Kaleidoscope Event

[Peter Picard]

I believe there will be a live broadcast from Birmingham about the event on the ITV early evening news this evening.

[Peter Picard]

There was a news item on the 15th November but unfortunately it wasn't covered by the national news, just the local Central News. However the broadcast was made using cameras and an outside broadcast vehicle all dating back to the late 1960's.

This equipment was brought to the Kaleidoscope event by the Broadcast Engineering Conservation Group.

This is the interior of SouthernTV's unit 1. Sound area in the foreground, Director and Vision Mixer's seats behind. The rear of the vehicle can't be seen but is the Engineering area.

Above is the Engineering area.

The two colour cameras used to film the broadcast.

[John Steed]

Great pictures there Peter. That is an amazing vehicle and a wonderful piece of history. Thanks for posting. 


Steed

[Del Boy]

Fantastic to see this vehicle. Thanks to Sparky explaining things with the goings on of behind the scenes at a tv station you can look at the O.B vehicle control room and get how it all works.
Pete thanks for the report, much appreciated.

[Sparky]

Great Pics Peter!

I know the chaps who run the the Conservation Group.

You ought to see how many styles of old Colour TVs sets they have.

They have some amazing kit.

I love the Southern TV OB one. I think they have a Tyne Tees one too.

The ATV colour OB unit circa 1967, I have a photo of with similar cameras.

The ATV-Today (local news) programme transmitted a 'special' from the recently opened studio in Birmingham - this featured colour film inserts of various Vox Pops, the "ATV Colour Girls", "The Studios" etc.

This film does still exist in the ITV local news library - though just listed as a news feature.

The actual transmission of the entire programme did exist - in the form of an Off-Air tape.
That appeared to have got wiped years ago.

At the time, their studio was brought into operation phase by phase.

The first bit being Transmission in July 1969, and then each studio - Studio 3 for the local news and Studio 1 for the production of Crossroads.

It wasn't fully operational until March 1970.

There quite a few shorts and features about the studio officially opening - feat Princess Alexandra doing the ceremony.

Not sure who other regions did it!

[Cartman]

Great pictures. A Bedford VAL, the same type as in the Italian Job

[Sparky]

Here's the ATV OB unit.

This from 1974.

This from 1969...

And this from 1968...

[Dirty Epic]

Blimey Spark's they're monsters those cameras.

Used to love seeing those big cameras on live TV in the '70's/'80's too. 

[Three Litre]

Nov 29, 2019 13:38:14 GMT Dirty Epic said:

Blimey Spark's they're monsters those cameras.

Used to love seeing those big cameras on live TV in the '70's/'80's too. 

Enormous things! Look at the size of what I presume is the power cable going into the '74 one.

[Sparky]

Nov 29, 2019 14:49:05 GMT Three Litre said:

Nov 29, 2019 13:38:14 GMT Dirty Epic said:

Blimey Spark's they're monsters those cameras.

Used to love seeing those big cameras on live TV in the '70's/'80's too. 

Enormous things! Look at the size of what I presume is the power cable going into the '74 one.

I think there was Power and Vision cables within that large cable.

Obviously, they'd be all screened to prevent interference.

What frightens me is that they are Tube Cameras - and each tube would have to be lined up each time they are set up - and the tubes are quite brittle and expensive.

Must have been a hell of a job to line them all up to match.