hon. R. A. Butler and the Rt. Hon. Harold Wilson appeared on successive Sundays.

During the year there has been a marked increase in the number of Outside Broadcasts reflecting the life of people whom we serve within the area of the Lichfield transmitter. The most notable of these was the two-hour broadcast of the celebrations at Stratford-on-Avon on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth.

“Midland Farming”, it is most pleasing to be able to report, has been cited by the National Farmers’ Union as “the most instructive farming programme on the air”; and the daily “Midlands News” – the first regional news programme in Independent Television – continues to command a major audience.

In the field of public service, it is good also to be able to add that “Police Five” has earned the special commendation of the Force in having helped in the apprehension of wanted criminals.

The number of homes in the London area capable of receiving Independent Television is now approximately 3,300,000. Your Company serves this public at week-ends. In the Midlands the number of homes is close on 2,000,000 and your Company serves this public on all five week-days.

SECOND INDEPENDENT TELEVISION SERVICE

In my Report last year I reminded you that on the 27th June, 1963, the Postmaster General had announced in the House of Commons that by 1966, when there should be not fewer than one and a half million sets in London capable of receiving a new 625-line service in UHF, he would authorise a second Independent channel in the main areas.

This announcement was greeted with especial acclamation by your Board because, throughout the whole history of Independent Television, we have consistently been advocating the introduction of genuine competition which would put an end to the present monopolistic system which exists in all areas.

With the foreseeable increases in advertising expenditures, or even with advertising expenditures remaining steady at their present level, there is an entirely sound financial foundation for two good and effective Independent channels in all the main areas.

Two facts, however, must be faced. First, it should be recognized that the levy on turnover was introduced by the Government in order to level off the high profits arising during the present monopoly phase and that this levy will have to be abolished entirely when companies are in direct competition one with another. Secondly, for some years to come there is bound to be a wide difference in the number of television sets capable of receiving the new 625-line UHF service and those capable of receiving only the original 405-line VHF service. This discrepancy is sometimes advanced as a reason why competition is impracticable and the question is asked “How can any company awarded the UHF licence possibly hope to survive?” The straight-forward solution which your Board would be most happy to accept is that of awarding licences for operation in alternate weeks on VHF and UHF respectively thus placing rival companies on an exact equality. It may be added that a simple matter of inter-company networking would ensure the continuity of programming which the public would have a right to expect.

Your own Board looks forward with eagerness to the day when we shall be empowered to operate a seven-day-a-week service, free of levy, and in full competition with a rival licensed company.

In the whole wide and, I trust, expanding field of British broadcasting the chief grounds for concern would appear to be the heavy costs involved in the operation of BBC 2 and the amount by which the BBC will be seeking to get the Government to agree to increase the licence fee, which already stands at £4 [£67]. A heavy licence fee is naturally a serious deterrent to the whole television industry, and must therefore be resisted.

The post ATV financial results: 1964 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

REASONS FOR DECLINE IN PROFITS

LEVY ON TURNOVER A DISTORTION OF TAXATION PRINCIPLE

GOOD NEWS REGARDING SECOND INDEPENDENT CHANNEL

SIR ROBERT RENWICK ON EFFECT OF NEW AGREEMENTS

The 8th annual general meeting of Associated Television Limited will be held on 26th August, 1963, at 12 noon at ATV House, Great Cumberland Place. London W.1

The following is the statement of the chairman. Sir Robert Renwick, Bt., B.E. circulated with the report and accounts for eleven months ended 31st March, 1963:-

Your Directors decided that it was in the interest of the Company to change its year-end date from 30th April to 31st March and the Accounts now before you are, therefore, for a period of eleven months to 31st March, 1963.

You will see from the Consolidated Profit and Loss Account that the profit of the Group before taxation is £3,405,714 [£59.1m in today’s money allowing for inflation – Ed] for the eleven months as compared with £5,038,204 [£87.5m] for the previous twelve months. This profit is after charging all expenses including depreciation. Taxation based on the profit for the period amounts to £1,556,005 [£27m] and, after making allowance for this and for the interests of outside shareholders, there is left a profit of £1,860,135 [£32.3m] attributable to ATV

The amount retained in subsidiary companies is £249,706 [£4.3m] leaving £1,610,429 [£28m]. Arising from the change in the Parent Company’s year-end date, certain provisions for taxation, made in previous years, amounting £1,546,000 [£26.8m] are no longer required and, together with the unappropriated balance brought forward from last year of £2,424,909 [£42m], make available for appropriation now an amount of £5,581,338 [£96.9m].

An interim dividend of 20% has already been paid and your Directors now recommend a final dividend of 21.25% making a total of 41.25% for the eleven months. This is equivalent to 45% for the full year as against 60% paid in respect of the year to 30th April, 1962. If this recommendation is approved and after transferring a further £500,000 [£8.7m] to Investment Reserve there will be left a balance of £3,906,486 [£67.8m] in the Accounts of the Parent Company.

Balance Sheet Items

Turning to the Consolidated Balance Sheet it will be noted that the Investment Reserve has been used to offset the Goodwill arising on consolidation. Current Assets have increased during the period by £518,077 [£9m] to £8,558,556 [£149m] whereas Current Liabilities have decreased by £816,170 [£14.2m] to £7,440,500 [£129.2m]. It will be noted, however, that Advances from Bankers have increased by £1,781,020 [£30.9m] to £3,018,618 [£52.4m]; this is in the main due to increased investment in the Group’s Fixed and Current Assets and the payment of an exceptionally heavy taxation liability in respect of the financial year 1960/61.

In deciding to change the year-end date from 30th April to 31st March, your Board recognised that this would inevitably mean the exclusion of the profit deriving from one of the more remunerative months in the calendar. Had the trading results for April been included, the profit figures would have been substantially higher.

A decline in profits would nevertheless have been revealed. This decline is due to a variety of causes. In the first place, there has been a drop in revenue from advertising of approximately 5%. Secondly, certain of the subsidiary companies have, as anticipated, made losses in the early stages of their development. Thirdly, the Company was feeling the full effects of the new agreements with Equity and the Musicians’ Union and, to a lesser extent, of a new agreement with the Variety Artistes’ Federation. Some indication of the increases which the Company had to meet in programme expenditure may be gauged by citing a few examples. The settlement with Equity on which work was resumed on 6th April, 1962, provided a new minimum fee for an actor on a networked programme of 36 guineas [£37.80 in decimal, £656 with inflation]; the old fee was 10 guineas [£10.50/£182]. The settlement with the Variety Artistes Federation reached on 17th November, 1961, provided for a new minimum fee of £30 [£521] for a networked programme as against 10 guineas: the settlement with the Musicians’ Union reached on 10th April, 1962, gave a minimum fee of £18 [£312] for a networked programme as against £6 [£104] under the previous arrangement.

Threat of the Television Bill

Historically, the year 1962/63 will be remembered by your Board as one of many and major preoccupations, chiefly concerned with the future of Independent Television in general and with the future of this Company in particular.

In June, 1962, the Report of the Pilkington Committee, which was appointed in July, 1960, was at last published. This Report, which proved to be hostile towards Independent Television as a whole, recommended the total abolition of the system as we know it to-day and the substitution for it of a system whereby the Independent Television Authority was to plan the programmes, arrange for their networking and for the selling of the advertising time – leaving Companies, such at ATV, to play the role merely of programme suppliers to a Government Authority.

It is to the credit of the Government that the main recommendations of the Pilkington Report were rejected. Nevertheless, when, on 20th December, 1962, the Postmaster-General presented his Television Bill it was immediately apparent that the atmosphere Pilkington was still pervasive. For, although it was recommended that the Programme Companies should continue as full operators of the television service in their various areas, it was laid down in the Bill that the Authority should be able to specify not only which programmes should be networked but at what price the originator should be required to supply them.

Nor was this all. The financial provisions in the Bill included a clause empowering the Postmaster-General to impose additional charges on the Programme Companies by way of a tax on profits deriving not only from the operation of a television licence but from the operation of any subsidiary company or companies.

It was because your Board felt that such a discriminatory tax was most improper that we took action. First, I wrote to shareholders warning them of the gravity of the situation; then, on behalf of your Board, I issued a number of statements to the Press; finally, I sought, and obtained, an interview with the Postmaster-General and corresponded with him. Throughout I made it my business to see that Members on both sides of Parliament were informed of the true facts of the situation

I mention these matters because in certain quarters much play has been made of a Television Lobby and the activities of a so-called Television “pressure group”. Those who have been most vociferous in expressing their disapproval have completely ignored the fact that within Independent Television there are nearly as many points of view as there are Companies, and that it was only in respect of certain limited objectives that there was any measure of agreement at all. This state of affairs seems to me healthy. democratic and in the true spirit of free enterprise.

So far as ATV is concerned I would regard it as a total dereliction of my duty as Chairman if, faced by a situation which could obviously be grievously harmful to your Company, I had not exerted every legitimate effort to induce the Government to revise its thinking.

The Board, and shareholders in general, have every reason to be grateful to your Deputy Chairman, Mr. Norman Collins, for the unsparing and untiring work which he devoted to securing improvement in the Television Bill.

An Ill-conceived Levy

Not that our efforts were entirely successful. Quite the contrary, in fact. For on 25th April, 1963, the Postmaster General suddenly withdrew his proposed omnibus tax on profits and substituted for it an arbitrary – and I think thoroughly ill-conceived – levy on turnover. In my view the levy is entirely mis-applied. The purpose of a turnover tax, as it is usually called. is to extract money for the Exchequer at the various stages where profit has accrued in a developing economic process – say between the suppliers of raw materials, the manufacturers, the wholesalers and the retailers. To attempt to apply it to an industry such as Independent Television which has only one operation – the earning money from advertisements to enable it to put out a free service to the public – is clearly a distortion of this taxation principle.

In order to substantiate our case financial statements were made freely available to the Postmaster General and to his colleagues. These statements clearly indicated one thing, viz., that a levy on turnover would affect some Companies far worse than others – your own Company, I regret to say, worst of all.

Why? For the simple and inescapable reason that ATV with its dual and divided seven-day operation in London and the Midlands has two lots of overheads, two lots of studios, two lots of offices, two lots of programme costs and so forth. The revenue – now to be subject to the levy – earned from this dual operation is no larger, and may indeed be smaller, than the revenue earned by a Company operating a five-day service in one area only with one lot of overheads, one lot of studios, one lot of offices, one lot of programme costs and so forth.

The Postmaster General has now said that he will look to the Authority to iron out these inequalities by imposing a system of differential rentals as between the various Companies. It may well prove to be the case, however, that the inequalities are so great that it is only by some measure of re-allocation of days or areas that the Authority will be able to seek to redress the balance.

Competition Achieved

Nevertheless, if your Board has failed in some of its efforts, there is cause for congratulation on one matter of major importance. On 27th June the Postmaster General announced in the House that by 1966, when there should be not fewer than 1½ million television sets in London capable of receiving a new 625-line service in UHF, he would authorise a second Independent Channel in the main areas. That is good news indeed and does much to remove the sourness of a singularly long and frustrating series of negotiations. It represents the culmination of a campaign that your Company alone has fought from the very beginning of Independent Television. Over the years we have repeated in Annual Report after Annual Report that we have never believed that a single Independent Television Service could comply with the basic requirements of the 1954 Television Act that “there is adequate competition to supply programmes between a number of programme contractors independent of each other both as to finance and also to control.” Within a single service the Companies inevitably tend to be complementary rather than competitive. Your own Board, moreover, has always felt that the advertisers. on whom the revenue to support Independent Television depends, should enjoy the freedom of buying in a competitive rather than a monopolistic market.

As the pioneer Company in advocating competition, ATV looks to play its full part over the years in the expanding field of Independent Television.

In the meantime. and for the immediate future. we have concentrated our efforts on making the most effective contribution that can be made in both the areas in which, under the terms of the licence, we are required to provide programmes. The success of London programming at the week-ends will be familiar to all the viewers who live within range of the Croydon transmitter.

4,000,000 Audience in the Midlands

Not that we regard our Midland audience as in any way less important. For those who do not live within the area served by the Lichfield transmitter I should report that for the first time our audiences have topped the four million mark. Many notable figures from all political parties and from all walks of life have appeared in programmes. These have included the Prime Minister, both when he addressed the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce early this year and also when he made his important announcement on leadership only last month at Wolverhampton. In such regional programmes as “Midland Montage”, “Midland Profile”, and “Look Around”. Mr. Iain Macleod and Mr Ernest Marples have appeared; and Miss Jenny Lee and Mr Roy Jenkins have spoken for Labour.

ATV is particularly proud of being the first Company to introduce a regular mid-day programme, and Noele Gordon’s “Lunch Box”, now in its seventh year, is already running into its 1,600th edition. Scarcely less important is the children’s programme conducted by Jean Morton, “The Tingha and Tucker Club”, which now has an estimated membership of half a million children and is firmly established as the most popular children’s programme in Midland television.

Company’s Multiple Interests

From the earliest days of the Company your Board decided on a policy of diversification. In the result our production subsidiary, Incorporated Television Company Limited, has traded widely throughout the Eastern Hemisphere. ITC Ltd. deals with 42 countries in the Eastern Hemisphere, 21 of them in Europe, nine in the Middle East and North Africa, seven in Australasia and the Far East, and five Commonwealth countries in Africa. ITC Ltd. also deals with the three of the Islands in the British Caribbean which operate a television service.

During the twelve months ended 31st March, 1963, over 5,600 hours were sold in these territories, approximately 4,300 hours being sales of film series, the balance telerecordings and documentary-type programmes.

Sales in these areas in this period amounted to £336,810 [£5.9m], and this is a steadily expanding market.

In the U.S.A., Independent Television Corporation has again shown progress in distributing our productions in the Western Hemisphere. Though trading conditions have been difficult within the USA. this Company since its inception has brought not less than $12 million [$119.3m] into this country.

“Fireball XL5”, beginning in the autumn, has been taken for showing on one of the principal American networks, while both “The Saint” and “Broadway Goes Latin” are being sold for syndication.

In partnership with the National Broadcasting Corporation of America and Herbert Brodkin, we are producing twenty-six one-hour episodes of “Espionage” in England. Our Group has world-wide distribution rights in this series outside the U.S.A. The series is to be shown on the N.B.C. Network as well as by our Company in the U.K. and has already been sold for transmission in Australia, Canada and Japan. The production on film of any television series necessitates considerable expenditure which can be recovered only over a period of years and provided a satisfactory sale can be secured in the U.S.A. Not the least of the reasons for deprecating the new levy on turnover is the fact that less money will be available for the production of film series which are vitally important both for home use and for export.

I am happy to say that Australia has emerged from its recession to which I referred last year and the results from our group investments in Australia have once again produced better figures. Our investment in Canada is also making satisfactory progress.

The build-up of our background music service, Muzak, is continuing slowly but steadily. It will be appreciated, however, that inevitably heavy investment in the development of this type of service will take some time before it can be fully recovered and the Company be made profit-making.

In the last eighteen months we have taken the first steps to set up and operate a chain of tenpin bowling centres. Our wholly owned subsidiary, Ambassador Bowling Limited, now has two centres in operation and a further three or four will be in operation in the course of the next twelve months. It is already apparent that tenpin bowling is a sport which has found considerable favour in this country and I am sure that this new venture of ours will prove remunerative over the years.

Pye Records Limited, in which your Company has a 50% holding, continues to make excellent progress and with the advent of its up-to-date recording studios will, I am confident, continue to expand.

As to our large investment in British Relay Wireless and Television, as shareholders will appreciate from the figures recently produced by that Company, it is progressing well.

Top Management

During the year under review,. your Company has seen major changes in top management. Mr. Val Parnell, who has acted as your Managing Director from the inception of the Company, retired at his own request. The services which he rendered during the formative years of the Company cannot be over-valued and we are delighted that he has agreed to remain on the Board and to act in a general advisory capacity, in addition to remaining responsible for one of the most popular programmes on Independent Television, “Val Parnell’s Sunday Night at the London Palladium”. Your Board was fortunate in having his successor so close at hand. Mr. Lew Grade, who over the years has acted as Mr. Parnell’s deputy, was immediately appointed to the top post. Mr. Grade’s appointment has proved to be universally popular throughout the industry and has been widely acclaimed by the Press. The Board regards itself as equally fortunate in obtaining the services as deputy to Mr. Grade of Mr. Edward J. Roth who, prior to joining your Company, was Director-General of Radio Eireann.

In the general context of Independent broadcasting as a whole I am happy that the date of this Annual Report makes it possible for me to be the first to express the feelings of the industry as a whole in welcoming the Rt. Hon. Dr. Charles Hill, now Lord Hill of Luton, as the new Chairman of the Authority. In doing so most warmly I will take this opportunity of thanking Sir John Carmichael who has acted Chairman since the retirement last November of Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick. Independent Television has never felt that it has had a wiser counsellor than Sir John. Once again I would like to express the appreciation of ATV to the Director-General of the ITA, Sir Robert Fraser, and to his colleagues within the Authority.

And now a word of tribute to our staff in London, Birmingham and elsewhere the world over. Despite the cloud of political uncertainties which has hung over the industry every member of ATV’s staff has worked most loyally throughout the year and the Board wishes to express its keen appreciation.

The post ATV financial results: 1963 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

POLICY OF “REAL COMPETITION” ADVOCATED THROUGH ADDITIONAL COMMERCIAL T.V. CHANNEL

LOWER PROFIT FROM REDUCED REVENUE, GREATLY INCREASED COSTS AND DEVELOPMENT EXPENDITURE ON NEW SUBSIDIARIES

SIR ROBERT RENWICK CRITICIZES ATTACK ON ADVERTISING

The Seventh Annual General Meeting of Associated Television Limited will be held on September 26 at ATV House, Great Cumberland Place, London, W.

The following is the statement by Sir Robert Renwick, Bt, K.B.E., the chairman, circulated with the report and accounts for the year ended April 30, 1962:—

You will see from the consolidated profit and loss account that the profit of the Group before taxation is £5,038,204 [£89.4m in today’s money allowing for inflation – Ed] as compared with £6,411,899 [£113.8m] for the previous year. This profit is after charging all expenses including depreciation. The provision for depreciation of £439,986 [£7.8m] shows an increase of £157,463 [£2.8m] as compared with the previous year, due to the fact that this is the first year in which is charged a full year’s depreciation on new equipment at our Elstree Studios.

After making allowance for taxation of £2,658,935 [£47.2m] and the interests of outside shareholders, there is left a profit of £2,387,884 [£42.4m] attributable to ATV.

The amount retained in subsidiary companies is £113,708 [£2m] and the balance brought forward from last year is £1,859,608 [£33m], making £4,133,784 [£73.3m] available for appropriation.

An interim dividend of 20 per cent has already been paid and your directors now recommend that a final dividend of 40 per cent be paid again this year. If this recommendation is approved, there will be left a balance of £2,424,909 [£43m] to be carried forward in the accounts of the parent company.

Consolidated Balance-Sheet

Turning to the consolidated balance-sheet it will be noted that under the heading of fixed assets there have been increases both in land and buildings and in plant, equipment and motor vehicles. These are attributable to our new studios at Elstree which are now completed and fully equipped. Whereas the total of trade investments has not altered materially, it will be noted that quoted shares have increased and debentures and loan stock have decreased. This is mainly due to the conversion into shares of the £500,000 [£8.9m] convertible loan stock in British Relay Wireless and Television Limited.

We already have in our balance-sheet an investment reserve of £500,000. Taking our trade investments and investments in subsidiary companies together, your directors are satisfied that the present investment reserve is adequate.

The reduction in Group profit for the year is due to three main causes — greatly increased cost of operations, reduction in advertisement revenue and losses made by subsidiaries in early stages of development

We believe that in time our subsidiaries will make a very useful contribution to the income of your Company. We have never stated, as I have seen reported, that our Company could maintain its present dividend from sources other than the profit which we make as television programme contractors. Our profit at present comes mainly from our operations as contractors for Saturday and Sunday in London and for the five weekdays in Birmingham and the Midlands. These two broken periods are, economically far from ideal.

We advocate a policy of real competition in Commercial television through an additional commercial channel. If we were to have a seven-day operation, not only would there then be real competition, but we would be able to use to the fullest degree, both at home and through our export subsidiaries, the new studios which we have constructed at Elstree, which are the equal of any in the world.

Efforts to Improve Television

Our purpose is to provide good television, and by ploughing back profits into the studios at Elstree we have supplied concrete evidence that we are making in the field of television production the sort of contribution which the Government must have believed in when we were appointed. Nevertheless, it must be appreciated that though we have been able to improve programme standards by bringing into operation the new studios at Elstree with their complex and up-to-date equipment, this has not been achieved without at the same time increasing production costs. Similarly the awards which have been made as a settlement of the Equity strike are also contributing to increased day-to-day costs of putting programmes on the air.

Last year my predecessor in his statement said: “We confirmed to the Pilkington Committee that we accepted the recommendations of the Television Advisory Committee for the adoption of 625 lines as the British standard. In order to give effect to this we offered, on the days we were not broadcasting in London, to put out a new programme on 625 lines in the UHF band which would carry in addition one hour a day of 625 line colour broadcasting — all at our own expense. Surely this would be a great contribution, and something that would give encouragement to the scientists, the technicians, the script writers, the producers and all the many people who will benefit from an expansion of television broadcasting.”

There has been a great deal written about the profits which contractors have made. It is surprising to me that, when a contractor offers to divert a large slice of its profit and to plough it back into advancing the art of television broadcasting, as we proposed, this should not have been mentioned in the Pilkington Report. It seems to me that to use profits to expand the art of broadcasting and to make new programmes available is a better alternative than to force companies, by penal taxation, to pass money to the Exchequer to spend on providing the public, not necessarily with what the public enjoys, but with with what the Pilkington Committee thinks it ought to have.

I am not one to believe that we are called on to make any defence because of the profits we have made in recent years but I think it is a good thing to repeat what the Hankey Committee on television stated in 1945:—

“It is quite clear that, until the television service is well developed, commercial interests would not be willing to incur large expenditure for this purpose, owing, for example, to the limited audience served. In the early stages, therefore, we could not expect sponsored programmes to provide a substantial contribution towards the cost of the television service. In these circumstances and without prejudicing the matter for the future, we feel it would be premature to come to a conclusion on this question.”

I can say that, for several years before and after the war, the people concerned in promoting commercial television lost a considerable amount of money in financing the pioneering work and when eventually the Government agreed to set up a commercial television service it was far from easy to find sufficient sources of capital. This only confirmed the conclusions of the Hankey Committee.

No sooner had the independent television operation started than the rate at which money was being lost became so alarming that it was extremely hard to get any new money. In our own company almost the entire original capital was lost in the first year, so that, far from having “a licence to print money”, we found that we had a licence to lose money in millions. Yet a substantial number of the people who were original shareholders put their hands back into their pockets and produced further capital. Even so, it proved necessary to go outside the group for still further backing. It is easy to be wise after the event, but when one considers the risk involved in putting up money for what, on the best authority, was a very long-odds chance, I cannot agree that the criticisms of large profits are warranted.

It should not be forgotten, that, if risk capital had not been put up six years ago, we would not have had commercial television. We would still have the low standard of television broadcasting which existed at that time. Occasions are bound to arise when it may be necessary to depend on voluntary risk capital if the many projects and services of the future are to be developed. If the Government undermines the confidence of the investor it will make it impossible to get the financial support which will be required if we are to bring many new inventions to the light of day.

The most important objective in the day-to-day existence of your Company is the creation and production of programmes. In London we have Saturday and Sunday. These are the two days when the great mass of our people have time off from work and look forward to relaxation and pleasure. The daily drudgery of any worker can be lightened considerably if great care is given to filling periods of relaxation during the weekend by presenting the right sort of entertainment for ordinary people. We have tried to achieve this by giving pleasure while at the same time maintaining balance in our programmes.

The Pilkington Report

I do not intend in this statement to deal with the Pilkington Report in any detail. I feel that the ordinary people will decide the answer and not the extraordinary people. I would only point out the many references, often of an offensive character, about advertising which have been made in discussions about the report. Advertising is an honourable profession. Its standards in this country are recognized as high throughout the world. The Government is constantly calling for more and more exports. Now there is no weapon in this job of selling so important and vital to its success as advertising. Is it a crime to advertise? — it cannot be right to do it in one place and wrong to do it somewhere else. It is certainly wrong to attack advertising in the way it has been attacked and then to say “but it will be all right as long as the advertising is sold and handled by a state enterprise”.

Many shareholders have written to me about the effect of the Pilkington Report and I can only say to every one of them “You have made an investment in an undertaking which was permitted and promoted by the Government, and you have all the rights and all the freedom to take any legitimate steps you wish to protect your investment”. In the same way, I say to any and all of our viewers — “We are an adult people and each one of us individually has been entrusted with taking political and national decisions of enormous importance, but the Pilkington Committee has made it quite clear that there is one issue we are apparently not mentally capable of deciding, and that is the sort of programmes the majority of people want to see on their television screens”.

Successes Abroad

One of our more important subsidiaries, Incorporated Television Company Limited, continues to be the biggest producer and exporter of British television programmes. Following the network success in the United States and Canada of the “Danger Man” series, a further series “Sir Francis Drake” is being transmitted this summer on the NBC network. During the year, the “Supercar” series, using new techniques with animated puppets, was completed and has been equally successful both here and on the American continent.

Four film series, “Man of the World”, “The Saint”, “Fireball XL5” and “Broadway Goes Latin”, were about to go into production when the strike commenced and as a result of this over six months were lost. However, production is now in progress and we can only hope that there will be no interruption during the coming year; but of course the interruption in our production will affect our sales throughout the world during the present year.

Incorporated Television Company distributes the Group’s products in the eastern hemisphere and supplies these programmes to our American subsidiary, the Independent Television Corporation, for distribution in the western hemisphere. To date over 10,000 hours of programmes have been sold to 32 countries in the eastern hemisphere, covering Australasia. Scandinavia, Western Europe Eastern Europe. Middle East, Far East, India and Africa.

Very few British series have achieved a network showing in the United States of America and our American management have to be congratulated on their achievement.

Australia

Last year we referred to our investment in Australia where we have holdings in seven commercial radio stations including stations in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Canberra, and we are partners in the Australia-wide McQuarrie Radio Network. In commercial television we have interests in eight stations, including Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane, which are firmly established and are now showing satisfactory returns. Of the remaining five stations, one is in Canberra and four are in important country centres but these stations only commenced transmission in 1962. In addition, we operate a radio programme production company which has a large market for its programmes overseas as well as in Australia.

Last year Australia suffered a severe income recession. I am glad to say we now see definite signs of recovery and look forward to much improved results in the future.

Canada

We continue to sell a substantial amount of material in Canada through the Independent Television Corporation. In addition, we have a capital investment in two Canadian television stations, one in Halifax and one in Vancouver. We were reconciled to the fact that it would take some time before these companies had expanded to the stage of income being able to carry the expenditure. One of the companies has already got into a profit position and the other is now likely to achieve profits ai an earlier date than we originally expected.

Planned Music Limited

Our subsidiary, Planned Music Limited, which promotes the distribution of suitable background music programmes in public buildings, offices, factories, &c., is gradually approaching a period of consolidation. In the last few years the expenses incurred in preparing the groundwork in this particular business were heavier than we had anticipated. During the build-up period the time taken to get G.P.O. lines laid down and contracts completed is a much longer operation than one would expect, and the shortage of certain Post Office lines has, to some degree, continued. A policy of developing in the known profitable areas, with good administration, will, I believe, bring us to a profit-making stage within the next two or three years.

Pye Records Limited, in which we have a substantial interest, progresses according to plan and, although large sums of money are required to establish a records business. We have been making profits for the last three years.

British Relay Wireless and Television Limited

Shareholders will know that for a considerable time we have had a substantial holding in British Relay Wireless & Television Limited. This is one of the leading line networks for bringing programmes into people’s homes and has been in existence for many years. In fact, the original company, Link Sound & Vision Services Ltd., was the first company in this country to operate successfully a system of transmitting television programmes by wire, and consequently doing away with the difficulties of interference and weak signal strength.

Because of the lack of public demand for new television sets, caused by the state of uncertainty while everyone waited for the Pilkington Report, the company has undoubtedly suffered during the last two years. It has nonetheless continued to build and extend its networks, confident that the added complexities of ultra high frequency broadcasting and colour would lead to a greatly increased demand for wire reception. British Relay’s networks are worth many millions of pounds and we know that, if the maximum effect is given to the White Paper recommendations on the number of channels, well over 80 per cent of the company’s existing cables will be able to take all these new programmes, including colour, with practically no capital cost. The future of British Relay is extremely bright and we will do everything possible to help it to become a great success.

