https://www.facebook.com/AlastairYates.media.adhd/videos/693130690707859/
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.
This, circa 1978, video includes a trail for the regional music show, Look! Hear!, and Midlands Today presenter, Alastair Yates, introducing the national 6pm News.
Chris Phipps trails Look! Hear!
This video demonstrates how the line-up for studio and outside broadcast cameras worked. It was produced as part of Royal Holloway, University of London’s, ADAPT project, using the restored outside broadcast truck CMCR9, Pebble Mill’s original CM1. The ADAPT project recreates how now defunct television production processes worked, and is run by Professor John Ellis. The video is protected under a creative commons licence.
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
John Greening: ‘Still have a line up before every studio day on EastEnders’
Carolyn Davies: ‘Still done in many studios…certainly not a ‘was’ process!’
Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission.
A Midlands News broadcast, presented by Alastair Yates, from 1979. Alastair left Pebble Mill for Grampian in 1980. The broadcast had been recorded by Chris Howles on a Philips N1700 format tape, and donated to TVArk.
The prompter seems not to be working at the beginning of the broadcast, with Alastair doing a wonderful job of reading off the script, whilst looking up from time to time. The cartoon over the weather seems very odd, and then the prompter seems to be working properly after that. The news seems to consist of a litany of crime, followed by a list of what’s on in every single theatre in the region! This was one of the last ‘closedown’ broadcasts to be done from the Midlands, due to an economy drive! Nothing new about BBC cut-backs!
Thanks to Chris Howles for bringing the clip to my attention.
The following comments were left on the Pebble Mill Facebook page:
Bryan Sharpe: ‘Alastair gave me my first insight into radio.. when he used to be AL KAY at BBC Radio Derby… in 1974… I was 12ish and later went on to work at Radio Derby then onto work at Pebble Mill and eventually as senior director at BBC Nottingham… thanks AL!!’
Malcolm Hickman: ‘Haven’t I seen Alastair on BBC World?’
Jonathan Dick: ‘Alastair was indeed a presenter on BBC World, where I had the pleasure of directing him on many occasions.’
(Creative commons licensed video produced by Amanda Murphy as part of Royal Holloway’s ADAPT project)
BBC Radio Wales reporter Robert Thomas interviews Steve Harris (On The Air Ltd.) and Prof. John Ellis (Media Arts, Royal Holloway University of London) about the ADAPT re-enactment based simulation exercise with North 3/CM1 (CMCR9). Steve, the restorer of the vintage truck explains about the history of CMCR9, and John Ellis tells us about the ADAPT research project and the reconstruction being staged with the truck.
This video was recorded just over a year ago (May 2016), during a reconstruction of the outside broadcast truck CMCR9 recording a darts match. This OB truck was Pebble Mill’s original CM1 and later became Manchester’s North3.
Crew in CM1. Copyright resides with the original holder, no reproduction without permission
Production in CM1
A year ago (spring 2016) the ADAPT project attempted their most ambitious reconstruction to date – the recreation of an outside broadcast, using the original equipment from 50 years ago. They used the restored CMCR9 OB truck, Pebble Mill’s original CM1, which later became North 3. The truck was reunited with the men who originally operated it in Manchester.
There were technical glitches, and they nearly didn’t make it, but finally they succeeded in recording a live darts match.
This is a promotional video to highlight the work of the project, especially fitting with the 50th anniversary of colour television, which started with Wimbledon coverage in 1967.
ADAPT is a academic research project from Royal Holloway, University of London. It is led by Professor John Ellis, with producer Amanda Murphy being responsible for producing the re-enactments.