Adventures in Television: An AH/Youtube crossover

IOTL Paxman worked for the BBC from 1972 and Stapleton worked for Thames between 1971 and 1975 and then joined Nationwide:)
 
By Sky's 3rd birthday in 1978 Packer felt ready to take the next step. Like his father and brother he was obsessed with Cricket and like his family felt that the current cricketing setup regarding players pay was a joke. He wanted to give the sport a boost and make it as popular as football in the UK. He was a regular at the Oval and on a particularly slow day he had a eureka moment. A limited overs version of the game played at night with players on guaranteed contracts.

During a post match drink with the club president WH Sillitoe Packer put the idea forward. He proposed a charity match between Surrey and a select XI live on Sky...

"It would have to be outside of the regular season"
"Of Course"
'And there would be no attempts of 'playing to the gallery'
"Naturally"

"Very well Mr Packer, I shall consult the board."
"Thank you, and please call me Clyde"
 
The success of the cricket match led Packer to proceed in his plan. He approached LWT and the MCC and asked them to consider forming a new limited overs competition. There was some reluctance but with help from Sillitoe the idea was accepted.

Sky and LWT formed a subsidiary called ITV Sports Broadcasting which also took over the production of World Of Sport.
 
Between 1978 and 1980 Sky became a major player in the ITV network. Its blend of australian style directness in its journalism coupled with its cozy middle-class view of the world made for comforting viewing at a time of great upheaval in the country. The twenty/20 tournament drew in 6 million viewers and became regular viewing on Sundays.

ITV Sports Broadcasting was proving itself to be a very successful arm of the network. So much so that in mid 1978 Packer was approached by ITN to discuss the new breakfast franchise that was to start in 1980...
 
In late 1977 ITN was asked by the IBA if it would consider running a new breakfast network on ITV. ITN thought that such a channel should have not just news and sport but also some lighter moments. Sky and LWT were approached to provide both the sports and the "magazine" aspects as well as Warner Brothers for the children and Barclays for the finance.

The sports bulletin was entitled "Sportsworld" billed as more mainstream then World Of Sport. Sky also provided local news.

ITN AM launched on the 1st of January 1980:

 
Top