In addition, in the field of pay vision, British Relay Wireless & Television Ltd. has a system which in my opinion is technically equal to any other, and certainly from the economic point of view has a great many advantages. 1 believe that pay vision is one of the certainties of things to come and in due course will be available to viewers in this country.

Tribute to Staff

I would like to bring a personal note into my concluding remarks. The strike put a great strain on your company. A large number of our employees had to spend some months in comparative idleness; this not only cost a great deal of money but was a soul-destroying period for everyone concerned. Yet, in spite of the frustration caused by enforced inactivity among staff who love their work, our people supported us wonderfully in that difficult time and were a great encouragement to my fellow directors who are responsible for the day-to-day management of the business.

With the strike at last settled, but almost before we could get back into our production stride, the Pilkington Report was published and more unsettlement was created.

Broadcasting depends on creative people — script writers, producers, directors, actors and technicians — and all of these were thrown into a well of doubt and despondency. It is quite clear to your board that, if we have to go through a long period of uncertainty about the future, this will do irreparable harm to British broadcasting.

We can only say to our staff that we appreciate their great loyalty and we shall do everything in our power to restore a sense of sanity and stability into the commercial side of British broadcasting which is recognized as being unequalled throughout the world.

The post ATV financial results: 1962 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

MR. PRINCE LITTLER REVIEWS YEAR OF ACHIEVEMENT AND EXPANSION

The Sixth Annual General Meeting of Associated Television Limited will be held on September 28 at ATV House, Great Cumberland Place, London, W.

The following is the statement by Mr. Prince Littler, C.B.E., the chairman, which has been circulated with the report and accounts:—

As shareholders will doubtless have seen, a notice appeared in the national Press on July 21 which read as follows:—

“Associated Television Results

The Directors of Associated Television, for the year ending April 30, 1961, announce a profit of £6,411,899 [£118.4m in today’s money, allowing for inflation – Ed], against a profit for the previous year of £5,388,330 [£99.5m].

The Directors propose recommending the payment of a final dividend of 40 per cent against the payment for the previous year of 30 per cent”

I think that you will agree that this brief but highly satisfactory notice covers the first essential that our shareholders will want to know about their investment in this company, which holds the I.T.A. licence to operate commercial television in London at the weekends and in the Midlands during the weekdays.

There are, however, various sides to the company’s interests and at the end of this address I propose to deal in detail with the more important subsidiary activities of your company.

I think this is a suitable year in which to use our annual report to review what has happened in this company since its foundation, and also to bring our shareholders, as it were, into our board room atmosphere so that they will understand the thinking which has been behind the policies adopted by your directors and appreciate the very able way your executives have put these policies into operation.

In a review of this nature I think there is no better way to start than with an examination of the people who are responsible for running the business.

The Board of Directors supporting me so ably at this moment have all been with the company during its formative years and they are drawn from the learned professions, trade, show business, the Press, state broadcasting, the City, and the great engineering industries. This cross-section of British life at our monthly Board Meetings, on a great number of committees, and at many informal gatherings, literally “lives” television broadcasting and feels the great responsibility we bear in building this organization. In our work we have all been inspired by the adventurous spirit of pioneering in this, the most powerful form of mass communication.

Our Board has become a team where each member, retaining his individuality, has made his own contribution to the eventual unity of both opinion and decision which has marked the history of this company. This team spirit has permeated right down through the organization, and our executives who sit on the Board and those executives who do not, all have a feeling of enormous strength because of the single-minded support and understanding which they get around the board room table.

Many people in many places have argued at great length about who were and who were not responsible for starting commercial television. The point at issue surely is not who started it, but who were the people who have made it the enormous success that it is. I remember many of the arguments which were used on the floor of the House of Commons to show why commercial television would be a bad thing. Above all the arguments one stood out — the oft-quoted Gresham’s law that evil drives out good. A picture was painted showing commercial television as an evil thing likely to force the B.B.C. to lower its standards in order to compete. Looking back now, it is universally acknowledged that, from the moment commercial television started, the B.B.C. programmes became more diversified and the general standard improved, so that not only did the “evil” not drive out the “good”, but the good became better. We in this company recognize that there is a place for both the B.B.C. and companies like our own, and I trust that the feeling of toleration, and often of mutual admiration, will long continue.

When this company started, very few people had any clear idea of how the operation would expand or what the difficulties would be. I have told you at our previous annual meetings that the most prominent feature in those first three years was the rate at which it was possible to lose money. We also learned something else — how difficult it was to get financial support to replace the money we had lost, and therefore, at this stage, it is some gratification to all of us that the shareholders who had the courage to invest in difficult times, and who have gone on investing in this company, sometimes at what might appear to be very high prices, still placed their confidence in our ability to make commercial television broadcasting a success.

Our company has always believed in competition and the decision of the I.T.A. to limit our London broadcasting to weekends is far from our idea of true competition, but, at the time that broadcasting licences were given, we had no alternative but to accept. We believe we should have a competitive seven-day-a-week operation in London where there would be true competition between two commercial stations.

The Pilkington Committee

This brings me to the subject of the Pilkington Committee. This committee was set up by the Government to review the whole broadcasting position and to lay down recommendations for the future.

When the announcement of the formation of the Pilkington Committee was made, we immediately set up a study group to give expression to our own point of view and to give any help we could to the Committee, particularly with regard to the changes which had taken place from the technical and political points of view. Our study group reported that there would not be enough space in the existing television broadcasting bands to enable two competing commercial broadcasting stations to operate in all areas. This fact emerged without any regard to the claims the B.B.C., might make.

We therefore were at a loss to reconcile our belief in the necessity for the competition of a seven-day operation with the incontestable conclusion that there was not sufficient space in Bands I and III.

Your Board, ably supported by our technicians, has always held the point of view that broadcasting companies, commercial or otherwise, must give a lead in all matters of technical television progress. When we first obtained our concession we recognized that it was under technical standards which might have been satisfactory when Britain established the first television service in the world in 1936 but which today had become obsolete, and gradually we, together with others, would have to encourage scientific progress and the adoption of higher broadcasting standards. Our endeavours to deal with the dilemma of creating competition in the London area became the starting point of the proposals which we made to the Pilkington Committee on May 2.

The policy we put forward meant making considerable sacrifices and I am convinced that whether our proposals are actually adopted or not, something on their lines will figure in the recommendations of the Pilkington Committee:—

1. because our proposals are scientifically progressive;
2. our proposals demonstrate a progressive attitude on the part of a commercial television contractor offering to undertake a substantial material, technical and cultural responsibility at his own expense;
3. we offer a method of creating a spirit of competition between contractors;
4. we propose the adoption of new technical standards in line with the development in countries associated with the Eurovision system;
5. we would explore the use of equipment in a new part of the ether in order to make way for colour television and other services.

We confirmed to the Pilkington Committee that we accepted the recommendations of the Television Advisory Committee for the adoption of 625 lines as the British standard. In order to give effect to this we offered, on the days we were not broadcasting in London, to put out a new programme on 625 lines in the UHF band which would carry in addition one hour a day of 625 line colour broadcasting — all at our own expense. Surely this would be a great contribution, and something that would give encouragement to the scientists, the technicians, the script writers, the producers and all the many people who will benefit from an expansion of television broadcasting.

Six Years of Independent Television

When a completely new industry comes into being virtually overnight with the suddenness of commercial television, one of the great problems is that of staff.

Some people came over to us from the B.B.C. — by now some have gone back, this is a healthy interchange — and some, on the technical side, came from the electronics industry. Writers came to us from the newspaper and magazine worlds, and directors and producers joined us from the stage and the films. Thus we gathered together a body of experts in related activities, but, by and large, everybody had to make a fresh start and find the answers to a new set of problems in a new medium.

I remember an executive describing his excitement at joining commercial television and finding a desk with a sheet of blank paper on it — that was all — the rest was up to him.

It should be put on record that the efforts of the staff of our company have made the success of the business possible. Their intelligence, enthusiasm and long hours of gruelling work, often after the ordinary day’s work was done, were factors which not only gave great support to the Board but became the basis of our continuing progress.

I now come to the most important interest both to your Board of Directors and to the company as a whole.

When a television broadcasting station is started, everything centres around your audience. More than ever this was vitally important in the case of the establishment of the British commercial system.

A great battle had raged in the House of Commons about how commercial television would handle a potential audience. Everyone knew that Britain had established one of the finest broadcasting machines in the world — the B.B.C. — with enormous wealth, subsidized by licences, not answerable to the House of Commons, and with all the privileges which accrue to a state service. It was for the audience that had hitherto been served by the B.B.C. that commercial television had to compete, and this was the challenge which we took up. And now after six years of television broadcasting I say with confidence that we have discharged our responsibilities and we have given a service which can stand the most detailed examination.

And what else have we as a broadcasting company done? We have endeavoured, and to a great degree succeeded, in giving our public good entertainment. We all know that there is a small sector of intelligent people who think our programmes are bad because they give the public what they want to see and not what the intelligentsia think they ought to see. Television broadcasting is meant to be entertainment, and while we recognize that the standard of taste ot a great number of the viewers in this country could be higher, we feel it is essential not to get too far ahead of our public, but rather to lift, gradually, the quality of our programmes on a progressive basis.

Television in the Midlands

It is right to refer with emphasis to the importance of that half of our business which stands independently on its own feet as the Midland Television Broadcasting Station for five days a week.

Your Board from the outset has always considered the Midlands a self-contained organization and not an offshoot of a big operation based in London and has therefore appointed a Midlands Controller responsible for its operation.

The Midlands is a country all on its own, and with the new power from the Lichfield transmitter, 2,366,000 homes are covered nightly. Great towns like Leicester, Gloucester, Hereford, Shrewsbury, Stoke, Birmingham, Coventry, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Burton, Nottingham, Northampton, Worcester, West Bromwich, Dudley and many others are spread around in this independent-minded area.

In the South, viewers think of ATV as one of the two London Companies. In the Midlands, they regard ATV as one of the two Midland Companies. ATV is responsible for all the weekday programmes and to 5.4 million viewers in the Midlands, ATV is much more than a symbol on the television screen — it is an important and accepted feature of the Midland scene.

The Midlands programmes include many not seen on the London screen. Lunch Box, Britain’s first regular midday television programme, has now had an unbroken run of well over 1,000 performances. Each weekday in Midlands News (the first regional news programme on British television), the ATV News Unit brings to viewers an up-to-date account of local news and events in the Midlands, while the weekly events are reflected in Midland Montage. The documentary series Look Around features topics of interest ranging from the Severn Story to an investigation of witchcraft in the Cotswolds. The weekly programme Midland Farming not only informs farmers of the newest trends and techniques but instils in the town dweller a new respect for the countryman. New records in late-night viewing have been established by the weekly Midland Profile in which Midlanders tell their life stories. Other regular programmes include the highly popular Hook, Line and Sinker for anglers, features of interest to gardeners and special outside broadcasts of many kinds. A notable series of afternoon programmes has been presented from the famous Cordon Bleu Cookery School.

Last year ATV set up a special department for the development of its television service for Midlands schools, under the guidance of a distinguished education advisory committee. The first two series, French from France and Ici La France were produced by ATV entirely in France. They were first shown in the Midlands from January this year. From September these two series will be seen throughout the country, together with a new ATV series in mathematics. A further ATV schools series on chemistry will also be presented in the Midlands from the same date. These are just a few of the ways in which ATV is serving the Midlands of England.

The profits from this area have been most satisfactory. The standard of programmes has been high. The public has been enthusiastic about the entertainment; and our engineers have seen, by the establishment of a two-way television micro-wave link operating all through the day and night, that we have the closest communication between our two stations.

Profit and Loss Account

Now I will refer back to my opening remarks in this review and tell you about the profits for the year. You will see from the Consolidated Profit and Loss Account that the profit of the Group before taxation is £6,411,899 [£118.4m] as compared with £5,388,330 [£99.5m] for the previous year, an increase in excess of £1m [£18.5m]. This profit is after charging all expenses including depreciation. The provision for depreciation of £282,523 [£5.2m] shows an increase of £27,481 [£507,000] as compared with the previous year. It should be noted that directors’ fees and directors’ other emoluments are lower than in the previous year. Income from Trade Investments which forms part of your company’s profits, is £32,933 [£608,000] higher than last year.

From the profit mentioned above taxation absorbs £3,239,810 [£59.8m] and the profit attributable to outside shareholders in subsidiary companies is £25,037 [£462,000], leaving £3,147,052 [£58m] profit attributable to ATV.

After deducting the amounts retained in subsidiary companies of £84,348 [£1.6m] and adding the previous year’s unappropriated profit of £505,779 [£9.3m] there is £3,568,483 [£65.9m] available for appropriation.

From this figure has to be deducted the interim dividend of 20 per cent paid on January 24, 1961, leaving £2,998,858 [£55.4m] for disposal. In view of the results achieved during this period your directors recommend a final dividend of 40 per cent making 60 per cent for the year as compared with 50 per cent for the previous year. This increased dividend, if approved, will absorb £1,139,250 [£21m], leaving £1,859,608 [£34.3m] to be carried forward in the accounts of the parent company.

Consolidated Balance Sheet

Turning to the Consolidated Balance Sheet it should be noted that the accounts of our American subsidiary, Independent Television Corporation, have been included for the first time. This is reflected in the increase in goodwill, film rights, debtors, creditors and advances from bankers. The considerable increase in fixed assets is mainly due to the building of our new television centre at Elstree.

I feel that the item Trade Investments requires some explanation. Trade Investments have increased on account of additional investments in British Relay Wireless & Television Ltd. (mentioned elsewhere in the report) and in Canadian television and because of a revaluation of certain of our Australian assets. However, these increases have to a certain extent been offset by the removal of the investment in Independent Television Corporation, which has now become a subsidiary company.

The reduction in bank balances, deposits and cash in hand has been caused mainly by the construction of the Elstree Studios and by additional investment.

Bricks and Mortar

“Bricks and mortar” is the descriptive phrase the bankers use when they talk about the buildings on the asset side of a balance sheet. In a broadcasting service bricks and mortar come into your calculations at practically every turn.

In broadcasting you need big buildings and small buildings, buildings in this location and that location, and they are all part and parcel of your work.

If you try to centralize, too much time is wasted by important people travelling. Again, actors may be wanted for rehearsal at a moment’s notice and it is quite impossible to take them far from the location where they are appearing. Therefore, many buildings are necessary in many different places. Some, for instance, are wanted for quick rehearsals, some for storage for special materials, some for administrative offices near the seat of a particular operation. All of these buildings together with our centrepiece for production — Elstree — make up the pattern of our efficient ATV organization.

The Head Office building at ATV House, Great Cumberland Place, of 120,000sq. ft. houses the main administration, our sales organization, and also our subsidiary ITC. In the basement are recording studios for our associated company Pye Records, and a West End TV studio for special presentations and interviews with V.I.P.s.

When Elstree is fully completed the Wood Green Theatre, an ex live-variety theatre of 20,000 sq. ft. will still remain operational. There, shows like Startime and Saturday Spectacular, requiring audience participation are being produced.

Foley Street, in the West End of London of some 11,000 sq. ft. is the home of master control and is the switching centre.

With the growing importance of the Midlands we have outgrown our premises at Herbert House, Birmingham, and have taken a lease of the entire ground floor at Rutland House, a handsome new building in Edmund Street, Birmingham. Also in Birmingham we own and jointly operate with ABC the Aston Studios of some 22,500 sq. ft, where such popular shows as Lunch Box and all other local programmes are produced.

In Manchester we maintain an outpost so that our sales force can keep in contact there with agents and advertisers.

Finally, we have small but most important premises located at Hillcrest, Highgate, overlooking London, and a similar place in Birmingham where the signals are picked up and relayed to our master control centres.

Elstree Studios and our Technical Story

Many of the great television programmes of the future, not only on British screens but on screens all over the world, will show what will become a famous caption, “An Elstree Programme”.

We always planned, from the beginning of our contract with the Independent Television Authority, to have an imaginative yet highly functional group of buildings which would give the greatest possible scope to free enterprise television to create programmes of the highest quality.

Now, here at Elstree, on 31 acres, one can see this conception taking shape and, down to the last detail, the organization has been undertaken by our own executives. A team of experts has worked and striven for the last 18 months to take Elstree through its first stages, and engineers and production people have all contributed to achieve an outstanding result. Only people with great faith in the future of commercial television would have undertaken this vast operation. Now we are ready to give the best programmes to an expanding British television service; to give scope for their abilities to script-writers; to give producers and directors the last word in service, and to actors the best possible facilities.

Some of the techniques already developed by our engineers are being used by broadcasters as the basis for their operations in North America and the Commonwealth as well as in this country, and our new studios incorporate many new and valuable devices. In deciding the types of equipment to be used there were two major considerations — the need to allow for a probable change in line standard and the speed of technical advance. The electronics industry is developing new devices and components at such a rate that considerable imagination is needed to design equipment that will not be out-dated before it is built.

The new A.T.V. studios of 9,500 and 6,000 sq. ft. will accommodate not only the 625-line system but also the 525-line system of the United States and Canada. This is in keeping with our policy of creating a programme production centre, where the aim is to produce complete programmes which go out on wire, microwave links, video-tape or any other recording medium which may become available.

As far as equipment is concerned, ATV, here working closely with the Pye Group, has not only incorporated equipment which is unique and in advance of that used in any other studio but has adopted modular or “building brick” construction so that when improved components become available the “ building bricks ” can be replaced by pulling out a unit and plugging in a new and better one. Great emphasis has been placed on the use of transistors wherever possible and alt synchronizing signal generation, picture selection and switching is done by transistors. Transistors are commonly used in everyday devices such as portable radios, but their application to television transmission equipment and to apparatus that can accommodate 405, 525 and 625-line signals is quite new.

There are many significant new components being developed which permit the improvement and widen the scope of technical equipment. ATV’s development department, which is responsible for the design and construction of a large quantity of the new gear now installed has many developments to be introduced when the studio project has passed phase two at the end of this year. For example, the miniature transistorized microphone, used to very great effect on outside broadcasts such as the perenially popular Sunday Night at the London Palladium, is to be redesigned to give even better performance and a completely transistorized microwave equipment of small size and light weight is well advanced.

Developments are in hand on new methods of filming our programmes. While the bulk of recording being done in this country and in America is on video-tape, ATV engineers believe that the future for the interchange of programmes is in the use of a compatible medium such as 16mm film. The limitations on this system are being probed and new and radical techniques are being sought to improve the technical quality of recording.

The second pair of studios is well ahead and will go into operation this autumn. These two studios were planned to be identical with the first two, but within the the short space of time between the installations it has been possible to introduce even newer devices. These will make the studios even more efficient than the first Vauxhall site the company should have been forced to expand elsewhere.

In early 1962, the central technical area will be complete. It will contain all the switching and distribution equipment necessary to coordinate the activities of the first four studios — telecine, video-tape and film recording—and adequate space is being reserved for new developments.

It should be realized what an enormous apparatus, apart from the equipment and the manpower to operate it, is required to produce regularly the programmes which feed the 17in. and 21 in. TV screens of our viewers. At Elstree alone, some 350,000 sq. ft of built-up area are needed by ATV for this purpose.

In the television industry at least ten times the space is required for auxiliary and ancillary purposes as for the actual studio floor space. In consequence, each studio has technical and general control areas of between 12,000 and 15,000 sq. ft., and a technical facilities building exists of some 20,000 sq. ft. Also, we have a production facilities building of some 76,000 sq. ft. housing the carpenters’ shops which make our scenery, the painters who paint the backcloths and flats, and in the props department enormous quantities of used props that are stored for future use. At this moment a producers’ building is going up covering an area of some 82,000 sq. ft., which will house the producers, directors, production assistants, libraries, and provide 10 rehearsal rooms with a floor space of 17,000 sq. ft. So far we have been using 17 different rehearsal rooms spread all over London with a total floor area of some 20,000 sq. ft.

Wardrobe, make-up and dressing rooms take up another 20,000 sq. ft., and ATV is particularly proud of the dressing rooms provided for artists appearing at Elstree — there is even a separate “dressing room” for the performing animals which are often used.

In the transport building of some 41,000 sq. ft. are garaging facilities for ATV’s fleet of transport and outside broadcast vans, also modern workshops as well, where ATV manufactures a great deal of the equipment used in its studios. Finally, so that nobody has to go hungry, there is a canteen geared to serve food to 700 people at one sitting.

The fulfilment of the Elstree project has relieved one of the most pressing needs which had been facing the company. For its future needs the company had already obtained an option on a site at Vauxhall on the South Bank. Owing, however, to planning delays inherent in so centrally situated a site, the company was compelled to make immediate arrangements for the development of its own Elstree studio site. It is a significant indication of the growth of this industry that, while retaining the Vauxhall site the company should have been forced to expand elsewhere.

An Eye to the Future

Three factors condition our attitude towards trainees in the production and technical fields. The need to keep pace with a medium which is hungry for new blood, new ideas, new techniques. The need to train enough talent to provide a “bank” upon which we can draw for replacement. The need to look to the future and provide for the time when the creation of a new network or networks will inevitably result in a serious drain upon the existing talent and experience.

The pattern of training in both the production and technical fields is the same. Once the trainee has been chosen by the selection board, he is immediately put under the wing of a senior member, or members, of the department concerned. The method and length of his training varies from department to department; but, assuming that the right man is chosen, his initial training is designed to expose him as fully as possible to all facets of the business of mounting a television programme. Because this must be the end product it emphasizes an interesting feature in the selection of trainees. It would be safe to assume that the production department would be most concerned with the creative talent of a trainee, and the technical departments with his technical know-how. This is broadly true, of course, but television has had to breed a new body — the engineer with a creative and artistic flair and the creative artist with technical knowhow, and the ability to be aware of and use the facilities available to maximum effect

All training processes vary with the individual and, inevitably, the selection of trainees is much like taking a chance in a lottery. We cut down the odds as much as possible by ensuring that the selection boards comprise the most experienced men in the company. The training, however, can never be the same for each trainee. Some are slow starters and, in the early stages, do not fulfil the promise shown; some leap ahead and, much like the hare in the fable, outstrip their contemporaries. Some never make it at all. But all need patience, perseverance and understanding and in this business more than most others, temperament must be considered and foresight exercized if the full potential of a trainee is to be realized.

Initiative and ideas are the life-blood of television. To get the best out of those who work for us, a great deal of freedom of expression must be granted. Freedom here does not mean licence. It does mean discipline; a need for the individual to learn the rules, the grammar of his job, and to use all his creative and technical ability to express himself within those rules. Every facility open to his seniors is open to the trainee. The only limit to his acquisition of the necessary knowledge is the limit of his own ability to absorb and learn. We are proud of our trainees, and the system we use to train them. Our percentage of success is high, and there is ample evidence that this company, which started in 1955 with the cream of talent and experience available, is passing that know-how down to those who join us along the way.

Incorporated Television

Your wholly-owned subsidiary, ITC—Incorporated Television Company Ltd., is the biggest exporter of British television programmes. ITC is responsible for the production of films which are distributed in the Eastern Hemisphere, including the Iron Curtain countries, and supplies these films to our American subsidiary in the Western Hemisphere. ITC is already a familiar name on the network screens of the United States and Canada, not least through the conspicuous success of the series Danger Man starring Patrick McGoohan. ITC has produced over 1,600 half-hour programmes which have been sold throughout the world. Notable successes have included Robin Hood, Sir Lancelot, Buccaneers and The Invisible Man. It is not too much to say that ITC has contributed in large part to the country’s export drive and the earning of vital foreign currencies. ITC is currently engaged in the production of the series Sir Francis Drake, already sold to CBC in Canada and to the Australian Broadcasting Commission. This is being produced in association with ABC television. Also ITC is producing in conjunction with the Rank Organisation a new one-hour film series, Ghost Squad, already in release and the series has already been sold in the Canadian and Australian markets.

Australia

Every year we have further confirmation of how right was our judgment when we bought our interest in Australia a few years ago.

We have always realized the potential market of the television industry in Australia, and we had this in mind right from the first. Not only are we identified with one of the great radio networks in the Commonwealth, but we are partners in its expansion and in the extension of its reputation in Eastern and Southern Australia.

In addition to that, in so far as the Australian law permits us, we have entered the commercial television field in a substantial way through our organizations there.

Today, we have an investment in the following television broadcasting stations in Australia: Amalgamated Television, Sydney; Southern Television, Adelaide; Queensland Television, Brisbane; Canberra Television; Wollongong Television; Richmond-Tweed Television; Ballarat Television; and Country Television Services. We have no doubt that during the years to come, the same substantial development which our radio stations have achieved in the last 25 years lies in front of our television broadcasting operation.

In addition to ail this, Australia continues to expand as a market for our programmes from this country, and gradually the care and thought we have taken in sending to Australia the right programmes, is being reflected in the size of business we are doing.

Our North American Venture

One of the first plans our management had when we started to create programmes for our British audiences was to provide entertainment of a standard which would have a ready market overseas and particularly in the North American continent.

Here, we were conscious of the fact that the history of selling British entertainment in America has been fraught with difficulties, and in the case of the film industry – many failures. But we felt that to produce programmes of the quality that would sell to an American audience was a further spur to the competitive spirit which we believe is the basis of good broadcasting. We very quickly learnt that just to send somebody to the United States to sell programmes, without having an efficient and well-directed organization was merely a waste of time. For this reason, therefore, we decided some years ago to buy a half interest in a substantial American corporation — Independent Television Corporation.

In the light of experience we decided that if the operation of the American company was to be truly effective in your company’s interests nothing less than complete control would suffice. For that reason, as we reported last year, we bought the other half of the Independent Television Corporation. Having acquired control, we took steps to strengthen the management and reduce the overheads. We are now able to report that these steps have been successful and the operational period to April 30, 1961, has been a profitable one. We would congratulate our American management on their success.

The success of our American company depends on the quality and the amount of the films which the Incorporated Television company is able to make available. In the past, this vital supply was Insufficient, The measures which are being taken and which I have described to you should assure the supply for the future.

This will include Whiplash, Sir Francis Drake, Ghost Squad and Supercar with three more film series being prepared for production before the end of 1961.

Also on the American continent, we have continued to develop our interests in Canada by investing iq radio and television. Our Canadian subsidiary is Canastel Broadcasting Corporation Ltd. and this company now has interests in CJCH, the Halifax, Nova Scotia, commercial radio and television station, and in Vantel Broadcasting Company Ltd., the Vancouver commercial television station. Your board has other plans for developing the company’s interests both in the networking of programmes and in local stations.

The Link with Moscow

This year your company was responsible for providing “live” programme exchanges with the Soviet Union, and was the first to send back coverage of events in Moscow produced jointly between ATV’s production personnel and Soviet Union crews and technicians. The opening of the British Trade Fair in Moscow, at which Mr. Krushchev and many members of the Soviet Praesidium were present, was transmitted live from Moscow; the video-tape recording of the first programme from the Bolshoi Theatre to be seen outside Russia, and an outside broadcast video-tape recorded documentary on the Moscow scene have already been seen by our viewers.

Talks have taken place in Moscow with the USSR television organization and many more programme exchanges are planned for the future.

Gorki Street, USSR, a series of six programmes showing life in the Soviet Union, a programme series similar to the successful Main Street, USA, is in the planning stage, and in this series we will go to all parts of Russia, into the agricultural lands, into the industrial areas, as well as seeing life in the smaller towns.

An exchange of language programmes is being discussed similar to those already being produced in France for schools, and a joint production with Soviet television on the peaceful use of the atom involving both British and Soviet scientists is also in the early stages of planning.

Future plans covering programme exchanges with the Soviet Union include song and dance festivals and broadcasts from the Bolshoi and other famous Russian theatres.

British Relay Wireless & Television

Three years ago we took up half a million pounds worth of convertible loan stock in this company and, as this stock is on the point of being converted into ordinary shares, it is right that reference should now be made to this investment. Since we took up the loan stock, we have taken advantage of our rights to take up shares as if we had been ordinary shareholders in the company. The situation is that, when our stock is converted, we will hold 2,216,025 ordinary shares in the company.

