Jump to content

ITV Tyne Tees

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected fromTyne Tees Television)

ITV Tyne Tees
TypeRegion oftelevision network
BrandingITV1
Country
United Kingdom
First air date
15 January 1959;65 years ago(1959-01-15)
TV transmittersPontop Pike,Bilsdale,Chatton
(formerlyBurnhope)
HeadquartersGateshead
(previouslyNewcastle upon Tyne)
Broadcast area
County Durham
Cumbria (Alston area)
Northumberland(majority)
North Yorkshire(part)
Teesside
Tyne and Wear
OwnerITV plc
Dissolvedlost on-air identity on 27 October 2002(2002-10-27)(now known as ITV at all times)
Former names
Tyne Tees Television (1959–1969)
Tyne Tees (1969–1996, 1998–2002)
Channel 3 North East (1996–1998), ITV1 Tyne Tees (2002–2004)
Picture format
1080iHDTV,downscaled to16:9576iforSDTV
Affiliation(s)ITV
Official website
itv/tynetees
LanguageEnglish

ITV Tyne Tees,previously known asTyne Tees,Channel 3 North EastandTyne Tees Television,is theITVtelevision franchisee forNorth East Englandand parts ofNorth Yorkshire.[1]

Tyne Tees launched on 15 January 1959 from studios at a converted warehouse in City Road,Newcastle upon Tyne,remaining in the city until July 2005 when Tyne Tees moved to smaller studios inGateshead.Tyne Tees has contributed various programming to the ITV network andChannel 4,as well as its regional output. Some of Tyne Tees' best known programming includes the groundbreaking music showThe Tube,critically acclaimed adaptations ofCatherine Cooksonnovels, and children's programmes such asSupergran.

The ownership and management structure of Tyne Tees has altered across its history, particularly in various mergers withYorkshire Television.The two stations were managed byTrident Televisionduring the 1970s, and the two stations merged again in 1992 to formYorkshire-Tyne Tees Television.A series of takeovers and mergers across the ITV network, instigated by the large groupsGranadaandCarlton,led to Tyne Tees becoming part ofITV plcin 2004. The licence is currently held by ITV Broadcasting Ltd and the original Tyne Tees Television Ltd was dissolved on 28 March 2017.[2]

Theanalogue signalsin the Tyne Tees region were switched off in 2012, making the station, along with ITV London and UTV, one of the last ITV regions to become digital-only.[3]

History[edit]

Further information:Timeline of Tyne Tees Television

Launch and the 1960s[edit]

Three letter Ts on a black background. Beneath are the captions 'Tyne Tees Television' and 'Channel 8'
The station's first logo. The three Ts morphed from an anchor, reflecting the nautical influence of the station's name.[4]

Independent television was introduced to Britain in September 1955. Initially only available in the London region, commercial television steadily became available in other regions. After a financially difficult time for the first ITV companies, theIndependent Television Authority(ITA) decided to offer independent television to the rest of the country and advertised for bids.[5]Several offers were submitted, including from the existing four companies, to the ITA. North East England was the last of the English regions without a television transmitter.[6]Sir Richard Pease headed a local consortium that included film producerSydney BoxandNews Chronicleexecutives George and Alfred Black.[7]This consortium, was chosen from among eleven applicants because of its strong local links, commitment to local programming, concentrating on regional topical matters, and educational and children's programmes. The contract was awarded on 12 December 1957.[8]Experienced television executive Anthony Jelly was appointed asmanaging director,although historian Andrew Spicer credits the Black brothers as the driving force and public face of Tyne Tees; George was programme director, and both brothers were prominent board members.[8]The company opened its first Newcastle office at Bradburn House onNorthumberland Street,and it was from there, on 3 January 1958, the company directors issued 300,000 ordinary shares at fours shillings each.[5]

Tyne Tees is named after two of the region's three primary rivers. ITA considered the original name, "North East England", was imprecise. Some of the consortium's suggestions were rejected: "Three Rivers Television" for being obscure, and "Tyne, Wear, and Tees" for being too long. Eventually, in October 1958, the name "Tyne Tees" was announced.[9]The other major river, theWear(which runs between theTyneand theTees), was represented within Tyne Tees' earlysignature tune"Three Rivers Fantasy".

The BBC transmitted their programmes from thePontop Pike transmitting stationinCounty Durham.The ITA built a new transmitter nearby atBurnhope,to cover an area fromAlnwicktoNorthallerton,and west toMiddleton-in-Teesdale.Television sets required a new aerial, theYagi array,to receive the high frequency that the transmitter was using.[10]

Tyne Tees went on air at 5 p.m. on 15 January 1959, three years after the first British independent television station, and the tenth such station to launch. The then-prime ministerHarold Macmillan,who had been theMember of Parliament(MP) for the nearbyStockton-on-Teesfor two decades, was interviewed live on the opening night.[11]This was followed by a livevariety show,namedThe Big Show,broadcast from a small studio.[12]However, this local content was followed by an episode of the American police seriesHighway Patroland an evening of entertainment programmes includingI Love LucyandDouble Your Money.[11] The full first night's programming was

17:00Three Rivers Fantasy– opening by the Duke of Northumberland.
17:02Robin Hood
17:32Popeye
17:45ITN News
17:55Local News
18:30Highway Patrol
19:00The Big Show,starring Dickie Henderson
20:00Double Your Money
20:30This Week
21:00Wagon Train
22:00ITN News
22:15Murder Bag
22:45I Love Lucy
23:15Epilogueread by the Bishop of Durham[13]

In the 2006 documentaryA History of Tyneside,veteran North East newsreaderMike Nevillesuggested that the launch of Tyne Tees enabled local people to be able to hear local accents and dialects on television, since early broadcasters, particularly those from the BBC, tended to speak inReceived Pronunciation.[12]Scholar Natasha Vall suggests that the station's commitment to broadcasting comedy helped establish a regional identity. George and Alfred Black had touredworking men's clubslooking for material for television.[11]Local comicBobby Thompsonwas invited to host a solo show. However, poor ratings and an unenthusiastic cast led to the show's cancellation after barely a year.[14]

