TV Live Forum

AaronLancs post_id=39473 time= user_id=846 Wrote:Sorry to ask, what are NTAs and DTAs?

NTA = Network Transmission Area
DTA = Digital Transmission Area

GraphicsMan post_id=39475 time= user_id=1031 Wrote:

AaronLancs post_id=39473 time= user_id=846 Wrote:Sorry to ask, what are NTAs and DTAs?

NTA = Network Transmission Area
DTA = Digital Transmission Area

So "Network" would have been analogue and "Digital" would have been what would become things like Freeview and the such?

AaronLancs post_id=39477 time= user_id=846 Wrote:

GraphicsMan post_id=39475 time= user_id=1031 Wrote:

AaronLancs post_id=39473 time= user_id=846 Wrote:Sorry to ask, what are NTAs and DTAs?

NTA = Network Transmission Area
DTA = Digital Transmission Area

So "Network" would have been analogue and "Digital" would have been what would become things like Freeview and the such?

Yes, the DTA was used from the launch of Sky Digital in October 1998. Not 24/7 to start with, it was around Noon until Midnight I seem to recall. Outside of those hours widescreen programming was seen as 14:9 letterbox (as it was on analogue) and just fed from the NTA.

I think by Christmas 1998 it was running 24/7 ?

Not sure whether they'll be available forever, but here are the anniversary specials from ABC, CBS and NBC...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNXLP3WH7KQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSpjPAY7zKM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWrRbXPEnds

ABC and CBS stayed on air until all the names of the victims had been read out at the World Trade Center memorial - their specials lasted for 4.5 hours and 5 hours respectively. NBC's coverage was quite a bit shorter - less than 3 hours, and focusing on interviews with guests and correspondents rather than the reading of the names.

Markymark post_id=39487 time= user_id=1078 Wrote:Yes, the DTA was used from the launch of Sky Digital in October 1998. Not 24/7 to start with, it was around Noon until Midnight I seem to recall. Outside of those hours widescreen programming was seen as 14:9 letterbox (as it was on analogue) and just fed from the NTA.

I think by Christmas 1998 it was running 24/7 ?

Probably not the biggest issue at the time, as there wasn't really any widescreen content in daytime at that point... or even for a while after then. From what I remember, even during the first half of 2001, it was only Breakfast and Bargain Hunt in the pre-lunchtime news slot that were going out in 16:9. Changed in the autumn where it was only Kilroy and Crimewatch Daily still in 4:3 though.

James2001 post_id=39510 time= user_id=956 Wrote:

Markymark post_id=39487 time= user_id=1078 Wrote:Yes, the DTA was used from the launch of Sky Digital in October 1998. Not 24/7 to start with, it was around Noon until Midnight I seem to recall. Outside of those hours widescreen programming was seen as 14:9 letterbox (as it was on analogue) and just fed from the NTA.

I think by Christmas 1998 it was running 24/7 ?

Probably not the biggest issue at the time, as there wasn't really any widescreen content in daytime at that point... or even for a while after then. From what I remember, even during the first half of 2001, it was only Breakfast and Bargain Hunt in the pre-lunchtime news slot that were going out in 16:9. Changed in the autumn where it was only Kilroy and Crimewatch Daily still in 4:3 though.

Indeed, I do remember the BBC 2 Sunday lunchtime series, This Morning with Richard Not Judy that was 16:9.

It started around Noon, and there was normally a 'splat' at the end of the proceeding programme when they switched from NTA to DTA.

One week, that didn't happen, and the show started off as 14:9 with soggy PAL footprint, then mid-way through there was the splat, and it went 16:9 etc.

I might be wrong, but I think there were still times where they still had the same announcers on both analogue and digital at certain times thoughout the whole era there were two separate playout areas.

Markymark post_id=39487 time= user_id=1078 Wrote:

AaronLancs post_id=39477 time= user_id=846 Wrote:

GraphicsMan post_id=39475 time= user_id=1031 Wrote:NTA = Network Transmission Area
DTA = Digital Transmission Area

So "Network" would have been analogue and "Digital" would have been what would become things like Freeview and the such?

Yes, the DTA was used from the launch of Sky Digital in October 1998. Not 24/7 to start with, it was around Noon until Midnight I seem to recall. Outside of those hours widescreen programming was seen as 14:9 letterbox (as it was on analogue) and just fed from the NTA.

I think by Christmas 1998 it was running 24/7 ?

While Sky digital was launched in October 1998, the first channel to be broadcasted in Digital is BBC Choice, launched in September.

Markymark post_id=39514 time= user_id=1078 Wrote:

James2001 post_id=39510 time= user_id=956 Wrote:

Markymark post_id=39487 time= user_id=1078 Wrote:Yes, the DTA was used from the launch of Sky Digital in October 1998. Not 24/7 to start with, it was around Noon until Midnight I seem to recall. Outside of those hours widescreen programming was seen as 14:9 letterbox (as it was on analogue) and just fed from the NTA.

I think by Christmas 1998 it was running 24/7 ?

Probably not the biggest issue at the time, as there wasn't really any widescreen content in daytime at that point... or even for a while after then. From what I remember, even during the first half of 2001, it was only Breakfast and Bargain Hunt in the pre-lunchtime news slot that were going out in 16:9. Changed in the autumn where it was only Kilroy and Crimewatch Daily still in 4:3 though.

