Adventures in Television: An AH/Youtube crossover

I don't know if this will work or not but I've wanted to try it for a while

In 1967 the Independent Television Authority renewed the ITV franchises. ABC and Rediffusion merged into Thames and Yorkshire Television launched.

However a new licence was launched in response from viewers in the South Midlands and Eastern England who felt they were being ignored by ATV and Anglia.

So the ITA reassigned the transmitters at Oxford and Sandy Heath to form a new region: The Home Counties

Two bids were made. Carlton, a production company from London and the Home Counties Independent Television Consortium (HCITC). based in Oxford.

The latter won due to their promise to be based in the region whereas Carlton would have their HQ in London.

The new channel was to be called the Home Counties Network (HCN) and would be based in Oxford while having studios in Cambridge for the eastern region.

The station launched on the 30th of July 1968 with this silent ident:

 
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It can be claimed that the history of HCN can be encapsulated in one man. Charles Jefferson (above) was the chairman of the company. Jefferson (or CJ) as he was known was a London based businessman from a very rich and cultured family. He spent time in the USA in the 1950's and saw how television there was populist and lowbrow. Jefferson didn't want that for his station. He wanted HCN to be educational and of high standards. During the formulation of the franchise Jefferson cultivated both Oxford and Cambridge universities with promises that the channel's schedules would feature a lot of "Oxbridge" dons lecturing the public...at primetime.







The cultural aspects of HCN were easily seen in the stations second ident
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In some ways Jefferson was a pioneer. He believed in breaching barriers and testing rules and regulations. HCN was the first station to try a breakfast service some 7 years before Yorkshire and Tyne Tees and a full 13 before TV-AM. It was called "Radio 4 with pictures by critics" and this video shows why:

 
To celebrate the 2nd anniversary of HCN. Jefferson gave a rather self-congratulatory interview to "The Times" newspaper. He was cock-a-hoop about HCN and it's "premium" entertainment and was rather scathing about the "frivolity" of the rest of the ITV Network especially soaps and game shops even though HCN gained valuable advertising revenue from them.

But possibly the most prominent and fatal for CJ was this statement:

"As far as I am concerned HCN is THE future for the ITV network. Within 10 years I foresee HCN's style and programming dominate the likes of Granada and Tyne Tees and give the rest of the UK the quality that we here enjoy and lift the stance of the nation"
 
I assume that CJ didn't get where he is today by worrying about soaps
Is the Head of Advertising at HCN called Perrin perchance?
 
CJ's words didn't go down well with the rest of the network. Lew Grade called him a "Blethering idiot". Howard Thomas who was Managing director of Thames said CJ was an "snob" and Paul Fox of Yorkshire said that he was a "cretin"

But it was the viewers themselves who were the ultimate judge. HCN's highbrow programming hadn't been successful and despite CJ's reluctant acceptance of Corrie etc the viewers were turning off in droves. There were even those in overlap areas who retuned their sets to ATV, Anglia and Thames/LWT.

By late 1971 HCN was in serious trouble. Its revenue was slashed. The schedule was a joke ( no ITV company would take any of HCN's programming) and CJ's autocratic management style was irritating many in the company.

The ITA stepped in. They said either HCN would either have to change its priorities or they would take the ultimate sanction of stripping the company of their licence...
 
HCN's woes were becoming known not just outside the business world but across the globe and by early 1972 interest in the company's fortunes had spread to Australia..
Clyde Packer was as close to possible to Australian royalty as it was possible to get. He was the son of Sir Frank Packer who at the time was head of the huge Channel Nine TV station which dominated the still fledgling airwaves. Yet Packer Sr and Jr weren't close and Clyde was determined to spread his wings. An intermediary in London had kept him up to date with HCN's problems and in February 1972 Packer flew to London to facilitate a meeting with the ITA...
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In a cold London at Brompton Road in February 1972 Clyde Packer sat face to face with the ITA's chairman Brian Young. Young really hadn't wanted the meeting. He was overseeing the transformation of the ITA to the IBA and the trials and tribulations of HCN were being a drain on his resources. Yet when Packer through his intermediary said he had an idea to solve the problem Young decided to see the Australian.