Where most independent television companies published their schedules in the magazineTV Times,Tyne Tees produced their own listings magazine.The Viewerwas published by News Chronicle, a company with connections to the station through the Black brothers. It was produced to satisfy "'Tyne Tees' policy to be most regional of all the independent stations".[15]Initially produced from an office in Forth Lane, nearNewcastle station,it moved to the City Road studios when Dickens Press took over publication in 1963. The magazine became the biggest selling magazine in the region, with a circulation of 300,000 per week. New contracts issued by the ITA in 1968 stipulated that all ITV companies publish their listings in theTV Times,which became a national magazine with regional variations for the listings.[15]After 498 editions,[16]the last issues ofThe Viewerwas published in September 1968.[15]

The first advertisement screened on Tyne Tees was for Welch's Toffee. The proprietor's niece isDenise,who would become a well-known actress and personality.[17]In 1959, Tyne Tees charged advertisers £100 for 15 seconds duringprime time.[17]The station launched a marketing campaign in the 1960s to sell advertising time named 'Through Plan'. One of the range of promotional material was a poster called 'Sweet Sixteen', featuring photographs of 15 men accompanied by their full names, job titles and other formal history. The sole woman was simply referred to by her first name and hermeasurements.Historian Geoff Phillips comments that this "was a profound statement of the culture of the time".[17]Tyne Tees produced Advertising Magazines (AdMags), which were programmes with a loose storyline designed to advertise several products within an edition. The 15-minute programmes each endorsed about 12 products. Clients sat in the control room during rehearsals to ensure that their products were getting the exposure for which they had paid.[18]

A committee was established in 1960 under the leadership of British industrialistSir Harry Pilkingtonto consider the future of broadcasting. The1962 Pilkington Reportcriticised ITV, and Tyne Tees in particular. Some companies, historian Simon Cherry notes, were scrambling "very readily for the lowest common denominator... Tyne Tees was notorious for avoiding minority programmes and putting out cop shows or westerns instead."[19]

1970s[edit]

A reporter standing beside a river holding a camera with the Tyne Tees logo.
Tyne Teescameramanon the banks of theRiver Wearin 1982.

Following his report, Pilkington prompted the government to impose a levy on ITV's revenue, the effects of which were heightened by arecessionin 1970 when revenue had declined by 12 percent in real terms. Despite a reduction of the levy, Tyne Tees was one of the contractors facing collapse. To ensure Tyne Tees' survival, theITAallowed it to affiliate withYorkshire Televisionunder a joint management company named 'Trident Television'.[20]The third 'prong' of Trident was intended to beAnglia Television,but the IBA ruled out their involvement.[21]Trident Television was formed in March 1969 as a joint venture to sell advertisements for Tyne Tees and Yorkshire. Yorkshire and Tyne Tees then came under Trident's ownership on 1 January 1974. Peter Stanley Paine, Director of the broadcaster's holding company Trident, was appointed managing director of Tyne Tees Television in 1974.

For the first time, one company owned two distinct and separate ITV franchises although the new company was dominated by the larger, stronger Yorkshire whose shareholders owned 71.5 percent of the new company.[22]Trident had sales offices inLondon,where most agencies are located and where most advertising is bought and sold.[23]

A major factor in the merger was that whenUHFtransmission was introduced in 1969 to accommodate colour television it was found that the keyBilsdale transmitting stationinNorth Yorkshireso dominated the territories of both companies that its allotment to either individual company would have seriously prejudiced the coverage and sales revenue of the other. The ITA agreed that Tyne Tees and Yorkshire could be considered as one company for the purposes of selling airtime, while expressing their individual identities in their programming output.[24]

A political scandal caused problems during one of Tyne Tees' franchise renewals. Producer Tony Sandford recalls that Lord Pilkington was sent by the ITA to question the station's executives.[25]One-time leader ofNewcastle City CouncilT. Dan Smithhad been convicted for accepting bribes concerning the redevelopment of Newcastle city centre. Pointing out that Smith became a director of the station, Pilkington asked why Tyne Tees failed to produce a documentary about aNewcastlepolitician, instead leaving it toManchester-basedGranada's current affairs programmeWorld in Action.[25]By the late seventies, Tyne-Tees's locally made programming amounted to an average of less than nine hours a week, with the remainder of programming from the ITV network. In 1978,The Economistreported that a group called Northumbria Television, partially financed by local firmsBellway HoldingandSwan Hunter,applied to the IBA to take over the franchise from the "tired" Tyne Tees for the two and a half years until the scheduled franchise renewal in 1981.[26]

1980s[edit]

A car with the Tyne Tees logo emblazoned on the door.
Tyne Tees News Unit car.

Yorkshire and Tyne Tees applied separately for renewal of the franchises in 1980, and each won.[27]However, the two companies were required to demerge from January 1982 as a condition of the renewal of their ITV franchises.[24][28]TheIndependent Broadcasting Authority(IBA), the successor to the ITA, recognised the criticism, reportedThe Economist,"that Trident was London-dominated, overly diversified, and out of touch with the grass roots. It instructed Trident to set up both companies as independents and to retain only a minority shareholding in each."[27]The IBA imposed the condition that for the 1980 franchise round a company could only own one franchise, although it could earn up to 30 percent of another.[22]By November 1981, Trident had sold all but residual stakes in the two companies (15% and 20% respectively).[29]When the new licences started in January 1982, Trident sold all but 30 percent of Yorkshire, and 25 percent of Tyne Tees.[22]

During the 1980s, Tyne Tees began to develop separate services for the Northern and Southern halves of the region. From a small two-camera studio at Corporation House in the centre of Middlesbrough, Tyne Tees developed nightly opt-out news bulletins forTeesside,County DurhamandNorth Yorkshireas part of the flagship magazine programmeNorthern Life.The company also pioneered non-news programming for the two sub-regions, including the nightly Epilogues, which ended a 29-year run in September 1988 when Tyne Tees commenced 24-hour broadcasting, although Tyne Tees had run an on-screenJobfinderteletext service throughout the night since November 1987.

Meanwhile, developments insatelliteandcable television,in addition to the two BBC channels and the newChannel 4,began to put pressure on ITV's finances. ITV lost 3 percent of advertising between 1993 and 1994.

