• 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
  • Other Pages
    • About This Site
    • Contact Us
    • Content Finder
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Wish List
  • Our Other Websites
    • Clean Feed
    • Showreel
  • Related External Websites
    • Pres Café
    • TV Pres

Archive footage provides evidence of early use of STV branding

Posted on 24th November 2019 by Andrew Nairn
Last updated on 30th December 2022 Filed under Features
LnRiLWZpZWxke21hcmdpbi1ib3R0b206MC43NmVtfS50Yi1maWVsZC0tbGVmdHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOmxlZnR9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1jZW50ZXJ7dGV4dC1hbGlnbjpjZW50ZXJ9LnRiLWZpZWxkLS1yaWdodHt0ZXh0LWFsaWduOnJpZ2h0fS50Yi1maWVsZF9fc2t5cGVfcHJldmlld3twYWRkaW5nOjEwcHggMjBweDtib3JkZXItcmFkaXVzOjNweDtjb2xvcjojZmZmO2JhY2tncm91bmQ6IzAwYWZlZTtkaXNwbGF5OmlubGluZS1ibG9ja311bC5nbGlkZV9fc2xpZGVze21hcmdpbjowfQ==
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

FROM THE ARCHIVE OF: STV Group

A great little find from the archives was recently shared on Twitter by STV Footage Sales.

Better Viewing was made by STV in 1957 to help their viewers understand how to get the most from their televisions – explaining for instance the importance of good aerials and properly tuning sets.  Sadly the original audio is lost.

📺 Happy #WorldTelevisionDay! Back in 1957 (our launch year) we broadcast 'Better Viewing' to explain the magic of TV and give pointers on improving reception. Original audio is sadly lost, but it's still interesting! 😀 #STV #ScottishTelevision #1950s #ThrowbackThursday #TBT pic.twitter.com/l7mIzX2tOT

— Footage Sales (@STVFootageSales) November 21, 2019

However, as little of STV’s early days survives, all finds like these are of historic interest.

Good reception was very important to STV.  The Blackhill transmitter didn’t behave quite as anticipated in 1957: the result was that reception in Ayrshire and Dundee (which officially became part of Grampian’s area later) was not as good as had been hoped for.

Amongst the sequences in this programme is a map showing what, one assumes, were the areas of relativity good reception and those which were problematic.

And another little curiosity: the clip proves beyond doubt that the initials STV were always used as an abbreviation for the station – the letters are on the cameras.  Initially Scottish Television mostly used its full name or referred to its frequency – Channel 10.

However the initials were clearly an acceptable contraction. In the early 70s though things were turned around – STV became the common name for the station although the full name was still used occasionally before being reinstated in 1985. The name STV was strictly off limits from then until 2006.

As always with archive like this, there is so much to learn. It is often the surviving recordings of the programmes which were unremarkable at the time – not the high-profile or lavish productions – which tell a historian far more about what TV was actually once like.

Related

Acknowledgements

FEATURE IMAGE:
PICTURED: Better Viewing, STV. SUPPLIED BY: Online/STV Footage Sales. COPYRIGHT: STV Group.

Related

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Sidebar

Broadcaster/Channel: ITV Network/ITV plc, STV
Broadcast Area: UK: Scotland

Programme Genre: Factual

Title: Better Viewing

Decade: 1950s

Content Finder

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

Archive Collections

Ashley Sowerby, Bryan Green, Dave Baldwin, NC1, NC2, TC1, The TV Room

NOTE: this site is still in its infancy. New content is added daily.

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.

Contribute

If you were involved in the production of a channel branding package, advertisement or a set of programme titles, and have broadcast quality footage available, we'd be delighted to include that material on the site.

We also accept off-air recordings on VHS/SVHS, Betamax, N1500/N1700 and U-Matic tapes.

Get in touch using our Contact Form.

Site Content

This site generally does not feature complete programmes. We do not include material that would intentionally deprive copyright holders of income.

Rewind is presented as an educational resource, documenting the development of broadcast graphic design, channel branding, set design and marketing over the decades.

© 2023 The TV Room. This site is not affiliated with any broadcaster, production company or design/marketing/talent agency.

Back to top