Thames Television/London (Weekdays)

Thames Television House, 306 Euston Road, London NW1 Telephone 01 -387 9494
Television House, Kingsway, London WC2 Telephone 01 -405 7888
Teddington Studios, Teddington Lock, Teddington,  Middlesex Telephone 01 -977 3252
Sales Office:
Norfolk House, Smallbrook, Ringway, Birmingham 5 Telephone 021-643 9151

Thames Television Limited is the company which, under agreement with the Independent Television Authority, provides the television programmes in London on weekdays from Monday to 7pm Friday for the six-year contract period from the end of July 1968

ITA StationChannel and PolarizationOpening DateITA Homes (AGB)
VHF
1Croydon9V22 September 19554,200,000
UHF/Colour
101Crystal Palace23H1969
101.3Reigate60V1970
101.4Tunbridge Wells41V1970

Directors

Lord Shawcross, PC, QC (Chairman); Howard Thomas, CBE (Managing Director); George A Cooper (Director of Sales); J T Davey, FCA; DRW Dicks; H S L Dundas, DSO, DFC ; Bernard R Greenhead, OBE (Director of Studios and Engineering); Clive May, FCA; Brian Tesler, MA (Director of Programmes); Humphrey Tilling; Colin S Wills, MA, FCA.

Executives

B E Marr, CA (Company Secretary); Jack Andrews (Controller, Programme Department); D J Conway (Regional Advertisement Manager); D Graham (Labour Relations Adviser); John Hambley (Publicity Manager); Jeremy Isaacs (Controller of Features and Children’s Programmes); Philip Jones (Controller of Light Entertainment); Alan Kaupe (Controller of Publicity); M Lawson, FCA (Chief Accountant); Guthrie Moir, MA (Controller of Educational and Religious Programmes); Terry Pace (Controller, London Studios); E E Parry (Controller, Teddington Studios); Lewis Rudd (Executive Producer, Children’s Programmes); J S Sansom, AMIERE (Chief Engineer); J F Shaw (Sales Controller); Lloyd Shirley (Controller of Drama); George Spackman (Chief Press Officer); Muir Sutherland, MA (Programme Co-ordinator); D Thornes (Research Manager); Grahame Turner (Controller of Outside Broadcasts); Edwin Whiteley (Head of Schools Broadcasting).

Staff

Total members of staff 1,465.

Visits to Studios

A limited number of tickets is available for audiences at certain shows. Applications, enclosing stamped addressed envelopes, should be made to the Ticket Office at Thames Television, Television House, Kingsway, London WC2. The minimum age is sixteen, except for some programmes specially for children.

Enquiries

Enquiries about artists and programmes should be addressed to Viewers’ Correspondence, Thames Television, Television House, Kingsway, London WC2.

Submission of Scripts

Present requirements are for 60 and 90 minute plays and series. But programmes change, and authors should contact story editors in the appropriate department to learn future trends before submitting outlines or scripts.

Studios

At Thames Television House, 306 Euston Road, London NW1, which is Thames’ Central London headquarters, there are presentation and audience studios including the Today studio from which London’s daily live programme is transmitted. Thames Film Department will also be at Thames Television House together with transmission control, VTR and telecine facilities.

Thames Television’s Teddington Studios

Teddington: The main studio production centre is on the Thames riverside at Teddington in Middlesex, ten miles from Television House. There are three studios, of which the largest is 7,500 sq ft. together with full facilities, including scene building and rehearsal rooms. Technically they are among the world’s most advanced studios, and were the first to incorporate many of the features now being introduced into new ITV studios. Two studios are already fully operational in colour, and the entire output of the centre is produced on 625 lines.

Mobile Division: The Mobile Division based at Hanworth, near Teddington, consists of two £250,000 mobile colour control rooms, one large monochrome unit plus smaller camera and recording units, microwave links and auxiliary vehicles.

Colour Television

Important colour development for Independent Television was undertaken at Teddington studios, including extensive research into the three major television systems, design and testing of new colour equipment and investigation of colour conversion problems. The ITA’s official colour demonstrations in 1966, which helped pave the way to a national colour television service, came from Teddington. Thames is producing all programmes in colour and its staff are widely experienced in all facets of colour production.

Programmes

Drama: Mystery & Imagination; Armchair Theatre; Public Eye; The Mind of Mr J G Reeder; Special Branch; Playhouse. Children: Magpie; The Sooty Show; Pinky & Perky; Sexton Blake; Once Upon a Time; The Tingaree Affair; Professor Branestawm; The Paperbag Players; Do Not Adjust Your Set; Hattytown. Light Entertainment: Max; Opportunity Knocks!; Two In Clover; Benny Hill ‘Specials’; Cribbins; This Is Your Life; A Present for Dickie. Features: This Week; Report; Today. Outside Broadcasts: Wrestling; Racing; Football, etc. Schools: Finding Out ; Seeing and Doing; World Around Us; Song and Story. Adult Education: How About You?; Raj; Ballet For All. Religion: Last Programmes.

About the author

Eric Croston was editor of the ITA and IBA yearbooks from 1963 until 1985

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