Second TV programme to begin early in May

VIEWERS in Lancaster and Morecambe will be able to receive a television service from the Independent Television Authority (Northern Region) transmitter at Winter Hill, south of Chorley, which is expected to begin sending out programmes early in May.

The city and Morecambe are in the secondary service area which extends in a narrow belt from North Wales, through the Midlands south of Manchester to parts of Yorkshire, where it links with the other transmitter at Emley Moor, and to the Ulverston and Barrow districts. Carnforth lies on the outer fringe of this area.

Within these zones a substantial proportion of viewers will receive a satisfactory service, but there will be some local areas in which reception conditions will be poor.

The area inside the secondary service zone is the primary service area. [or, to put it in a way that doesn’t require mental gymnastics, the secondary service area surrounds the primary one – Ed]

NEW AERIALS

Reception depends on the correct type of receiving aerial being used for the various: localities and the appropriate conversion of single-channel receivers to obtain the alternative programme.

The programmes broadcast from two Northern transmitters will be provided on Mondays to Fridays by Granada T.V. Network. Ltd., and on Saturdays and Sundays by Associated British Cinemas (Television). Ltd.

The Winter Hill transmitter will have an effective radiated power of approximately 100 kilowatts and signals will be transmitted from a 16-stack high-gain omnidirectional aerial which will be carried on a 445ft. self-supporting tower. As the site is 1,450ft. above sea level the total height of the tower above sea level will therefore be 1,895ft.

VIEWERS’ SURVEY

At a press conference in Manchester recently, Mr. James Phoenix, Northern Administrator of the Granada TV Network, said that a detailed survey of what the North wanted from television had been carried out and to get the facts, research workers had been in many hundreds of homes to find out how people in the north spent their time.

Conversion of sets in the north, he said, were far higher than the figure just before opening date in London and appreciably higher than in the Midlands and it was a figure which was rising all the time. Mr. Phoenix declined to give details of Granada’s plans but he said this did not mean that they had not been laid.

REGIONAL TALENT

Sir Robert Fraser, director general of the I.T.A., stressed that programmes would be on a regional basis. One of the worst things of the past 30 years had been the over-concentration of all kinds of talent in London, but they were hoping to widen the field with television in the North.

Mr. H. Thomas [Howard Thomas], managing director of A.B.C. Television, said the local accent would be on sport, entertainment, personalities, and writers but outstanding London shows would be relayed to stations in the North. Local week-end programmes would include a “home town” show which would visit various cities and towns, a Lancashire serial and visits to repertory theatres.