1990s[edit]

1993 Franchise Round and Yorkshire-Tyne Tees merger[edit]

In 1990, Yorkshire boughtVaux Breweries' 19 percent stake in Tyne Tees, costing £5.1 million.[30][31]In the same year, Prime MinisterMargaret Thatcherinitiated a blind auction system, through theBroadcasting Act 1990,through which companies had to bid for the regional franchises. This system was to be used in the 1991 franchise round, which caused large changes to the network.Granada Television,the franchise holder forNorth West England,had long thought that the North of England should consolidate to "counter the potential dominance of the south east".[31]Tyne Tees outbid their main competition by £10 million; their main challenger was 'North East Television', which was backed by Granada,Borderand local newspaper theEvening Chronicle.[30]Along withHTVandYorkshire,Tyne Tees believed that they had to bid high to win. These companies bid so high that theIndependent Television Commissionseriously considered rejecting the business plans of each in turn and disqualifying them. However, they eventually decided in their favour.[32][33]Together, the now-merged companies were committed to paying about £60 million a year to the government for the right to broadcast, a substantial amount compared to the £2,000 bid byCentral,ITV's largest station.[33]

New regulations from the ITC allowed Yorkshire to merge with Tyne Tees, this time under the nameYorkshire-Tyne Tees Television plc(YTT), although their ITV franchises remained separate.[34]The merger allowed the companies to avoid collapse following their high franchise bids.[35]This was the first step to ITV becoming one company in England and Wales.[30]The merger led to the culling of staff.[36]YTT's two largest shareholders becamePearsonandLWT.[33]From 1 January 1993, Yorkshire and Tyne Tees broadcast all regional programmes simultaneously, affecting programming that had been shown at different paces in different regions (such asBlockbustersand the Australian soap operasThe Young DoctorsandPrisoner: Cell Block H). Most of the regional programming was produced by Yorkshire and broadcast across the two stations, an area that the ITC considered too broad to be of local interest.[37]

Broadcasting standards[edit]

The annual cost of the franchise began to take its toll on the company. At the end of 1993, the company revealed that it was heading for a pre-tax loss in the 1992–93 fiscal year instead of the expected profit. Chairman and chief executive Clive Leach was sacked as a consequence. According toVariety,YTT "oversold its airtime to advertisers and failed to meet its ratings targets, resulting in a huge revenue shortfall estimated by analysts at over $20 million."[33]The industry newspaper also reported that the company "attempted to bolster its flagging 1992–93 revenues by giving advertisers deep discounts for advance airtime bookings made for the following year."[33]Local MPPeter Mandelsonwrote to theSecretary of State for National Heritage,David Mellor,in June 1992, saying "Yorkshire and Tyne Tees are motivated by the interests of their shareholders, not their viewers, and need to make urgent savings... it is quite clear that this is not so much a merger but a gobbling up of a smaller franchise held by a larger company."[38]

Yorkshire-Tyne Tees were repeatedly warned over worsening standards at the Newcastle-based station and at one point theIndependent Television Commission(the then-governing body of ITV) threatened to revoke the Tyne Tees licence if the situation did not improve. In 1993 theMPAnn Clwyddescribed Tyne Tees as having been "stripped of any meaningful identity since its take over by Yorkshire TV" and Ian Ritchie,Managing Directorat Tyne Tees, left the company over a widely publicised disagreement with the Yorkshire-Tyne Tees board over what he saw as an unacceptable drive to centralise the company, including the complete closure of all non-news operations at Newcastle and a proposal to close the City Road studios.[39]In October 1993, Yorkshire TV's founderWard Thomaswas brought in to stabilise the situation at the company and quickly returned the company to profitability.[40]

Bruce Gyngell appointed chair[edit]

The captions "North East" and "Tyne Tees Television" surround a large yellow number three, on a light blue background
The Channel 3 North East branding, introduced in 1996, was derided by viewers. Granada removed the branding in 1998.[36]

Bruce Gyngell,the former chairman of breakfast stationTV-am,became YTT's managing director on 15 May 1995.[41]On 16 March 1996, the presentation department in Newcastle was closed, and continuity was centralised inLeeds.(Transmission for the station had already been handled by Yorkshire since 1993). To halting "a slide in viewing figures and reflecting confidence in the region",[42]in September that year, Yorkshire-Tyne Tees Television plc rebranded its stations asChannel 3.[43]TheBroadcasting Act 1990had made Channel 3 the 'official' name for ITV,[44]and "3" was thepresetused by most television sets andvideocassette recorders(VCRs) for ITV. However, the attempt in 1989 to create a generic identity across the ITV network was decommissioned within three years.[45]Promoting the new brand, Gygnell said, "Everyone refers to this region as 'the North-East' and we want it to be known that we are part of this great region and moving with it."[42]Tyne Tees acquired the brand "Channel 3 North East", with 'Tyne Tees Television' still being retained as the company name.[42]

Acquisition by Granada[edit]

On 26 June 1997, Yorkshire-Tyne Tees Television plc was acquired by theGranada Media Group plc(nowITV plc).[46][47]The takeover concentrated ownership of the ITV network into three large groups: Granada, Carlton and United News & Media.[48]

The new guidelines, published by the ITC in 1998, about the Channel 3 licence renewals signalled substantial cuts in the companies' payments to theTreasury.[49]Licences awarded in 1991 were due to expire in January 2001. However, companies, including Tyne Tees, which had bid high in 1991 were allowed to apply early to try to win financial relief. The new 10-year contract began in January 1999.[49]In 1999, the cost of thetender feethat Tyne Tees was paying fell to £46 million, from the £70.5 million that it paid in 1998.[50]

2000s[edit]

A small version of the 1970s logo is in the centre of the frame. Beneath are the captions "Tyne Tees", "ITV1" and "itv.com"
This logo, used from November 1999 until October 2002, was generic to the ITV network, with each region's familiar logo appearing in a smaller form. The "ITV1" logo was added to the logos and idents in August 2001.[51]
A blue box with the letters ITV in white text. To the right is the name 'Tyne Tees'.
The design of the 2006 to 2013 logo was generic to the ITV network.

