Grampian Television’s legacy lives on 60 years after launch

Grampian Television’s legacy continues to live on 60 years after its launch.
The name may have gone under the STV umbrella, but it remains a much-loved and much-missed institution.
On September 30, 1961, commercial television was switched on for the first time in the north of Scotland, broadcasting from Aberdeen.
The swinging 1960s were a time of great social change - and that was reflected in Grampian’s pioneering approach.
Based in a converted tram shed in the west end of the city, it perhaps took a while to win over a sceptical north-east audience.
More here: bit.ly/3ojdjhV

[@fusionsuper]

Should have still be known to this day as Grampian Television on screen, not STV North.

[@davepoole9520]

I've always hated the generic branding of the three companies which swallowed up ITV. A pity they don't have to justify themselves every ten years to retain their franchise regions either given some of the absolute lazy tosh on offer nowadays.

[@johnmacleod4481]

The wee station with a big heart and a locale that brought its viewers together

[@pipoo1]

Well remember visiting the Queen Cross studios during one of the ITV Telethons (another long gone TV event). Something died in British TV when we lost all of these regional TV stations.

[@davepoole9520]

I used to know nearly every regional tune (except Granada and Border who were too lazy to have animated logos or a theme tune). Alright, to be fair Granada did have an animated ident in the sixties.

[@MacklandsMotors]

My grandparents, parents and myself will always refer to channel 3, as ‘Grampian’

[@anaccount8474]

Growing up in the East Coast of Scotland in the 70s Grampian was part of your life. It wasn't exactly glamorous or slick but it was ours.

[@Clavinovaman]

Grampian used to have a small office in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, I remember. Just round the corner from my parents house.

[@Likesgym]

By the 1990s, emerging multichannel satellite, digital, internet and streaming technologies meant strong regional commertial TV was going to suffer (same a newspapers). There is still a lot of money to be made from TV and media, but regional content doesnt travel well, unlike todays boxsets and generic English language fair. Only the BBC has been able to retain the same level of local content through its goverment funding system. I bought the Grampian TV book mentioned in the video. The individual recolections and history are a facinating insight to time when Radio Rentals, land line telephones, CRT TVs and LPs were the analogue world we grew up in. Oh how things change in one short lifespan.

[@imrustyokay]

I mean, it doesn't help that ITV was deregulated to death.

[@terrikelbie2352]

Growing up watching Grampian, I can still recite the address for the studios.

[@darryllharden9141]

Queens Cross Aberdeen.

[@terrikelbie2352]

AB1 4XJ 😀

[@johnmacleod4481]

The way it was and how it is now oh how we miss the well Kent faces and voices who were all such an integral part of grampian television as a whole company

[@bigredsock1]

Clearly Grampian was a truly Scottish company - they weren't going to waste money on luxuries like a clapperboard!

[@robertcomer2767]

What was the point of promoting 60 years when they dumped the name in 2006 and apart from the news makes nothing much else.

[@monkeymagic4555]

Back in the days when promotion was impossible without noshing someone off......

[@annother3350]

How did it go for you?!