The ITV Strike of 1968 | The Emergency National Service | An AMTV Documentary

[@BayStateObserver]

I'm American. This is the first time I've ever heard about this part of modern British history. Many thanks for uncovering and reporting on this for us on KZbin.

[@AdamMartyn]

My pleasure! Hope you enjoyed it 😊

[@johnking5174]

The TV system in Britain back then was very strange, especially to Americans. Did you know before 1972, the British government had the power to control how many hours per day BBC and ITV television could be on air per day? Yes, they held that power until January 19th 1972, when the Edward Heath conservative government finally abolished that power. Before 1972, broadcasting on television was strictly limited, for example in 1968 BBC and ITV were only permitted to air general entertainment on TV for a maximum of 7.5 hours per day.

[@imrustyokay]

May I reccomend Applemask's "ITV in the Face"?

[@kaitlyn__L]

@@johnking5174 yep, they mostly just ran in the morning and afternoon. It’s interesting they were running out of prerecorded content with those comparatively small requirements. Today’s 24/7 TV coverage would require a lot more, although of course the archives are also far more extensive.

[@johnking5174]

@@kaitlyn__L Back then, the archives available was very limited to fill a strike schedule. A lot of content had been wiped come 1968.

[@bobacrey1068]

I like the very subtle reference to William Hartnell's last appearance as the First Doctor

[@anthonymelella]

Personally think this is the best of your 5 docs this year. So well put together, informative and pacing was perfect. You can see the care you put into them all but this one just seemed to have that extra bit of polish on top as well :)

[@AdamMartyn]

Thank you so much Anthony! It's so humbling that you all enjoy these documentaries, so much time goes into them! 😊

[@stickytapenrust6869]

The exact reason for the strike was in a dispute over the specific terms of technicians being fired and rehired. The technicians from losing companies were guaranteed jobs at new companies but they still had to be paid notice when being made redundant from old companies. Not so much a problem for ITV companies when staff relocated across the country but at Rediffusion’s Wembley studios, the dispute raged because the technicians there weren’t moving, they were simply transferring employment from Rediffusion to LWT. Rediffusion argued that the ACTT staff wouldn’t need notice pay as they said notice pay was to cover hardship in the event of job loss or to cover costs for transferring jobs, like relocating, neither of which Rediffusion Wembley staff would be doing. The ACTT argued that the terms of employment were clear and didn’t state that, they just stated that if a staff member left the employ of the company, then they got notice pay.

[@hugoboss5895]

These videos are so interesting. Your a better documentary maker then people with 100s of 1000s of pounds budget.

[@imrustyokay]

Love how you went more in depth on something that was only touched upon on the mega-doc ITV In the Face.

[@ivaneurope]

These documentaries are very well done - perhaps one day you could do one covering the controversial 1990 Broadcasting Act, which led to the equally controversial 1991 ITV Franchise Awards (the one that kicked Thames to the curb) and was the beginning of the end for the regional ITV ID's as the big players like Granada and Carlton began gobbling up the smaller ones.

[@Alola_Hanna-Barbera_TMS_Fan]

The presentation is incredible. The perfect description of a problematic strike that affected ITV and Thames.

[@AdamMartyn]

Thank you so much! 😊

[@Alola_Hanna-Barbera_TMS_Fan]

@@AdamMartyn Not a Problem!

[@Borusa1976]

Ah I can sit down to enjoy it - I was so looking forward to this one as adam's one on the 1979 strike was so good and I don't know much about what happened with this strike back in 1968.

[@macra_]

Great documentary Adam! Super informative as usual, I personally think ITV came out on top because there was minimal outages and they were able to fill in the places of those who were striking with higher up people. But it was good to see that the strikers that were dismissed were able to get their jobs back though as they were just fighting for the ability to live better lives and they shouldn't have been punished for wanting that. P.S love the black and white AMTV logo parts, they fit really well with the contents of the video!

[@AdamMartyn]

Thanks so much pal! Really glad you enjoyed it 😊 and yes I agree ITV arguably came out better this time around, if only they knew what was coming!