ITV centralisation[edit]

Days after the two largest companies in the network, Granada and Carlton, announced that they would merge, the regional names were withdrawn from networked programming in an "attempt to makeITV1more marketable nationally with a single generic brand. "[45](Scottish, which does not trail any of the network shows under any ITV1 branding, Grampian, Ulster and Channel, each kept their own names but used their own versions of the new look.[45]) Tyne Tees Television was rebranded as ITV1 Tyne Tees on 28 October 2002.[45]The name "Tyne Tees" only appeared before regional programmes; the rest of the time, only the "ITV1" name was shown. The Tyne Tees logo continued to appear after its own programmes.[45]Graeme Thompson was appointed MD and Controller of Programmes at ITV Tyne Tees in 2004, having been appointed Director of Broadcasting in December 1997 and then Controller of Programmes in 2001. He became Dean for Arts, Design and Media at theUniversity of Sunderlandin June 2009.[52]

In 2004,Granada plcandCarlton Communicationsmerged, creating a single company for all ITV franchises in England and Wales. Tyne Tees became part ofITV plc,the largest television production company in the world, which now owned 90 percent of ITV.[53]

On 9 February 2005,Ofcomissued a proposed timetable for endinganalogue terrestrial television transmissionsas part of the switchover todigital television.Tyne Tees was the penultimate region to cease broadcasting in analogue, which occurred during September 2012. Tyne Tees took over the relay transmitter atBerwick-upon-Tweedin December 2006 fromBorder Televisionin order to extend the deadline of the town's upgrade to digital TV by four years, since Border was the first to switch off its analogue signal in 2008.[54]

In September 2007, Executive Chairman of ITV plcMichael Gradeannounced that as part of ITV's five-year business strategy, Tyne Tees' newsroom would merge with Border Television.[55]Politicians have expressed concern, however, that the merger would affect the quality of news for southern Scotland, in particular, would fail if it lost its customised bulletins.[56]The changes would mean that aside from the merged Border-Tyne Tees regional news and political programmes, the station could broadcast only 25 minutes of dedicated North East news every weekday. In October 2008, theNational Union of Journaliststhreatenedindustrial actionif ITV tried to force any of the changes without discussion.[57]Between December 2008 and February 2009, around 50 staff at the station were maderedundantor accepted voluntary redundancy, including presenters, journalists and production staff. The new mergedITV Tyne Tees & Borderservice launched on 25 February 2009.[3]

Bullying at Tyne Tees[edit]

In March 2009,The Guardiannewspaper reported that there wasbullyingat Tyne Tees that lasted for six years. One manager was accused of using inappropriate language aboutpeople with disabilities,women reporters,Chinese peopleandRomani people.The manager was disciplined after one inquiry, but then more journalists complained about the same manager. The manager defended himself by claiming he was usingblack humour.He finally left the company with a pay-off of about £50,000. The originalwhistleblowerleft the company in 2006 and was paid £80,000 after threatening to take his case to anemployment tribunal.[58]Following this incident, ITV adopted an anti-bullying programme. An ITV spokesman advised that the total cost of the five bullying investigations was £1 million.[58]

2010s[edit]

On 23 July 2013, proposals to reintroduce fully separate regional news services for the ITV Tyne Tees and ITV Border regions were approved by OFCOM. On 16 September 2013 bothITV News Tyne TeesandLookaroundwere restored as two single 30-minute regional programmes on weekdays with separate shorter daytime and weekend bulletins reintroduced.[59]

Studios[edit]

A large building painted white
Two converted warehouses provided the base for Tyne Tees on City Road until 2005.
Main article:Television Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne

Tyne Tees's original studios were located on City Road,Newcastle upon Tyneand were converted from two furniture warehouses purchased by the company. These new studios formed the basis of Tyne Tees operations and featured the company offices. The location was deliberately chosen because of its proximity to thetelephone exchangein Carliol Square. Television signals were relayed by land-line from the studios to the switching centre; a distance between the studios and the exchange greater than 1 mile (1.6 km) would have significantly increased the cost of receiving the networked programmes from the other ITV stations.[60]

The complex initially contained four studios, with a fifth built in 1981 to accommodate productions forChannel 4.[61]Two nearby pubs, The Egypt Cottage and Rose & Crown, became affectionately known as Studio 5 because of the amount of time that the station's staff spent in them.Scottish and Newcastle Breweriesoffered to sell the adjacent The Egypt Cottage to the station when it was established, but Tyne Tees declined. However, the upstairs room was used as rehearsal space, and the pub would regularly feature in the '80s music showThe Tube.[62]

A building complex with a car park
Tyne Tees has been based on the Gateshead bank of the River Tyne, just south of the mouth of theRiver Derwent,since July 2005.

The complex continued until 2004 following the merger ofGranadaandCarltonto formITV plc.As a result of the merger, ITV plc had (according to the company) an over-capacity of studio facilities and production units around the country, which had previously been rivals, but were now all part of the same group. In order to save money, several large regional headquarters, studio sites and programme departments closed and merged. The decision was taken to close the City Road studios and relocate to a smaller purpose-built complex housing a newsroom and studio, resulting in the loss of up to 30 jobs.[63]A documentary about the move to new premises,The Big Move,reflected that over the years the staff numbers had dropped by about 800, and around 170 people would be moving to the new site.[64]

Tyne Tees moved to Television House at The Watermark, a new business park adjacent to theMetroCentreinGateshead,in 2005. The first broadcast from their new base took place on 2 July 2005.[65]Along with the move, news reporters had to learn a range of new skills, such as editing their own reports. The new practices contrasted with early reporting, which had an average crew of five. The new equipment required only a camera operator, who could also operate sound equipment, and a reporter.[64]Television House also acts as a base for ITV SignPost, Britain's biggest supplier ofBritish Sign Language(BSL) services for television, video, CD-ROM, DVD, film and the Internet.[66]

In 2010, the studios at City Road along with the neighbouringpub,theEgypt Cottage,were demolished with plans for a residential development on the site.