This investment is very closely allied to our interests as television contractors to the Independent Television Authority. BRW & T is a company which was originally started as a radio relay organization and, some 10 years ago, it was amalgamated with the first television relay company in the country, the Link Sound and Vision company, who had an operation working in Gloucester. Gradually the field of operations of the company has expanded and, today, serves 17 metropolitan boroughs in London, has networks covering extensive areas of the West Midlands and Yorkshire and has recently extended its activities into Scotland.

Among the towns served are Ipswich, Peterborough and Corby; Smethwick and Oldbury and adjacent places; Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, Halifax, Huddersfield and intervening and neighbouring townships.

In Scotland networks have already been established in the principal border towns and in Dundee, while concessions have recently been secured for the operation of relay services in Ayr, Kilmarnock, Cumnock and Irvine in the west.

We recognize that, in a relay business, a substantial amount of capital has to be spent in putting down miles and miles of cable to cover the areas where valuable concessions have been secured. These cables, the terminal units and the station equipment which are concerned with the installation, have to be depreciated; and it is only when the bulk of the depreciation has been written off that the profitability of the undertaking becomes apparent. We believe this is the case with BRW & T. In addition, we are confident that the system, on which both sound and vision services are provided, is the best system that has yet been put into use.

With the possibility of a Pay-as-You-View television service becoming available in Great Britain, we are convinced that it is networks like BRW & T which stand in a most prominent position to derive the greatest advantage from such a service.

In addition, as we have said earlier in our Report, British television has technically to advance, and the networks controlled by BRW & T, with the minimum amount of alteration, can take the 625-line system which is generally anticipated and provide subscribers with the benefits of colour television as well.

Planned Music Ltd.

It is now over three years since we started this important subsidiary operation with the purpose of exploiting in the British Isles and certain other countries in the world the American form of background music called Muzak.

The essential difference between the use of normally recorded music and Muzak is that music as usually performed relies for part of its effect upon great changes of amplitude, or loudness, but in the case of Muzak, the character of the original work is preserved by suitable transcription in a form which is performed without great changes of amplitude, and this results in the music being conveyed to the listener without him suffering or being inconvenienced by very loud or very soft passages.

At first there was resistance to this new amenity in business and commercial life. With so many opportunities nowadays of demonstrating Muzak in operation this resistance is vanishing. There has remained, however, the difficulty of the shortage of certain Post Office lines. In consequence, rather than stand still, Muzak has gone into some territories before the development of the service has made them, in an economic sense, fully ripe.

In America, the market for background music is enormous. Muzak is a multimillion dollar business, and has more than 60 per cent of the market. Background music has become part of life practically everywhere — in offices, factories, banks, shops, restaurants, airport lounges, trains, hospitals, and many other places. Characteristically, this development has not been so early or so rapid in this country. We now estimate, however, that over one million people are regular listeners to a Muzak service in England which shows a good rate of growth in a steadily expanding market.

The aim of Muzak is to make life more pleasant; the influence of music is subtle, it relaxes tensions, helps people to be cheerful, imparts a rhythm and a swing to a task and an interest to an enforced wait.

Over the years, a library of many thousands of recordings for Muzak has been built up. This is a priceless asset as it enables us to give a very much wider choice and scope for endless variation to users of the service. This library is constantly growing as new music becomes available.

During this year, the extension of the services of the Muzak organization on a regional basis has continued and national coverage has now been attained in England. Regional offices exist in London, Reading, Bristol, Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle. Local and intensified development of the service continues in the main provincial centres. In addition, Travel Muzak is a new service now being supplied to airline operators and shipping companies.

A new company. Planned Equipment Ltd., has also been set up to handle public address and sound engineering services, including Audiomatic equipment. This is a machine which provides information in a number of different languages for foreign visitors to exhibitions. Our machines were a success at the British Trade Fair in Moscow and shareholders will be able to try one for themselves at this year’s Motor Show, where several wiil be installed.

Golden Guinea — and other Discs

In 1960-61 Pye Records Ltd., of which we own 50 per cent, had a year of continued expansion.

The record industry throughout the world has been passing through a period of change and experimentation. On the technical side we have seen the change from the old 78 r.p.m. shellac record to the modern long-player and more recently the development of the stereophonic record. Exciting as these changes have been, they have led to even more exciting developments in marketing techniques.

It was with the introduction of microgroove records 12 years ago that the “repertoire explosion” began. Suddenly, performances could be recorded and heard as never before. The parallel development of gramophone equipment which could do justice to these new recording techniques helped to accelerate the growth of public interest and new recordings were made and issued in ever increasing numbers. For a time the size of the market increased faster than the rate of increase in available recordings, but over the last few years it has become apparent that the industry is overproducing new products, resulting in a smaller sale of each production and a downwards squeeze on profits.

This has led the major companies, principally in the United States, to seek new and better ways of marketing their labels. We have seen there the development of low-priced mass-market labels as a means of producing business which places little reliance on the star quality of individual artists. We have seen in America, too, the sale of records through drug stores, supermarkets, and other outlets, and the development of record clubs run on similar lines to the book clubs.

This is not to say that our record business discounts in any way the value of and need for the established distribution pattern in this country. This is, after all, the backbone of the business; but if the industry is not to stagnate in the next few years new techniques must come, to be used intelligently and in such a way that all levels, i.e., manufacturer, distributor, and retailer, benefit from the overall increase in activity.

Last year was the first full year of direct to dealer trading, now developed so far that every important record retailer in the country is regularly visited, helped, and advised by our records van-man. The light blue vans with the Golden Guinea lettering are a familiar sight in every city and major town of the country.

Golden Guinea family-priced long playing records too are nationally known as the only range of records that give entertainment to all the family. One outstanding issue during the year on this label was the special presentation set of Handel’s Messiah on three records issued for Christmas.

In pops too our artists topped the popularity polls. Sales of their records continued to climb and this label now boasts one of the strongest line-ups of British recording artists in the country.

In Conclusion

In the foregoing I have sought to set out in more detail than in previous years the manifold nature of your company’s activities. In doing so I have paid tribute to the services rendered by the Directors and by our immensely able and devoted staff. I look forward to another year of progress in programme achievement, technical achievement and export achievement.

The post ATV financial results: 1961 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

A Memorable Year Yielding Eminently Satisfactory Financial Results

SUCCESS OF BOARD’S DIVERSIFICATION POLICY

The Industry’s Growth Continues

MR. PRINCE LITTLER’S REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES

The Fifth Annual General Meeting of Associated Television Limited will be held at A.T.V. House, Great Cumberland Place. London, W.1, on 28th September 1960.

The following is the statement by the chairman, Mr. Prince Littler, C.B.E.. which has been circulated with the report and accounts:-

The year under review has proved to be a memorable one and has yielded eminently satisfactory financial results.

The proposed dividend means that the Company will have maintained its dividend at the equivalent of 100%, bearing in mind that the capital of the Company was doubled during the course of the past financial year.

Board’s Policy

The principal business of your Company is that of a Programme Contractor licensed by the Independent Television Authority to trade in London and the Midlands, and it is primarily upon this trading that these excellent results have been achieved. It has, however, from the inception of the Company, been the policy of the Board to make investments in allied fields both at home and abroad and, in consequence of this policy, the resources of your Company are now more strongly diversified than any time since it commenced trading.

Developments overseas have proved particularly gratifying in Australia and in Canada. It should, moreover, be noted that in the USA, your Company has recently acquired full control of the Independent Television Corporation of America.

The diversified interests at home are highly encouraging and include the operation of the Muzak franchise, a 50% interest in Pye Records and a substantial and most profitable investment in British Relay Wireless. All these developments will be reported in detail later in this statement.

Success of Consolidation Policy

Your Company has been actively trading for some years. The period of licence from the Independent Television Authority extends until July 1964 and your Board has, with conspicuous success, sought to consolidate the Company’s position as the only major seven-day-a-week Company operating under licence from the Authority.

At the outset of operations your Managing Director, Mr. Val Parnell, and his Deputy Managing Director, Mr. Lew Grade, resisted the pressures put upon them to equip large studios and to build large offices. The volume of programming both for ATV’s own domestic purposes and for the Independent Network as a whole has, however, necessitated a plan of expansion, carefully phased over the past and current years. Your Company has therefore purchased the important riverside site at Vauxhall. Moreover, the Company has proceeded to enlarge its Elstree Studios in order to meet the steadily increasing commitments of live, tape and film production for home and overseas television as a whole.

New Headquarters

During the past year the headquarters of Associated Television Limited have been moved from Television House, Kingsway, to an island site office block in Great Cumberland Place, W.1. The effect of this move has been beneficial to the Staff, and has resulted in a marked increase in inter-departmental efficiency.

The financial results reflect the confidence expressed by your Board in December 1959 when an interim dividend of 8s. per share, less income tax, was declared on the Ordinary Shares of £1 each, and 2s, per share, less income tax, on the ‘A’ Ordinary Stock Units of 5s. each.

Bonus Issue Approved

At an Extraordinary General Meeting held on the 21st January 1960 the shareholders passed a resolution, submitted by your Directors, for the capitalisation of £2,325,000 [£44.3m in today’s money allowing for inflation – Ed] of reserves by the issue of 9,300,000 ‘A’ Ordinary Shares of 5s, each, credited as fully paid, to the holders of the then existing issued share capital in the proportion of four new shares for each existing Ordinary Share of £1 each and one new share for every existing ‘A’ Ordinary Stock Unit of 5s, each. The new shares, on issue, were converted into ‘A’ Ordinary Stock Units of 5s, each.

Profits & Dividends

The Group profit before taxation for the year ended 30th April 1960 amounted to £5,388,330 [£102.6m] as compared with £5,316,493 [£101.3m] in the previous year. Taxation takes £2,711,820 [£51.65m] as against £2,715,076 [£51.72m]. The Group net profit is £2,676,510 [£51m] of which £1,031 [£19,600] is attributable to outside shareholders of subsidiaries leaving a profit attributable to the Parent Company of £2,675,479 [£50.96m] as against £2,601,048 [£49.54m] last year. The subsidiary companies retain £76,852 [£1.5m] leaving £2,598,627 [£49.5m] to be dealt with in the accounts of the Parent Company. To this amount must be added £1,711,215 [£32.6m], the balance brought forward from the previous year, and £445,000 [£8.5m] transferred from General Reserve – making a total of £4,754,842 [£90.6m] before appropriations. Your Directors propose recommend a final dividend of 6/- per share on the Ordinary Shares of £1 each and 1/6 per share on the ‘A’ Ordinary Stock Units of 5/- each. The interim dividend already paid and the proposed final dividend absorb £1,424,063 [£27m]. After deducting this amount, together with the sum of £2,325,000 [£44.3m] involved in the capitalisation effected in January and a transfer of £500,000 [£9.5m] to Investment Reserve, there is a balance of £505,779 [£9.6m] to be carried forward in the accounts of the Parent Company.

The accounts include provision for the distribution of £264,171 [£5m] for the Staff Profit-Sharing Scheme.

Home Investments

In the field of your Company’s home investments, it should be recorded that during the year British Relay Wireless and Television Limited made a bonus issue of one 5/- Ordinary Share for two 5/- Ordinary Shares. From this issue you Company obtained 134,000 new 5/- Ordinary Shares by way of capitalisation and the Conversion Right attached to your Company’s holding of £500,000 [£9.5m] 7% Convertible Unsecured Loan Stock 1967-1968 was increased from 184 to 201 shares for each £100 of stock. In March 1960 British Relay Wireless and Television Limited made a rights issue of two new 5/- Ordinary Shares for five 5/- Ordinary Shares and your Company subscribed for 562,800 new Ordinary Shares of 5 at 19/- each, which was its entitlement in respect of its shareholding and under the terms of the Loan Stock Trust Deed. The Stock is convertible on the 30th September 1961. The shares to which your Company would become entitled on conversion would, if there is no change in the present market price, have a value of approximately £1,100,000 [£21m]. British Relay Wireless and Television Limited has recently made a major extension in the Glasgow area and your Board remains confident that this investment will continue to grow.

New Franchise Acquisition

The subsidiary company which handles the sale of Muzak is developing most satisfactorily and a wide range of customers, including Banks, Hospitals, Hotels and Factories as well as Supermarkets, Restaurants and Shops, are installing this service. In the course of the current year operations have been extended to Birmingham and will shortly be followed by similar expansion in Manchester. In this connection shareholders will be interested to learn that we have acquired the Muzak franchise for Australia and New Zealand and it is felt that there is great opportunity for development of a background music service in this area.

Pye Records, in which your Company has a 50% interest, has been largely reorganised and the new plan of direct distribution to retailers has proved an outstanding success. This, together with the excellent reception given to the ‘Golden Guinea’ records, has had a marked effect upon the gramophone industry as a whole.

Your Group’s British production subsidiary ITC-Incorporated Television Company Limited continues to make good progress, During the past year the number of commercial television stations throughout the world has more than doubled and we are now actively selling programmes in a continually expanding market. The series ‘Danger Man,’ which is still under production Elstree, has been sold over the full Canadian network at a price higher than that previously paid for any similar series. Further series and pilot films are in the planning stage and will shortly commence production.

Overseas Investments

As regards investments overseas in the USA, Independent Television Corporation Inc., which, as at 30th April 1960, we held a 50% participation, has continued to handle the distribution of your Company’s film productions and has achieved a turnover of close to $10,000,000 [$103m]. During most of the period under review conditions have been particularly difficult, largely because of the increasing tendency by the three major television networks to assume an attitude of inflexibility towards programmes proposed by the independent producing companies. Recently, however, there have been signs of a slight improvement in business generally and your Board remains of the opinion that it is vital for the Group to have a direct outlet to the American market.

Since the end of the financial period under review we have purchased the balance of the share capital of Independent Television Corporation Inc. at a price which your Board regards as satisfactory. Having acquired control of the company we have taken steps to strengthen the management and to reduce the overheads of the operation and are confident that in time, and with adequate product available for distribution, this company should prove profitable to the Group. Nevertheless, in view of present uncertainties, you will see that your Board, as a measure of prudence, has set aside in the accounts before you a sum of £500,000 [£9.5m] to Investment Reserve.

In Canada your Company has purchased 25% (the maximum permitted under Canadian law for non-Canadian investors) of CJCH – the Halifax, Nova Scotia, radio station which has been awarded the licence for independent commercial television in that area.

The diversified interests of your wholly owned Australian subsidiary continue to prosper. Commercial radio in general is maintaining its level of profit and commercial television is expanding rapidly. The Sydney Commercial Television Station showing increasing profits and the Queensland and Adelaide Stations are rapidly advancing to profit-making stage. Altogether the Group’s television investments in Australia, which have a book value of nearly £250,000 [£4.8m], have grown in value to a sum greatly in excess of the amount invested. Since the end of the financial period under review ATV (Australia) Pty. Limited has sold the Artransa studios and the film production side of the business to Station ATN, the Sydney Commercial Television Company, in which we hold 9.7% of the share capital. We have retained the profitable radio transcription side of the business.

Level of Acceptability

All these investments business at home and it should ancillary to the Company’s main be recognised that the success of forward in the accounts of the any independent television company must depend upon the degree of popular acceptance of its those programmes by those members of the British public whom it serves. Here, it is noteworthy to add that during the calendar year January to December 1959 the level of acceptability in London (where the weekday programmes are provided by another company) has been 69% against the BBC’s 31%, whereas in the Midlands (where Associated Television Limited has the five-day operation) during the same period the level of acceptability has been 74%, against the BBC’s 26%.

Documentary and Religious Programmes

Despite the fact that such popular productions as Mr. Val Parnell’s ‘Sunday Night at the London Palladium’ have continued to occupy a high place in the ‘Top Ten,’ your Company has been responsible also for such serious documentary programmes as ‘We Dissent’; ‘The Western’ – an enquiry into the popularity of Western films; a medical programme, ‘Fear Begins at 40’: ‘The Art of Architecture’; the series of five lectures by Sir Kenneth Clark on ‘Revolutionary Painters’; the lectures on British Prime Ministers by Dr. A. J. P. Taylor; and the ‘Right to Reply’ series in which Mr. William Clark interviewed among others, Mr. Selwyn Lloyd. Mr. Hugh Gaitskell, the late Aneurin Bevan, Father Trevor Huddleston, M. Jacques Soustelle, M. Hammarskjöld, the late John Foster Dulles, Mr. Krishna Menon, Mr. Henry Cabot Lodge, Mr. Paul Hoffman, and Mr. Norman Manley, Prime Minister of Jamaica.

It will be remembered that Associated Television Limited was the first company to introduce regular religious programmes in Sunday television and those who took part during the past year included their Graces the Archbishops of Canterbury and York, the Bishops of Kensington, Lincoln, Manchester, Woolwich and Bedford, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Liverpool, Dr. Heenan, Dr. Donald Soper and Lord Woolton.

Notable Achievements

Notable also have been those series which, while serious in content, have nevertheless secured maximum audiences. The series ‘Emergency – Ward 10’ has throughout the greater part of the year played to a weekly audience in excess of 20 million viewers. The new series ‘Probation Officer’ has proved equally successful and has earned wide praise from social workers and the Church alike.

Among British companies, your own Company has maintained its lead in the field of international television film production. In addition to such series as ‘Four Just Men’ and ‘Danger Man,’ produced in this country, the Company is just completing a series, ‘Whiplash,’ in Australia.

Company’s Major Role

Your Company has continued to play a major part in the independent television industry itself. Your Deputy Chairman, Mr. Norman Collins, has for the past year acted as Chairman of the Independent Television Companies Association and is currently also the Chairman of Independent Television News Limited, the company which provides the news bulletins for all stations. Mr. James Drummond, the Financial Director of your Company has for the past year acted Chairman of the General Purposes Committee of the Independent Television Companies Association. Mr. Bill Ward, Productions Controller of your Company, is the current Chairman of the Society of Film and Television Arts and I am pleased to place on record that he is the recipient of the Award of the Guild of Television Producers and Screenwriters for the best Light Entertainment Producer of 1959.

The Industry’s Growth

The television industry as a whole continues to grow and it is pleasing to note that during the year under review the ITA has appointed new companies to serve East Anglia and Northern Ireland and has erected a satellite station to give coverage to the Dover area.

By April 1960, 47,578,000 viewers were within reach of programmes broadcast from the ITA transmitters and the average total peak viewing audience for independent television is now over 13,000,000, compared with the BBC’s 5,500,000, as measured by TAM in homes with a choice of programmes.

Your Company’s operations have from the outset been divided between London and the English Midlands and the proportion of locally produced programmes in the Midlands is higher than that of any other independent company.

Your Company, nevertheless, continues to feel that an uninterrupted seven-day-a-week operation in any one area is calculated to provide the most satisfactory service to viewers, and your Company again places on record the fact that, in the public interest, it would welcome the introduction of new stations providing alternative services, so that genuine competition could be assured.

Relations with the Independent Television Authority, under its Chairman Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick, G.C.B., G.C.M.G., have been most closely maintained and I would like to express the gratitude of your Board and more particularly of the Executive Directors for the unfailing service rendered by the officers of the Authority at all levels

Tribute to Management and Staff

As in other years I would, as Chairman, like to pay tribute to the services rendered by the Management. Your Company’s Managing Director, Mr. Val Parnell, and your Deputy Managing Director, Mr. Lew Grade, have continued not only to shoulder the heavy responsibility of the manifold interests of the Company but have added to their other duties by arduous business missions abroad. In addition, non-Executive Directors have continued to render most valuable services to the Company. They have given generously of their time and I would like to express my thanks to them.

Finally, I am happy to report that the Staff in all departments continue to reveal all those characteristics of enthusiasm which have served to build up the Company and I am sure the shareholders will wish to join me in thanking them for their loyal services rendered during the past year. It is gratifying that the Staff Profit-Sharing Scheme again enables the Company to show its appreciation of their efforts.

The post ATV financial results: 1960 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

YEAR OF CONTINUED PROGRESS AND EXPANSION

OVER TWENTY-FOUR MILLION VIEWERS ON I.T.V.

SIGNIFICANT WIDENING OF PROGRAMME RANGE

MR. PRINCE LITTLER’S REVIEW OF ACTIVITIES

The fourth annual general meeting of Associated Television Limited will be held at the Connaught Rooms, Great Queen Street, London, W.C.2., on Thursday, September 3rd, 1959, at 3 p.m.

The following is the statement by the chairman, Mr. Prince Littler, C.B.E. which has been circulated with the report and accounts:–

The year under review has shown continued progress and expansion both for your Company and for Independent Television as a whole. New programme companies have been appointed for southern and north-eastern England, and the number of viewers able to receive Independent Television has risen to a total of more than 24 millions. Apart from the natural growth of the television audience through the purchase of new receivers, an entirely new Independent Television audience will arise from the opening of three new transmitters which will be on the air by the end of the year, thereby bringing Independent Television to an additional four million viewers in East Anglia. Northern Ireland and south-eastern England. All Independent Television companies, the pioneer companies as well as the newcomers, benefit from this expansion because network arrangements between the various companies enable basic production costs to be spread.

Planned Expenditure by Advertisers

With the nation-wide growth of Independent Television, advertisers are now able to be more selective in their buying of time, and the industry is entering into a new phase of overall planned expenditure on the part of the advertisers and their agencies. This is a thoroughly healthy development and it is supported by increased budgets which amply demonstrate the faith that advertisers have in the television medium.

While advertising revenue increased in the period under review as against the previous year, it must be recognized that saturation point may soon be reached. On the other hand programme costs continue to rise, both as a result of our confirmed policy of improving programme standards and as a result of wage increases arising from negotiations with the various trade unions concerned in the industry. Continuous watch is kept on expenditure and, although various substantial economies have been effected, the present extremely high level of profitability may become increasingly difficult to maintain.

Capital Structure

In the past 12 months there have been considerable changes in the capital structure of your Company. On September 30, 1958, the remaining £207,120 [£3.9m in today’s money allowing for inflation – Ed] of the 6 per cent. Convertible Unsecured Loan stock, 1960/63, was converted into “A” Ordinary shares of £1 each, but with a reduced right to dividends in respect of the year ended April 30, 1959, and the Company’s 6 per cent. Unsecured Loan stock, 1960/63, was redeemed at 102½ per cent.

On December 11, 1958, the authorized capital of the Company was increased to £5,000,000 [£94m] by the creation of 2,980,000 additional “A” Ordinary shares of £1 each, and 305,000 new “A” Ordinary shares of £1 each were issued credited as fully paid by way of capitalization of reserves and distributed to the holders of the Deferred shares and the 400,000 Deferred shares of 1s. each were converted into 20,000 “A” Ordinary shares of £1 each. On the same date each of the Company’s 4,850,000 “A” Ordinary shares of £1 was sub-divided into four “A” Ordinary shares of 5s. each.

On March 19, 1959, 7,871,520 fully paid “A” Ordinary shares of 5s. each numbered 1 to 7,871,520 inclusive were converted into stock transferable in amounts and multiples of 5s. The 828,480 “A” Ordinary shares of 5s. each, arising from the conversion of the Loan stock on September 30, 1958, will be converted into stock after the payment of the final dividend in respect of file year ended

April 30, 1959, at which time these shares will rank pari passu with the remaining “A” Ordinary stock.

Group Profit and Dividend

The Group profit before taxation, for the year ended April 30, 1959, amounted to £5,316,493 [£100m]. Taxation takes £2,715,076 [£51.2m] and there remains a Group profit of £2,601,417 [£49m], of which £369 [£7,000] is attributable to outside shareholders of a subsidiary company, leaving a profit attributable to the parent company of £2,601,048. Of this amount £38,373 [£724,000] was retained by the subsidiary companies and there remains £2,562,675 [£48.3m] to be dealt with in the accounts of the parent company. To this must be added £333,040 [£6.3m], the balance brought forward from the previous year, and £153,123 [£2.9m] in respect of taxation provisions no longer required due to the reduction in the rate of income tax, producing a balance of £3,048,838 [£57.5m] available for appropriation.

Your directors propose to recommend a final dividend of 12s. per share on the Ordinary shares of £1 each and 3s. per share on the “A” Ordinary stock units of 5s. each. “A” Ordinary shares numbered 7,871,521 to 8,700.000 inclusive rank for dividend of ⁷⁄₁₂ths of that payable on the “A” Ordinary stock. The interim dividend already paid and the proposed final dividend absorb £1,337,623 [£25.2m], leaving £1,711,215 [£32.3m] to be carried forward in the accounts of the parent company.

The accounts include provision for the distribution of £213,897 [£4m] for the staff profit-sharing scheme.

The balance of the mortgage on National Studios was repaid in September, 1958.

Proposed Capitalization of Reserves

On February 5, 1959, your Company applied to the London Stock Exchange for a quotation of its “A” Ordinary share capital which was granted. In the statement submitted with the application your directors indicated their intention of recommending in December, 1959, the capitalization of £2,325,000 [£43.9m] of reserves by the issue of 9,300,000 “A” Ordinary shares of 5s. each credited as fully paid to the holders of the present issued share capital in the proportions of four new shares for each existing Ordinary share of £1 each and for every four existing “A” Ordinary stock units of 5s. each. It is still their intention to make this recommendation.

Last year you were notified of the acquisition at par by your Company of £500,000 [£9.4m] 7 per cent. Convertible Unsecured Loan stock, 1967/68, in British Relay Wireless and Television Limited under the terms of issue of which the Company has options, exercisable on September 30, 1961, or September 30, 1962, to convert the whole or part of the stock into fully paid Ordinary shares of 5s. at the rate of 134 shares for each £100 stock converted. In February, 1959, British Relay Wireless and Television Limited made a rights issue and your Company subscribed for 268,000 new Ordinary shares of 5s. at 20s. which was its entitlement under the terms of the Loan Stock Trust Deed. The operations of British Relay Wireless and Television Limited continue to expand and your board is confident that this investment will prove profitable.

Recent and Proposed Acquisitions

In September, 1958, your Company received the consent of the Australian Federal Government to the acquisition of file commercial radio and television interests of the Daily Mirror Group in Australia. In March, 1959, the wholly owned Australian holding company, formed by your Company to control its Australian interests, subscribed for 75,000 shares of £A.1 each in the company operating the new Brisbane commercial television station.

It is anticipated that this station will go on the air in August, 1959. The Sydney commercial television station in which your company has a 9.36 per cent interest, is now operating on increasingly profitable terms.

As I reported in my statement last year, your board was then negotiating for file acquisition of a prominent United Kingdom production company engaged in the production of films for television. These negotiations were successfully concluded last autumn when the share capital of Incorporated Television Programme Company Limited, which has since changed its name to ITC—Incorporated Television Company Limited, was acquired. This company owns a 50 per cent interest in the voting equity of one of the three most important television film distribution companies in the United States. Preparatory work for the production of television film series is in hand and will be carried out in your Company’s studios in the United Kingdom and also in its studios in Australia.

Agreement with Pye Records

As indicated in the statement accompanying the application for quotation to the London Stock Exchange, your Company has completed an agreement to buy for a nominal consideration, half of the issued share capital of Pye Records Limited, a gramophone record manufacturing company, and has undertaken to advance to Pye Records Limited up to £300,000 [£5.7m] by way of loan. Although it is anticipated that certain initial losses will be incurred, your directors are confident that this will prove a profitable venture.

The Company has also concluded its negotiations with Muzak Corporation. Subsidiary companies have now been formed to operate the concession acquired on a royalty basis in the United Kingdom and Ireland for the distribution of background music on the lines developed by Muzak Corporation in North America.

Preparatory development work is now in hand and a sales force is being built up to develop this franchise commencing in August of this year. An encouraging number of inquiries for the use of this service has been received and it is hoped that there will be a steady growth in demand once the operation is established.

New Head Office and Studios

The first stage of the transfer of the Company’s head office to its new office building at ATV House, 17, Great Cumberland Place, W.1, was.completed on June 29, 1959, and it is anticipated that the transfer of the second stage will be completed in the spring of 1960. These offices are among the most modem and efficiently planned in London and your Company has been able to set an example in providing such agreeable working conditions for its staff. The amenities include a Muzak service throughout the building.

Plans are currently under review for the Company’s permanent studios. From the outset the staff has been working under considerable difficulties in temporary accommodation converted to television production purposes and it is remarkable that programmes of such excellence should have been produced in the existing studios. The consolidation of the London production facilities has been consistently postponed until the Company’s financial position warranted the considerable expenditure involved. Plans have already been approved for the rebuilding of the Midlands centre, Alpha Studios, which are shared and jointly financed by ABC Television and ourselves.