[@glen1555]

Nice to see the Yorkshire tv ident in motion. After a few weeks YTV replaced it with a static ident and dropped the continutity announcers being in vision to be just a voice behind a caption

[@Cheeseburgerandfries2006]

That documentary was brilliant Adam never mind that 10/10 I instead give this a 100/10

[@AdamMartyn]

Thank you so much! Really happy you enjoyed it! 😁

[@Cheeseburgerandfries2006]

@@AdamMartyn your welcome

[@nigelhall6714]

Thanks Adam...very good production and quality of presentation. 🙂

[@AdamMartyn]

Cheers Nigel!

[@goodiesguy]

3:18 that exact print of the Thames logo is from the February 1970 Benny Hill Show, I can tell because of how it slightly changes colour and the banding on the right hand side.

[@baileyhaggan4]

I really love these documentaries your putting out lately I love the way you put these videos together and I'm learning stuff that I haven't learnt in my media course really great video Can't wait for the next documentary and would love to see one about the 1987 strike

[@AdamMartyn]

Thank you very much! I'm glad that you feel you've learnt something from the docs! To inform and entertain are their primary purpose! 😁

[@rogerdarthwell5393]

Blimey! A brand new video! Don't know if I will be here for the premiere but will certainly watch it when I can

[@michaelbond7652]

Great video as always! Nothing to improve too, so there 😊

[@AdamMartyn]

Thank you Michael! Really glad you enjoyed it! 😁

[@aliceangel03]

Loved the Doctor Who reference there! XD

[@AdamMartyn]

Gotta sneak one in somewhere!

[@radioandtvmemories6178]

The Independent Television Authority, not the "Independent Transmission Authority"

[@ZeroNiteLite]

Top work Adam, keep up the great work with the documentaries!

[@titanictotired]

I'm finally a member! I'm glad to help out

[@AdamMartyn]

Thanks for coming aboard! 😊

[@titanictotired]

@@AdamMartyn No problem, I would pay anything to help this great channel out!

[@thomasstevens2746]

Always look forward to your documentarys

[@jbtv7955]

Brilliant premier Adam the itv 1968 strike happened a day after LWTs Launch I think.

[@grahamhenderson5609]

This was very interesting, when you think of ITV's emergency service, I feel its just like it is now, ITV has taken over all franchises and I dont watch it now, I miss regional programmes and now theonly thing that is Local in the south is NEWS, ITV Meridian nowjust have a news centre in an inconspicious office block in Whitely near Fareham,

[@Westy1971]

Excellent documentary as usual!

[@AdamMartyn]

Thank you Paul!

[@stephenholmes1036]

I was 7 but remember this after 1971 we ceased to own a tv.

[@lakrids-pibe]

It's funny how many of the regional networks I recognize from watching Danish TV. The Thames intro is iconic. I can hear the horns! Haha!

[@sutherlandA1]

Oh yes me too, benny hill and mr bean amongst others

[@TheDailyRocky]

Adam, if you're reading this, I probably reccomend making more Eastern European TV channels in the future of the Ident Review. There are many from Ukraine and I reccomend reviewing some of them

[@TimekeeperCookie]

same (sorta) with romania even tho there are a few channels

[@rogerdarthwell5393]

And from the former Soviet Union as well

[@jonathaneastwood2927]

Little interest in that!

[@RebeccaPhythian]

Very informative, great job my love 🥰

[@ce_sar_salad]

You should do a documentary on the History of TWW and the Emergency ITV Service for Wales when TWW and WWN left before harlech began

[@richardsharpe2966]

The ITA Adam was called the Independent Television Authority

[@homogenized]

That guy in the fez at like 7:30 in...Eleventh Doctor style inspo?? Lol

[@Tripp1993]

That, by the way, is Tommy Cooper, transferring from ABC Weekend Television to Thames, as, in a way, it was the same company. And, yes, he was digging fezzes years before Matt Smith.

[@randommanyey]

As is normal, perfection

[@theindependantcartoonist]

Dar Golan music😃 excellent choice of music my dude👌

[@garali1973]

I think the next ITV related documentary you should do could be the times where they worked Jim Henson

[@johnking5174]

The 1968 ITV franchise round saw all of the ITV companies petition the Postmaster General and the government to either increase the amount of broadcasting hours on TV allowed or to abolish all restrictions altogether. The Postmaster General refused to abolish it, but agreed to increase the hours, by a stingy half hour per day. This meant for a three year period of 1968 to 1971, BBC & ITV were permitted 7.5 hours per weekday (Mon to Fri) of general entertainment programming and 8 hours per weekend day (Sat and Sun), amounting to just 53.5 hours per week - up from the 50 hours per week maximum set since 1955.