Tyne Tees also has smaller studios and offices inBillingham,York,Londonand within the Media Centre at theUniversity of Sunderland.[65]

Sub-regions[edit]

Tyne Tees operated two sub-regional news programmes from around 1983 until 2009, having been a commitment in the 1980 contract round. An opt-out was used from the mainNorthern Lifebulletin was launched to provide localised news from each area.[67][68]These two sub-opts were:

  • Tyne Tees North – Broadcasting from thePontop PikeandChatton transmittersto viewers inNorthumberlandandTyne and Wear.Bulletin presented by normal team from Newcastle Studio.[67][68]
  • Tyne Tees South – Broadcasting from theBilsdale transmitterto viewers inCounty Durham,North Yorkshireand theTeesdale.During the 1980s and early '90s, this was a recorded segment (complete bulletins during weekday afternoons) presentation of which alternated between Newcastle and Middlesbrough studios (Tyne Tees was unable at the time to broadcast different content live to both transmitters simultaneously and so had to pre-record the southern opt even when presented from Middlesbrough). From 1993 to 1995 a completely separate broadcast "Network North" was produced from new studios in Billingham (this was intended by YTTTV to be broadcast on some YTV transmitters, and was advertised in the press as such, but in reality it went out on Tyne Tees only. Both local news programmes were renamed Tyne Tees News in 1996). From September 1996 a live 15-minute broadcast from Billingham was inserted into "North East Tonight", which continued until 2005 when separate live programmes were produced from the Gateshead studios, before these ended in 2009. For nearly a decade during the 1990s and 2000s, the Billingham studios were used for the pan-regional late weekday bulletin, and for a time in the early 2000s Billingham was also used for a sub-regional version of "North East Today", a daytime magazine programme.[67][68]

As part of a cost saving initiative withinITV plc,Michael Gradeannounced in 2007 that the regional news service would be reduced from seventeen distinct news programmes and services to nine, affecting all the sub-regional services. As a result, all Tyne Tees sub-opts were ceased immediately. As part of the same plans, he also announced that Tyne Tees would be merged withBorder Television,subject toOfcomapproval which occurred the following year, resulting in one large programme covering both regions. The two services were demerged in September 2013 and ITV News Tyne Tees and ITV Border once more began making their own 30 minute news programmes, although unlike other ITV regions which had offered sub-regional services, the Tyne Tees opt-out services were not reinstated at this time.[69][70]

Station identification[edit]

The station identification, or idents for short, of Tyne Tees varied over time; however, most were based the letters TTTV arranged in a box format. The launch ident featured a whiteanchorwhich then gradually turned into three letter T's alongside each other.[71]This ident was accompanied by a shortened version of the station'ssignature tune"Three Rivers Fantasy", a specially commissioned work by composer and arrangerArthur Wilkinson.The musical overture merged several regional folk tunes, such as "Water of Tyne", ending in The "Blaydon Races".[14]Part of the medley was based upon "The Sailor's Hornpipe".[4]

The arrival of colour to ITV in 1969 led the companies to re-evaluate their on-screen identities. Tyne Tees replaced the triple-T logo in 1970 with the basic layout of two letter Ts above 'TV', an icon which would be incorporated into many future redesigns. Commentator Andrew Bowden observes that this interlinked design remains strongly associated with the company.[72]The ident also introduced the blue and yellow colour scheme that would remain in use for many years. The dark blue was popular amongst ITV contractors because it closely approximated to black on a black and white television set. The version of the logo included the word 'COLOUR', boasting the new technology.[72][71]

In 1979, the ident was modified once more to remove the word 'colour' and to give it a more dynamic form up. The result was the yellow logo flying down onto a black background before the outline extended out towards the screen, set to asynthesisedtune. The name 'Tyne Tees' then flew in below and the background colour faded to blue.[71]

The ident was again redesigned in 1988, in which the colour scheme was reversed and lighter shades of blue and yellow used. The form up was also altered to water flowing along sand, before the water divided into the Tyne Tees logo. The logo used computer animation for the first time.[71][73]

However this bold new look was not to last, as Tyne Tees adopted the1989 ITV generic look.The look consisted of the top left corner of the logo being inserted into the 'V' segment of the ITV logo, with the station name placed underneath the Tyne Tees ITV logo. However, not every ITV station embraced the new logo, and Tyne Tees abandoned it in 1991.[71][74]

The generic ident were replaced with ones produced by Tyne Tees, featuring a large reflective block which the viewpoint rotated around, before panning up to reveal it is the Tyne Tees logo. The music from the previous generic look was retained. Three variations were used, one with a black background, one with a multi coloured background and one with a grey background, with each version taking over from its predecessor after only a few months of use.[45][71][75]

In 1992, Tyne Tees dropped their famous logo which they had previously been using since 1970 and opted instead for four separate letters stacked atop each other like previously accomplished spelling TTTV. The form up was over a grey background with a line moving across the screen, forming the letters as they went.[71]

When Tyne Tees adopted theChannel 3 North Eastbranding in September 1996, the traditional "TTTV" logo arrangement was dropped in favour of a large '3', with the region written to the left of the '3'.[71]The name "Tyne Tees Television" was only seen in small letters at the bottom of the screen, whereasYorkshire,who also adopted theChannel 3brand a month later, was allowed to keep its 'chevron' logo alongside the '3'.[76]On-screen announcements said, "This is Tyne Tees Television, broadcasting on Channel 3 in the North-East."[42]The new branding was launched on 2 September 1996, with "Going Home (The Theme of theLocal Hero) "byMark Knopflerregularly accompanying ident sequences.[42]Following Granada's takeover in June 1997, theChannel 3 brandingwas scrapped in March 1998.[42]As Bob Conlon, regional executive with the Independent Television Commission, said: "People never really grasped the name – it didn't exactly trip off the tongue and it was still referred to as Tyne Tees Television, because it has been there for years."[42]All other regions in the network had retained their own identities rather than conforming to the generic 'Channel 3' brand.[45]

The "TTTV" logo returned to television screens in a new form, "three-dimensional gold metallic lettering on a blue background", on 9 March 1998.[42][71]This logo was more stylised than the 1992 equivalent and kept the music used throughout the '3' era. However, dual branding with the "ITV" name was introduced a year later, as part of the1999 generic look.[51][71]In this, the Tyne Tees logo was reduced to minuscule lettering in a blue box at the top of the screen, with emphasis being placed on the station name and ITV logo. However, this ident was supplemented by an ident to introduce local programming. This ident introduced on 4 September 2000 featured a new logo: a TTTV variant that was simplified to strictly vertical, horizontal or diagonal lines only. An arc of circles also adorned the top right corner. The ident itself featured pictures from the region. However, despite the new logo, the new logo wasn't applied to the generic idents.[71]

From 28 October 2002, all network programmes were introduced with ageneric ITV1 ident.Regional programming used a generic ident with the name Tyne Tees below the ITV1 logo until November 2006, after which no regional idents existed.[71]The Tyne Tees logo was last seen on production end boards until 2004, when they were replaced with, first an ITV logo, and then with anITV Studioscaption.[77]

Programming[edit]

