"Copying one source is plagiarism. Copying more than one is research "

Source Material

The main source for a lot of the early company history is the semi-official history of ITV The History of Independent Television In Britian. The first two volumes of this, which take the history until 1967, just after the franchise process which took place in that year, were written by Bernard Sendall, who was a long time serving Deputy Director General of the ITA and IBA. Although at times dry, the facts are there, supported by his own memoranda and those held these days by the ITC. These have been supplemented by the series of handbooks produced by the ITA/IBA from 1963 until the late 80s which contain the contemporary opinions of the Authorities.

Another rich source of information is TV Times, from the days when it was a TV magazine, and not attempting to replicate Woman's Own. The first few years are particularly interesting, as they contain articles written by many of the pioneers, such as Norman Collins, and include details of their operations and transmission maps. The viewers' opinion can also be determined from the letters page, some critical but most are, as you might expect fulsome praise.

Less reliable are the autobiographies of those involved, such as Lew Grade and Howard Thomas. These were written years after the event and don't always square up accurately with things such as dates, but they do offer personal insight. For a general account of the whole development I would still recommend Peter Black's Mirror In the Corner, even though it is now 25 years old and sometimes difficult to get hold of.

The copy of the Annan Report which I purchased for 10p in a sale from Dorset County Library was well worth the money.

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