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Welcome to Tyne Tees! 

AUTHOR: The Viewer

WELCOME TO INDEPENDENT TELEVISION [STOP] ITA WISHES EVERY SUCCESS TO THE VIEWER AND GOOD VIEWING TO ITV’S BIG NEW FAMILY OF FRIENDS IN THE NORTHEAST [STOP] ROBERT FRASER DIRECTOR GENERAL INDEPENDENT TELEVISION AUTHORITY [FULL STOP]

Personal Call from George and Alfred Black

George and Alfred Black, Directors and Directors of Programmes of Tyne Tees TV, are members of one of the most famous families in show business. It was no more than 12 miles from the TTT studios that, half a century ago, their grandfather opened the first cinema north of Birmingham.

In our happy task of planning Tyne Tees TV programmes, we start with a considerable advantage. We were born and educated in the area. We know it and understand it.

That is a good deal more important here than it might have been elsewhere, for the region stretching from beyond the Tees in the south to well beyond the Tyne in the north is a region with a culture, a tradition and a way of life entirely of its own.

Yet none of this has so far been reflected either by steam radio or TV.

Those days are now over. Right from the start, we will originate at least 15 per cent of our programming. We shall, in fact, be broadcasting more programmes of North-Eastern interest than the BBC has done in years.

We are certainly equipped to do this. The Television Centre in Newcastle’s City Road is without doubt the best and most up to date in the country.

We also have the staff to make the best use of it. Around us now in Newcastle are as competent and keen a team as can be found anywhere.

It is they who will help us to bring the North-East to the North-East.

Welcome to ITV!

From the Chairman of Tyne Tees TV Ltd

Following the granting of the Licence for the North-East to Tyne Tees Television by the Independent Television Authority, the past year has been one of concentrated activity at the TV centre in City Road, Newcastle.

Our objective as far as can be seen is now assured, with an indication of first-class reception at most points within the area. This has been made possible only by the fine work of the Post Office, the hard and skilled efforts of many others, the encouragement and goodwill of people in the North-East and finally, and most important, the guiding hand of the Independent Television Authority.

I can only hope that our first series of programmes will prove at once that the endeavour has been worthwhile.

SIR RICHARD PEASE
Prior House,
Richmond,
Yorkshire

An Outlet

From the Mayor of Newcastle
The alternative choice which the Tyne Tees station will offer will be appreciated and will provide a further outlet for local talent and programmes of North Country interest.

D A FITZPATRICK
Town Hall,
Newcastle upon Tyne 1

Neglected

From the Mayor of Gateshead
For a great number of years I have felt that the Tyneside area has been somewhat neglected in the field of television, and I hope that through the medium of ITV the position will be rectified.

J W ROBERTS
Town Hall,
Gateshead 8

Well deserved

From the Mayor of Middlesbrough
I feel that I voice the opinion of a great number of the people of Middlesbrough when I welcome the advent of Independent Television to the Tyne-Tees area.

The North-East deserves this improvement in a service which has now become an integral part of so many households.

E A DICKINSON
Municipal Buildings,
Middlesbrough

GOOD LUCK!

Here’s wishing the newest of our television services every possible success. May Tyne Tees grow up strong, and serve the people faithfully and tirelessly.
Good luck always!

BENNY HILL

Great boost

From the Mayor of Sunderland
I am confident that Channel 8 will not only supply first rate programmes but that it will give a great boost to publicity concerning events in many fields of life in the North-East, which inevitably will reach other parts of the country.

E E WALES
Town Hall,
Sunderland

Pleasure and interest

From the Mayor of Durham
The viewing public of the North-East, which is both critical and appreciative, is anticipating with pleasure and interest the advent of Indepedent Television.

JOHN A NAYLON
Town Hall,
Durham

Timely

From the Mayor of Tynemouth
I am very pleased to extend greetings and good wishes to the new service.

There are so many distinctive features to this part of England, and such long and historic traditions of international repute, that the introduction of a new TV channel is both timely and desirable in providing a means for the standard of television service which the North-East merits.

SARAH R BALLARDS
Town Hall,
Tynemouth

Attention!

From the Mayor of Stockton-on-Tees
Television coverage soley to meet the needs and demands of the North-East has long been awaited, and it is with pleasure that I welcome the opening of a new channel.

It has been felt that we have been neglected in receiving greater recognition in this industrial region and it is anticipated that by the coming of Independent Television the attention we deserve will be given.

FRANK E WISEMAN
Town Hall,
Stockton-on-Tees

Congratulations

From ITV’s Robin Hood
Congratulations on the birth of The Viewer. This bright new publication will be a tremendous asset to Northern viewers, who will be able to read about the stars and shows they enjoy watching. My very best wishes for a successful future – and to your readers I say: Good luck and happy viewing.

RICHARD GREENE

From Bob Monkhouse
Greetings, traitors! So you’ve made the TV channel crossing from the station where Gilbert gives you the indigestion to the one where he tells you how to cure it! I wish you all “good viewing” – and on TTT that’s what you’ll get.

From Carroll Levis
I am delighted to have this opportunity to wish The Viewer – and all readers – a very happy and prosperous Viewing Year in 1959. I will be in Newcastle soon to make some “Tyneside Discoveries” so until then – Good luck to you all!

From Spot The Tune compere Jackie Rae
Just a line to say “Hullo” to you and The Viewer, and to wish Tyne Tees all the best in this new venture. Let’s hope we shall be meeting regularly on Wednesday evenings, so we can try to “Spot The Tune” together.

From Richard Murdoch
May I wish The Viewer all the best – it looks like being a grand magazine. Oh, and incidentally: Have you seen any good shows lately? You will – if you tune to TTT!

From Arthur Askey
Hello, Tyne Tees Playmates! A warm welcome to The Viewer, and, of course, the viewers. Your new station has a wonderful line-up of shows for you – you might even see me “Before Your Very Eyes”! So don’t forget to become a weekly reader of the only magazine which gives you all the information about the ITV programmes in your area. Good luck and ta-ta for now.

From Double Your Money compere Hughie Green
May The Viewer and Tyne Tees Television be worth “Double Your Money.” I hope you’ll join us on the Treasure Trail each Thursday evening, and if you’d like to come on the show, why not drop me a line c/o The Viewer? I’ll look forward to meeting you.

From Take Your Pick compere Michael Miles
I would take this opportunity of wishing you every success with The Viewer. Yours truly.

Putting You In The Picture

TECH TALK with D G PACKHAM
Chief engineer, Tyne Tees TV
Seeing is believing, they say. But that is not always true. Take television. Seeing 25 pictures on your screen every second, one after the other, is to believe that you are seeing one smoothly moving image.

Why? Because the human eye registers an impression and retains it for a fraction of a second after the source of the impression is removed. Which makes both cinema and TV possible.

The quickness of the screen deceives the eye. In the split second that it takes the picture to reach you, TV cameras have transformed a scene into a series of electrical pulses, which are passed on from the studio control room to the transmitting station.

At your end the process is reversed. As varying impulses arrive, an electron gun in the cathode ray tube bombards and scans the flat end you see, causing it to glow.

What you see, then, is a tiny spot of varying light travelling backwards and forwards across your screen at incredible speed. On an average receiver it takes one ten-thousandth part of a second – tens of thousands of miles an hour.

It is our job to give you, day after day, the best picture possible. You can help in that.

• Is your aerial as good as it might be?
• Is your receiver in tip-top condition?
• Have you mastered the simple art of tuning it properly?

The test-card is there to help you. Make the most of it. See that the whites really are white, that the blacks are black and that you have half-tones in between.

Then you’ll be all set for happy viewing.

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