[@bradcuzidk8306]

Random idea, you should make an Ident review on the Disney channel Mickey Mouse idents from the 1980s, its a fun set.

[@TheDailyRocky]

And probably some Ukrainian TV channels as well. Inter and Enter Music (now defunct and replaced with Pixel TV) I reccomend

[@pinkpringl104]

Every ITA franchise: on strike CTV: silence, worker

[@richardwitt3121]

I'm curious if ITV considered hiring and bringing over swathes of American technicians, especially considering the draft likely had many young trained Americans willing to resettle at short notice.

[@LostsTVandRadio]

In fact ITA was the Independent Television Authority

[@weridarchivething6407]

I want you to try and do a review on LWT

[@iainrobertson1690]

The independent TELEVISION authority not TRANSMISSION authority

[@Luizz07]

Channel television is truly lawful neutral

[@nashunson469]

Hello there. I would like to ask, where did you get the footage for the commercials and programs in the video? I am interested in taking a look at them myself. Thanks!

[@hibbiea8841]

Why was Dorime Dorime playing?

[@skylovescars69420]

Seems ITV needs to stop their workers from striking…

[@mide9876]

Well london weekend first moments were.too short...

[@Borusa1976]

Also is it my imagination - I know it isn't but why does the music in Part 3 remind me of the classic BBC series Moondial - same sort of theme ;-)

[@richardsharpe2966]

Lord Hill was chairman

[@stevenjlovelace]

I'll admit, as an American who didn't grow up with this, I'm still confused by the difference between ITV, ITA, ITC, and ITN.

[@Tripp1993]

1): ITV: Independent Television 2): ITA: the Independent Television Authority. 3): ITC Entertainment, the Incorporated Television Company, the acronyms later became part of the Independent Television Commission. And 4): ITN, the Independent Television News, now called ITV News.

[@Tripp1993]

And the ITC was a successor to the ITA's successor, the IBA, the Independent Broadcasting Authority.

[@chantingmammal]

also it inspired jim hytner to rebrand regional franchises as itv 1 and move their continuity to london.

[@hakimi_AH]

C O O L .

[@trevordance5181]

ITA... Independent Television Authority, not as was said at around 2 mins 23 secs, Independent Transmission Authority.

[@andresbravo2003]

ITV might’ve been caused troubles for the Strike of 1968…

[@masterdanthrax]

2:26 ITC Independent Transmission Authority - was that a slip? I’m sure the ITC was the Independent Television Authority?

[@AdamMartyn]

Definitely a slip on my part! One mistake always seems to slip through 😂

[@masterdanthrax]

@@AdamMartyn hey it happens - love the content, I’m glued

[@johnking5174]

@@AdamMartyn Hi Adam, will you consider making a video on the Thames Television strike of 1984. Thames Television had very bad relations with the unions and come 1984 it came to the front, when the unions went on strike. However Thames did come back on air after the unions gave time to talks. However by Monday 22nd October 1982, Thames management refused to have nothing on air, and so launched a management run schedule of repeats/imports/movies from around 1.40pm until midnight every day Thames was on air. The unions caved in by Friday 2nd November 1984 and normal service resumed on Monday 5th November 1984.

[@richardsharpe2966]

Here is two for you Adam the 1984 Thames Television temporary service and the 1987 team temporary service

[@johnking5174]

The 1987-1988 service was for TV-am breakfast service only, and did not affect the rest of the ITV schedules

[@kimmajkosaveukraineroadto1127]

Channel TV Fought back?

[@AdamTheMan1993]

More like Channel TV couldn't afford to go on strike since they were by far the smallest of all the ITV franchises and they would end up going bankrupt

[@lulugamer8082]

no AMTV ident? weird

[@BLACKMOONTELEVISION-mt1uh]

bbc analog horror creepypasta

[@ethanch3011]

Hi

[@joehurst]

Who cares? Television in the 1960s was a load of crap anyway.