The station's founding executives George and Alfred Black used their theatrical background to produce a lot of light entertainment programming on Tyne Tees in the early years. One of the best known wasThe One O'Clock Show,a 40-minute variety show broadcast on weekdays.[78]After 1,098 editions and more than five years on air, the final show was broadcast in March 1964.[79]Some editions ofThe One O'Clock Showwere produced byDavid Croft,who would go on to co-write many BBC situation comedies. For Tyne Tees, Croft also directed and produced theNed's ShedandMary Goes to Marketadmags, as well as producing his first sitcom,Under New Management,set in a derelict pub in the North of England.[80]

The bulk of Tyne Tees' output has been its regional programming, consisting of news, current affairs and local interest. Its longest running news programme wasNorthern Life,which ran from 1976 to 1992. The main news show has been rebranded several times; the current version isITV News Tyne Tees.[46]Until December 2008, local-interest programming was usually broadcast at 19:30 on Thursdays, which are low-profile slots due to the high-ratingEastEndersbeing broadcast at those times onBBC One.Local non-news programming was also broadcast on early Sunday evenings and various late slots followingNews at Tenon Tuesday and Thursday nights. Such documentaries concentrate upon local history, landscape and architecture, such as the various shows byJohn Grundy.A monthly political programme,Around the House,continues to be produced for the Tyne Tees and Border regions.

Tyne Tees was obliged to contribute programming for the ITV network, although the bulk of network programming was purchased from the largest stations.[81]Tyne Tees contributed game shows to the network, includingCrosswits(1985–98) andChain Letters(1987–97). Tyne Tees became a prolific producer of children's entertainment for the ITV network in the 1970s and 1980s. From the late 1970s, it produced series such asThe Paper Lads,Quest of Eagles,BarriersandAndy Robson.This continued into the 1980s withMadabout,How Dare You!,Gilbert's Fridgeand weekday pop-music showRazzamatazz,a pop programme that attracted many major recording artists to appear in a 17:15 slot.[82]Tyne Tees also managed the production ofGet Fresh,a Saturday morning show hosted in various weeks by different ITV regions.[83][84]Super Gran,based on a series of books about a grandmother with superhuman powers, was also successful in the mid-1980s.[85]Additionally they also dubbed the South African children's series Oscar the Rabbit in Rubbidge which featured narration byLance Percival.

With independent production company Festival Films and Television, Tyne Tees produced several adaptations of books by local novelistCatherine Cookson.The second dramatisation,The Black Velvet Gown,was the number one drama of 1991, winning anEmmy Awardfor best TV drama.[86]Long-running soap operaCoronation Streetwas briefly produced at Tyne Tees' City Road studios in 1963 while all of the studios at the show's home,Granada TelevisioninManchester,were occupied by a production of the operaOrpheus in the Underworld.[87]However, not all of the station's output has been successful. The 1997 soap operaQuaysidewas axed after 17 episodes after competing with the BBC'sEastEnders.[88][89]

Tyne Tees has also produced a wide range ofmusic programming.One of the first attempts at reaching the teenage audience wasYoung at Heart,hosted byJimmy SavileandValerie Mastersin 1960.[90]In 1979, Tyne Tees launched two national series,Alright NowandCheck it Out,the latter a mix of rock music and segments on youth-oriented social issues; among performances by established acts, the two shows offered early exposure to bands linked to the North East, notablyDire StraitsandThe Police.[91][92]

The entrance to the studio covered by a blue semi-circle.
The public entrance to Studio 5 at City Road gaveThe Tubeits title.

The most famous music show from the station, though, derived its name from the studios themselves. Produced forChannel 4,and first broadcast three days after the new station's launch in November 1982,The Tubeacquired its name from the architecture of the public entrance to Studio 5, from where the show was broadcast, at the City Road complex. Under the direction of Gavin Taylor,The Tubefilmed rock bandQueen's1986 Wembley concertfor later broadcast and video and DVD release.[93]Cameras bearing the Tyne Tees logo can be seen throughout the concert.[94]The Tubewas dropped in 1987 as a result of falling audience figures and an incident involvingJools Holland,who cursed during a livetrailer.[95][96]A couple of months later, Tyne Tees launched another music show, this time for the ITV network. WhereasThe Tubefeatured rock and punk bands and emerging musicians, Tyne Tees'The Roxy,concentrated on the mainstreamUK singles chart.The show suffered, however, from not having a regular slot on the ITV network. Also, unlikeThe Tube,which had gained a loyal fanbase and respect from artists, mainstream acts were reluctant to travel to Newcastle for a three-minute performance when they could appear on the BBC's more establishedTop of the Popsin the more accessible London.[97]