Distinguished Artists and Public Figures

The range of ATV’s programming has significantly widened. During the past year not only have such distinguished artists as Sir Laurence Olivier, Sir John Gielgud and, more recently. Sir Michael Redgrave and Miss Leslie Caron, made their world debuts in major TV drama, but a succession of public figures, politicians, philosophers, scientists, educationalists, and the clergy of the main denominations, have all appeared in ATV’s various topical series. Thus, in “Right to Reply,” the speakers have included the late John Foster Dulles, the Right Hon. Selwyn Lloyd, Secretary for Foreign Affairs, Lord Russell, General Norstad, M. Soustelle and Mr. Aneurin Bevan. In “Free Speech,” Lord Boothby, Mr. Michael Foot, Mr. A. J. P. Taylor, Mr. W. J. Brown, to name four of the regular debaters, have kept the conduct of current controversy not merely balanced but also bold. Sir Kenneth Clark’s series “Is Art Necessary?” has now reached its eleventh programme and, in the field of documentary studies, ATV’s treatment of such subjects as Polio and World Population have achieved audiences in excess of five and a half million. The Religious programmes, moreover, have grown in audience from an average of under three million in 1958 to an average of nearly four and a half million in 1959. Among the many outstanding religious figures who have taken part in the “About Religion” series are the Reverend Father Trevor Huddleston, the Most Reverend Archbishop of Liverpool, Dr. John C. Heenan, and, more recently. Dr. Billy Graham, the American evangelist.

Popular science has been most successfully presented by Mr. Gerald Leach, a 26-year-old Cambridge scientist, who, in the series “It Can Happen Tomorrow” now addresses the largest home schoolroom audience of children and adults in British television.

A Notable Outside Broadcast

Notable among the many outside broadcasts was the first coverage in Independent Television of polo, with H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh playing at Windsor Great Park. Not less notable in another context is “Emergency – Ward 10” which has now entered its third year of twice-weekly series, with more than 10 million viewers for each episode.

Undoubtedly, however, the outstanding ATV record belongs to “Sunday Night at the London Palladium,” which on March 29, 1959, celebrated its 139th performance, having appeared no less than 130 times among the Top Ten most popular programmes in this country. “Sunday Night at the London Palladium” has brought into the homes of nearly 12 million viewers the best in light entertainment and, together with “Saturday Spectacular” has presented such internationally famous stars as Arthur Askey, Max Bygraves, Margot Fonteyn, Bruce Forsyth, Benny Hill, Bob Hope, Sally Ann Howes, Jewell and Warriss, Dave King, Liberace, Johnny Ray, Harry Secombe, Jo Stafford, Sophie Tucker and Norman Wisdom.

Recognizing the importance of maintaining the highest standards in children’s programmes your Company, in association with ABC Television, has appointed Miss Mary Field as Childrens Adviser. The work that Miss Field has already done as chairman of the Children’s Film Foundation earned her unique authority in this field.

The Midlands

Your Company is unique among the main Programme Companies in having responsibility not only for week-end broadcasting in the Metropolis but also for providing the week-day Independent Television for some six million inhabitants in the Midlands. In this important Midlands operation not only do we broadcast regular programmes for the farming community but, in the series “Where Are You Going?’ the Midland teenagers are helped by Midland educationalists and by the large industrial organizations in arriving at the right choice of career. The Midlands programmes include the popular “Lunch Box” programme of Noele Gordon’s and many programmes not seen on the London screens. The latter include the daily “Midlands News”; “Midland Montage,” the weekly magazine-type programme which presents news, views and comment about the Midland scene; daily religious programmes; “Paper Talk,” the regular discussion programme which had the longest run of any weekly television senes in Britain; and “Cover Girl,” a new type of teenage show produced in ATV’s Midland studios.

Your Company has continued with its policy of publishing in pamphlet and booklet form various of its outstanding television programmes. Particularly notable is the fact that by adopting new techniques we were able to place the text of the broadcasts of Mr. Dulles. Mr. Selwyn Lloyd, General Norstad and M. Soustelle in the hands of Members of the House of Lords, M.P.s and newspaper editors on the morning following the broadcast.

Your Company during the past year contributed £26,000 [£491,000] out of the total of £100,000 [£1.9m] from the four main companies by way of grants to the arts and sciences. Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick, chairman of the Independent Television Authority, said of these grants: “The money will rescue many a valuable enterprise from extinction and will help others to improve their standards.”

Competition Welcomed

In my last statement I referred to the fact that this Company would welcome competition by another Independent Company seeking to attract viewers on the same days of the week and in the same areas. I reaffirm this view. Indeed, I feel that the competitive requirements of the Act call for such a second service. Moreover, your Company feels that the present restrictions on broadcasting hours are unrealistic and should be reviewed. The Company is at the moment precluded, solely by lack of opportunity, from scheduling many new programmes which it would like to be able to present to the British public. Furthermore, your Company has always been in the forefront of those which have supported the view that British television should progressively adopt the 625-line Continental standard and should not be permanently shackled to the outmoded standard of 405-lines to which this country reverted after the close of World War II.

The problems confronting any Programme Company are many and various and, once again, I should express our sincere appreciation for the invaluable guidance and advice always made readily available to us by Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick himself and by his two chief officers, the Director-General, Sir Robert Fraser, and the Deputy Director-General, Mr. Bernard Sendall.

The thanks of this Company, as of the other Independent Television Companies, are due also to Mr. Paul Adorian, managing director of Associated-Rediffusion, who for the past year has acted as chairman of the Independent Television Companies Association, an office in which he has from July 1 been succeeded by Mr. Norman Collins, deputy chairman of your own Company.

I have to report the resignation as executive director of Mr. Richard L. Meyer, whose wide experience of sound broadcasting matters proved so valuable to the Company during its initial stages. Mr. Meyer has been succeeded as an executive director by Mr. J. A. L. Drummond, whose City background and knowledge of financial matters has already proved of the greatest possible benefit to the board.

Tribute to Management

It is customary for the chairman to pay a tribute to the services rendered by the management. This I am most happy to do. I would like to thank all the directors, not least the non-executive directors, who have so generously given of their time and services.

No tribute to management would, however, be complete without a specific reference to the unique services rendered by your Company’s managing director, Mr. Val Parnell, thanks to whom the Company has not only become highly profitable but has laid sound foundations for the future. Moreover, Mr. Parnell, no less than I, would, I am sure, wish to include a special mention of your deputy managing director. Mr. Lew Grade, on whose shoulders fall so much of the detail of the day to day running of the business.

In conclusion, as regards the staff of your own Company, it will be apparent that such excellent results could not have been achieved without arduous and unflagging efforts on the part of all concerned. I therefore extend to them our heartiest thanks, and I am glad that the staff profit-sharing scheme enables our appreciation to take a tangible form.

The post ATV financial results: 1959 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

WIDENED FIELD OF PROGRAMMES

INCREASING VOLUME OF ADVERTISING

MR. PRINCE LITTLER ON EXPANSION PLANS

The annual general meeting of Associated Television, Ltd., will be held on July 29 at Television House, Kingsway, London, W.C.

The following is the statement by the chairman, Mr. Prince Littler, C.B.E. which has been circulated with the report and accounts:–

When I addressed you at the last Annual General Meeting the Company was only just emerging from the financial shadows of the the opening period when every week of operation meant an additional heavy loss to your Company. It is not too much to say that your Company, the first to come forward ready to take the challenge of operating an independent service, was more heavily penalized by events than any of its competitors. The unavoidable delay in opening the Midlands transmitter meant that for a period of five months the Company was burdened by full overheads while forced to forgo approximately 50% of its legitimate market.

Those days are now past. In the result your Company has taken its full share in the expansion of the television broadcasting industry. Advertising revenue has continued to build up with the growth of the Independent Television network. New stations have come into operation in Scotland and Wales the past year – and the number of viewers able to receive Independent Television programmes is now approximately 20,000,000. The continued increase in the volume of advertisement bookings confirms the growing confidence of advertisers in the value of television as the best means of reaching and holding the public. On the other hand, programme costs have also risen despite increased networking, but this is unavoidable if we are to pursue our policy of improving on past standards.

Profit and Dividend

The profit after taxation for the year ended 30th April, 1958, amounted to £1,997,909 [£38m in today’s money allowing for inflation – Ed], eliminating the debit balance of £483,794 [£9.2m] brought forward on the Profit and Loss Account and providing for the arrears of dividend paid on 16th December, 1957, amounting to £125,832 [£2.4m], and the interim dividend of 10% paid on the 25th April, 1958, amounting to £91,786 [£1.8m], there remains a credit balance on Profit and Loss Account of £1,296,497 [£24.6m]. From this your Directors have recommended payment of a final dividend of 20% on the “A” Ordinary and Ordinary Shares, absorbing £183,573 [£3.5m], to which must be added a Deferred Share dividend of £29,884 [£568,000], in accordance with the Articles of Association. The Directors also recommend that the sum of £750,000 [£14.3m] be transferred to General Reserve, leaving £333,040 [£6.3m] to be carried forward on Profit & Loss Account.

During the year, a staff profit-sharing scheme was introduced, and provision has been made for a distribution of £146,562 [£2.8m]. For the first time since inception of the Company, provision has been made for the payment of Directors’ fees amounting to £29,000 [£551,000]. You are accordingly asked to pass the necessary resolution for this purpose.

Balance Sheet Items

Turning to the Balance Sheet, you will see that the amount of “A” Ordinary Shares issued and fully paid has increased by £292,880 [£5.6m], as a result of conversion of a similar amount of 6% Convertible Unsecured Loan Stock 1960-63. Fixed assets after provision for depreciation have risen by £77,977 [£1.5m]. The principal addition to fixed assets comprises a freehold property and buildings which are being adapted for urgently needed storage and studio space. The liquid position of the Company again shows marked improvement in the Bank Balances, Sums on deposit and Cash in hand standing at £8,203,732 [£156m]. The balance of the mortgage on the Company’s studios at Elstree has been called for repayment on the 31st January, 1959.

With the Company’s increased trading and with the large number of programmes produced for the I.T.A. network as a whole, the Company has experienced a grave shortage of essential office and studio accommodation. Accordingly, the lease has now been negotiated for new office premises, adequate to the expanding needs of the Company in a centrally situated block which is being designed to meet the Company’s requirements. Moreover, a suitable studio site within easy reach of the West End has now been selected and negotiations for its acquisition are currently proceeding.

Improvement in Liquid Position

With the improvement in the liquid position of the Company, the Board has given its attention to investing in the United Kingdom in allied and ancillary fields. As a first step in this direction your Company acquired on the 9th May, 1958, £500,000 [£9.5m] 7% Convertible Unsecured Loan Stock in British Relay Wireless & Television Limited with attractive conversion rights into ordinary shares in 3 and 4 years’ time. British Relay Wireless & Television operates television and radio relay services over parts of London and in many other urban areas, as well as a television and radio rental business, and by the extension of its operations creates new television viewers for our own programmes.

Your Board, moreover, is currently seeking to negotiate the purchase of one of the major producing companies specialising in the production of films for television. The company question has an outstandingly successful record, notably in the American market. Your Board feel that, in the acquisition of this company, your own Company’s position in the production field would be greatly strengthened.

Development Overseas

During the year the Board has given considerable attention to opportunities for participation in the development of commercial television and radio broadcasting in English-speaking territories overseas, including the U.S.A. Two of your Directors, Mr. Norman Collins, the Deputy Chairman, and Mr. Richard L. Meyer, have made a number of visits overseas to carry out on-the-spot investigations. One major project to which the Company has signified its assent is at the moment before a Commonwealth Government for their approval; and, in readiness for anticipated developments elsewhere within English-speaking world, the Company either has registered, or is in process of registering, Companies in Canada, East Africa, the West Indies and Bermuda.

Position Notably Maintained

The Company’s pioneer position in providing programmes of wide appeal has been notably maintained and, at the same time, the range of productions has significantly expanded. Since my last report, the Company has embarked on a widening field of programmes dealing with Religion, the Arts, public affairs and matters of general sociological interest. Notable among the religious contributions have been “Christ in Jeans” (as the modern dress Passion Play was entitled by the Press) and a specially filmed documentary record of the British Pilgrimage to Lourdes in the Centenary year; among the outstanding individual contributors have been Dr. George MacLeod, Moderator of the Church of Scotland, 1957-1958, and such leading Nonconformists as Dr. Leslie Weatherhead and Dr. Donald Soper. Moreover, a series of six programmes, introduced by the Archbishop of Canterbury, has been arranged to cover the major issues raised at the 1958 Lambeth Conference.

As regards the Arts, Sir Kenneth Clark, the ex-Chairman of the Independent Television Authority, recently agreed to become Adviser to the Company and initiated a series of widely-acclaimed programmes on which he personally appeared. In the field of public affairs, the series of balanced but still highly controversial programmes, “Free Speech,” continued under the Chairmanship of Mr. Edgar Lustgarten, and the lectures of Mr. A. J. P. Taylor helped still further to widen the scope of Independent Television. The Company has, moreover, recognised its responsibility as a public service by the creation of a special programme unit equipped to deal at short notice with such important and emergent issues as Polio and the Cult of Tranquillizers. Meanwhile, in the general field of programming, Mr. Val Parnell’s “Sunday Night at the London Palladium” continues to maintain its place as a national institution and, to cite another example at random, the dramatic serial, “Emergency – Ward 10,” now enjoys an audience of some ten million viewers twice a week.

Future of British Television

Your Board has considered the Company’s future position in the field of British television as a whole and is firmly of the opinion that in television, as in other fields of life, competition is not only desirable but necessary. Accordingly, I am happy to place the Company on records as saying that it would welcome the introduction of a third television service – in competition with your Company’s own operations – and I feel that it would be in the best interests of the country if it were run on commercial lines. The fact that competition leads to better programmes has already been sufficiently proved. Television entertainment from all sources – including the British Broadcasting Corporation – has improved beyond all measure. New opportunities have been offered to artists, writers and technicians, and British television is, in consequence, richer in talent than it has ever been before. Moreover, in the result, the export business of British television programmes has, for the first time, been established on a substantial basis.

Your Company is at the moment unfortunately handicapped by the fact that its licence from the Independent Television Authority provides for no more than part-time working on two different transmitters, i.e. London and the Midlands. With a third television network run on commercial lines this unsatisfactory state of affairs could be remedied. It is your Company’s firm desire to provide the public of the Metropolis – and through the new network such parts of the country as wish to take the programmes – with an unbroken seven-day-a-week service, exhibiting to the full the potentialities of independent and truly competitive television.

Independent Television Authority

I would like also to refer to the Independent Television Authority, the statutory body set up by Parliament to administer the affairs of Independent Television as a whole. Under the able and experienced Chairmanship of Sir Ivone Kirkpatrick, as under the Chairmanship of his predecessor, Sir Kenneth Clark, the Authority continues to act in the fullest degree as guardian to Parliament and public alike. Moreover, the untiring efforts of the Authority’s Director-General, Sir Robert Fraser, have done more than the viewing public will ever realise to make a practical reality of the provisions of the Television Act of 1954.

In conclusion, I would like to express my gratitude to my colleagues on the Board for their unfailing assistance and advice and also to pay tribute to the loyal service rendered to the Company by the Executives and the Staff in both London and Birmingham.

The post ATV financial results: 1958 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

AN ENCOURAGING IMPROVEMENT

MR. PRINCE LITTLER’S CONFIDENCE IN THE FUTURE

The second annual general meeting of Associated Television, Ltd., will be held on August 15 at Television House, Kingsway, London, W.C.

The following is the statement by the chairman, Mr. Prince Littler, C.B.E., which has been circulated with the report and accounts for the year to April 30, 1957:-

I last addressed you on the 2nd August, 1956, at which time the Company was in the middle of the off-season of advertising and the expenses of operation were considerably in excess of the Advertising Revenue. I did state, however, that I was of the opinion that the view on the success of the Company expressed by the Directors on its formation would prove to be justified. I now feel that the results for the year under review endorse that opinion.

Despite the fact that substantial losses were incurred by the Company during the summer months, and although it was not until October of last year that break-even the point was reached, those losses have since been recouped, and at the 30th April, 1957, we are able to show a profit for the year of £201,716 [£3.95m in today’s money allowing for inflation – Ed].

I feel sure you will agree that this is both satisfactory and encouraging when taking into consideration the teething troubles which are inevitable in what is not only a new company but also a major component of completely new industry.

Larger Advertising Revenue

The improvement in our position is due mainly to a considerable increase in advertising revenue. Since the commencement of Independent Television, the number of sets capable of receiving its programmes has steadily increased. thereby giving greater coverage, and this factor, coupled with the many success stories of the impact of the medium, has given an added incentive to advertisers to book time. As I have already mentioned, the summer is an off-season for advertising generally. Even taking this into consideration, I feel confident that we shall go through this summer without incurring the heavy losses experienced last year.

A contributory factor to the improvement of our position is the lessening of programme costs due to more comprehensive networking arrangements. There are now four stations operating seven days a week – London, Midlands, Lancashire and Yorkshire – and extensive networking of programmes between them is in force. As you will appreciate, this is to the mutual advantage of all concerned and has considerably decreased the cost of providing programmes. The Scottish Station is scheduled to come into operation on the 1st September, 1957, and will be followed by further stations in 1958.

Better Cash Position

Looking at the balance-sheet. the amount of “A” Ordinary Shares and Ordinary Shares. both Authorised and Issued. has been doubled, the Deferred shares remaining at last year’s figure of £20,000 [£391,000]. The 6% Convertible Unsecured Loan Stock has from £250,000 to £500,000 [£4.9m to £9.8m] and the 6% Unsecured Loan Stock has decreased by a similar amount. The reason for this is the conversion of £250,000 Loan Stock to Convertible Loan Stock as reported in the Directors Report. The Mortgage on the company’s Studios at Elstree has been reduced by £30,000 [£586,000] to £120,000 [£2.3m]. There is a marked improvement in the cash position at 30th April, 1957, whereas the Bank Balances and Cash in standing at Hand £240,761 [£4.7m], whereas last year the Bank Overdraft exceeded the Balances in Hand by £24,193 [£473,000]. Although Assets have been purchased during the year, owing to the incidence of depreciation they now stand at a slightly lower figure than last year.

You will see that the Directors have recommended that part of the Profit for the year should be applied in writing off the Formation Expenses of £82,795 [£1.6m] and the debit balance on Profit and Loss Account now stands at £483,794 [£9.5m] compared with £602,715 [£11.8m] last year.

High Quality of Programmes Maintained

The improvement in the company’s position since I last spoke to you is encouraging and the future continues to look promising. The company has maintained the quality of its programmes at the high level set in its early days and the forward bookings by Advertisers are higher than at the same time last year. Although I feel it my duty to inform you the forward bookings are at all times subject to eight weeks’ cancellation, I feel confident that they will continue to build up to an even more satisfactory level.

You will appreciate that the progress we have made has only been achieved by the unremitting efforts of our staff, which now totals 740 people, and I am sure you will wish to join me in expressing thanks to all our Directors, Executives and Employees for their hard work in consolidating and strengthening the company’s position and repute in the field of television.

The post ATV financial results: 1957 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

Announcers working for Associated TeleVision were warned by Mr. Philip Dorté, ATV Midlands Controller, yesterday that if they did not dress sensibly for the cameras they might be faded out.

Mr. Dorté, who considers that both the men and women are trying to be too fashionable, said: “Announcers are there to do a serious job of work and their dress should in no way lead to distraction from what they are saying. Recently there has been a tendency for announcers to be too flashy in their appearances.”

Pat Astley, the announcer, said: “I quite agree that announcers should not be flashily dressed. I try to be discreet with my choice of clothes, but I have to keep an eye on the latest fashions.”

‘Stuffed Shirt’

Jean Morton said: “I believe that viewers expect me to be fashionably dressed and, without being flashy. I try to be discreet in choice of styles. Viewers are critically interested in fashion, hair styles and the jewellery we wear.”

Mr. John Taylor, editor of The Tailor and Cutter, said: “It seems to me a stuffed-shirt attitude. We might as well all go back to radio if the announcers on television are not to be allowed to look smart and fashionably dressed.”

A BBC television spokesman said there had been no complaints of their announcers wearing dress that was anything but correct.

No Restrictions

Mr. Ted Harris, Midland executive of ABC Television, responsible for the week-end ITV programmes in Midlands and North England, said: “Each week-end we have four male announcers – John Edmunds, John Benson, Mel Oxley and David Hamilton. We leave the question of dress to their own good sense, and we have had no occasion to reprimand them for their turnout.

“Our announcers are free to express their own sartorial personality, and we rely upon their good dress sense. As John Edmunds was recently voted the best male announcer on television, we do not intend imposing any restrictions.”

The post ‘No Flashy Dress’ ATV Announcers Warned appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

Emergency – Ward 10, seen twice weekly, is one of ITV’s longest-running and most popular programmes. It is a favourite with millions. But what does a doctor think of the series? TV TIMES has invited Harvey Flack, MD, Editor of Family Doctor, published by the British Medical Association, to give a medical man’s view

WHY are people – millions of people – eager to view regularly a programme that revolves round doctors and nurses and hospitals?

This is not a new taste. What Emergency – Ward 10 does is to meet in a new medium exactly the same wish to know about doctors and hospitals that has been in the public mind for a long time.

Think back and you can get the evidence for this in your own experience. You must have read one of Richard Gordon’s immensely funny Doctor books. You probably saw the Betty Box film versions.

How many films do you remember with the Men-in-White theme? How many serials have you read in the women’s magazines with a doctor hero and nurse heroine? You have probably read at least one of Frank Slaughter’s books, all loaded with doctors, operations, deaths, epidemics and medical disasters of every known type and shape.

Do you recall A. J. Cronin’s best-seller, The Citadel, and the film that was made before the war?

The formula that has proved so successful for Emergency – Ward 10 is one that you can see at work in all these magazines, books and films.

There are three main ingredients- entertainment, information and warm human interest. Which is rather like saying that for a perfect meal you start with vegetables, meat and heat.
The recipe gets clearer and more detailed when you watch, for example, Nurses Pat Roberts and Carole Young with the doctors Alan Dawson and Simon Forrester. They get involved in human and dramatic situations that would be full of interest in any setting.

But the setting is a hospital, and in any casualty ward the basic dramas of life are played out every day. There is always the car crash, the near-fatal accident, the attempted suicide. Always there are people in urgent need of operations, blood transfusions, skilled medical treatment.

There is a great wealth of information that interests people on all these things. There is always the feeling that it might happen to you or your family. And here the Emergency – Ward 10 team do go to enormous trouble to get it right in every detail. I don’t say they score 100 out of 100 marks every time, but they do so surprisingly often with medical and surgical details which are not easy to get across to viewers.

So they get the background information and all the details as right as can be. And it is information that people want to know.

They make their doctors and nurses be- have like ordinary doctors and nurses. Then, a minute later, they come out of the professional problem and they fall in and out of love and in and out of ordinary human situations that we all know and they behave like ordinary people.

Take all these ingredients, mix well, light with care, rehearse just enough and serve at 7.30 on Tuesdays and Fridays. You then have some of the secrets of the great appeal of Emergency – Ward 10 as an entertainment that will interest and hold the attention of millions. And they get a lot of information and instruction without pain or effort.

This interest in doctors and hospitals and what they do and what makes them tick is very old. It goes right back to the first doctors and the first hospitals-when medicine was not a science but an art compounded of mystery and magic.

Today, there’s much more science in medicine, but the art is still there, too; a human and compassionate art. And there’s still a trace of magic, and of mystery, and of a secret power.

There are many doctors of whom it is said “He makes you feel better the minute he comes into the room.” There’s a magic there that is based on knowledge, experience, skill and all the elements of a clear and confident personality.

In this workaday world we have an overplus of science. All the old myths and mysteries are being explained away. When I was at school, the atom was a mysterious ultimate. Now, there’s nothing those chaps at Harwell can’t do to it.

When I was a young man, there was still an Aristocracy. Stories of the Beggar-maid and the Prince were read avidly. Or else it was the Poor Boy and the Princess.

Most of that has had the glow taken right off it. And the rags-to-riches story has gone the same way. There’s nobody left in rags and nobody is allowed to keep much of their riches. The Welfare State has seen to one and the taxation needed for it has diminished the other.

So there’s just one department of human activity that still has elements of magic and mystery and secret power. And that’s in doctors and doctoring, and especially in hospitals.

I think that’s what accounts, in the long run, for the continuing success of Emergency – Ward 10. I think it helps to make people more aware of hospitals, more confident in them if ever the need should arise for hospital care.

So, while saluting the 100th anniversary performance of this series, I feel we can be reasonably confident that in about a year from now we’ll all be enjoying the 200th – and probably just as much.

The post This hospital serial really does help appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

EVERY Sunday morning, soon after dawn, a blue van draws up outside the London Palladium and parks among the debris left over from Saturday night’s fruit-barrows.
The van is the mobile television control room which brings viewers Val Parnell’s Sunday Night at the London Palladium.

“It is all done in the van,” the show’s producer Brian Tesler, told me. “Viewers probably imagine that this great variety show is directed from some mighty control desk. People just would not believe that it is in fact controlled from this van parked in the street!

“Inside the van are my production assistant, the vision engineers, sound engineers, wardrobe and make-up experts, the driver… oh, yes, and I manage to squeeze in somehow.”

This may sound a make-shift arrangement, but it isn’t. This ATV control van, in its smart blue livery, is one of the most up-to-date headquarters of television
equipment. It contains TV and sound equipment valued at about £30,000 [about £565,500 now, allowing for inflation – Ed].

“During the earlier part of the week,” said Brian Tesler, “we get the show into shape in the empty theatre, using every precious hour until they have to set the stage for first house of the Palladium’s normal show.

“On Saturday our night crew go in immediately the curtain is rung down for the end of the second house and work all night rigging the extra lighting, the cameras and cables.

“By the time the van draws up early on Sunday morning, we are ready to link up to the theatre.”

Tesler, who has an Oxford first class honours degree, has a tidy mind, and great organising ability. At his elbow all the time is his production assistant – blonde, quick-witted Audrey Maclean.

“Here’s how the time-table goes for the rest of the day, in and out of the van,” said Tesler:

10.0: Try to commandeer one of the Palladium dressing-rooms for our personal gear. There are about 150 people back-stage today.
10.10: Go around chatting to all the artists in the show, listening to their numbers and discussing any special effects.
11.0: Band-call. Cyril Ornadel and the 25 members of the London Palladium Orchestra. Audrey is busy with her battery of stop-watches while we listen to the music, time it, and run through some of the numbers several times to make cuts.
1.0: Val Parnell entertains us to lunch. Around the table usually are Charles Henry (Production Chief of Moss Empires), dance director George Carden, Cyril Ornadel, Audrey and myself.
2.15: Rehearsal with cameras. Now we are out in the van, watching on the TV screens for the first time. I have a mike in front linked through loud-speakers and head-phones to all key people inside the Palladium.

We use Outside Broadcast equipment in the van, and on this the cameramen themselves also have microphones and can speak back to the producer. I sit in the centre of the control desk at the rear of the van. On one side is the vision mixer, on the other the sound mixer.

We watch the monitor screens up front, with a radio engineer in charge of each. Behind us are other technicians at their switches. I relay comments to the people inside the Palladium, and Audrey gives instructions about running order and timing.

The van is a maze of wiring, for in addition to the monitor TV screens that link with each camera in the building, there are two separate screens, known as radio-check monitors, enabling us to see how the show is coming over the air.

4.30: Back from the van to the Palladium, break for tea.
4.35: Talk during tea-break with the dance director and others who have been too busy for conference. Then back to the van.
5.0: Complete run-through with band.
6.0: Now is the time to make any last-minute changes. During the run-through, I may spend part of the time in the van, or part at the production desk in the Palladium. This is a position next to the two cameras mounted in the stalls.
6.30: A round of the dressing-rooms to wish the artists good luck.
7.15: The audience, which has been queueing in the street, begins filing in.
7.30: The house-lights are on, and I go on stage and begin the “warm-up warm-up” with whoever happens to be compering the show. The clock ticks on towards 8pm. I dash back to the van, take my seat at the controls, and there is a momentary hush in the babble as Audrey begins counting the seconds… “Ten… nine… eight – three… two… one…” SOUND ON. VISION ON. We’re on the air!
9.0: Moment of elation. But no time for celebration. I go back-stage again to the dressing-rooms and thank all the artists. The engineers and stage-hands attack the Palladium, knocking down the scenery, wheeling out the cameras.

And then, around midnight, the blue van drives away… until early next Sunday morning.

