Southern Rhapsody
In much the same way as the former Trident partners TVS and LWT embarked on a undercover arrangement from 1982 onwards, like Trident there was a transmitter overlap at Hannington but unlike Trident LWT's part time operation meant that it was more able to give their Southern neighbours more help. LWT was more like ABC and ATV in that it provided many networked programmes but it was also encumbered with the requirement if the IBA to provide a news service. (It had been told that this was a requirement of the re-issuing of their licence.)
LWT balked at the idea. As a part time broadcaster they felt that a news operation was a waste of time and money. TVS willingly stepped in. Unbeknown to Brompton Road TVS used their Canterbury studios (used to broadcast Southeast Extra, a Friday night show) to give LWT a base and journalists to provide a perfunctory service. This allowed LWT to continue to make its highly regarded political chat show "Weekend World" as well as the long running 'World Of Sport" without having to spend much money.
This clandestine alliance would later prove to be the catalyst for a major change in the structure of ITV.
In much the same way as the former Trident partners TVS and LWT embarked on a undercover arrangement from 1982 onwards, like Trident there was a transmitter overlap at Hannington but unlike Trident LWT's part time operation meant that it was more able to give their Southern neighbours more help. LWT was more like ABC and ATV in that it provided many networked programmes but it was also encumbered with the requirement if the IBA to provide a news service. (It had been told that this was a requirement of the re-issuing of their licence.)
LWT balked at the idea. As a part time broadcaster they felt that a news operation was a waste of time and money. TVS willingly stepped in. Unbeknown to Brompton Road TVS used their Canterbury studios (used to broadcast Southeast Extra, a Friday night show) to give LWT a base and journalists to provide a perfunctory service. This allowed LWT to continue to make its highly regarded political chat show "Weekend World" as well as the long running 'World Of Sport" without having to spend much money.
This clandestine alliance would later prove to be the catalyst for a major change in the structure of ITV.