References[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

  1. ^"Television Broadcast Licensing Update November 2008".OFCOM. Archived fromthe originalon 31 July 2010.Retrieved13 August2010.
  2. ^House, Companies."Tyne Tees Television Limited".Gov.UK.Companies House.Retrieved4 February2023.
  3. ^abStory, Chris (7 February 2009)."Revamped Lookaround set for broadcast on February 25".News & Star.Archived fromthe originalon 11 February 2012.Retrieved11 September2009.
  4. ^abPhillips 1998,p. 28
  5. ^abPhillips 1998,p. 4
  6. ^Vall 2007,p. 192
  7. ^Evans 1995,p. 545
  8. ^abSpicer 2006,p. 166
  9. ^Phillips 1998,p. 5
  10. ^Phillips 1998,p. 12
  11. ^abcVall 2007,p. 193
  12. ^abpresented byAnt and Dec;pr. Alistair Moffat; dir. Ian Hughes (2006)."Episode 7".A History of Tyneside.Season 1. Episode 7. ITV.
  13. ^"TTT".users.zetnet.co.uk.
  14. ^abVall 2007,p. 191
  15. ^abcPhillips 1998,pp. 140–1
  16. ^Phillips 1998,p. 3
  17. ^abcPhillips 1998,pp. 34–5
  18. ^Phillips 1998,pp. 36–7
  19. ^Cherry 2005,p. 165
  20. ^Crisell 2002,p. 132
  21. ^Evans 1995,pp. 545–6
  22. ^abcBowden, Andrew (2 February 2004)."Forging the Trident".Transdiffusion.Archivedfrom the original on 5 October 2020.Retrieved17 September2007.
  23. ^Paulu 1981,pp. 126–7
  24. ^ab"Chapter 5: Trident Television PLC"(PDF).Competition Commission.Retrieved16 September2007.[permanent dead link]
  25. ^abPhillips 1998,p. 73
  26. ^"Television; A jolt for Tired Tees".The Economist.The Economist Newspaper Ltd. 8 July 1978.
  27. ^ab"Yorkshire gripper".The Economist.UK. 28 March 1981. p. 30.
  28. ^Currie 2004,p. 81
  29. ^"Independent television; Elementary, my dear Grade".The Economist.UK. 7 November 1981. p. 98.
  30. ^abcBowden, Andrew (2 February 2004)."Back in the Old Gang".City Road.Transdiffusion. Archived fromthe originalon 5 January 2008.Retrieved17 September2007.
  31. ^abFitzwalter 2008,p. 130
  32. ^Cherry 2005,p. 205
  33. ^abcdeDawtrey, Adam (9 November 1993)."U.K.'s Tyne Tees TV faces year loss".Variety.Retrieved9 October2008.
  34. ^Johnson & Turnock 2005,p. 206
  35. ^Harrison 2000,p. 76
  36. ^abBowden, Andrew (2 February 2004)."Three's company".City Road.Transdiffusion. Archived fromthe originalon 4 January 2008.Retrieved18 September2007.
  37. ^Bowden, Andrew (12 June 2006)."The Accountants Move In".City Road.Transdiffusion. Archived fromthe originalon 30 August 2007.Retrieved18 September2007.
  38. ^Fitzwalter 2008,p. 158
  39. ^"Yorkshire switches off Tyne Tees operations".independent.co.uk.14 March 1993.
  40. ^Martin Waller. "YORKSHIRE'S NEW BROOM TURNS GLOOM INTO BOOM". The Times. 15 March 1995. p27
  41. ^Horsman, Mathew (2 May 1995)."Yorkshire snaps up former TV-am Boss Bruce Gyngell".Independent on Sunday.Retrieved24 January2010.
  42. ^abcdefghSmith, Andrew (6 March 1998). "Welcome repeat as Tyne Tees TV turns clock back – Viewers give new look thumbs down".The Journal.Newcastle upon Tyne: Newcastle Chronicle & Journal Ltd. p. 12.
  43. ^"Tyne Tees Television".BFI Film & TV Database.BFI. Archived fromthe originalon 8 February 2008.Retrieved1 September2009.
  44. ^"Broadcasting Act 1990 (c. 42)".statutelaw.gov.uk.Retrieved17 September2007.
  45. ^abcdefg"Region's TV names culled from network".The Journal.Newcastle upon Tyne: Newcastle Chronicle & Journal Ltd. 23 October 2002. p. 7.
  46. ^abBarr, Gordon (3 December 2008)."Tyne Tees news presenters axed in cost cuts".ChronicleLive.Retrieved3 December2008.
  47. ^"Obituary: Bruce Gyngell".The Telegraph.9 September 2000.Retrieved24 January2010.
  48. ^Negrine & Eyre 1998,p. 37
  49. ^abFranklin 2001,p. 64
  50. ^Franklin 2001,p. 65
  51. ^abBowden, Andrew (18 April 2007)."1999 ITV Generic Idents".City Road.Transdiffusion.Retrieved6 November2009.
  52. ^"Former ITV Boss appointed university Dean".University of Sunderland.26 June 2009.Retrieved23 November2010.
  53. ^"ITV Tyne Tees".SignPost BSL.Archived fromthe originalon 6 August 2007.Retrieved17 September2007.
  54. ^Baldwin, Thomas (27 July 2006)."Digital switchover confusion is resolved".Berwick Advertiser.Archived fromthe originalon 22 February 2008.Retrieved16 September2007.
  55. ^Oatts, Joanne (12 September 2007)."ITV plans £40m cut in regional news".Digital Spy.Retrieved16 September2007.
  56. ^"ITV 'can cut' regional programmes".BBC News.25 September 2008.Retrieved25 September2008.
  57. ^"Strike threat over ITV job cuts".BBC News.1 October 2008.Retrieved9 October2008.
  58. ^abCarter, Helen (18 March 2009)."ITV Tyne Tees newsroom's six years of bullying scandals".The Guardian.Retrieved18 March2009.
  59. ^OFCOM sets out licence terms for ITV, STV, UTV and Channel 5Archived26 July 2013 at theWayback Machine,OFCOM, 23 July 2013
  60. ^Phillips 1998,p. 8
  61. ^Bowden, Andrew (1 May 2007)."City Road".Archived fromthe originalon 3 September 2011.Retrieved17 September2007.
  62. ^Phillips 1998,p. 27
  63. ^"Regional TV firm reveals job cuts".BBC News.9 November 2004.Retrieved17 September2007.
  64. ^abThe Big Move,pr. & dir. Sheila Matheson, ITV Tyne Tees, 3 July 2005.
  65. ^ab"All about ITV Tyne Tees".itvlocal.Archived fromthe originalon 7 October 2007.Retrieved17 September2007.
  66. ^"About Us".SignPost BSL.Archived fromthe originalon 5 August 2007.Retrieved17 September2007.
  67. ^abcBowden, Andrew."North East Tonight and Primetime".City Road, previously the Tyne Tees Ident page.Transdiffusion Broadcasting System. Archived fromthe originalon 9 June 2011.Retrieved22 August2011.Contains images of separate services and detailed narrative on it.
  68. ^abcBowden, Andrew."North East Tonight 6".City Road, previously the Tyne Tees Ident page.Transdiffusion Broadcasting System. Archived fromthe originalon 31 August 2011.Retrieved22 August2011.Contains images of the opt out services and a detailed narrative from resident of region.
  69. ^"ITV to merge regional newsrooms".BBC News.12 September 2007.Retrieved22 August2011.
  70. ^Douglas, Torin (25 September 2008)."Analysis: Ofcom's regional news proposals".BBC News.Retrieved22 August2011.
  71. ^abcdefghijklWalker, Hayden."Tyne Tees Television Idents".TVARK: The Online Television Museum. Archived fromthe originalon 1 April 2012.Retrieved15 October2011.Website contains genuine video recordings of Tyne Tees Idents and continuity announcements, retrieved from old video recordings.
  72. ^abBowden, Andrew (18 April 2007)."1970 Ident".City Road.Transdiffusion. Archived fromthe originalon 20 August 2009.Retrieved6 November2009.
  73. ^Bowden, Andrew (18 April 2007)."1988 Ident".City Road.Transdiffusion. Archived fromthe originalon 10 December 2009.Retrieved6 November2009.
  74. ^Bowden, Andrew (30 April 2009)."1989 ITV Generic Ident".City Road.Transdiffusion. Archived fromthe originalon 20 August 2009.Retrieved6 November2009.
  75. ^Bowden, Andrew (18 April 2007)."1991 Ident".City Road.Transdiffusion. Archived fromthe originalon 20 August 2009.Retrieved6 November2009.
  76. ^Piercy, Robert."Yorkshire TV Idents".TVARK: The Online Television Museum. Archived fromthe originalon 19 February 2012.Retrieved15 October2011.Website contains genuine video recording of the Channel 3 Yorkshire Ident, retrieved from donated video recordings.
  77. ^Walker, Hayden."Tyne Tees Television End Boards".TVARK: The Online Television Museum. Archived fromthe originalon 1 April 2012.Retrieved15 October2011.Website contains examples of Tyne Tees endboards, gained from genuine video recordings..
  78. ^Phillips 1998,p. 94
  79. ^Phillips 1998,p. 104
  80. ^Morgan-Russell 2004,p. 11
  81. ^presented by Melvyn Bragg (2005). "Business".The Story of ITV.ITV.
  82. ^Hobson 2008,p. 113
  83. ^"Times of slime!".Tiswas Online.Archived fromthe originalon 5 January 2008.Retrieved21 September2007.
  84. ^"Get Fresh".Gareth Jones' Official Website.Retrieved1 October2007.
  85. ^"Hollywood On Tyne: Supergran".bbc.co.uk.Retrieved21 September2007.
  86. ^"Hollywood on Tyne: Catherine Cookson Dramas".bbc.co.uk.Retrieved17 September2007.
  87. ^Phillips 1998,p. 46
  88. ^"COMMERCIAL TV AT ALL-TIME LOW IN N-E – CLAIM".The Northern Echo.Newsquest (North East) Limited. 15 November 1997. p. 4.
  89. ^"North East England: Tyne Tees Television"(doc).Ofcom.Retrieved26 March2011.
  90. ^Phillips 1998,p. 25
  91. ^Wonfor, Sam (12 August 2006)."Top of the shocks".The Journal.Retrieved25 September2008.
  92. ^"Check It Out".BFI Film & TV Database.Archived fromthe originalon 28 June 2009.Retrieved25 September2008.
  93. ^"Queen Biography".Queen Online.Archived fromthe originalon 15 November 2007.Retrieved17 September2007.
  94. ^Queen – The DVD Collection: Live At Wembley Stadium (Two Disc Set) [1986], dir. Gavin Taylor
  95. ^Greaves, Ian."Tube, The (1982–87)".BFI ScreenOnline.Retrieved17 September2007.
  96. ^Evans 1995,p. 541
  97. ^Williams, Steve (August 2006)."It's still Number One, it's..."Off the Telly.Archived fromthe originalon 21 December 2007.Retrieved17 September2007.