The post The Palladium Show is ‘in the van’ appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

One of the most outstanding recent successes in television programme-making is ATV’s The Muppet Show which delighted viewers for the first time in the autumn of 1976. Kermit and company took over the television screens at about 5p.m. on Sunday afternoon and the team of puppet characters succeeded in waking up dad from his afternoon nap and keeping mum from making the tea in order to join the children for 30 minutes of the zaniest, wittiest, most endearing comedy show in years.

Within two-and-a-half months the time slot which had been attracting six million viewers had an audience of over twelve million. Now into its second series The Muppet Show has become a cult and looks like remaining an integral part of our viewing habits for some time to come.

But how did it all begin? The Muppets – their name derived from the combination of marionette and puppet – were created by Jim Henson, who featured Kermit and some other Muppet characters in the children’s educational programme Sesame Street. Lord Grade of ATV, who showed a great interest in the series, invited some of the Muppets to appear in two or three major television specials being made at ATV’s Borehamwood studios. These programmes, which included Julie on Sesame Street (Julie Andrews), Herb Alpert and the T J B and Julie – My Favourite Things, were so effective that Lord Grade invited Jim Henson to make a series of shows designed for family viewing.

Jim Henson was delighted; for several years he had been trying to get the American television networks to back him for a similar idea but nobody in the USA was willing to make the show. Lord Grade then did the inevitable. He sold the show back to America where it has become as big a hit as in Britain.

But without the creative genius of Jim Henson and his team nothing would have been possible. Jim Henson, aged 41, was born in Mississippi and made his first Muppet (Kermit) 22 years ago. Needless to say there have been several Kermits rebuilt since, plus over 300 other characters created over the years. Jim has an extremely talented team around him which consists of puppet builders and designers, writers, and of course the puppeteers. Where Jim goes, they go! Therefore the entire unit moved to Britain and set up its work shop off the main studio at ATV’s Borehamwood studios, and that became ‘home’.

The production team is, of course, British, headed by two directors – Peter Harris, who did the entire first series, and Philip Casson who is an additional director for this second series. Jack Parnell and his Band provides the marvellous Muppet music, and David Chandler, Paul Dean and Bryan Holgate are the designers.

The British crew and Jim Henson’s team in no time developed a very warm working relationship and admiration for each other and rarely has there been such a compatible or happier unit on any production.

The technique of making the show and operating the puppets has created as much interest for viewers and the industry as the show itself. Every set is built at least four feet above floor level and the cameras work at an average height of seven feet. The sets are built to a two-thirds scale suitable to accommodate the human guests as well as the puppet characters which vary in size from eighteen inches [45cm] to two feet [61cm] (giant Muppets can tower fourteen feet [4.25m]).

The puppeteers are all at least six feet tall [1.8m] and very slim. They wear head bands with microphones attached and have a small monitor TV set in front of them. This enables them to synchronise the dialogue with the mouth, eyes and arms, and gauge the puppets’ expressions and movements. The puppeteers operate the puppets by hand, above their heads – an extremely strenuous and shoulder-aching pastime!

The puppeteers are performers. They have to be actors, comedians, singers, voice impersonators and even have a good sense of rhythm or know a little about music. For instance the ‘At the Dance’ sequence and the synchronisation of Animal on the drums and Rowlf at the piano must be perfectly timed. No wonder Jim Henson looks on auditions for new puppeteers as a formidable task. Fortunately, however, his current team of performers: Frank Oz (Fozzie Bear, Miss Piggy, Animal), Jerry Nelson (Floyd, Crazy Harry, Uncle Deadly, Robin), Richard Hunt (Scooter, Mr Statler, Sweetums, Thog), and Dave Goelz (The Great Gonzo, Zoot and various guest characters) have been with him for a few years. Incidentally, Jim’s own main characters are Kermit, Mr Waldorf, Rowlf, Dr Teeth and Mahnamahna.

Part of the attraction of the Muppets is that they all have very individual characters and often display recognisable human frailties and emotions. It is quite common in rehearsal or during a break between camera ‘takes’ for the Muppets to talk and joke with each other, and if the floor manager gives a direction to a puppeteer he is not surprised when it is the Muppet on the end of the puppeteer’s arm that comes back with the response.

The strength of The Muppet Show’s success can be further assessed by awards the show has received during 1977. In January the American Guild of Variety Artistes presented the special Georgie award for the ‘Best Special Attraction – 1976′. In March the British Academy of Film and Television Arts cited the show ‘Best Light Entertainment Programme – 1976’. In April The Broadcasting Press Guild voted the show ‘Best Comedy or Light Entertainment Programme’ for 1976 and in May the show won the most prestigious of all international awards for Light Entertainment, the Golden Rose of Montreux in Switzerland. Also in May, the Pye Colour Television Awards voted Kermit the Frog ‘Most Promising Male Newcomer’.

The series has now been sold to over 100 markets throughout the world and has an audience of hundreds of millions. It is dubbed into five languages: French, German, Spanish, Italian and Portuguese.

This is the story behind The Muppet Show to date, but doubtless more awards, more record successes (the first Muppet LP reached No. 1) will be forthcoming to reflect the quality and popularity of this truly original show.

The post The making of the Muppets appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

MANY top BBC producers have quit the Corporation and joined the “opposition” — Bill Ward, Dickie Leeman, Stephen Wade and a retinue of others.

But when Brian Tesler, senior among the BBC’s talented Younger Set, discloses he has signed a three-year contract with Val Parnell for ATV, well, things are getting serious. I went along to find out the facts from him.

Brian lives only ten minutes from the studios, and as it would seem like a stab in the back to discuss his ATV future on BBC premises, we met on strictly neutral territory.

But the BBC was phoning all the time, as technically Tesler has not yet quite left.

“Pet? No, she won’t be wanted for rehearsals until tomorrow,” Tesler was saying. “The Billy Cotton office? Oh, I would you tell him I wanted to discuss those back-projection shots with him…”

Out with a bang

Tesler laughed: “Here I am, supposed to be leaving the BBC, but after more than four years it takes a lot of stopping. Why, in my very last week at the studios I had three shows — the last of the Billy Cotton series, and the first two Petula Clark shows. I was able to produce those personally, and I have cast and laid out the rest of the series before leaving. It used to be a 15-minute show. Now it’s 30.”

“Let’s forget the BBC for a minute,” I suggested. But Tesler has certainly gone out with a bang. His first BBC TV show was on January 2, 1953, and his first programme for ATV will be January, 1957. A lot has happened in those four years.

He devised the original Ask Pickles show and produced it during its first year when it won the National Television Award as “the most entertaining programme.” He produced Bob Monkhouse’s Fast and Loose, and many other programmes including And So to Bentley, Bath Night with Braden. He also originated and produced many of the BBC’s panel games, including The Name’s the Same, Guess My Story, Find the Link and Tall Story Club.

“I might go back”

“So why quit now?” I asked bluntly.

“I’ll tell you,” he said. “Since ITV started, I’ve had several offers, and also counter-offers from the Corporation. It has been a tremendous privilege to work for the BBC, but I was only 23 when I joined, just over four years ago, and there is a great deal yet to do.

“Personally I think that this is the right time for me, having enjoyed the privileges of BBC television, to go out into the cut-and-thrust of commercial TV, instead of tying myself to the Corporation for another three years.

“It’ll mean at least ‘three years hard’ in a tougher, sterner Show Business world but, after all. I’ll only be thirty when my ATV contract expires, so there’s plenty of time to decide what comes afterwards. Who knows? I might go back to the BBC again!”

“Why didn’t you leave when some of the other BBC producers did — Dickie Leeman for instance?” I asked.

“I was under contract,” he explained. “And, although I was invited then, I did not think that was the right time. A producer has an obligation to the public he serves, and when rumours began going round I was leaving, I was actually very busy on a long programme schedule — so that, quite apart from my BBC contract, it would have been wrong then to make a change.”

On the fence?

Certain critics have suggested that several big BBC producers sat on the fence, waiting to see if commercial TV would be a success. Then, when ITV was able to provide all the best equipment, they went over.

“That’s not my point of view at ail,” stated Tesler. “True, many branches of commercial TV had new equipment, but in many respects the BBC still has the finest technical resources. The cameras and electronic gear at the King’s Theatre, Hammersmith, for instance, are among the best in the world. Even the Americans admit it. The BBC has all the electronic gadgets like interlay and overlay, which at present ATV and the other commercial companies have not.

“No, I am not going to the rival camp expecting to get better equipment. I am going because — especially at my age — I don’t believe in staying in a rut. And of course, working with the big Show Business groups such as Delfont and the Grades, I hope to have many top names at my command — celebrities who seldom televise on a BBC budget.”

Too young

“Your ATV appointment came as a surprise to some who regard you frankly as a highbrow,” I said, for Tesler is an Oxford man, with a first in English Literature, and an M.A. degree. Well, do you picture a Master of Arts running a TV cash quiz?

He laughed. “That’s only part of the story. I wrote songs — and plugged them — before I joined the BBC. But I was too young to be Big Time, so I never became an Irving Berlin or a Gershwin!

“Why should I be ashamed of having a rather academic background? I have proved to myself that I have a certain flair for popular presentation in TV. I get a kick out of producing series like that of Billy Cotton and am absolutely in sympathy with the medium.

“There is hardly a BBC panel game that I haven’t either produced or helped to originate. A good television producer should have the most catholic tastes. I should hate to be typed as a highbrow — or a lowbrow.”

“How do the ATV studios compare with the BBC’s?” I asked.

“I’ll know when I’ve seen them!” Tesler said. “With the Pet Clark and Billy Cotton series on my plate, I haven’t even had a chance to see the TV variety theatre at Wood Green. My office will be at Television House, but I haven’t seen that either.”

“Was there a big meeting with Val Parnell?” I asked, believing that most viewers are curious to know how an impresario puts a producer under contract.

“There hasn’t been time for us to meet,” Tesler astonished me by saying. “In fact it all began with a phone call from Bill Ward, ATV’s production chief, It was generally known that my present BBC contract expired in December, and there had been two sorts of rumours— that I was wedded to the BBC and wouldn’t leave and, contrary, that I was going off to commercial.

“Bill rang to find which rumour was true, and from that opening conversation it all started. But there have been no big business meetings, no elaborate lunches. Not even a coffee!”

Familiar faces

As Tesler has done so many BBC panel games, it is natural to expect him to be Panel Game King of Commercial. He made a wry grimace.

“I think it would be true to say I have had my fill of panel games,” he said. “You must remember that while there is a special sort of satisfaction in producing a panel game, the real satisfaction in my line of TV producing comes from the musical and variety shows.

“It’s a strange thing, but my very first artist, when I produced Starlight back on January 2, 1953, was Pat Kirkwood. And since then she has really become my TV mascot. One of the most satisfying musical programmes I’ve done (well, satisfying to me!) was the ninety-minute Story of Vesta Tilley, which the BBC commissioned from Hubert Gregg, and which starred Pat.”

“Do you think that working for commercial will be a refreshing change?” I asked.

“In some ways it’ll seem like being back home,” he grinned. “Why, apart from working again with old colleagues like Dickie Leeman, Bill Ward and Stephen Wade, there are many former BBC cameramen… Colin Clews, for instance, and many more, now producers and directors for commercial. So I’ll be once more among the familiar faces.”

“What difference will it make to you economically?” I asked, knowing that he will be getting much more at ATV. He looked gloomy.

“Oh, that’s pretty difficult,” he admitted. You see, I live ten minutes from the BBC studios, but now it’s going to take me 45 minutes to get to the Wood Green Theatre, and to Television House. I ask you. The petrol coupons——!”

“Never mind. There’ll be a celebration party I suppose?”

“I’m having a small farewell party. Not a celebration. Frankly it will be a sad thing, leaving the friends I’ve made in over four happy years.”

“And who’s going to take over the Billy Cotton Show after you’ve gone?” I asked.

“That, said Tesler, straightfaced and in his best BBC manner, “is a major policy decision. You should address your enquiry through the proper channels…”

The post ‘I’m getting three years is hard’ appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

Your television subsidiary, ATV Network Ltd, commenced its new contract with the Independent Television Authority on the 30th July 1968. The results for this past year have therefore included approximately four months of the old licence period when the company operated partly in the Midlands and partly in the London area, and eight months of the new licence period when our operation was for all seven days of the week in the Midlands.

The Board of this subsidiary company was reconstituted during the year and two very distinguished figures with widespread involvement in the life of the Midlands accepted our invitation to become directors. Dame Isabel Graham Bryce had retired some two years previously as a Member of the ITA. She has, thus, a detailed knowledge of the working of IndependentTelevision and clear views about its future development and its responsibility in each region of the country. In addition, her work as Chairman of the East Midlands Hospital Board and in many other fields of social work in the Midlands, gives ATV Network a new strength.

Sir George Farmer is Chairman of the Rover Car Company and brings to your Board a lifetime of experience from the exceptionally competitive British engineering industry. He is also a Director of the great British Leyland Motor Corporation, and his knowledge of modern industrial practices, of labour relations work and marketing, including the vital export field, will be an immense benefit to the Company. Sir George’s interests also include his Chairmanship of the Royal Shakespeare Theatre and Pro-Chancellorship of Birmingham University.

In addition, Mr Leonard Mathews, the General Manager in the Midlands, was elected a Director during the year. We welcome all three.

The repercussions of the Independent Television Authority’s decision to change the structure of the industry have been both profound and disturbing.

A very great deal of time has been involved, both in internal reorganisation of ATV Network, and also in arriving at new networking and other arrangements for the exchange of programmes between the various companies for the new licence period.

A new contractor was brought into the group of companies which supply the network with most of its programmes. Thus five companies were called upon to make the same number of programmes as four did previously-with a commensurate rise in everyone’s costs. In the initial months of the new licence period ATV Network, therefore, found itself with a reduction in total output.

Subsequent network re-scheduling resulted in a sudden considerable increase in the total output required from ATV’s studios. This produced a most difficult and continuing problem for our staff at Elstree and Birmingham.

Television Levy

The increase in the Levy announced in the Chancellor’s Budget speech came like a bombshell. It is quite clear that a major miscalculation has been made. The financial viability of ITV had been drastically altered as a result of the redistribution of licences and the past decisions of the Government to change the line standard from 405 to 625, and to introduce colour. These decisions, together with the requirement for new Midland studios, created an additional capital requirement, which will amount to about £7 millions in ATV Network alone. Your Board had come to the conclusion before the Budget that every effort should be made to impress upon the Chancellor that the Levy should be reduced.

We have made representations and will continue to press the Government with the utmost vigour to make a very substantial reduction in the Levy.

Staff relations

Almost immediately following the change of licence last summer, the industry was subjected to a major and quite unnecessary national strike by its ACTT members. This strike was created partly by the lack of confidence within the industry as a result of the licence change. Only after the industry had suffered considerable losses was it possible to return to the ordinary negotiating machinery and ultimately find a solution.

Concurrently with the negotiations with ACTT, the industry reached new agreements with its other major Unions – NATKE, ETU, NUJ and Equity. It is well worth mentioning that the new agreement reached with Equity was extremely complex but was negotiated with great goodwill, with each side adjusting its position so that benefits could flow to both.

It is the earnest hope of your Board and the Board of ATV Network, that a new basis of sound relations has been created within the company for the future. Short term productivity agreements were reached both at our Elstree studios and at Birmingham to cover our present production activities. We have now asked each of the main Unions to negotiate with us long term productivity deals protecting both their individual interests and your company’s throughout the remaining five years of the present television licence. We have been pleased with the initial response from the Unions to these proposals. They are now under detailed negotiation but we will need the full understanding of our Union employees that the only way the company can afford to pay additional wages beyond the exceptionally high levels which already apply in this industry is in return for further direct calculable improvements in individual productivity.

New Midland Studios

We are well pleased with the progress in completing our new television studios at Paradise Centre in Birmingham. Both our architects and the equipment manufacturers have worked well with us to ensure that the new studios will be available for transmissions from the target date next month.

By the early part of 1970 all parts of the Paradise Centre Television Studios will be fully operational.

Programmes

The centre of ATV Network’s activities is in its programmes. In spite of the many difficulties of the past year, ATV has once again produced a wide range of programmes of all types. Some of the highlights of the past year are shown on page 13.

There have been indications of a reduction in the total amount of viewing for television programmes. The largest proportion of the decline has fallen to BBC programming in spite of its control of two channels and monopoly of free advertising for its television programmes on BBC radio – a very great advantage which BBC Television enjoys. In the last six months, ATV Network’s proportion of the total television audience has risen substantially, and now stands at approximately 56%, with BBC1 and BBC2 combined having 44%.

ATV Network’s Educational Advisory Committee has been reconstituted under the Chairmanship of Professor Ronald Maudsley.

ITN

Like the rest of the industry ITN must operate on the 625 line system and in colour later this year. ITN’s Board therefore had no alternative but to agree plans for the building of a new ITN Studio Centre in London. These studios when equipped will cost about £1.5 million and represent a further large but unavoidable capital outlay for the industry. There will also be higher running costs when programming is in colour.

We were delighted to hear that Her Majesty The Queen and His Royal Highness, the Duke of Edinburgh, have agreed to honour the industry by making the official opening of these studios in November.

UN’s major news programme, ‘News at Ten’, continues to appear regularly in the Top 20 charts and draws widespread international acclaim.

Your Managing Director, Mr Robin Gill, became the Chairman of ITN during the year.

Viewing Hours

Last Autumn the Government allowed a tiny extension in the hours of broadcasting available to the BBC and ITV. We were grateful for this first indication that our long-standing request for the complete removal of all restrictions on the hours of broadcasting might yet be brought about.

We do most earnestly recommend that this restriction should be removed. It is wholly out of date and against the interests of the viewer. There are significant minority and other groups in the population who cannot be reached so long as such restrictions continue to apply.

TV Times

The year saw the unhappy closing of our very successful Midland magazine TV World. This came about as a result of the ITA’s new policy, which required all companies to use one programme magazine for the whole country.

The new national magazine was a re-creation of the TV Times. This new project involved heavy pre-operational charges, and it has taken a very considerable time to produce a continuing trading profit from the venture.

EVR (Electronic Video Recording)

ATV Network continues to keep a careful watch on the many technological developments within the television and electronic industries.

One of the most promising of these developments is a process for playing cassetted programmes through your home television set. This system is called EVR and we are pleased that the first full programme produced for this new system will be one of ATV’s.

Some of ATV Network’s programmes in the past year

Plays
‘Macneil, Cornelius and Emlyn’ a trilogy by Alun Owen shown in world markets as ‘Male of The Species’*, ‘A Heritage and its History’ adapted from novel by Ivy Compton Burnett, ‘A Matter of Diamonds’ by Paul Lee, ‘Retreat’ by John Hale, ‘The Marrying Kind’ by David Reid, ‘Colombe’ adapted from Jean Anouilh, ‘The Square on the Hypotenuse’ by Anthony Skene, ‘Uncle Jonathan’ by Linette Purbi Perry, ‘Stealers of Darkness’ by Jacques Gilles, ‘A Most Unfortunate Accident’ by John Bowen.

Drama Series
‘The Power Game’, ‘Fraud Squad’, ‘Love Story’, ‘Crimebuster’, ‘Crossroads’, ‘Honey Lane’, ‘Virgin of the Secret Service’, ‘Driveway’.

Light Entertainment and Comedy
‘This is Tom Jones’, ‘The Liberace Show’, ‘The Des O’Connor Show’, ‘George & The Dragon’ starring Peggy Mount and Sid James, ‘It’s The Bachelors’, ‘The Golden Shot’, ‘Goodbye Again’ starring Dudley Moore and Peter Cooke, ‘The Big Show’, ‘The Jimmy Tarbuck Show’, ‘The Real Mike Yarwood’, ‘Stars’ with Maurice Woodruff, ‘With Bird Will Travel’, starring John Bird, ‘John Brown’s Body’, starring Peggy Mount & Naunton Wayne, ‘It Must Be Dusty’, with Dusty Springfield.

Late Night Shows
‘Tonight with Dave Allen’, ‘Tonight with David Nixon’.

Current Affairs
‘Man of The Month’ including Governor Wallace, Dr Borlaugh, Deputy Prime Minister Allon of Israel, General Lemnitzer, Dr Lindt of the Red Cross. ‘Midland News’, ‘ATV Today’, ‘Police Five’, ‘Meet The Mayor’, ‘The Power from Beyond’.

Documentaries
‘Big Fish, Little Fish’ by Anthony Firth*. ‘The Lion & The Dragon’ by Robin Brown, ‘Welcome to Britain’ by Ross Devenish, ‘The Three Happiest Years’ by Norman Swallow, ‘Anything Can Happen’ by Hugh Raggett, ‘The Old Boys’ by Ken Ashton, ‘Hospital’ by David Rea.

Sports & O.B.’s included:
‘Wimbledon 1968’, ‘Cup Final 1968’, ‘Royal Show 1968/69’, ‘British Grand Prix’*, ‘Sportsweek’, ‘Sports from the Midlands’, ‘Major Football Matches’.

Religion
‘All Creatures Great & Small’ by Jean Morton, ‘Once More with Feeling’ Music, ‘The Church and I’ Discussion Panel.

Children’s Programmes
‘The Tingha and Tucker Club’.

Education
‘Towards Mathematics’, ‘Primary French’, ‘Ici La France’, ‘The Universe’ with Sir Bernard Lovell.

* Programmes which have won International Awards

Amongst those appearing in our programmes have been the following: Anne Bancroft, Shelly Berman, Michael Caine, Sean Connery, Harry Corbett, Jim Dale, Phylis Diller, Sacha Distel, The Fifth Dimension, George Gobel, Engelbert Humperdinck, Sid James, Michael Jayson, Tom Jones, Nemone Lethbridge, Liberace, Anna Calder-Marshall, George Maharis, Mireille Mathieu, Barbara Murray, Peggy Mount, Des O’Connor, Sir Laurence Olivier, Eric Porter, Nyree Dawn Porter, Marjorie Proops, Juliet Prowse, Lynn Redgrave, Cliff Richard, Peter Sellers, Paul Scofield, Sheila Scott, Lord Soper, Ann Todd, Terry-Thomas, Dame Sybil Thorndike, Kenneth Williams, Patrick Wymark.

The post Annual Report 1969 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

WILL JOAN PALMER bring her two-year-old son Adam to the television studios on Christmas Day?

According to Joan it all depends on whether the viewers would like to see him – and on what sort of mood he’s in.

“On some days, I wouldn’t let a soul see him – let alone millions of viewers” says Joan in typical motherly manner.

Joan is one of a team of three A.T.V. announcers who will be doing 17-hour shifts on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. The others are Peter Tomlinson and Kevin Morrison.

Peter Tomlinson is working on Christmas Eve.

“I’ll be the first person to wish everyone a Happy Christmas Day” he says. “I’ll be giving my message immediately after the Pope’s broadcast. Imagine that – following the Pope.”

Peter will then drive home, arriving about 3 a.m. and will tiptoe into the house to kiss small daughter Belinda but only very softly because it would never do to wake her.

“My wife will be waiting up so that we can fill Belinda’s stocking and hang it at the end of her bed together.”

Peter lives in a Gloucestershire village, and as viewers there don’t receive ATV no one locally is really impressed by the fact that he’s an announcer.

“To them I’m Peter Tomlinson, husband and father – not a character who appears on the box. And I like that idea very much.”

He’s a bit nervous about how he’ll cope on Christmas Day. He’s given himself extra household tasks this year as his wife is expecting their second child in the Spring. “I shall be in charge of fetching and carrying and keeping the fire stoked. And I shall carve the turkey for dinner.”

This is the cause of his anxiety. His in-laws are staying over Christmas, and they are very particular about how the turkey is carved. “And I’ve never attacked one before” says Peter.

Joan Palmer became a television announcer in 1968. After a ‘pause’ while she produced Adam she returned to the screen again. Christmas has a special meaning for her. “It was while working a long day shift three years ago that I found myself unaccountably tired – and wanting to eat lumps of coal instead of Christmas pudd. That was when I first discovered I was about to be a Mum!”

(We’ll be watching to see if you yawn this year, too, Joan.)

So many viewers have written to ask if they can see her son that Joan wonders if it might be a good idea to bring him in to the studio for a few minutes on Christmas Day.

“There are several reasons why I’d like it. First because otherwise I shan’t see him at all on Christmas Day, and because children make Christmas and I would like viewers to share my delight in Adam. I expect all he’ll manage to do is wander round and poke his fingers into everything. But he just might be persuaded to wave at the screen and say, “Hello everybody.”

Kevin Morrison is a 23-year-old batchelor and the youngest announcer. When he wants to goad Joan Palmer he tells her that he remembers watching her on the screen when he was at school!

He’s glad he’s working over Christmas because otherwise he’d be fed up, even though he has a smashing new flat in Edgbaston. “Christmas to me seems like an endless Sunday – and it’s not much fun being on your own.

“I’ll have a special word for those who have only a television set for company at Christmas.

“I’m a compulsive worker and my life is completely bound up in television.”

He’ll start Boxing Day wearing an informal outfit – a sweater and trousers probably – and then a shirt and tie after lunch with the usual immaculate dinner jacket for evening programmes.

Joan Palmer will be making a colourful picture in a red crepe evening gown, and long white ostrich feather boa.

“I made the dress myself” she says, “and I have been known to bring my needlework to the studio on occasion. As for the lovely white feather boa – it belongs to my son’s godmother and I got her to lend it me specially for Christmas Day.

The post Magnificent trio appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

TONIGHT is the biggest night in commercial television in Britain since its inception 12 years ago. For tonight the new contract period comes into operation —bringing the new companies of Yorkshire and Thames to the screen for the first time, putting Harlech officially on the ITV map and redefining the pattern of Granada in the north and ATV in the Midlands.

And at the end of this momentous week the new London Weekend Company — with David Frost as one of the principal figures both behind and in front of the cameras —takes the air.

But, unless you happen to watch the ITV channel tonight for half an hour before the 10 p.m. ITN news, you might be forgiven for not realising that a new era has dawned with ATV.

ONE OF 17

For though there are 17 new programmes advertised to start this week, only one — a twice-weekly serial called Driveway — carries the ATV label (notwithstanding tonight’s half hour introduction and the Royal Gala show on Thursday which are, after all, only one-off programmes).

Of the others, one is from Anglia, two from Granada, four from Yorkshire, two from London Weekend and seven from the new London weekday company, Thames TV. It is hardly an impressive start.

For example. ATV’s Midland contributions to tonight’s 7¼ hours’ viewing amounts to 15 minutes of Tingha and Tucker, ten minutes of regional news, 25 minutes of ATV Today and the 30-minute “hullo-to-the-new-contract” programme.

REPEATS

It even manages on this first night of the brave new world of independent television to devote 80 minutes to repeats of American film series.

Given the regional news and ATV Today each night, the rest of the week’s Midland contribution to our viewing is:

• Tuesday: Crossroads (25 minutes); Driveway (new series — 30 minutes).
• Wednesday and Friday: Tingha and Tucker (15 minutes); Crossroads (25 minutes); Pulse (new religious series — ten minutes).
• Thursday: Tingha and Tucker (15 minutes); Crossroads (25 minutes); Driveway (30 minutes); Pulse (ten minutes).

And of the other 27 hours of evening television this week ATV productions account for only three hours and ATV presentations, usually film series purchased from overseas (mainly America), amount to five hours — 25 minutes of which is a repeated programme: in total, less than a third of the week’s evening programme time.

Nor is the picture to be much better between now and the beginning of the autumn schedules at the end of September. For while the other programme companies pour out thousands of pounds worth of new programmes, and experiment with new ideas, ATV’s “new” offerings for the period are:

‘X’ SERIES

A late night “X” film series starting on Saturday; another new twice-weekly series Crimebuster (about a disgraced sportsman who turns exposé journalist for a Sunday newspaper); a documentary on Warwick University; another documentary about the racehorse Arkle; Sunday afternoon recordings of Midland soccer matches when the season starts; a series called Stars, with Maurice Woodruff and Marjorie Proops; and three programmes featuring Peter Cooke and Dudley Moore.

Again, not a line-up which really merits a heralding fanfare.

On ATV’s side, of course, it could be argued that it is bringing Midland viewers a choice of the best of the new programmes being produced by the other companies. This is true — and so it should.

TOO FACILE

But it is also a far too facile answer, and no excuse for a company which was one of the “big four” and is now one of the “big five,” being responsible for only one seventeenth of the week’s new programmes.

