ITV in 1988: Tyne Tees 

13 April 2023 tbs.pm/77550

TYNE TEES TELEVISION

NORTH-EAST ENGLAND

The Television Centre, City Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 2AL
Tel: 091-261 0181
15 Bloomsbury Square, London WCIA 2LJ
Tel: 01-405 8474
Corporation House, Corporation Road, Middlesbrough TS1 2RX
Tel: 0642 219181
United House, Piccadilly, York YO1 1PQ
Tel: 0904 647012/610666.

Directors Sir Ralph Carr-Ellison, TD (Chairman); R. H. Dickinson (Deputy Chairman); D. W. Reay (Managing Director); G.T. Davies (Director of Programmes); C. W. Stoddart (Director of Resources); R. Eagle (Sales Director); D. S. Hellewell (Director of Finance and Company Secretary); D. C. Eccles; Prof. L. W. Martin; P. D. Nicholson, DL; Viscount Ridley, TD; G. E. Ward Thomas, CBE, DFC; J. N. Wilkinson; G. O. Worsley, TD.

Executives Anthony D. Sandford (Chief Executive, International Sales); Peter Moth (Controller, Public Affairs); Trish Kinane (Controller of Entertainment Programmes); Michael Partington (Assistant Programme Controller); Brian Lavelle (Technical Controller); Lindsay Dalton-Radley (Sales Controller); Alan Phillips (Sales Operations Controller); David Brennan (Research and Marketing Controller); Terry Hepple (Production Controller); Janet Jacobson (Head of Staff Relations); Peter McArthur (Head of Business Affairs); Howard Thompson (Head of Programme Planning and Presentation); John Nichol (Deputy Technical Controller); Mike Ranson (Finance Manager); Clive Page (Head of News and Sport); George Courtice (Head of Features); Andrea Kinghorn (Education Officer); Margaret Fay (Production Services Manager); William Cresswell (House Services Manager); Brian Adcock (Northern Sales Manager); Laurie Taylor (Chief Press Officer).

Religious Advisers Rt. Revd Michael Ball (Church of England); Bishop of Jarrow; Father Thomas Towers (Roman Catholic); Revd Stanley O. Jones (Free Church).

Technical Facilities There are three main studios at Newcastle of 220 sq.m., 360 sq.m. and 416 sq.m. respectively. The largest studio operates with seven cameras. Each studio has dedicated lin. VTR facilities and digital still storage. There are comprehensive video and sound post production editing suites for videotape and film, including a two-channel digital effects system. Animation facilities are provided by a fully computerised rostrum camera. Outside broadcast production is covered with a seven-camera OB unit, a three-machine mobile VTR facility and four microwave link units. News gathering throughout the region is accomplished electronically with five ENG units. Central Transmission Facilities include five lin. videotape recorders and two Bosch computerised multicassette VTRS together with three Mark 3 Rank Cintel telecine machines and one Bosch telecine machine. At Middlesbrough, where two of our ENG units are based, there is a small contribution studio with links back to Newcastle. A further ENG unit is based at our York premises, together with a further contribution studio which is also linked back to Newcastle and Middlesbrough.

Programmes
FACTUAL: Northern Life continued its unparalleled coverage of daily life in the region from its studios at Newcastle, Middlesbrough and York. It was the first to carry the news of the Teesside child abuse crisis and scored a notable triumph with the half-hour special Freedom and Friendship covering the visits of the Duke and Duchess of York and ex-President Jimmy Carter to the region. It was also Northern Life‘s uncovering of new evidence which led police to re-open the files on the Angus Sibbett murder. David Bellamy’s controversial networked series Turning the Tide explored the social and economic realities behind major environmental issues; while Father Tom, celebrated the life and work of a Tyneside-born priest who raised £35 million for the Third World with the help of Frank Sinatra and a host of show business celebrities. Regional programmes included Face the Press; Nightline; First Edition, a new series covering arts, politics and industry; and What Would You Do? introduced the first blind presenter on a mainstream consumer programme. Cross Your Fingers and Go For It! provided a documentary portrait of two brothers who built their own racing yacht and competed in the Carlsberg ’86 transatlantic race. Farming Outlook continued to win awards and produce reports on major issues as well as a colourful Channel 4 documentary on legendary rock star Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull who runs a successful salmon farming enterprise in Scotland. The Channel 4 series Listening Eye took the theme of equal rights for deaf people, while in the daytime schedule At The Works viewed 19th-Century Middlesbrough through the eyes of women on a New Opportunities course. Morning Worship came from Bishop Auckland, Bamburgh, Pittington, Durham and Newcastle. Other religious programmes ranged from the cheerful Hello Sunday to late-night epilogues and four programmes for Sir Harry Secombe’s Highway. Religious and moral leaders faced searching issues in the new series Inquisition, and Straight Talk discussed topical teenage issues. In sport, Extra Time continued to increase its audience and mounted major OB coverage of international darts, racing and bowls, featured first class cricket and league soccer and branched out with extensive coverage of ice hockey.
ENTERTAINMENT: Tyne Tees scored another first when The Roxy opened its doors in June, with David Jensen and Kevin Sharkey as the hosts and a chart which united both Independent Radio and Television. Emmy award-winner Supergran hit the screens again in a new series, Supergran II, which has even been sold to China. Chain Letters with Jeremy Beadle launched ITV’s daytime viewing and Crosswits provided a battle of wits for word game addicts and viewers alike. Arts programmes included the radical arts magazine The Works; the networked Easter story musical Behold the Man; Channel 4’s documentary on local born Thomas Allen, internationally renowned opera baritone; the award winning Wild About Liszt and a wide range of documentary specials. How Dare You! remained Britain’s craziest children’s networked game show.

David Jensen and Kevin Sharkey, presenters of The Roxy, ITV’s chart show.