Indeed, I do remember the BBC 2 Sunday lunchtime series, This Morning with Richard Not Judy that was 16:9.

It started around Noon, and there was normally a 'splat' at the end of the proceeding programme when they switched from NTA to DTA.

One week, that didn't happen, and the show started off as 14:9 with soggy PAL footprint, then mid-way through there was the splat, and it went 16:9 etc.

Aha… that explains what happens here at about 4 minutes in

https://youtu.be/wEdbR0Kx4h8?t=240

Going back to personal recollections.

I remember the day very vividly. I was 14 at the time and was at school. We were due to watch a video and the teacher accidentally switched the TV to BBC One at the moment the second plane hit the the second tower (simulcasting News 24). Our teacher then quickly switched it over and the class demanded it was switched back over, which surprisingly she did and we saw some of the breaking coverage.

Later that afternoon my Mum picked me up from school and explained what happened (I kind of had a gist from the TV footage) and helped her retune the car radio to 5 Live.

I remember popping the TV on when we got home (short 15 minute journey) and getting my first proper exposure to TV News channels. We had analogue cable at the time so I popped on Sky News and I believe it was Anna Botting and Martin Stanford on air. I remember Anna trying to explain what was happening and she said something like 'We were talking about what happened and then this happened...' - the second plane hit.

I also recall Peter Sissons on the BBC Ten O'clock News that night as well. Thought to this day that was probably some of the finest TV news script writing I'd ever heard, especially Sissons' opening piece into the first package.

I notice the BBC One crossover to News 24 off the back of Neighbours clip has dropped off of YouTube in the last few years.

Worzel post_id=39747 time= user_id=1259 Wrote:Later that afternoon my Mum picked me up from school and explained what happened (I kind of had a gist from the TV footage) and helped her retune the car radio to 5 Live.

What did happen radio wise that day. Chris Moyles on Radio 1 has been much discussed but what did the other national BBC and local stations do? I assume Radio 4 & 5 Live each had their own live coverage which presumably the local stations could opt into if desired.

Brekkie post_id=39750 time= user_id=976 Wrote:

Worzel post_id=39747 time= user_id=1259 Wrote:Later that afternoon my Mum picked me up from school and explained what happened (I kind of had a gist from the TV footage) and helped her retune the car radio to 5 Live.

What did happen radio wise that day. Chris Moyles on Radio 1 has been much discussed but what did the other national BBC and local stations do? I assume Radio 4 & 5 Live each had their own live coverage which presumably the local stations could opt into if desired.

Brekkie post_id=39750 time= user_id=976 Wrote:

Worzel post_id=39747 time= user_id=1259 Wrote:Later that afternoon my Mum picked me up from school and explained what happened (I kind of had a gist from the TV footage) and helped her retune the car radio to 5 Live.

What did happen radio wise that day. Chris Moyles on Radio 1 has been much discussed but what did the other national BBC and local stations do? I assume Radio 4 & 5 Live each had their own live coverage which presumably the local stations could opt into if desired.

Simon Mayo was on 5 Live when the news first broke. He produced a programme recently looking back at his stint on air that day (see below). I believe (and my memory is very sketchy) BBC local radio simulcast 5 Live.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b014fbqr/clips

Here's how Radio 1's Newsbeat covered it:

https://youtu.be/rvpRxX1ViOs

IRN (which was being provided by ITN at the time and known as IRN180) ran their own rolling coverage which commercial radio stations could broadcast and/or dip in to. I assume this was also broadcast on what was ITN News Direct on 97.3FM in London as that was prior to it's relaunch as LBC? Pretty sure their Major alert/alarm went off that day too.

I know of at least one local commercial music radio station in my neck of the woods which broadcast the IRN feed up until around 7pm when it decided to opt-out and go for a more Obit/sembre music playlist.

That TV Forum thread is hard for me to look back on due to my own contributions on it aged 12, who didn’t seem to genuinely understand what happened for a good few months after. As mentioned by me in the thread I watched the Crossroads interruption as it happened and assumed the Queen Mother had died at first.

My badly-edited VHS compilation of presentation of the next three days is below, which seems to feature stuff not seen elsewhere like the start of the local London news and Huw Edwards co-hosting CBBC Newsround. Rare to see (even a few seconds of) what Ch4 and Ch5 were doing too:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=puNp2zgkijE

BillyH post_id=40106 time= user_id=1312 Wrote:That TV Forum thread is hard for me to look back on due to my own contributions on it aged 12, who didn’t seem to genuinely understand what happened for a good few months after. As mentioned by me in the thread I watched the Crossroads interruption as it happened and assumed the Queen Mother had died at first.

My badly-edited VHS compilation of presentation of the next three days is below, which seems to feature stuff not seen elsewhere like the start of the local London news and Huw Edwards co-hosting CBBC Newsround. Rare to see (even a few seconds of) what Ch4 and Ch5 were doing too:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=puNp2zgkijE

Really interesting to see a brief snatch of CITV with Tom and David (IIRC) at 7:00 or so - I know they wouldn't go all sombre for kids programmes but interesting nevertheless that it doesn't seem that different from usual (based on a very brief clip of course!) as I was an avid viewer of CITV at the time.