It would also be an all-too-easy reply that ATV is already known in the Midlands and, therefore, does not have to make such a big splash just because it enters a new contract period which now includes the weekends as well as the weekdays.

Neither does Granada, now seven-day contractors in the north-west area based on Manchester, have any need to re-establish its identity in that region. But, true to its tradition of liveliness and willingness to have a go, it is managing to introduce two new series this week, one of them an hour-long drama series in the mould of City ’68.

The sad fact is that this week, ATV had a once-for-all opportunity to make a real impact in the Midlands, to give us some foretaste of all that is promised for the future – but it chose not to take it.

Even if such a splash by ATV had only been a gesture — it is one that ought to have been made nevertheless.

NO SNAGS

What makes the picture even more damning from ATV’s point of view is the fact that it has not been beset with the chaos of moving or the uncertainties of starting from scratch that some of the other companies have experienced in recent months.

A few months ago Yorkshire TV had only a few odd rooms in Leeds to work in. Yet today, it has four new programmes ready for the network. Thames has had severe internal problems, mainly staff ones, as a result of its formation out of Rediffusion and ABC, yet has come up with no less than seven new programmes.

ATV has had no such problems. True, its faculties in Birmingham will remain limited until the new centre is ready.

FACILITIES

But it has had available all the marvellous facilities of its vast Elstree production centre and it would have mattered not one jot that the programmes were actually produced there provided that they had either a real Midland content or were worthy of networking under the ATV Midlands banner.

Having said all that, however, I am still prepared to take at face value the promises made by ATV that the autumn schedules will reveal all; that the new programmes being planned (some of them announced a few months ago) will be really new and extremely viewable; and that ATV will prove its allegiance to the Midlands as a region within the ITV pattern.

And if I have expressed doubts about independent television in the Midlands, nothing would please me more than that ATV should, with its new programmes and new interest in the Midlands, confound those fears and doubts and make me eat my words

Commentary

The post Watch carefully – it’s TV’s big night appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

CLOSE YOUR EYES and you could be anywhere. Open them and you are in Dreamland. Margate, that is.

And lurking somewhere in this town on this cold autumn evening, is The Hulk.

Scraps of paper blow through the Dreamland fairground and come to rest by a kiosk advertising a “Cavalcade of Carnage”. Now that’s a likely Hulk hideaway. But there’s no Hulk. Incredible. Is there anything more empty than an out-of-season fairground? Is that the wind, or just the echoes of summer screams and laughter?

When I asked Jackie Pallo Snr. —  “Mr. TV” Pallo with the wrestling son Jackie Pallo Jnr. — who now promotes wrestling fixtures, to introduce me to a wrestler who would talk about the sporting, showbiz life, he suggested The Hulk. “Been around a long time. Seen it all and done it all.” I could have talked to The Wild Man of Borneo, but Pallo said The Hulk would prove the best bet as he had a couple of dates coming up. Hence Margate.

The confrontation came in The Summerland Room. There was smoke coming from The Hulk. He was puffing a pipe and looked friendly. “I’ve just been having a meal,” said The Hulk. “Beefburger.” The amiable Billy Stock, from Crystal Palace, South London, is The Hulk. At 16 stone and 5ft. 5in. Billy is a young-looking 45. “Yeah, I’m lucky. No grey hairs. Maybe that’s wrestling. I haven’t been The Hulk long. It was Jackie’s idea and if it really catches on I’ll get some green gear, all torn. That’s what Hulks wear, isn’t it?

“I’ve had lots of different names. Basically I’m very round. I’ve been The Angry Bubble Car, The Little Boy With the Big Heart, and even Billy Two Dinners…

“All I ask,” says Billy, “is that you don’t knock this business. We’re here to entertain. We work hard at it. You get a lot of knockers and it doesn’t help anyone. There’s a lot of nice people in this game.”

By day Billy Stock is a mini-cab driver. “Drive anywhere. You want to go to Scotland, we’ll go to Scotland. Nights in the ring are when I become a villain. I often think if more people could get in a ring and be a villain for half an hour or so there’d be a lot less trouble in the world. It’s very nice to get in the ring and have the punters hating you… those same punters who are hating you and who five minutes earlier were buying you a drink.”

Tonight in Margate he is totally on the side of law and order; he’s the referee.

It was once Billy Stock’s dream to be Middleweight Champion. “It never happened. It’s very hard to get in the running. I dream of having a house in the middle of a field. I like the quiet life. Wrestling’s been good to me, though. When you phoned I thought it was one of the boys having a go. Well, you don’t think someone from the TVTimes would be interested.

“I was an amateur wrestler for a long time, but my Mum got fed up with me bringing home knives and forks. They were always the prizes.

“Tomorrow in Ipswich I’ll really be a villain and I promise you’ll see some real action.”

Twenty-four hours later in the Ipswich Corn Exchange and Billy Stock/The Hulk has a new title. He is billed on the poster outside for a tag match with his partner Lee Sharon as one of The Aggrovators. “Half the time you don’t know what you’re called till you look at the billing,” he says.

We are in the bar and he is drinking halves of shandy. Mickie “Super Star” Sullivan joins the table. “I’m not supposed to talk to you,” says Billy. Sullivan is going to fight him in the tag match. They smile. “Super Star” Sullivan says he once wrestled a bear in Germany. Both of them agree that some of the hardest opposition is the audience. Sullivan says sometimes the women can be very amorous in a physical sort of way. Grunt and groan boys sometimes get attacked by grope and groan women.

“You get an audience shouting abuse,” says Stock, “and it can get very nasty. You get cigarettes stubbed on you. Annoys me. I wear tights and it can ruin the gear. I remember down in Brighton there was a gent we called The Colonel and he hit me across the back of the legs with his stick. And I grabbed it from him and went to break it. For some reason I couldn’t snap it. I looked pathetic.

“My wife Di is a great wrestling fan. She’s a good one to have in the audience. She shuts up the troublemakers. Met her when I was doing gas conversions. Her mother’s potty about wrestling, too.”

At 9.35 on goes Billy Stock/The Hulk/The Referee and now The Aggrovator. He comes out of the blue corner looking mean. “You silly old fool,” shouts a tremulous, but brave voice.

There’s a lot of rough stuff on both sides. The audience love it, but hate him. Lee Sharon tries to drill Sullivan’s back into the top of a corner post. And then Sullivan makes a comeback and gets the first fall. Everyone but The Aggrovators is delighted. “The ropes, ref,” says Billy Stock.

More rough stuff, only rougher. Billy would never win any knives and forks for some of the illegal moves he’s using now. Is this the man who wants a quiet life? He’s wild and so is the audience.

Suddenly, he gets a submission from Sullivan. The hall erupts. The audience are off their chairs in protest. The bell is ringing but no one’s heeding it. A private fight has broken out between the two teams.

The ref goes to break it up, gets in the way of a forearm smash and sinks to the canvas. A second topples over and joins him. “Ladies and gentlemen, Ladies and Gentlemen! The Aggrovators have been disqualified. Disqualified!”

Beer cans sail through the air; Billy Stock is out of the ring and walking villainously through the threatening audience. As he reaches me, a chair is hurled towards us. “You see that,” he says. “That’s really disgusting.”

Another day, another night. A bit of sport, a lot of entertainment. Jackie Pallo Jnr. says that so often there’s a knocking remark in an article like this. Usually at the end of the piece.

Not me. Never, ref. Never. It’s a knockout!

The post How wrestling can get a hold on you appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

WHATEVER ELSE life at the Crossroads Motel might have been, it has never been dull. And looking back over the 14 years since we opened our doors, I am amazed at how much has happened.

We’ve had our bad times and we’ve had our good, and although this is an occasion for celebrating, it’s as well to remember both.

Will I ever forget, for example, that night in 1968 when my car collided with motor-cyclist Vince Parker? The worry about Vince was terrible, and then came the shock of being sentenced to three months’ imprisonment for dangerous driving. I only spent a week in prison because I was released pending an appeal. Thankfully, that went in my favour, and I can’t tell you my relief at getting back to the Motel.

There was more than a little relief the following year when my nephew Brian and his wife Janice found their baby, which had mysteriously vanished. You can imagine the thoughts that go through your head at a time like that. It seems that some children had been playing with the baby and had locked the poor little thing in a shed. I thought the joy at finding the child unharmed would help bring Brian and Janice closer together and avoid them splitting up, but it was not to be.

Do you remember that silly argument between the Motel and the Manor House? Looking back, I can smile now, but at the time it all seemed very important. Miss Penn, the woman from the Manor House, and Mr. Sinclair, the man I thought to be their gardener, objected to us putting a caravan at the bottom of our garden. So I conducted all my business from the caravan. But it all ended happily. Miss Penn married the gardener — who turned out to be the owner of the Manor… Then there was Jill’s wedding. I must admit that at first I wasn’t too keen on my daughter marrying Stan Harvey. They met, if you remember, when he did some electrical repairs at her boutique. But their marriage was happy enough, although I’m not too sure what’s happening at present.

Sandy’s accident was one of those stupid things that never should have happened. He had insisted on driving some people home from a wedding reception because they were drunk. They stopped for petrol and a woman passenger demanded to take over the driver’s seat. Sandy tried in vain to stop her and the result was the inevitable crash. The woman was killed outright and Sandy was badly injured and paralysed. Condemned to a wheelchair, he went through terrible depression. Then he began to realise how many people had helped him through that awful period and he became a Samaritan. I think he feels he’s repaid some of his obligations by being able, in turn, to help others.

Hugh Mortimer and I were reunited in 1974. I hadn’t known beforehand that Hugh had married his partner’s daughter out of compassion. He knew — although I didn’t — that she was dying.

Hugh and I finally married in 1975, but I wasn’t to know how short our life together would be. He was kidnapped in Australia and they asked a fortune in ransom. I thought I’d never be able to raise the money. But I did. The tragedy, of course, was that he died of a heart attack while the money was on its way to the kidnappers.

Memories, memories, how many there have been over the years. We’ve had our share of heartache but, on the other hand, there’s been a lot of fun in running the Motel and I’ve met some marvellous people and made many good friends.

Now there’s just time for a little celebration, then it’s back to the Motel — and the next instalment of our story.

1 Nick Van Doren; 2 Kevin McArthur; 3 Jimmy Gudgeon; 4 Ken Church 5 Marylin Hope; 6 Peter Hope; 7 Sandy Richardson; 8 Mr. Lovejoy; 9 Shirley Perkins; 10 Meg Richardson; 11 Hilda Duvene; 12 Mrs. Hope; 13 Jill Richardson; 14 Dick Jarvis; 15 Kitty Jarvis; 16 Amy Turtle; 17 Bruce Sorbell; 18 Josefina Rafael; 19 Brian Jarvis; 20 Vince Parker; 21 Graham Parrish; 22 Edith Tatum; 23 Emily Vinson; 24 Janice Jarvis; 25 Nora Gillingham; 26 Ruth Fraser; 27 Diane Lawton; 28 Marcus Allison; 29 Johnny Patrick

---

1 Mr. Lovejoy; 2 Mr. Booth; 3 Mrs. Hope; 4 Andy Fraser; 5 Charlie Forward; 6 Linda Ash; 7 Don Rogers 8 Miss Tatum; 9 Alan Johnson; 10 Mrs. Blundell; 11 Amy Turtle; 12 Meg Richardson; 13 Jill Harvey; 14 Stan Harvey; 15 Sheila Harvey; 16 Wilf Harvey; 17 Vince Parker; 18 Sandy Richardson; 19 Sandra Gould; 20 Diane Lawton

---

1 Meg Mortimer; 2 Hugh Mortimer; 3 Sandy Richardson; 4 Vince Parker; 5 Jill Harvey; 6 Jane Smith; 7 Wilf Harvey; 8 Ruth Fraser; 9 Diane Parker; 10 Mrs. Hope; 11 Stan Harvey; 12 Mrs. Witton; 13 Brian Jarvis; 14 Shelia Mollison; 15 Mr. Booth; 16 Florrie Harvey; 17 Vera Downend; 18 “Carney”; 19 Andy Fraser

---

Those lucky Lookalikes face their famous doubles

“It’s all a diabolical plot by the producer to replace the entire cast!” That’s how Roger Tonge reacted when he saw double — the winning Lookalike in our competition that most resembles him as Sandy Richardson, the Crossroads character he plays. His “double”, and the other winning Lookalikes have already come face to face with their other selves and, with their guests, will be V.I.P.s at the special Crossroads 3,000th. Birthday Party on September 19 at the same hotel where Meg’s wedding reception was held — the Chateau Impney, Droitwich, Hereford and Worcester. Now meet the stars — and their other selves

The post It’s Crossroads’ 3,000th Birthday appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

LENNY HENRY is black, 16 years old, 6ft. plus and is the comedy impressionist who stood the New Faces panel on its ear with his sunburned Michael Crawford routine. Lines such as “Betty got me this job as an Ambre Solaire salesman and it won’t come off”, helped to cam him top marks for “star quality”.

And since those early accolades Lenny, the boy from Douglas Road, Dudley, in Worcestershire, a few miles outside Wolverhampton in the industrial Midlands, is working the top clubs in the North, making TV shows such as Saturday’s The Summer Show and hoping, as a result, for the chance of a cabaret engagement in Las Vegas.

Lenny the fifth (“Henry the Fifth”) of seven children, started his comic career in the classroom. “I used to do impressions of teachers; that always went down well. I would always get a laff from me mates. And I did other things, like a Groucho Marx routine.”

School for Lenny was a great time for getting comedy routines from his classmates. “But it didn’t do much for me when it came to learning anything. It was a terribly big school with huge classes. Then they raised the school leaving age; this created one hell of a confusion.

“But it was fun a lot of the time. Science classes were the best, because the teacher used to help us to do a radio show. We would do all those comic routines, impressions of the teachers and stuff like that, and then play them back over loudspeakers in the science laboratory.”

Lenny lives with his parents, younger brother and two sisters in a large, crumbling Victorian house: “Six rooms, all with very high ceilings. It’s a great place, but it needs thousands to put it right. Our house is right in the middle of Douglas Road. There’s big houses on one side and little council houses on the other. A lot of me mates come from that road.” His parents came to Britain from Jamaica in 1958. “Mum came over first. She and Dad used to live in the country part of Jamaica, where Dad had a store. He used to do all sorts of jobs — stonemason, store owner — and they lived in a big house with green crops of all kinds. But they wanted a change. Me Mum had read that English streets were paved with gold, so they decided to leave for Britain.

“So she came to Dudley, got a job and a flat. Dad came over a while after her and I was born here.

“Dad works in a big engineering factory. I don’t know what he thinks of his job, he just does it, day in and day out.”

Lenny made light of the monotony of his own factory job, as an engineering apprentice. “1 was always playing it for laffs in the factory. Me mates used to like me to do routines at the bench. One day I was working with a screwdriver and it slipped and cut my hand. They all laffed but I couldn’t see anything funny in it. So I went into ray Max Bygraves routine — ‘You need hands…’, that used to go down really well.”

Lenny’s break from his engineering career came after he entered a talent competition run by a local disc jockey and record shop owner, Mike Hollis. “I did it as a dare. Me mates sort of pushed me into entering the contest so I did Presley’s Jailhouse Rock.

“I won that week, and the next week I did an impression of Tommy Cooper and won again.”

Hollis recognised his show-stopping abilities and took him under his wing. “Lenny has a natural instinct for humour and an incredible gift for mimicry,” says Hollis, who has become Lenny’s mentor and friend since they first met just over a year ago. And Lenny has a great regard for “me mate Mike”, who is “very honest and reads me like a book.” The repertoire of impressions includes James Mason — “I was chuffed when I got him right” — Michael Crawford, James Stewart…

He also has a good line in Kojak jokes, the voice honed to perfection.

At the moment, Lenny is able to satisfy only his liking for clothes and food.

“But when I start to get into the money, there’s loads I want to do. It’s my birthday on August 29. I’ll be 17, so I want to buy a car. I’d also like to take the family off for a holiday in Jamaica. Mum and Dad would love to go back there. Mum’s a bit fed up with Dudley now. She’s seen it all. They’ll never get a chance to go back though, except for a holiday.”

Since some bad experiences as a child, Lenny says that the colour question hasn’t bothered him. “I got known as the Sun-Tanned Kid and I thought, looking at my skin, this is my gimmick, this is my ticket.” That ticket, and his natural talent for mimicry and humour, is likely to take Lenny Henry, first-class, to the top of the entertainment tree.

The post You have to laff at Lenny’s new faces appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

From the ATV Television Show Book for 1963

The man who sets out to prove that they would work, despite all the obstructions of officialdom and the scoffers – is Sergeant Cork, detective.

The stories of Sergeant Cork have as their aim the accurate capturing of the flavour and atmosphere of the time. This was a period of tremendous change in British history. There were great extremes of wealth and poverty. London was a home for political exiles from all over the world, a hotbed of argument and debate.

Much of the action of the cases which Cork investigates show him in his office, set high in the attic of a Whitehall building; in his lodgings; in the public bar of a pub.

What of Cork himself? He is a man of about 42, a sergeant in the newly formed CID. He is unmarried, and lives in comfortable lodgings in the Bayswater Road district of London. He comes from lower middle-class parents, so that he is familiar with both sides of Victorian society. He started as a probationer P.C. on the beat, and joined the original Detective Department. His sympathy is with the underdog, but he does not tolerate fools gladly whether they are above or below him in rank, and his outspokenness has probably cost him promotion.

He is a well-known figure in London — and even elsewhere — mainly because the Press of the period gave considerable publicity to detectives. But beyond this he has a host of friends and acquaintances, as well as contacts in the meanest pub in Limehouse and in the houses of the great.

He is a passionate believer in scientific aids and wages a one-man war with H.Q. to achieve proper status and facilities for the CID. He is neat and clean, but often careless of his appearance as he gets worked up over a case. He is not worried about personal comfort or food and will spend the night on a chair in his office if pressed by work, and he will be as happy with an apple, bread and cheese, and pickles as with an elaborate meal. He doesn’t like violence or cruelty, but is able to defend himself and restrain a violent customer if necessary.

He has no close girl-friend, but there is a rumour that the girl he was engaged to, years before, died of injuries received when she was knocked down by a coach belonging to a merchant. The merchant was absolved, and the story goes that it was his wealth that enabled him to get off.

Who works with Cork? Well, there is Bob Marriott. He is about 25, a public school and university product who got into the CID through “back-stairs” influence. Bob went to these lengths because, as a young man, he developed a great interest in detection, much to the despair of his family, who regarded the police with complete disgust. He is tough and mentally alert. Inexperience and over-enthusiasm lead him into mistakes, and Cork often has to take him to task. But he is a pleasant chap and his enthusiasm and willingness to work encourages Cork to be patient with him.

To Bob, Cork is someone from a different world. His knowledge and experience of all sides of life fascinate him. He has no regular girl-friend — but a whole assortment of girls. He likes a pretty face and won’t miss an opportunity to improve an acquaintance if it occurs. Women find him attractive.

Like his chief, he is interested in scientific aids to detection.

Detective Joseph Bird is a different kettle of fish. A man of about 50, he is mainly interested in administration. He represents every thing that Cork dislikes: he is servile to superiors, bureaucratic and narrow in outlook. He is a family man, strongly religious, and a strict disciplinarian.

Cork and Bird are constantly at loggerheads, mostly over Cork’s attitude and activities. The sergeant is polite and respectful on the surface, but his manner conceals his contempt of Bird — and Bird knows this.

To his friends, Superintendent Billy Nelson is known as a handsome man, who is always stylishly dressed. A former Army officer, now in his 50’s, he retains something of the military bearing. Though there is a certain impish humour in his eyes, he is a man who can be tough, although he is fair.

Nelson admires and respects Cork, even though he doesn’t always understand what he is up to; but even then he is prepared to back him to the hilt, and he is the one who defends and protects him from outside attacks — and from Inspector Bird — though Cork does not always make it easy for him to do so.

Outside his work, who has an influence on Cork? Mrs. Fielding, his landlady, might be said to exert some influence — but not much. She is a neat, attractive, well-shaped woman in her 30’s, with a husband who is a clerk. Cork’s rent is valuable in supplementing the family income. He has the first-floor front room, which is cosy but not sumptuous. The house — in a terrace of lower-middle-class houses — is not as distinguished as, say, Sherlock Holmes’ rooms in Baker Street. This is a more humble background for Cork, whose salary is around the not princely figure of £200 a year.

Mrs. Fielding’s two children are constantly being hushed to silence when Cork is in the house, but without any great need, really, for they hold the famous detective in something like awe.

To play the role of Sergeant Cork, actor John Barrie was wooed from the grocery business which he runs in his native Yorkshire. With his curly bowler set jauntily, though not foppishly, his stout cane at the ready and his sidewhiskers bristling, he looks and plays the part to perfection. For when he strides the streets of old London, artificial though the cobblestones may be beneath his feet, he has transported himself back seventy-odd years… to the days when at least one policeman with ideas which many said were before their time proved that with determination and imagination the side of the law’ on which it was best to be was undoubtedly the right side.

Such a man is Sergeant Cork — detective.

The post Sergeant Cork appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

From the ATV Television Show Book for 1963

As this small band became integrated with all branches of crime in the capital city, and as its members rubbed shoulders with the criminals of all types who frequented their new “beat”, so valuable information was picked up and passed on to Scotland Yard. Such information often meant that a planned crime could be nipped in the bud. On other occasions it meant that the movements of a wanted man were known to the authorities and the means of capturing him could then be executed with the minimum of risk to success.

Jack Capstick and John Gosling, now retired senior police officers, were both members of the first exclusive band who were prepared to remove themselves from all the protection that the law could give so that they could help their colleagues on the outside perform more easily their job of keeping the law.

It was to Gosling’s book on “The Ghost Squad” that ATV turned when a series of programmes depicting the work of such men was first considered.

But where Capstick, Gosling and the rest of the early “Squad” operators lived and worked, in an area which seldom stretched beyond fifty square miles of London — and there were even weeks on end, in fact, when their activities confined them to the square mile of Soho itself — the brief given to the authors of ATV’s “Ghost Squad” stories enabled them to range the world, for their settings, to tell their stories through the fortunes and misfortunes, hopes and shattered dreams of people from almost any corner of the globe.

If the television “Ghost Squad” was to be international, then its operators were not to be confined merely to London policemen who were prepared to change their uniform — official or otherwise — for any disguise befitting the case on which they were working.

So the idea of “Ghost Squad” operator Nick Craig was created. The character called for an American actor, tall and rangey, distinctive in voice, with the ability to melt into the background, yet with a personality and presence which allowed him to leave his imprint on any assignment undertaken.

Such an actor was found in the person of 6ft.-4in. Michael Quinn, who came to Britain almost unknown to play the role of Craig. But he was to do such a good job that more than one major film organisation was to make very serious attempts to woo him back to Hollywood during the eighteen months he spent working at ATV’s Elstree Studio Centre.

Quinn is a good example of the new-type American actor who is now looking beyond his own shores for work, as well as looking for an opportunity to find out what is new and challenging in other film and TV capitals throughout the world. Producer Antony Kearey cast Neil Hallett in the part of Tony Miller, the other main “Ghost Squad” operator, seizing an opportunity to bring a new face to a regular TV role.

Where Quinn, at a glance, can be said to be undeniably American, Hallett has all the attributes which are characteristic and distinctive in an accomplished English actor with the sound experience and training of an apprenticeship served in English repertory theatres.

He has a good speaking voice, is agile in movement, dresses well, and he can throw off a humorous line of dialogue in comedy banter as easily as one-word questions.

Behind the activities of both men lies the guiding hand of Geoffrey Stock, the Chief of the “Ghost Squad”. An irascible character, Stock sweats it out in lonely silence when one of his operators is on a dangerous mission. The tensions he suffers are not helped by the “pressures” to which he is exposed from the “faceless” ministers to whom he must report, or by a constant nagging stomach complaint for which no amount of powders and glasses of water, kept readily at hand by his harassed secretary, Jean Carter, can bring relief.

At times his operators think of him as being unreasonable, bad-tempered, inconsiderate — occasionally all three at once—but they would not deny that he possesses the ability for his taxing job.

There are occasions when Geoffrey Stock puts his big desk in his secret headquarters, his multitude of phones and the large-scale map hidden in a panel of the wall of his office behind him. When he thinks he must handle a case personally his mastery of disguise, his ability to assess people and his eye for fine detail come into their own — and his missions successfully accomplished leave his younger associates very much in awe.

Genial Anthony Marlowe gives the appearance of being ready made for the tweed suits, bow ties and countryman’s soft hat with its raffish swept-up side which would seem to be Stock’s favourite choice in dress. If such clothes are characteristic of the man, so also is his pair of horn-rimmed spectacles — especially when they slip to the end of his nose, for this is invariably a sign of trouble for someone. And if Craig or Miller are not on the receiving end of it, then woe betide the one “the Chief” has it in for.

Cases which the “Ghost Squad” are asked to handle have sent Craig and Miller — and occasionally Geoffrey Stock himself (as well as “Porridge”, the Chief’s Scots-born secretary) — travelling to most of the capital cities of Europe. It has also meant their operating in torrid Middle East oil centres, getting caught up with white-slave traffickers, drug-pedlars, counter-agents who cunningly used Army paratroop manoeuvres as their means of passing information, and criminals of all races and descriptions who are prepared to play for the smallest as well as the highest possible stakes.

Danger is the “Ghost Squad” man’s constant companion whenever he is on the job. He has no recourse to the recognised means of help if he finds himself in difficulties, for he must play a lone hand.

The real-life “Ghost Squad” called for men of initiative and imagination and “guts”. The television series requires artistes who can bring to each new story in which they appear acting technique of a high order, understanding and a sense of adventure.

Messrs Quinn, Hallett and Marlowe — not forgetting Claire Nielson, who played Stock’s secretary — have proved that they are well able to measure up to all these requirements.

The post Ghost Squad appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

from the ATV Television Show Book 1963

If the critics didn’t welcome the change with unreserved rapture and if some faithful fans grumbled unnecessarily at the passing of a hero, there is no denying that it took courage and a sense of adventure for Tony Hancock to try something new, to experiment, in the series which he made for ATV this spring.

Tony went back to his early, radio days for the all-important material on which he was to build the new, highly civilised, middle-class Hancock — with its capital “H”. Godfrey Harrison had written the scripts on which the Hancock reputation was firmly founded. So, as Tony looked around for a new image, what better than to go right back to the source of his first inspiration and once again team up with the man who had committed the right words and lines to paper, knowing that the Hancock talent for putting them across would ensure the true marriage of thought and presentation.

No more the faded city gent’s outfit. Put away were the rollneck sweater, tight-fitting trousers and the medal on a thin artificial-gold chain. Bring out, instead, the badges of respectability: the sheepskin jacket, the Robin Hood style hat. Thus attired, Tony Hancock ventured into his new series. And with a new series came a new setting for the inquisitive, audacious Hancock.

Focal point of all his adventures was the doorway of the local bank, a humdrum, unexciting place in itself; but with Hancock around anything could happen — and it usually did.

It was from here, for instance, that “The Lad” became ensnared in a drama which had him rubbing shoulders with the anonymous Big Brass of M.I.5, who, glad of any excuse to see this inveterate nosey-parker out of their way, invented codes, passwords, identification signs and secret messages which had Tony completely confused as he found himself caught up with a Government department kitchen staff, a queue waiting for a bus and the inevitable “overseas agent”.

No amount of red herrings or contrived clues could put Hancock off once the smell of middle-class responsibility was wafting around his nostrils. He just had to succeed; see through to the bitter end the task which he felt he must carry out — invariably ending in disaster and humiliation. For such is the character of Hancock on the screen, and no matter the elevation in his social standing he is still doomed to failure and ridicule — and to our sympathy in the process.

Who, for instance, can forget his attempts to bring to a “This is Your Life”-style story his own individualistic contribution? Hancock had to make his entry to the programme in the grand style — and even if he had nothing really worthwhile to say he was not to be denied the opportunity to make an impression. This he did — to the embarrassment of the subject of the programme and to ATV question-master Shaw Taylor, who played the compere in the programme.

Hancock, the civic-minded citizen, bungled the job of helping the police when the local bank — yes, that very same one where he seemed to spend so much time annoying and lording it over the bearded newspaper vendor who had made his pitch the entrance to the bank — was robbed. Ever hogging the limelight, ever bigger than life, once again Hancock was in trouble, this time with the police, as well as the robber who had done the job.

