Thames Television

London (Weekdays)

Thames Television House, 306 Euston Road, London NW1 3BB Tel: 01-387 9494
Teddington Studios, Teddington Lock, Teddington, Middlesex Tel: 01-977 3252
Sales Office: Norfolk House, Smallbrook Ringway, Birmingham 5 Tel: 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 7 pm Friday.

ITA StationChannel and PolarizationOpening DateITA Homes (JICTAR)
VHF
1Croydon9V22nd September 19554,270,000
UHF/Colour
101Crystal Palace23H15th November 1969
101,1Guildford43V1970-71
101,2Hertford61V1971-72
101,3Reigate60V1970-71
101,4Tunbridge Wells41V1970-71
101,5Hemel Hempstead41V1971-72
101,7High Wycombe59V1971-72
*158North-West Kent43H1973*
*Tentative, plans provisional

Directors

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

Executives

Ben E Marr, CA (Company Secretary); Jack Andrews (Controller, Programme Department); Ken E Fletcher (Controller, Overseas Sales); David Graham (Labour Relations Adviser); John Hambley (Publicity Manager); Jeremy Isaacs (Controller of Feature Programmes); Philip Jones (Controller of Light Entertainment); Alan Kaupe (Controller of Publicity); Max Lawson, FCA (Chief Accountant); Guthrie Moir, MA (Controller of Education & Religious Programmes); Terry W Pace (Controller, London Studios); Eric E Parry (Controller, Administration); Lewis Rudd (Controller of Children’s Programmes); J Stuart Sansom, AMIERE (Technical Controller); James F Shaw (Sales Controller); Lloyd Shirley (Controller of Drama); J A Muir Sutherland, MA (Programme Co-ordinator); Douglas Thornes (Research Manager); Grahame Turner (Controller of Outside Broadcasts); Edwin Whiteley (Head of Schools Broadcasting).

Staff

Total members of staff 1,350.

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 House, 306 Euston Road, London NW1 3BB. 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 House, 306 Euston Road, London NW1 3BB.

Submission of Scripts

While Thames will always welcome the submission of proposals for plays and series, drama plans are subject to change over the year. Writers are advised in the first place to contact the Story Supervisor at Teddington Studios.

Sales and Marketing

Thames offers advertisers a complete marketing and merchandising service within the London television area. Facilities include research, the Thames Manpower auxiliary sales force, a 24-hour Ansafone service for direct response to commercials, and the twice-yearly Holiday Time feature for tour and travel advertisers. Full information is available from the Sales Controller.

Studios

LONDON: At Thames Television House, Thames’ central London headquarters, there are presentation and audience studios with VTR and telecine facilities, including the Today studio from which London’s daily live magazine programme is transmitted. The building also houses the company’s extensive Film Department and transmission control.

Thames Television House, the company’s central London headquarters

TEDDINGTON: Thames’ main studio production centre is on the Thames riverside at Teddington in Middlesex, ten miles from Thames Television House. There are three studios, of which the largest is 7,500 sq ft, equipped 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. All studios are fully operational in colour, and the entire output of the centre is produced on 625 lines. mobile division : The company’s outside broadcast units, mobile recording units, microwave link and other mobile units are based at Han worth, near Teddington. The equipment includes two four-colour camera units, a self-contained two-colour camera-plus-VTR unit, a mobile VTR unit and such auxiliaries as hydraulic tower vehicles.

Colour Television

Much of the original colour television development in Independent Television was carried out at Teddington, and all Thames’ facilities are converted to colour. With several years’ experience and the most up-to-date equipment, Thames produces a high standard of colour programmes.

Programmes

DRAMA: Armchair Theatre; Callan; Rumour; The Mind of Mr J G Reeder; Public Eye; Special Branch; Man at the Top; Shadows of Fear; The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes; CHILDREN’S: Magpie; Two D’s and a Dog; Wreckers at Dead Eye; Ace of Wands; The Sooty Show; Pinky and Perky; Smith; Zingalong; Once Upon a Time; Anita in Jumbleland; Sexton Blake; LIGHT ENTERTAINMENT: This is Your Life; Max; For the Love of Ada; Father, Dear Father; Never Mind the Quality, Feel the Width; Opportunity Knocks!; Mike and Bernie’s Scene; David Nixon’s Magic Box; Benny Hill Specials; Max Specials; Inside the Mind of Dave Allen (Special); Mike and Bernie Winters Special; FEATURES: This Week; Report; Today; The Day Before Yesterday. OUTSIDE BROADCASTS: Wrestling; Racing; Football; Specials, etc. SCHOOLS : Seeing and Doing; Finding Out; The World Around Us; Writer’s Workshop; Drama; Patterns of Expression; Living Now; Advent of Steam; French; ADULT EDUCATION: Living Writers; People to People; The Garden Indoors; Cooking Price-Wise. RELIGION: Last Programmes.

About the author

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

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