Engineering Announcements
Encyclopedia
Engineering Announcements for the Radio and Television Trade, sometimes abbreviated to Engineering Announcements, was a weekly magazine of news and information intended for technicians and salespeople, produced and transmitted by the Independent Television Authority
(and later the Independent Broadcasting Authority
) from 23 November 1970 until 31 July 1990. It covered technical advances in the industry such as the launch of satellite television and NICAM
stereo, along with details of new transmitters and the scheduling of transmitter downtime.
Engineering Announcements, and the BBC's similar Service Information
, are examples of regularly scheduled "ghost programmes," so called because they were never advertised in on-air schedules, in newspaper TV listings, the TV Times
or on teletext
.
In September 1972, Engineering Announcements moved to 9:10am on Tuesdays, where it remained until 1983. The launch of TV-am
meant that the ITV network would no longer be available to show Engineering Announcements at the old time, however Channel 4
, still in its infancy, generally didn't start broadcasting until the early evenings. The programme was transferred to Channel 4 and screened at the fixed time of 0915 each Tuesday, with a repeat at 1215 the same day. However, as Channel 4 gradually lengthened its broadcasting hours throughout the 1980s, Engineering Announcements was forced into increasingly earlier time slots, losing first the 1215 repeat when it took over ITV's programmes for schools and colleges in September 1987. With the launch of Channel 4's own breakfast television
service in April 1989, Engineering Announcements was moved to 5:45am each Tuesday, where it could be recorded by engineers for later viewing.
Engineering Announcements broadcast for the final time on 31 July 1990 with a retrospective programme.
During the Industrial Dispute of 1979, Engineering Announcements was the only programme airing on ITV.
Independent Television Authority
The Independent Television Authority was an agency created by the Television Act 1954 to supervise the creation of "Independent Television" , the first commercial television network in the United Kingdom...
(and later the Independent Broadcasting Authority
Independent Broadcasting Authority
The Independent Broadcasting Authority was the regulatory body in the United Kingdom for commercial television - and commercial/independent radio broadcasts...
) from 23 November 1970 until 31 July 1990. It covered technical advances in the industry such as the launch of satellite television and NICAM
NICAM
Near Instantaneous Companded Audio Multiplex is an early form of lossy compression for digital audio. It was originally developed in the early 1970s for point-to-point links within broadcasting networks...
stereo, along with details of new transmitters and the scheduling of transmitter downtime.
Engineering Announcements, and the BBC's similar Service Information
Service Information
Service Information was a regular programme in the early days of colour television in the United Kingdom that gave out engineering information for the Radio & Television trade. These announcements were made by the BBC continuity announcers of the time and were read over in-vision captions...
, are examples of regularly scheduled "ghost programmes," so called because they were never advertised in on-air schedules, in newspaper TV listings, the TV Times
TV Times
TVTimes is a television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom by IPC Media, a subsidiary of Time Warner. It is known for its access to television actors and their programmes. In 2006 it was refreshed for a more modern look, increasing its emphasis on big star interviews and soaps...
or on teletext
Teletext
Teletext is a television information retrieval service developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s. It offers a range of text-based information, typically including national, international and sporting news, weather and TV schedules...
.
Scheduling
Engineering Announcements was originally scheduled directly after Monday's Newcomers, another example of a ghost programme which offered the advertising trade the opportunity to watch first runs of new adverts before they aired in prime time on ITV.In September 1972, Engineering Announcements moved to 9:10am on Tuesdays, where it remained until 1983. The launch of TV-am
TV-am
TV-am was a breakfast television station that broadcast to the United Kingdom from 1 February 1983 to 31 December 1992. It made history by being the first national operator of a commercial television franchise at breakfast-time , and broadcast every day of the week for most or all of the period...
meant that the ITV network would no longer be available to show Engineering Announcements at the old time, however Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, still in its infancy, generally didn't start broadcasting until the early evenings. The programme was transferred to Channel 4 and screened at the fixed time of 0915 each Tuesday, with a repeat at 1215 the same day. However, as Channel 4 gradually lengthened its broadcasting hours throughout the 1980s, Engineering Announcements was forced into increasingly earlier time slots, losing first the 1215 repeat when it took over ITV's programmes for schools and colleges in September 1987. With the launch of Channel 4's own breakfast television
Breakfast television
Breakfast television or morning show , is a type of infotainment television program, broadcast live in the morning...
service in April 1989, Engineering Announcements was moved to 5:45am each Tuesday, where it could be recorded by engineers for later viewing.
Engineering Announcements broadcast for the final time on 31 July 1990 with a retrospective programme.
During the Industrial Dispute of 1979, Engineering Announcements was the only programme airing on ITV.