Big-headed, pompous, naive… Hancock has been called them all. And he earned such descriptions when he got himself involved in helping a casual friend impress his wife with his ability as a “do-it-vourself” exponent; when he took on the job of a professional “escort” to visiting women who wanted a night on the town; when he fell for the smooth talk of an experimental film producer who saw in our Tony the answer to his dreams of a new face for his new-wave movie — with Tony definitely on the receiving end of anything but bouquets from the film critics. His reward was face-slapping, insults from a conscientious house-owner and torment at the hands of a young starlet and a very experienced film actress.

Hancock aping his betters is always an intriguing sight. With the inevitable props of dressing-gown, cigarette-holder and silk kerchief, here was vintage Hancock as he assumed the role of author and comedy script writer. But always the results were the same: disaster, disappointment and a sense of disenchantment.

But only for the moment. For such is the stuff of which Hancock is made that in his mirroring of life he is like a rubber ball: down one moment, up the next, always ready for the next adventure, ever prepared to stick his nose in business which is not his own — invariably with disastrous results. And for those very same reasons he has become a character, a special friend and accomplice — even a national institution.

But behind the facade of buffoon and busybody lies the professional approach of the perfectionist. Too much rehearsal, too much interpretation of the slightest act or situation, is no problem to Tony Hancock. Alan Tarrant, who produced Tony in his programmes for ATV, tells of many hours spent after the official time for rehearsal had ended while Hancock dissected some minute aspect of the plot or action. Time, which saw the night before pass into the early hours of the next morning, went by unnoticed — and rehearsal hour was drawing nearer and nearer. Overflowing ashtrays told of hours of concentration spent in deciding how a particular scene should be played, how a look or word should be used to provide the best effect… and when rehearsal was called, seemingly only minutes later in a rehearsal room at ATV’s Elstree Studio Centre, who was the freshest, most enthusiastic member of the cast on call? Why, Hancock, of course.

“The man thrives on hard work”, says Tarrant. He also confirms the belief held widely in show-business circles that Tony Hancock insists on having “professionals” around him — to work with him and with whom he can work. Hancock saw such an assembly of “pro’s”, for in the programmes which came to ITV screens regularly at 8.30 each Thursday evening for three months such established artistes as Dennis Price, John le Mesurier, Maggie Fitzgibbon, Harry Towb, Edwin Richfield, Diane Clair, Hazel Hughes, Brian Wilde, Thomas Heathcote, Edward
Chapman, Wilfrid Lawson, Judith Stott, Denholm Elliott, Peter Vaughan, Kenneth Griffith, Mario Fabrizi, were on hand to lend their professionalism and know-how to the situations and predicaments in which Tony found himself.

But always the impact was that left by Hancock himself—and who would have it otherwise? For his is an impact of individuality, which reflects the “little man” in all the millions who watched his on-screen activities — unsuccessful and slapped-down though they may have been — and which attracted our affection and recognition: for here, surely, is a kindred spirit.

Hancock is unique.

The post Hancock appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

Despite this crack, the Paladin of the Palladium is no ruthless tyrant or despotic czar.

He is the genial boss of the Moss Empires music hall circuit of 24 theatres that provide entertainment for nearly half-a-million people every week.

He is also Chief Executive of Associated TeleVision, and, in a fortnight’s time, will again be presenting Sunday Night at the London Palladium.

It takes a long time to get to know Val Parnell. Unlike most of the people in the profession, he doesn’t go in for the hail-fellow-well-met approach and a lot of effusive conversation.

He is head backroom boy of a vast domain of show business, and mostly he keeps himself to himself.

Audiences can raise the roof

After his wife Helen, Val Parnell loves the Palladium best of all. It is his pride and joy, and he can rightly boast that it is the greatest and most famous music hall in the world.

To top the bill at the Palladium is the ultimate ambition of every variety act in both hemispheres.

Stars like Danny Kaye and Bob Hope sacrifice enormous fees in America to experience the thrill of hearing a Palladium audience raise the roof.

Jack Benny tells a story of how he met Danny Kaye in New York, just after Danny had returned from enjoying London’s twice-nightly applause.

“What time is it?” said Jack to Danny.

“Six-fifteen and eight forty-five,” replied Danny.

Val has the happy knack of making friends of the stars he employs.

On his desk is a paperweight with the inscription: “To Val — the real star of the London Palladium — from Frank Sinatra.”

Guest of honour

Comedian Danny Thomas gave him a Christmas present of cigars with the comment: “To Val, my friend and boss — a rare combination.”

They like him as a man and they respect the fact that he knows the business inside out. And so he should, as son of the once-famous ventriloquist, Fred Russell — still sprightly at the age of 94.

When Fred Russell was a guest of honour at a Press Club dinner some time ago, Val was there as well.

Someone introduced the grand old man as “Fred Russell, the father of Val Parnell.”

“No,” corrected Val, “I’m the son of Fred Russell — and proud of it.”

In the photograph above you see him standing beside the portrait of his father that he keeps on the piano in his office.

“What about a smile?” asked the photographer as he posed for the picture.

”I never smile,” said Val. He looked at me and asked: “What have I got to smile about?”

But there was a twinkle in his eye.

Come to think of it. I’ve rarely seen him smile. For years I’ve met him backstage, front-of-the-house, in the auditorium rehearsing a Royal Variety Performance, and at all sorts of private parties — and I’ve hardly ever seen him smile, except in greeting a friend.

It’s not that he hasn’t a sense of humour or an appreciation of fun; he can judge the effect of a comedian on an audience long before he hears the laughter.

Once he gave an audition to a not-very-funny comic.

Judging effect

“I’m sorry,” said Val, “but I don’t want any profanity at the Palladium.”

“But,” the man protested, “I don’t use any swear-words.”

“I know,” said Val. “But the audience would.”

Though born into show business, Val did not hanker after grease-paint and footlights. He preferred the business side. He eventually became assistant to the famous George Black, whom he succeeded as boss of Moss Empires when Black died in 1945.

Val’s love of the Palladium amounts to a sort of fanaticism. With a gleam in his eye usually associated with fathers speaking of their first-born, he said to me:

“Do you know that up in the half-crown gallery they’ve got the same carpet as the fourteen-and-sixpenny stalls… at £4 17s. 6d. a yard?

Down in the cellar

“Do you know that it cost £6,000 to put in a new cloakroom downstairs? That’s because we’re over some wine cellars, and thousands of bottles of wine had to be moved out for the job — and then moved in again.”

A final anecdote…

Early in the war a neurotic Negro artist tried to get a Palladium date — and failed.

He called at the Moss Empires’ offices, declaring drunkenly that he would shoot Val Parnell if he didn’t give him a job.

“Mr. Parnell,” said an anxious secretary, “there’s a man downstairs who says he’s going to shoot you.”

Replied Val: “Tell him to get in the queue.”

The post Val Parnell – Paladin of the Palladium appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

• Apart from the ITN news bulletins, everything today is an ATV production or an ATV presentation of something they have bought for themselves. No other company gets a look in. Low summer viewing figures and the upheavals in ITV itself make it that, not counting religious material, there’s only 2 hours and 45 minutes of non-repeated programming today.
• Sunday was the most regulated day of the week on British television. The daily service was mandated; there was a ‘closed period’ with no advertising and restricted to religious and morally improving programmes in the early evening; and no programmes that might distract children from going to Sunday school before 3pm.
• 2.10pm sees part ten of a documentary series about religion; whilst programmes at this point in the day didn’t need to be about religion itself, it was always good for brownie points with the great and the good to try to get some in anyway.
• At 2.45pm we’ve got one of the very few programmes to make the jump from ATV London to the new London Weekend Television: Shaw Taylor’s Police Five. A version also ran on ATV in the Midlands, whilst the format was so popular that other companies ripped it off – Granada’s offering was called Police File.
• General entertainment programmes being banned until after 3pm, Among My Souvenirs is classed as adult education. It’s certainly not something children would choose to watch, but it was popular enough to appear on most ITV stations, albeit at varying times.
• The entertainment starts at 3.25pm with the 1955 film Where There’s a Will, starring ATV’s Mrs Thursday, Kathleen Harrison, and George Cole. Very much a B-picture, it’s typical undemanding Sunday afternoon fare, notable only for being the first film to feature Edward Woodward in the cast.
• The huge print run and the myriad of different editions of the TVTimes (Southern, London, North (Granada and Yorkshire from this week), Border, Anglia, Scottish and Grampian) mean that it has very tight deadlines and goes to press much earlier than you may expect. So they admit that The Golden Shot‘s jackpot is not known, the issue having been put to bed before the previous week’s programme went out.
• The final religious ‘closed period’ of ITV 1.0 is kicked off at 6.15pm with the Tree House Family. This is the same programme as the Tinga and Tucker Club but with Christianity hammered into it. For viewers in the Midlands, Tinga and Tucker was a six-days-a-week programme for kids with Jean Morton. For viewers everywhere else, including London, the Tree House Family was a once-a-week religious programme for kids with Jean Morton. The result is confusion whenever Midlanders and outsiders talk about the programme.
• A scoop for ATV at 6.35pm as Brian Connell gets to interview Michael Ramsey, the Archbishop of Canterbury, in amongst the 500 bishops, archbishops and metropolitans at the Lambeth Conference.
• 8.25pm has us visit the summertime replacement for the Palladium Show. A classic ATV London variety bill here: a presenter who is big in the States but almost unknown in the UK introduces a cast of second-string and past-prime European stars singing and dancing on stage for an hour.

• Braden… on the Box at 11.10pm functions as ATV London’s last programme, a goodbye to weekends in the region that ATV have provided since 24 September 1955 and thus an analysis of the disappearance of ITV 1.0 and the beginning of ITV 2.0. Interestingly, in the northern editions of the TVTimes it’s billed merely as a return to TV for Braden that happens to be discussing television, with the only clue that it’s focussed on the changeover being the last sentence, left over in the editing from the London description.
• We come to the end of the day at about 12.10pm, with David Frost popping up to do a promo for London Weekend (mentioning TVTimes ‘astrologer to the stars’ Maurice Woodruff) before Trevor Lucas makes the station’s final farewells. For viewers in London, ATV wasn’t quite disappearing, of course, as its programmes would continue coming from the midlands. Only the presentation was changing. Still, this did end the situation that had made ATV the biggest ITV company – and the only major of company of the original ITV set-up to be a 7-day operation.
• For TWW, ABC and Rediffusion is was a solid goodbye. They were gone. For Granada, it was a half goodbye, with them remaining in one half of their region. And for ATV… well, it wasn’t really goodbye at all.

The post Tonight’s ATV London… in 1968 appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

Think of that tweed-suited, flat-capped individual who is forever getting his own way — deflating the pompous in the process — and the crafty “tramp”, full of wiles, who have become almost a fixture of Saturday evening viewing.

Many people ask: “How does Arthur manage to maintain such a consistent standard of comedy?” For this, Haynes thanks his brilliant scriptwriter, Johnny Speight. But much was to happen before Arthur struck up a friendship with Johnny.

There was a time when Arthur regarded television as a menace to show business. “All the theatres were closing”, he says, “and it was difficult to get work. In fact, for a while I even considered getting out of the business”.

Naturally, he thinks differently today. “I have every reason to be grateful to television”, he says. “Believe me, it is much more of a challenge than any other branch of show business.”

This change of heart has been brought about mainly by his own tremendous success in this medium. Yet, strangely enough, when his show started it was scheduled for only six weeks. It is now in its seventh year!

Today, many young entertainers think they have struggled if they remain unrecognised for two or three years; but artistes of around Arthur’s age-group know the real meaning of the struggle to success.

Arthur’s first experience of getting a laugh from an audience was when he fooled around in class while studying at the Chiswick Polytechnic Art School. He wanted to be an architect, but when he discovered that it costs more than £2,000 to train he dropped the idea. He decided he would like to go on the stage, but how could he achieve his ambition? He had no contacts inside show business.

For a while he took a number of jobs. He was everybody’s mate — plumber’s, carpenter’s and painter’s. Then he joined London Transport and became a bus conductor. It must have been quite an experience to travel on a bus with a wise-cracking conductor like Arthur. The story goes that passengers used to wait for Arthur’s bus simply because they wanted to enjoy his repartee on the journey.

In 1940 he was called up for the Army. Knowing his “cheeky” television characters as we do, one can imagine the exasperation the Army suffered at his hands. He was first put on a charge during a route-march. At the rear of the line, he found that marching with full-pack and fixed bayonet for mile after mile was too much for him. He slipped away unnoticed and thumbed a lift from a passing motorist. The first thing that happened — and this could quite easily have been a sketch from one of his television shows — was that his bayonet went through the roof of the car. This, naturally, did not endear him to the friendly motorist. But, being wartime, the patriotic driver did not order his clumsy passenger out of the car, but drove ahead of the marching troops and dropped Arthur at his camp. Unfortunately, Arthur’s commanding officer was standing at the main gate. He was not at all impressed by Pte. Haynes’ contribution to Britain’s motorised infantry, and immediately put him on a charge.

After further experiences of this kind, the Army tired of Arthur — or could it be the other way round? — and he was regraded, medically, for having flat feet. He auditioned for the famous “Stars in Battledress”, but was turned down. Later, a chance funny remark to the young son of Captain George Black, the famous impresario who was in charge of the “Stars in Battledress” unit, won him a reprieve.

It was the Army, with whom Arthur had so many tussles, which finally helped him to achieve his long awaited ambition — to go on the stage. For the remainder of the war he toured the war fronts, entertaining the troops.

After his demobilisation in 1946 he was with Charlie Chester in the long-running radio series “Stand Easy”. Then he went solo. He went into pantomime, then toured the country on one-night stands. “I went everywhere from Aberdeen to Plymouth”, he recalls. “All this was wonderful experience and I gradually began to build up a solo act.”

Then, in February, 1956, he was offered his first television spot — in a show called “Strike a New Note”. This was his first meeting with Johnny Speight. “As soon as I saw that first script I knew that it was ME. From the first, Johnny’s scripts suited me perfectly”, he says.

Within twelve weeks the show had been retitled “The Arthur Haynes Show” — and it has been running ever since. Those early shows not only introduced Arthur to Johnny Speight, but also to Nicholas Parsons. Arthur and Nick have now built up the perfect partnership, with Nick the ideal foil for Arthur’s humour.

“Arthur and I did not set out to become a team”, explains Nick. “It simply developed. And I think it’s because it grew that way that it has become such a success.” One thing Nick can be sure of — when working with Arthur Haynes there is never a dull moment. “I’ve been hung from a scaffolding, had my clothes ripped, been covered in mud, made to dive through a window, knocked out, tripped, covered in shaving soap and pushed”, Nick recalls. “You just name it and it’s happened to me: like the sketch in which my flat was supposed to have caught fire and Arthur dashed in dressed as a fireman. I was almost knocked off my feet by the force of the water from Arthur’s hose and soaked to the skin, into the bargain. The trouble was I wasn’t really expecting it. You see, at rehearsal we could not use real water, because this would have ruined the set, so we did not switch on the water until the actual show. So when we did the show everything was spontaneous — and how!”

Many top recording artistes have been guests in “The Arthur Haynes Show” in recent months.

They include: Kenny Ball’s Jazzmen, Patsy Ann Noble, Susan Maughan, Janie Marden, Dickie Valentine, the Springfields, the King Brothers and Alma Cogan. These are the artistes who provide the musical interludes between Arthur’s sketches.

One man who has become a regular member of the “team” in recent months is Joe “Mr. Piano” Henderson. The quiet manner and shy smile of Joe Henderson has become a popular feature of the show. Joe has had his share of hit-parade successes in the past, but he is not at all worried if one of his discs fails to enter the charts.

“It would worry me to be thought of as a hit parade artiste”, he says. “The moment you fail to click people think you are finished. I’m interested in a lasting career. I like to play tunes that people like, aiming somewhere between what the mums and dads go for and what the kids want.”

With the aid of Nicholas Parsons, Joe Henderson, his guest vocalists and the guest actors he frequently uses, Arthur Haynes has built his show into one of the most consistently successful series on television. And, of course, Johnny Speight must share the credit here.

Without a doubt, it is Arthur’s down-to-earth brand of humour and his ability to find the common link in all of us that has made “The Arthur Haynes Show” one of the highlights of Saturday evening viewing.

The post Arthur Haynes appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

And her one regret is that her double shift makes it impossible for her to see Shakespeare at the Stratford Memorial Theatre. For five evenings a week she reads the news from 5.55 to 6 o’clock.

“It’s almost 6.30 by the time my make-up is removed,” she says. “The Memorial Theatre performance begins at 7.30 and I just can’t make it by bus.”

I don’t think it will be long before she has a car — and then she’ll be able to go again.

Last year she went to the Memorial Theatre nearly 50 times and saw each play six times. In 1951 she saw each play in the historic cycle seven times.

Her ambitions are to do more TV work and to act at the Memorial Theatre.

Patricia, who is 25, was auditioned, with scores of other girls for Midlands newscaster at the beginning of May. Producer Ned Sherrin liked her immediately. So did ATV’s Midlands controller Philip Dorte. A private transmission was piped to Val Parnell, in London. Patricia was called for a further test and given a contract.

Apart from a two-week holiday she has been seen every week-day since.

It’s a long day for Patricia. She arrives at the gown-shop in a suburb of Birmingham at 9 o’clock each morning. She models and sells gowns till after 4, when she leaves by taxi for the television theatre at Aston. She reaches the theatre at 4.40, is made up, and runs through the news with Sherrin and Raymond Roden, the man who scripts it for TV. She uses the intervening time before 5.55 to memorise as much as possible of the script.

Her calm, sympathetic approach to the news has won her many admirers. She receives a lot of fan mail and people recognise her in the street.

“I try to be as personal as possible when reading human interest stories,” she says. “I find the best way of putting anything over is to forget the camera and technicians and imagine I am talking to mother at home.”

Though newscasting was Patricia’s first experience of television, she has broadcast in several plays. She set out to be an actress while at Wolverhampton Art School and studied for 18 months with an elocutionist. She won the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art’s gold medal for elocution.

Then she took a drama course at Birmingham Theatre School and appeared in many plays. No wonder the theatre — and music — are her hobbies.

She likes to spend her weekends in the country. Usually this means a trip to the Cotswolds — more often than not to Stratford-on-Avon. Just to look at the Memorial Theatre.

The post Girl behind the news appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

For the amorous Muppet Miss Piggy, with whom Elton was to perform a duet, it was back not to the dressing room but the store cupboard.

For Elton, who takes his chairmanship of Watford Football Club seriously, it was an opportunity to race off to see his team in action. He hired a helicopter for £200, then had to prevail on the police to escort him from Birmingham Airport to West Bromwich Albion football ground. He arrived minutes before the 7.30p.m. kick-off only to see Watford lose 3-2 — the first time he’d seen his team defeated.

The following day Elton was prickly, but politely so. During a brief break in recording, his newly-transplanted pate was bent over a pile of autograph books. Later, once the show was in the can and the studio empty of fans, he was all smiles.

After a phenomenal six years with earnings estimated at £7 million a year — roughly half that figure from royalties alone — he came off the road at the end of 1976. He still insists it’s for good — an insistence reinforced by the announcement that his charity appearance at Wembley last November was his last live show, marking his retirement from the stage altogether.

“It was just a matter of finding the right time,” he said, looking down at what were for him conservatively styled boots. “I don’t regret those years but now I’m rid of them I’m relieved to be starting my life all over. I don’t think anything I’ve written so far is really of much consequence. And I know I can write something of great consequence.”

Until he decided to take a breather he’d enjoyed playing big stadiums surrounded by a seemingly limidess sea of faces. “But quite suddenly I got fed up with seeing people’s faces squashed against fences. I thought, ‘Well, this might be great for me but is it so great for them?’ It wasn’t normal. I had to stop. Re-think.

“When I’ve been on tour I’ve always had bodyguards with me because there was always some crank who wanted to beat me up or shoot me. I went from plane to hotel. From hotel to plane. I tried keeping in touch with everything going on in the world but whatever I did I felt more and more remote.

“I lost my sense of values. I didn’t appreciate what people did for me, nor did I have any idea of how much pleasure just a small thought gives to people. I even resented people wanting my autograph because I’d forgotten what it was like to be on the other side of the fence. The more the wheel turned the more dangerous it felt. So to give up wasn’t a hard decision. It was a gut feeling and I’ve always relied on my instincts.”

His self-assessment docs him no favours. He is after all the man who in 1975 chartered a jet because he thought it would be a nice idea to fly all his office staff, their relatives and friends out to Los Angeles for a corporate jaunt. The gesture is typical of him. As was his refusal to sign up with Rocket, his own record company, until 1976 — four years after it was formed — when he felt it had proved itself.

Elton John hasn’t, and won’t join the ranks of tax exiles, although he is indebted to America for his overnight success story which began in 1970. He does, however, have a home in Beverley Hills.

In all he didn’t spend more than eight weeks in the States last year. There was a six-week holiday, his appearances in Madison Square Garden, another to launch his album The Greatest Hits Vol II and a book called It’s A Little Bit Funny — a photographic collection by David Nutter of Elton’s unguarded moments, with text written by lyricist Bernie Taupin. There were also four days spent recording in Seattle with pianist and ex-Stylistics producer Thom Bell. This session produced six “blatantly pop, blatantly black” tracks for his spring album and a single due for release this month which will be his first new one since Blue Moves on the Rocket label 14 months ago.

Once he was out of the goldfish bowl Elton’s great “down-to-earther” was Watford Football Club. “I was dealing on a normal basis with normal people again. There are still things that I miss, like going for walks or getting on buses. I’d get paranoid thinking everyone was looking and pointing at me. I love the smell of buses. Watford’s been my equivalent of getting on a bus — and sitting in the front seat.”

As a boy they’d been his local team. When he heard they were falling on hard times in 1974 he went along, thinking they’d be put off by his pink hair and eight-inch platform shoes, and offered to do a benefit concert for the club at their ground. About 26,000 people came and they raised £20,000. He became a director, never thinking he’d become chairman, and now football — or rather Watford — is his passion. “Either it’s that,” he laughed, “or it’s being able to tell all my friends that I’m chairman of a football club.”

Another of Elton’s preoccupations this year has been getting Goaldiggers, this country’s only football charity, off the ground. So far he, Jimmy Hill, Brian Moore, Brian Mears and Eric Morecambe under the patronage of the Duke of Edinburgh, have raised enough money to build 20 or so floodlit all-purpose-surface pitches for youngsters in under-privileged areas. The proceeds of his Wembley concert last November went to the Goaldiggers.

Underneath the glossy veneer of the superstar lifestyle and his personal joky image, Elton John has always seemed pretty ordinary, shy and surprisingly insecure. Somewhere there’s a component, a facility for success, everyone’s missed. When he came off the road the Elton ego and image collapsed temporarily. He lost interest in the way he looked, ate too much, drank too much. When he appointed Graham Taylor manager of Watford all that changed, he said, because he recognised something of his old self in Taylor’s dynamic determination, and he wanted to keep pace with him.

“There are two things I could have done,” he said. “I could either have shut myself away, become thoroughly miserable and ruined myself in the process but I realised how ridiculous it was to become a recluse.

“The only other thing I could do was to cope and come to terms with my success. After all I created it.”

The post Where were Elton and Miss Piggy when the lights went out? appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

THE first thing John Terry, ATV’s Head of Presentation, showed me was a Routine Sheet. “You could say this is our daily ‘Bible,’” he said, thumbing a 10-page foolscap-size document in which the entire programme timings, plus ad spots for the day, were typed.

“It’s prepared from a ‘spot list’ which we receive from Sales Department nine days before transmission.”

This “sheet” was for one of ATV’s Saturday transmissions in London.

A glance told me there would be a Wyatt Earp episode from 19.30 hours — half-past seven in viewers’ language — to 19.42.30 hours. Then a caption would appear for four seconds to announce the “end of part one” and precisely at 19.42.34 a 30-second spot for Guinness would be screened, followed by a 15-second Penguin spot and another 15 seconds for Shell.

I also learned from the sheet that the Guinness and Penguin spots would be on 35 mm. film with sound-track, while the Shell spot was on slides with an announcer’s voice supplying the sound.

Complicated as it seemed, that routine accounted for one minute in the whole day’s screen time.

In the film library at Television House there’s a stock of 6,000 “commercials,” including duplicates — an important item where ad spots are repeated at different times of day — and about 3½ million feet of programme film.

Operations Film Manager Tom Carpenter told me that seven days ahead the library assembles in large wooden bays all the separate pieces of film that a day’s routine demands.

“From here they’re wheeled on a trolley to the splicing room next door,” explained Mr. Terry. We entered a smaller room in which Tom Rowland was joining ad spots and programme features into one large reel.

“There will be 3,000 feet of 35 mm. film on this reel when I’ve finished,” Tom told me. “We use between eight and ten reels a day— and some 16 mm. film, too.” So for one day’s showing there may be over 30,000 feet to make-up — and later to break-down for return to the library.

Each reel is checked in the theatre at Television House, then taken to ATV’s control centre at Foley Street, in the West End.

“The ‘spots’ reach viewers’ screens from here by means of four telecine machines,” explained Peter Fowler, one of the two telecine supervisors.

Each is linked to the Control Room where the controller, sitting behind a bank of several monitor screens, can line-up everything in the day’s programmes into one steady sequence — like a traffic policeman controlling a junction of busy streets.

“When it’s time for the ‘commercials’,” said Mr. Fowler, “we have the telecine machine standing by. We know it will take five seconds to run up to full speed, so exactly five seconds before it is booked to appear the controller gives us the order ‘Roll’.”

And the ad spot appears on viewers’ screens precisely as the “routine sheet” commanded.

The post On the dot with that spot appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

So when Morecambe and Wise breezed into ATV’s headquarters to talk about themselves we wondered what was coming next. We soon found out.

The tall, bespectacled Eric Morecambe set things going when he suddenly stopped, clapped an outstretched hand under his partner’s chin and said: ‘get out of that,’ the phrase that has become so popular through their ATV programmes.

After that it was laughter all the way. The wisecracks flowed thick and fast. Finally, with patience, the comics were persuaded to be serious, at least long enough to tell their story—how they met, parted, met up again and finally achieved success.

‘We were travelling from Birmingham to Coventry during the blitz,’ said Ernie Wise, ‘when Eric’s mother, Mrs. Bartholomew, who was accompanying us to a show, suggested that we should try to become a double act. Eric and I had known each other for a few months, as we were both appearing in Bryan Michie’s show Youth Takes a Bow. The idea appealed to us and we decided to give it a try.’

The youngsters did team up and this was the beginning of an act which has now established itself with a string of successful television shows, summer revues, pantomimes and a weekly series for ATV.

‘We had not had time to establish ourselves as a double act before Ernie joined the Merchant Navy, cut in Eric Morecambe. ‘When he went away I teamed up with the brother of the late Dave Morris as a ‘feed’ and this is when I dropped my real name — Bartholomew — and took the name of my home town. We became Morris and Morecambe. This partnership did not last long, however. I was conscripted — into the coal mines — and disappeared from view for a while.’

Their reunion was a chance meeting. They were both booked as single acts in a Sanger’s Circus show in 1947. This led to Morecambe and Wise re-forming their double act.

‘I bumped into Eric,’ recalls Wise, ‘and we decided to try our luck again. Before the road show ended we had re-established our act. It was at this time that I met my wife, Doreen, who was a dancer in the show.’

‘We were only just making a living in those days,’ confided Morecambe. ‘If I remember rightly we earned £12 a week and had to divide that in half. After the tour we went into pantomime with Lupino Lane and from there to variety and revues.’

In 1952 Eric Morecambe met Joan, an ex-beauty queen, who was a dancer in a show which featured Morecambe and Wise in Edinburgh. In December of that year Eric and Joan, a London-born girl, were married.

‘It was in 1952 that we decided we ought to broadcast,’ said Wise. ‘We cornered a radio producer at the Tivoli Theatre, Hull, one evening and before we were through with him we had earned ourselves a spot in Workers’ Playtime. This led to many other broadcasts. After that things really began to move for us. Our money must have gone up a little by that time because in 1953 I could afford to marry Doreen’.

Before long Morecambe and Wise had their own radio series in the North of England called You’re Only Young Once, and this met with such success that they were asked to do three more series. Then came television. The comics did their first television show in 1953 and were then offered a series of their own. The series was called Running Wild and was seen in 1954.

‘It ran wild all right,’ said Morecambe ruefully. ‘Mind you, although we blushed every time we read the critics’ columns, many viewers wrote to say they liked the shows.’

