• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to after header navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Rewind

Rewind

The museum of TV ephemera

  • Pres
  • Promos
  • Ads
  • Progs
  • Teletext
  • Test Cards
  • Miscel
  • Features
  • On This Day
  • Clean Feed
  • Showreel
  • Studio A
  • TX
  • Webfax

TV-am off the air (7th August 1985)

Posted on 1st January 2021
By The Rewind Team
Last updated on 27th May 2021
Filed under Channel Presentation
LnRiLWZpZWxke21hcmdpbi1ib3R0b206MC43NmVtfS50Yi1maWVsZC0tbGVmdHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOmxlZnR9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1jZW50ZXJ7dGV4dC1hbGlnbjpjZW50ZXJ9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1yaWdodHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOnJpZ2h0fS50Yi1maWVsZF9fc2t5cGVfcHJldmlld3twYWRkaW5nOjEwcHggMjBweDtib3JkZXItcmFkaXVzOjNweDtjb2xvcjojZmZmO2JhY2tncm91bmQ6IzAwYWZlZTtkaXNwbGF5OmlubGluZS1ibG9ja311bC5nbGlkZV9fc2xpZGVze21hcmdpbjowfQ==
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

ARCHIVE: NC1

This recording is believed to have been made during the blackout of TV-am’s Good Morning Britain, as a result of widespread strike action by UK TV and radio journalists.

VIDEO: TV-am off air due to a strike by journalists. TX DATE: 7th August 1985. COPYRIGHT: Unknown.

Video content

[00:00:00] INFORMATION GRAPHIC: it’s unclear if the same apology caption was broadcast across the ITV network, or if individual main transmitters were sending out their own version of this caption. There was no music with the caption – only silence.

The walkout was caused by what was seen as Government censorship, when a BBC programme – Real Lives – featuring interviews with the deputy leader of the republican political party Sinn Féin and alleged IRA chief of staff, Martin McGuinness, was prevented from being broadcast.

The Home Secretary of the time, Leon Brittain, had asked for the programme to be banned. BBC management objected to this, on the grounds that it compromised the BBC’s independence.

In a letter to the BBC, Mr Brittain said:

It must be damaging to security and therefore wholly contrary to the public interest to provide a boost to the morale of the terrorists and their apologists in this way. I cannot believe that the BBC would wish to give succour to terrorist organisations; and it is for this reason that I hope you and your colleagues will agree on reflection that the programme should not be broadcast.

Extract from a letter from Home Secretary, Leon Brittain, to the BBC

However, in spite of protestations from BBC management, the BBC Board of Governors opted to ban the programme.

On the day the programme was due to be transmitted – 7th August 1985 – BBC TV and radio journalists walked out on strike. There was a complete blackout of news at the Corporation. BBC members of the Broadcasting and Entertainment Trades Alliance (BETA) voted to join the protest – this included camera operators, engineers and producers.

Other casualties of the BBC strike action included a recording of Top of the Pops – the programme went out live the following night. The live 7pm edition of Wogan was replaced. Ceefax was also heavily impacted.

ITN journalists also refused to work that day. STV journalists walked out in support of their BBC colleagues. Grampian and Border TV news programmes remained on air. Many other journalists across the country joined the protest.

Related

Acknowledgements

FEATURE IMAGE:
PICTURED: IBA apology graphic. COPYRIGHT: Unknown.

Related

Reader Interactions

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Sidebar

Broadcaster/Channel: TV-am (Defunct)
Broadcast Area: UK: National

OSP Category: Information Graphic, Standard Presentation

OSP Package: TV-am: February 1983 - December 1992

Decade: 1980s

Content Finder

We've provided an intelligent search facility that allows you to identify content using a range of categories.

Follow Us on Bluesky

Bluesky is the only social media platform where you'll find regular updates from The TV Room.

You'll find us here.

Pres Café Forum



Join in the discussion about TV presentation and branding.

TV Pres Updates



The latest updates from a number of presentation-related websites.

Webfax TV Guide



TV programme listings for all the main UK channels.

Ceefax



A recreation of the BBC's teletext service, with the latest news, sport, weather and more.

Archive Collections

View the Archive Collection index for the many hobby archivists who have contributed to The TV Room.

More Information

Have you got any additional information about the content featured on this page?

Were you involved in the production of the item in some way and would like to be credited?

Get in touch via our Contact Form.
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy

About This Site · Contact Us · Content Finder · FAQ · Privacy Policy · Terms and Conditions

Unless otherwise indicated material featured on this site is © 2025 The TV Room.

Established in 1999, The TV Room is not affiliated with any broadcaster, production company or design/marketing/talent agency.

Back to top