Bibliography[edit]

  • Cherry, Simon (2005).ITV: The People's Channel.Richmond, Surrey: Reynolds & Hearn Ltd.ISBN1-903111-98-6.
  • Crisell, Andrew (2002).An Introductory History of British Broadcasting(2nd ed.). London: Routledge.ISBN1-903111-98-6.
  • Currie, Tony (2004).A concise history of British television 1930–2000(2nd ed.). Devon: Kelly Publications.ISBN1-903053-17-X.
  • Evans, Jeff (1995).The Guinness Television Encyclopedia.Middlesex: Guinness.ISBN0-85112-744-4.
  • Fitzwalter, Raymond (2008).The Dream That Died: The Rise and Fall of ITV.Leicester: Matador.ISBN978-1-906221-83-6.
  • Franklin, Bob (2001).British Television Policy: A Reader.London: Routledge.ISBN0-415-19872-0.
  • Harrison, Jackie (2000).Terrestrial TV news in Britain: the culture of production.Manchester: Manchester University Press.ISBN0-7190-5590-3.
  • Hobson, Dorothy (2008).Channel 4: The Early Years and the Jeremy Isaacs Legacy.London: I.B.Tauris.ISBN978-1-84511-613-2.
  • Johnson, Catherine; Turnock, Rob (2005). "Historical Timeline: the ITV Companies and the Broadcasting Acts". In Johnson, Catherine; Turnock, Rob (eds.).ITV Cultures: Independent Television Over Fifty Years.McGraw-Hill International.ISBN0-335-21729-X.
  • Morgan-Russell, Simon (2004).Jimmy Perry and David Croft.Manchester: Manchester University Press.ISBN0-7190-6556-9.
  • Negrine, Ralph; Eyre, Rachel (1998). "News and current affairs in regional television broadcasting". In Franklin, Bob; Murphy, David (eds.).Making the local news: local journalism in context.London: Routledge.ISBN0-415-16803-1.
  • Paulu, Burton (1981).Television and radio in the United Kingdom.University of Minnesota Press.ISBN0-8166-0941-1.
  • Phillips, Geoff (1998).Memories of Tyne Tees Television.Durham: G P Electronic Services.ISBN0-9522480-6-9.
  • Spicer, Andrew (2006).Sydney Box.Manchester: Manchester University Press.ISBN0-7190-5999-2.
  • Vall, Natasha (2007). "Regionalism and cultural history: The case of North-Eastern England, 1916–1976". In Green, Adrian; Pollard, A.J. (eds.).Regional identities in North-East England, 1300–2000 Volume 9 of Regions and regionalism in history.Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press.ISBN978-1-84383-335-2.

Further reading[edit]

  • Brown, Antony (1978).Tyne Tees Television: The First 20 Years: A Portrait.Tyne Tees Television Ltd.ISBN0-9501113-6-8.

External links[edit]

ITVregional service
New service
asTyne Tees Television
 North East England
15 January 1959 – 24 February 2009
(on-air brand & franchise)
25 February 2009 – present
(franchise only) 		Succeeded by
Preceded by North East England
16 September 2013 – present 		Current provider
asITV Tyne Tees
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=ITV_Tyne_Tees&oldid=1230099936"