ITV for Yorks in October – with a regional “accent”
A transmitter in Yorkshire means a studio in the county and separate programmes, says the Yorkshire Observer
YORKSHIRE will have an Independent Television service from Emley Moor, near Huddersfield, in October. The Lancashire station at Winter Hill will open at the beginning of May, and the two stations will together serve more than 12m. viewers in the North Region, of whom nearly 5m. will receive Emley Moor transmissions.
Details of the new ITV service were given at a Press conference in Manchester yesterday by the Director-General Sir Robert Fraser, Mr. Howard Thomas (managing director. ABC (Television) Ltd., in which “The Yorkshire Observer and the “Telegraph and Argus” are minority shareholders), and Mr. James Phoenix (Northern Administrator, Granada TV network).
The primary service area from Emley Moor will extend in the North to Harrogate (about 30 miles), in the East to Hull (about 55 miles), and in the South to Newark (about 50 miles).
The secondary service area extends in most districts to places between five and ten miles beyond the primary areas, reaching Ripon and possibly Northallerton in the North and Driffield and Grimsby in the East.
IN SECONDARY AREA
Keighley and Ilkley fall in the secondary area for Emley Moor transmissions, and Earby, Skipton and Linton in the secondary area for Winter Hill.
Moot viewers in primary areas (unless in specially unfavourable positions immediately behind high ground or screened by high buildings) will get satisfactory service
In secondary areas a substantial proportion of viewers will get satisfactory service, but in some local areas reception conditions will be poor.
Outside both these zones some favourably situated viewers will obtain a reasonable service.
REGIONAL EMPHASIS
As regards programmes, emphasis will be on the regional.
At the outset the Yorkshire and Lancashire programmes will be the same, but it is expected that a logical development will be the opening of studios in Yorkshire with a different Yorkshire programme.
A.B.C. will provide the week-end programmes, in which newly-signed MacDonald Hobley will visit a “Home Town” every Saturday and present the town and its folk.
LEAGUE CRICKET
One of first places visited will be Morecambe, and the programme will include Janette Scott and her mother Thora Hird.
Lancashire league cricket is promised and the possibility of televising Bradford League cricket will be considered when the Yorkshire side of the region is developed.
Granada will provide the Monday to Friday programmes.