‘But we took the whole thing far too seriously,’ confessed Wise. ‘After all, those were early days in television. But we are not making excuses. We did not like the shows ourselves. In fact, we completely restyled our approach after this series and when we finally decided it was safe to go out of doors again, we were pleasantly surprised at public reaction.’

‘No lynch mobs,’ cut in Morecambe.

Successful summer shows in Blackpool in 1955, ’56 and ’57 followed while in 1956 they returned to television in an ITV series of Winifred Atwell shows. They were much more successful this time and the following year did another series called Double Six.

‘In September, 1958, we decided to go to Australia,’ Wise continued. ‘We were there for six months and all the shows went well. When we returned to Britain in March 1959, we were determined to make an impact. After a summer season at Blackpool and pantomime in Liverpool, we began what we call our television campaign.’

In March 1960 the comics had only one television date in their diary, but they came over so well that, before the end of the year, they had made over a dozen appearances in major television shows including Sunday Night at the London Palladium, to which they returned several times.

‘Before the end of 1960 we were being asked to do a series,’ said Morecambe. ‘We did not want to rush things this time, remembering what happened in 1954, so we waited until we felt fairly sure of the scripts.’ Autumn 1961 saw them topping popularity polls with their own series of programmes for ATV — The Morecambe and Wise Show — which went out over the entire Independent Television network. Their second series for ATV earlier this summer was equally well received.

‘Together with script writers Syd Green and Dick Hills, we worked on the comedy ideas for this series,’ said Morecambe. ‘This seemed to be quite a successful formula and we found that the ad libs and asides we used were as well received by the audience as any straight from the shoulder jokes.’

With their appearance last year in the Royal Variety Performance, a year of triumph came to an end for Morecambe and Wise.

Despite many hard years of struggling to reach the top, Morecambe and Wise have retained that relaxed, easy-going cheerfulness that seems to be lacking in some comedians.

And when one is being entertained by the informal back-chat of Messrs. M. & W. you just don’t want to, ‘get out of that’.

The post Morecambe and Wise appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

Mr. Val Parnell is very pleased to announce that Brian Tester, one of television’s top producers, will join the staff of Associated TeleVision…

So ran the official announcement of the switch of Brian Tesler from producing BBC shows to those of ITV.

Tesler who joined ATV this month is 27. He is dark and good-looking, and you might think his place is in front of the cameras instead of behind them. He specialises in variety and musical shows. His office walls at Lime Grove were covered with signed photographs of artists he has worked with.

He is unmarried — “Girl friends resent having to wait until I finish work, which is not usually before nine p.m.”

He gained a First in English Literature and an M.A. at Oxford.

There he began to dabble in show business. He wrote songs and plugged them and took part in the formation of the Oxford Jazz Club. In the Services, with the Forces radio in Trieste, he gained his first experience of broadcasting. “I used to sing,” he said, “do boxing commentaries, produce shows and write songs. It was good experience.”

Does he still write songs? “When I get time.” Any hits? “One — The Girl Next Door was recorded by Ted Heath.”

At the end of 1952 he joined the BBC and early in 1953 produced his first show. He says: “I didn’t know what cameras were for the first three shows. But I learned.

“At that time Ernest Maxin and I were looking for the music for duets. He came to me one day and said he’d found enough for his show and he thought this one might do for mine. I thought it looked familiar. I turned to the name of the man who wrote it — Brian Tesler!”

Soon after this a request programme was suggested and Wilfred Pickles agreed to do it. Tesler was given the job of producing.

He says: “It started as a straight request programme without an audience, but as soon as I saw the kind of requests I realised the possibilities of the gimmicks. We brought in an audience and it went like a bomb.”

Tesler has originated and produced many BBC panel games. He worked out Guess My Story from a viewer’s postcard. He has been connected with The Name’s the Same, Find the Link, Tall Story Club and, more recently, worked on the camera plans for Twenty Questions.

Says Tesler: “I like people, so I fitted into the panel games. There isn’t a panel game on the light entertainment side that I haven’t worked on.

“Thinking quickly came in handy once when a panellist — who shall be nameless — was only just cut off in time. What viewers would have heard him say was, ‘should have guessed all the challengers if I hadn’t had an attack of worms.’ There was worse to come, but we stopped in time.”

Brian Tesler has worked, too, on many big variety shows.

He told me: “In the Ask Pickles programme a woman asked to cuddle a lion. We thought we were getting a lion cub but it turned out to be a monster and refused to move from the warmth of the studio lights at rehearsal. I was worried about the woman cuddling it, as it looked ferocious. In the show the woman rushed towards it with open arms — and the lion ran away. The audience never saw it.”

I asked him for his most embarrassing moment. “I had never been to an audition for dancing girls for a new show until someone persuaded me to go. It was embarrassing. I defy anyone to say that they have clapped and said ‘Bring on the dancing girls’ — and 200 have appeared!”

Tesler will bring his experience to the production of some big variety and spectacular shows in 1957.

The post Brian Tesler makes his ITV bow appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

IT IS unashamedly escapist and, at a cost of £3 million, the new Saint series has never had it so good compared to the 1962 version which starred Roger “James Bond” Moore. That was done on a shoestring and borrowed bits of film for the outdoor shots. The Return of The Saint, starring Ian Ogilvy, is sumptuously presented in luxury locations entirely suitable to the character and preposterous charm of the hero created by Leslie Charteris way back in 1928.

Nine episodes have been shot in Italy and on Monte Argentario, a mountain island resort favoured by the wealthy, the crew and cast booked comfortably into 75 rooms, spread over three hotels.

After breakfast, they took to the hills in a convoy of mini-buses, complete with a set of props which included a bazooka, dynamite and Russian-made machine-guns.

In a country where every other person seems to be under police protection for fear of being kidnapped or assassinated, the props were no mean achievement.

It is a nervous country where private gun licences have been revoked and all use of real weapons by the film industry prohibited. But it is also a country where pulling strings has become a national pastime. The unit intervened with the Ministry of the Interior, who intervened with the police, who… anyway, they got the weapons.

I lay on dusty mountain grass, alongside various prone carabinieri, who may have been real policemen or extras hired for the episode, and observed for the first time the man on whom ATV’s £3 million investment rests.

Much has been written of Ian Ogilvy’s striking resemblance to Roger Moore. Both director and producer sometimes forgetfully call him Roger.

My first impressions were basically of marvel. How, for instance, did Ogilvy keep his white pants looking impeccably pressed, and his hair so shiny and groomed?

On the set he was always dazzlingly immaculate. Handsome to the point of being pretty. Between takes, a small battalion of make-up girls dashed forward with assorted powder puffs and brushes to dust him down and spruce him up. But there were signs that after five solid months of location filming he was near exhaustion.

It may explain why Ogilvy was not enthusiastic for press interviews or keen to pose for pictures.

At Monte Argentario, a separate villa was provided for him and his wife Diane, a former model, who has been with him throughout the months of filming.

People have tended to assume, he says, that they have a claim on his time, but when work is over for the day, he gives his attention to his wife and two children, Emma, 15, and Titus, 9.

A year ago, Ogilvy declared blithely that he had sold his soul to TV for 12 months, and they could do with it what they liked. Now, as the hour-glass runs out, he has taken a long, cool look at his commitments, and his situation as a professional actor.

We talked during a sudden downpour, sitting in the Saint’s Jaguar. It is a beautiful car which has been his virtually a year. He must often have to remind himself of his own second-hand Austin 1100, costing under £200, parked outside his four-bedroomed semi in South London.

After 14 years as an actor, the closest he has come to fame, he says, is when his local wine merchant said to him: “Your face bothers me.” Now, with the Return of The Saint the days are ticking by for anonymity. “I don’t very much look forward to that. It is terribly nice to be anonymous,” he says.

Unlike Simon Templar, Ian Ogilvy smokes. Lighting one after another with the rain pouring on the roof of the Jaguar he tried to put the Saint experience into perspective.

He says: “I suppose, of the people I know who could have played this part, and there are quite a few, I would say 50 per cent of them wouldn’t have done it. I am one of the 50 per cent who would.

“I have been in this business 14 years. I have spent most of my time at the BBC doing highbrow shows, not through any choice of my own. But I have got a period face, and I can wear the clothes. Because of that, I am not terribly well known in England. Or indeed anywhere.

“A lot of people say that if you are going to do anything big, it’s best to do it in your 30s rather than when you are younger. Well, I’m 35. If this could be considered as something big, and I think it probably could be, then I think I have done it at the right time.

“Oh yes. You weigh up the pros and cons like mad. It is not necessarily a heaven sent gift. But I came to the conclusion that there were more pros than cons. The way I was didn’t pay too much.”

Ogilvy is an Old Etonian who had ambitions to go on the stage when it was much more fashionable to be working class from almost anywhere “Up North”. His father was a brilliant Cambridge scholar and a leading light in the advertising industry.

When anyone asked Ogilvy where he went to school, he replied: “Slough Tech.” His first job was as assistant manager and sweeper-upper at the Royal Court Theatre, London.

He met his wife on a flight to Italy when both went to audition — unsuccessfully — for a part in a Zeffirelli film, The Taming of the Shrew. His major television roles so far have been in Moll Flanders and I Claudius. He also played Elizabeth Bellamy’s impotent husband in Upstairs, Downstairs.

He was spotted for the Saint by producer Robert Baker in a small second-feature film six years ago. “I had lunch with Bob at Pinewood Studios,” says Ogilvy. “He said he wanted to do the Saint again, would I play the part? It is nice that nobody else was ever considered so far as Bob was concerned. And I had a very long time to make up my mind.

“Obviously Roger Moore is the Saint everybody remembers, though quite a few actors played the part. I’m about the 12th. It’s like Tarzan.

“The character of the Saint has never been a problem. The Saint has no character. Nor does James Bond. This is what makes them successful heroes. Heroes are what you make them. A hero with a character has to have a special word invented for him — anti-hero.

“I just try and be myself. The reason you get a part like this is, presumably, because people think you look like a hero. Therefore I see no point in trying to be anything but myself in a very glamorised and romantic situation.

“My main difficulty has been with the scripts. They say things like ‘The Saint brings the speedboat neatly into port and jumps out.’ Well, anybody who thinks about it knows that it takes quite a long time to manoeuvre a speedboat and jump out. And who ties it up?

“‘The Saint fires a bazooka from a cab window.’ You think of a cab window, and a bazooka, which is like a five-foot long drainpipe. You have to get it into the cab, then stick it out of the window while moving. It’s not easy.

“The funniest instance was when I had to walk out of the water in a wet-suit with scuba gear. Anybody who knows about scuba gear realises that you can walk out of the water in it only if you walk backwards.

“‘Right,’ said the director, ‘take the flippers off in the water and put them in a waterproof bag’ — which turned out not to be waterproof. The moment I stood up it had about 50 pounds of water in it. The air tanks weighed about 75 pounds. With all this gear, I literally staggered from the water.

“Then we go into this whole process where the script says ‘the Saint slips out of the scuba gear.’ You don’t slip out of scuba gear. You need help.

“So the way we finally did the scene was with a man kneeling down, trying not to get into camera shot, taking the weight of the tanks, while I tried to look beautiful and act.

“For a ski episode, the plot called for an avalanche, which had to be created with dynamite. And with his brushed-up ski-ing ability dating from the age of 14, Ogilvy struggled gamely, heroically on.

“The director said: ‘Ski up to the body and stand before it.’ I said: ‘The skis will be sticking straight through him.’ ‘Well, turn this way,’ he replied. That way, I slid down the mountain at 50 miles an hour. Nobody thinks it out. There turned out to be only two ways I could stand next to the body.

“It is very hard work convincing people that just the ordinary business of filming is exhausting. It’s not just remembering the words. It is looking pristine all day.

“The crew can come in with jeans and feel terrible if they have had a hard night. But they can still operate, and walk around with their eyes half-closed. I have to come in looking lovely, and remain looking lovely, and that is hard work, believe me.

“After working all day I am tired. But nothing like as tired as I am on my day off. On my day off I am shattered. I keep going to sleep. I keep thinking — why am I so tired, it’s my day off?

“I usually get up at the crack of dawn, say 6.30. I don’t eat breakfast, just have a cup of coffee. I am taken to wherever the wardrobe and the hair people are. Usually a hotel. I spend half an hour fiddling around. Then I go to the location and stay till the light fades. I get home about eight, have a quick dinner, and go to bed. That has been my day for five months as the Saint.

“Having my wife here is vital. Quite apart from the companionship, which is the important part, there is the purely practical side. Most people here, sooner or later, have to think about laundry. Everything like that, she takes off my hands.

“Now, I suppose the publicity machine will swing into gear. The grown-ups — that’s what I call the people in charge — say I will have to go to America and do chat-shows. Nobody is going to pay me for this. I am a working actor, I need to earn my living. They believe it still carries on, you see. But quite honestly, I would like another job after this is finished.

“Obviously it would be nice to know what happens next. Three things could happen, I suppose.

“I could carry on as I have done, and go back to the BBC. I could go into total obscurity because nobody wants to use the Saint. Or I could actually be quite a big… la de dah.”

Ogilvy hesitates almost superstitiously to use the word “star”, and says: “It is all up to the public now.”

The post It’s a tough life being a Saint appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

from the ATV Television Show Book for 1962

For over a year now, the ex-actor who has also invaded the sacred precincts of the world of the disc-jockey, has been glibly spouting the correct replies to the brain-teasing questions which form the main basis on which his popular programme relies for its attraction to the viewing public. Like the questions, the answers are supplied by a number of the staff of Encyclopaedia Britannica. But to hear them roll off the smooth tongue of the bespectacled quiz-master one would think that here, in fact, was the oracle… the fount of all knowledge!

Shaw Taylor is the first to admit that from his Tuesday evening programmes he has amassed a great store of information about which he was previously unaware. He is also honest in admitting that, without the written answers, he would — like so many of his viewers — be at a loss for the correct replies to the questions which he, and his attractive co-compere, Australian Lisa Finlayson, pose for those at home who are watching.

Sticking out a determined chin, nestling beneath a perpetual, good-natured grin, he has gone on record as saying that he doubts if there is anyone in Britain who, if he or she has watched every Pencil and Paper programme, could claim to have got every question right. ‘That is half the fun’, says the 37-year-old Shaw. ‘The other half is leaving the viewers with the hangover question. They get the answer the following week. But what happens during the week…?’

He visualises viewers phoning up their friends, checking on books of reference, or covering acres of paper with calculations when the problem is mathematical, or of the kind which psychologists love to indulge in.

From the manner and the accuracy in which they answer Shaw and Lisa’s questions viewers can gain some idea of their I.Q. — that modern means (the initials stand for ‘intelligence quotient’) through which, nowadays, so many jobs are filled, so many places in schools and colleges allocated.

An I.Q. of 125 is outstanding — and exceptional. Napoleon is credited with having had 125. So had Nelson. Shaw Taylor admits to 100 — ‘just above average’.

The mail which he — and the programme — attracts reflects a tremendous interest among the viewers to show that this way of assessing ‘what they’ve got upstairs’ is something which intrigues them and which, in its own way, must be regarded as something of a challenge.

There have been weeks when mailbags arriving at ATV’s London headquarters following a Pencil and Paper programme have contained letters and post cards amounting to almost a quarter of a million. Many of these are answers to the hang-over question. Others are from interested viewers who want to discuss some question — or answer — with Shaw. Not a few are from proud parents who want to tell of the success of a son or a daughter answering questions.

As with all letters received by television personalities, Shaw Taylor’s mail swings from the irate viewers — complaining that when the slightest thing goes wrong with a programme it is Shaw Taylor’s fault — to the pleasant letters of admiration. And, of course, there are the inevitable marriage proposals — an intriguing feature this, for all who become familiar to the country’s millions of television viewers, thanks to the feeling of proximity and intimacy which a television set in the living-room brings.

The letters of praise — even those suggesting marriage — might have been even more numerous had Shaw Taylor fully realised the ambition which attended his first decision to ‘go into show business’; he wanted to be a very successful actor, with a leaning to comedy roles.

In his reflective moments, enjoying the small cigars which he smokes through a large holder, he will tell of his love for the theatre, which goes back to a very early age.

He was born in the North London suburb of Hackney and every Monday evening after school he would go round to the local Hackney Empire, spend his pocket money on a seat in the ‘gods’ and eagerly wait for the curtain to go up on the weekly variety show.

But there was to be no easy way into the ‘profession’ for him. When he left school at the age of 15 he went into an office job. It was his wartime service with the R.A.F. which kindled the ‘show business’ ambition. He was serving in Burma as a radar operator. Live entertainment was scant, almost to the point of being non-existent. A group of airmen decided to band together to entertain the other servicemen stationed in that part of the world. Their efforts were fairly successful, and when they returned to Britain the group vowed that when they were demobbed they would meet again to start a repertory acting company. Then they went their various ways.

Back in London, Shaw Taylor found someone else in his office job. Remembering his Burma days, he applied for — and got — an L.C.C. grant to train at a dramatic school. He admits that one of his reasons for taking dramatic training was to lose his Cockney accent. He also recalls that when he went for his first audition for a stage part after leaving the school the first question put to him was: ‘Can you do a Cockney accent?’

Plays in London’s West End and with various repertory companies throughout Britain; film work — even working for an ice show (mostly on the Ivor Novello themes) followed as he ran the full gamut of show business experience. Though he is quick to explain that he didn’t do any skating. He dubbed the voices of the skaters as they ‘spoke’ Novello’s lines.

But hard though repertory acting and touring work may be, he is honest in admitting that his toughest job has been that of a television announcer. It was in this way that Shaw Taylor first became associated with ATV. For many months on end he was the ATV announcer seen most weekends by viewers in the London area.

Then came the opportunity to take over the chairman’s role in one of ATV’s best known quiz shows, Tell the Truth. Another quiz game, This Is Your Chance, was to follow and Shaw Taylor was again the chairman, as he had also been for some time in the programme Dotto. When Pencil and Paper first appeared it seemed quite natural that he should be the chairman. He appears to have found his niche.

But he has never allowed himself to become stereotyped, even in this rewarding kind of work. He has been heard as the commentator at some of the biggest outside broadcasts covered by ATV. This work has often taken him far afield — even to Russia, where he obtained what was probably the first ‘live’ interview with the Russian leader Mr. Khruschev, when he visited the British Trade Fair in Moscow on its opening day.

If the flames of ambition to be an actor have been dampened down slightly during the past few years, Shaw Taylor hasn’t turned his back entirely on his feelings for the stage. Now this takes the form of writing for it. He would dearly love to write a stage play. But this takes time and long, unbroken spells of concentration. In the busy life he leads today both of these are commodities in short supply. And in this very full life the weekly commuting which he undertakes between London and Birmingham, from where Pencil and Paper is broadcast, is only one of his regular commitments.

There is his radio disc show to compere. His books to be read (his taste is mostly for historical subjects). His cream-coloured sports coupe to be driven and kept trim. His sailing to be pursued with the same zest that he applies to most things in his life.

Not much time left. As he himself would so aptly comment, speaking with that infectious chuckle in his voice: ‘It’s all go — but I love it.’

That’s Taylor to a tee.

The post Shaw Taylor appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

From the ATV Television Show Book 1963

This, then, was the setting, in March, for the rehearsals of ATV’s second “A Golden Hour” programme. The greatest names from the worlds of ballet and opera were preparing to bring their arts to millions of people who ordinarily would never have the opportunity of seeing and hearing such international artistes.

The huge velvet stage curtains bearing the insignia EiiR were down. One could almost feel the years rolling away. Almost instinctively thoughts turned to the great names of the past — artistes whose names will live forever, and who had brought their genius to this, tradition-soaked theatre…. Enrico Caruso, the Neapolitan, first came to sing to a bejewelled audience from this very stage exactly 61 years ago. Nijinsky danced his way to immortality here. Scotti, Melba, Destin, Chaliapine and Pertile have all become part of the history of the Royal Opera House.

The silence was broken by the crash of percussion and it was a return to the present. The Royal Opera House Orchestra had plunged into the vibrant music to be used later by the Hungarian State Dance Ensemble. “Fortissimo”, cried the stocky Hungarian conductor as, with flailing arms, he brought the orchestra to the climax of the composition.

From a seat in the stalls, Sir Malcolm Sargent, who was to conduct the orchestra for the remainder of the programme, watched with interest. An opera house official brought a burly, smiling gentleman to Sir Malcolm. “Sir Malcolm, this is Mr. Boris Christoff,” said the official.

“I am delighted to meet you,” beamed Sargent.

“It is my pleasure, maestro,” replied Christoff, the great Bulgarian bass.

Soon, Sargent was standing before the orchestra. Beside him Christoff rehearsed the two pieces he was to sing in the programme, his rich, deep voice resounding around the opera house.

Regine Crespin, the French lyric-dramatic soprano, was next to rehearse with the orchestra. The echoes were set ringing as Madame Crespin’s magnificent voice sang the opening bars of the well-known “Vissi d’Arte” from “Tosca”.

Then the slim, elegant figure of Rudolf Nurevev stepped from the shadows at the side of the auditorium. He leaned nonchalantly over the orchestra-pit barrier beside Sir Malcolm Sargent as the beautiful music of “Les Sylphides” filled the theatre. Later, Nurevev partnered Dame Margot Fonteyn in the Pas de Deux from “Les Sylphides” and the famous “Le Corsaire”.

The two “Golden Hour” programmes so far produced by ATV — the first in November of last year — brought a wealth of artistic talent into the homes of millions throughout the country. Under one roof, the cream of the world’s singers, dancers and musicians gave live performances and reached a vast television audience.

The almost legendary Maria Callas sang “Carmen” in the first “A Golden Hour” programme. Guiseppe di Stefano, the great Italian tenor, was in the same programme. He sang magnificently, despite the handicap of influenza. Pallet stars Svetlana Beriosova and Donald MacLeary, violinist Mischa Elman and Jose Greco’s Spanish Dance Company added their individual magic to the programme. Everyone agreed it was a wonderful night.

The second programme was equally successful. Many young people with aspirations for the ballet were particularly interested. Short of going to a major city, where else could they be treated to a performance by artistes of the calibre of Fonteyn and Nurevev? The grace and beauty of every movement was captured close-up by ATV’s cameras.

Sir David Webster, the General Administrator of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and the man who introduced both programmes, has this to say of the programmes: “I am a great believer in quality entertainment. I believe that the mass of television viewers at this time are hungry for the finest dancers, singers and musicians on their screens. The reaction to the two “A Golden Hour” programmes confirmed this view. I also believe that programmes of this type must come from Covent Garden itself, and not from a studio. It certainly makes all the difference to the artistes’ feelings, and consequently their performances, and I also believe that some of the extraordinary beauty and atmosphere of the most wonderful of all opera houses actually comes across to the viewer.”

ATV plan to produce two or three “A Golden Hour” programmes each year. Judging from the response to the first two, it is a decision that will be welcomed by viewers all over Britain.

The post A Golden Hour appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

This first birthday is in itself some measure of the appeal of the programme.

For confirmation, just take the letters which flow into the Seeing Sport office… anything between 300 and 400 letters fan mail, queries and answers to competitions — are brought into Television House every week for the Monday sports-spot team.

Within two days of a telecast on judo, there were 1,500 letters in the office from viewers asking for addresses of clubs, and when next the programme was going to feature judo. That record mail surprised even commentator Peter Lloyd, who used to direct and produce the show until Tony Flanagan took over from him.

Peter Lloyd said: “When Tony Flanagan and I took over we decided to focus on seven sports.

“We started with soccer, swimming, table tennis, riding, athletics, cricket and ice skating. Taking each sport in turn, we got experts to talk about equipment, training, coaching, and the right and wrong ways of doing things.

“We always go for the top people in every sport.” That’s where Associated TeleVision sports chief, John Graydon, comes in. Graydon, a leading sports journalist before he went into television, arranges the guest star personalities… and, as Lloyd says, “the best.”

Walter Winterbottom, manager of the England football team; Alf Price, swimming’s Olympic team boss; Alf Gover, once an England fast bowler; A.A.A. coach Geoff Dyson, and ex-world table tennis champion, Johnny Leach; all have given the benefit of their experience and skill to Seeing Sport’s young audience.

Once the sport is decided and the guest star arranged. Lloyd and Flanagan begin the outline of the programme. Interviews, demonstrations and close-ups of the important points are slotted together, and one rehearsal follows another.

The effort is worthwhile. Television is quick to make – and equally quick to break. Certainly, too, this ATV trio know the dangers which go with catering for a knowledgeable and critical audience. I know the bulk of Seeing Sport’s viewers are children — but who are quicker to spot errors?

Lloyd and Flanagan trade on those sharp eyes and ears. Each week a deliberate mistake is eased into the show. It does not creep by unnoticed. That’s where the letters come in — in heaps. In return, the sender of the first right answer opened gets a prize suitable for that particular sport.

Flanagan was operating a BBC camera in 1947 when Lloyd was one of six would-be commentators being tested.

Lloyd told me: “We were numbered from one to six, and viewers were asked to say who they thought was the best. By some miracle, they chose me.”

Since then he’s tackled almost every kind of sports commentary. Yet his most harassing job was not connected with sport.

Lloyd was one of the team waiting to meet Liberace on his arrival in England.

Well, that’s the team and they’re doing fine for my money. Happy birthday!

The post Happy birthday! to ‘Seeing Sport’ appeared first on THIS IS ATV NETWORK from Transdiffusion.

“It was called Why?” says Monkhouse, “a question on the lips of every viewer after watching it. It was so complicated that when they scrapped it people still didn’t know what the rules were.”

Then came What’s My Line?, the panel game which created the biggest impact in the Fifties. Monkhouse was a resident panellist for two years.

“It was such a cult that, if you did anything remotely unusual, it was bound to get into the newspapers,” he says. “The supposedly cantankerous Gilbert Harding once gesticulated angrily and accidentally poked me in the eye. The producer decided it would be an amusing gimmick to wear an eye patch on the next show. I did so — and we made headlines in four national papers the next day.” By this time, Monkhouse was building a reputation as a quick-fire ad-libber, one of the few comic entertainers happy to face the cameras — then mostly live — without a script. On one occasion, he inadvertently demonstrated the lack of polish of some of his contemporaries when he appeared in I’ve Got A Secret.

“My ‘secret’ was that I would walk out every time someone said ‘um’ or ‘er’. I was suffering from chronic exhaustion by the time they guessed. Such verbal hesitation wouldn’t be tolerated these days. Still, we shouldn’t be hard on those panel pioneers. After all, to ’er is human.”

He next became chairman of Do You Trust Your Wife?, in which the husband received £10 for replying correctly to a question or, if he couldn’t and passed it to his wife, she earned £20 for a correct answer. No one knows how many marriages broke up under the strain, but for Monkhouse it led naturally to the next game series, Bury Your Hatchet.

“I co-invented it,” he explains, “and it was dreadful. It should have been buried with the hatchet. It was replete with every possible yawnmaking gimmick, from a sin-bin — a forfeit-type feature — to toy hatchet prizes. Fortunately, we filmed it in advance, so we could edit out the worst excesses. But I’ve seen better film on dirty teeth.

“The idea was to invite people who had fallen out to win money for one another by answering questions. It sounds like a satire on a game show now. Understandably, the collected wrath of the viewers had us taken off the air ahead of schedule.”

But not before Monkhouse had tried to breathe life into it with yet another version of the old eye patch gag.

“A lady wrestler came on claiming to have a grudge against her husband who was a boxer,” says Monkhouse. “So we invited the late Freddie Mills, the boxing champion, to act as ‘referee’ and try to talk them into a reconciliation. Freddie only succeeded in making things worse and it began to look a bit ugly. The lady took a swipe at him and in defending himself Freddie hit me in the eye with his elbow — the same eye that Gilbert Harding had poked. I thought that was marvellous and wore a patch on the next show. But such was our status that we didn’t even get a mention in the Press.”

Monkhouse redeemed his reputation with For Love Or Money, which had the same format as Sale of the Century, except contestants were not aware of how much money they were winning until the end.

“It was during that show’s two-year run that I developed my technique,” says Monkhouse. “I started sprinkling jokes throughout the series, creating a frivolous atmosphere which didn’t stretch or disturb the viewers. It simply allowed them to relax, sit back and let their brains hang out — as undemanding an amusement as a fairground side show.”

In the mid-Sixties, Monkhouse compered Sunday Night at the London Palladium, steering it back to the top of the ratings. So great was his success, particularly with the Beat the Clock audience participation feature, that he was almost sure they would select him for a new game called The Golden Shot.