Packer Jr like his father was known as a straight talker. After a few pleasantries Packer made his move:

"Mr Young, lets face facts. HCN is a disgrace to television and a disgrace to the ITA. I've seen some of their output and in all honesty it made me sick with laughter...I understand and appreciate what you and the ITA tried to do but it has turned out to be a mess. I'm here to give you a way out..."

Packer then laid out his proposal.

The next licence round was in 1974. Packer proposed that he headed a new company to take over the licence and that it would take on HCN's staff but constitute a new board (he said CJ was an arsehole) and bring a smile back to the viewers.

When Young stated that the licence round was for as many applicants as possible Packer said he understood but then added...

Mr Young, would you drink from a poisoned chalice?
 
The IBA's first major act was the 1974 franchise renewal. Behind the scenes Jefferson and Young had butted heads repeatedly over HCN. CJ had repeatedly refused the authority's entreaties to change the stations' output and attitude. CJ refused saying that he would not be bullied by anyone. In their application for the new licence CJ wrote in the introduction:

"At this time of chaos and loss of respectability in the country in general and TV in particular* I know that the Home Counties Network has to remain a paragon of quality and stability in a rapidly changing market"

(* CJ was determined to ensure that HCN would not following the path of LWT who had stated with similar aims but had been denigrated by "foreign infiltration")


During this period Packer was making plans. He approached Carlton as a production partner as well as Reuters to provide a news output. He also acquired some old Channel 9 programming.

The Packer Group's application stated bluntly.

"The people of the South Midlands and the Home Counties are intelligent and value culture. But they value entertainment as much. We will provide plenty of both."

There were 2 applications. Despite the appearance of impartiality and balance Young and the IBA chose Packer straightway, rumour was they threw the HCN application on the fire.

When CJ heard he went ballistic. Accusing the IBA of being "traitors" and "socialist scum" he decided right then and there that HCN would close that day.

In what perhaps can be stated to be on of the bitterest spectacles on TV. CJ said that the IBA stood for "Invertebrate Bastard Arseholes" and that they would pay for this travesty.

The station closed right then and there.



 
Many thanks. I've tried similar stories but they've never gained much support. I'll see how this goes. With that in mind...

The sudden shutdown of HCN was met with feelings of "not again" by the IBA. Memories of TWW in 68 swirled round Brompton Court. Action was taken fairly quickly though, The IBA setup an emergency service called ITSSMHC (Independent Television Service for the South Midlands and the Home Counties) and asked Thames and ATV to provide continuity and programming. There was a perfunctory news service in vision only.

Behind the scenes Packer moved quickly to solidify the new company. He and Gould has become close friends during the crisis due to their shared love of cricket (which was to have consequences for ITV later)

Somehow things were soon ready and on the 2nd of June 1975 the new company launched. It was called...Sky:

 
The first week of Sky's transmission was treated warmly by the viewers. There was a bit of concern about the considerable amount of Australian programming but the industry thought Packer could be forgiven due to the stress the group faced due to HCN's strop.
 
Sky's first major on screen overhaul happened in September 1976. The nine dots were met with confusion by viewers who didn't know what it was to supposed to mean. Carlton came up with the "spinning stars" with one star representing the South Midlands and the other the home counties:
 
Sky's first 2 years were those stability and growth. Packer was aware from the start that many might criticise Sky for being cheap and nasty. He injected a lot of australian style politics and current affairs:

Crossfire was Sky's weekly political discussion programme presented by John Stapleton.
One on One was presented by Jeremy Paxman.
Homeground focused on local current affairs and initially presented by Anna Ford. One story about the issues faced by Korean War veterans won the 1976 BAFTA for best documentary.

Packer even took some ideas from HCN by keeping the notion of Breakfast TV, SKY AM:

 
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