HOW TV CHANGED FOREVER | The Pilkington Report | An AMTV Documentary

The Pilkington Report on the surface may just seem like another document giving recommendations to Government... but this would have ramifications on the entire UK television and radio industry! From launching a third channel, blocking commercial radio and passing some pretty scathing comments on Britain's two battling broadcasters, theres a whole story to unpack!

So join me, as we journey through the Pilkington Report, how it came about and just how its recommendations would create lasting ripples that shaped the future of British TV and radio, in more ways than one!

MY LINKS:

With Thanks To Our Patrons & Staff Members: (as of 29/11/22)
Assistant Floor Managers
- Phil Atkin
- Leo
- Rob Wilson
- Meowing Cookie
- James Mathieson
- Evonne Okafor
- Martin Spellacey
- Mac
- Lewis Kennedy

Directors
- Rob Jefferson
- Paul Blanchard
- Matt Pekarek

Producers
- Joseph 'Gerkuman' Adams
- KNIGH7
- Jenny Tea
- James Brindley
- Macra99
- And.Me
- Andrew L. Budny
- Callum Crayston
- Ryan Boundry

AMTV Staff Members
- Macra
- Hux Media
- Ben Freeman
- Ethan Carberry-Holt
- Bruce Danton
- The Broken Kitsumanoid
- Tbose Krotz
- polski lis
- Globe of Reviews
- trev hughes
- Kevin Aikman

Please like, comment, share, subscribe and check out my other videos! :D

#thepilkingtonreport #tvhistory #bbcvsitv

[macra_]

Another great doc Adam, informative as always! Super interesting hearing about the history behind pirate radios too!

[MrDannyDetail]

The other really important thing for the development of Broadcasting was the Broadcasting Act 1990, which took the Broadcasting landscape that resulted from the Pilkington report's changes and set it on the path to where we are today, so would make a godd follow-up documentary to this.

[flairandscurr]

Had no idea it was the same pilkington that was in charge of pilks glass in st. helens great work on this adam lovely to know that one of my towns favourite sons had such an impact beyond it lovely stuff!

[ginaweaver]

As an American, I always thought it was strange how in the UK they started out with just one channel and then the others were added one by one, meanwhile during that time US television regions already had the 3 networks (NBC, CBS, & ABC), a public television station (NET then PBS), and usually a handful of independent (ie unaffiliated to a network) stations. I can't imagine spending most of my life with literally only 3 channels but I only know what I know & I'm sure the UK public got used to it.

Anyway, great documentary as always, I never even heard about this & I read about UK TV history a lot (though mostly focused on idents 😅). Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

[brucedanton]

Thank you of course for this Adam; which as usual is most interesting, as others have put so then too. Well done there too!

[johnking]

Hi Adam, BBC Radio would have liked to have provided a full proper pop music based radio station, offering at least 18 hours of music for the younger population. They could never do that due to the needle time restrictions on pop music played. The music unions restricted the BBC until 1967 to just 5 hours of records per day, later increased to around 7 hours per day come 1967. Needle time would gradually be increased during the 70s and finally abolished in the late 80s.

[rogerdarthwell]

Cor blimey! Never expected a doc about the Pilkington Report! You are really outdoing yourself for the better Adam!

[JamieTubeUK]

A very interesting documentary! Outstanding work, as always, Adam!

[fusionsub]

A part of me dies inside when you say 'Independent Transmission Authority'.

[johnking]

Hi Adam, to me the Pilkington Report was a campaign to rein in ITV. Commercial television was hated by a lot of people, usually middle to upper classes. I am amazed that it was a conservative government who actually gave the go ahead to the creation of commercial TV. They hated that ITV was airing popular programming, both UK produced and US imports. They had a phrase "chewing gum for the eyes". Total snobbery in my view. I always have an American attitude towards television.

[e.]

The bit about Pilkingtons is really intresting. I live in the town that Pilkingtons is based in, and we've always been told about the history of the company, but never the pilkington report.

[garrysimpson]

The one thing they could not predict was themed T.V. channels.

[GGYT.]

Your "Posh" accent in the read-over sections sounds like a person trying to speak scottish for the first time 😅. Anyways, nice documentary! Hope to see more of them at some time.

[jasonmatthews]

There was talk about a 4th channel, which took debates in Westminster circles for 15 years after BBC 2 was launched. The problem was a) content, b) availability c) diversity of programmes . It was problematic for different countries within the UK, for example Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland because off their different beliefs, languages, and ideals.

One thing that emerged was that Channel 4 was to have programmes made by Independent Production companies, which were Independent to both ITV & BBC.

The Pilikington Report made getting the Fourth Channel, was that there was to going to be based on the Conservative Party gaining a large majority, which they failed to get until 1979.

[officiallynats]

I normally don’t mind adverts as I have a short attention span but can we all agree that Britain’s Got Talent does not need adverts every 5 minutes 😅

[GLOBEREVIEWS]

I had never heard of this report before very interesting and informative as always hence my support

[stickytapenrust]

17:40 - Independent *Television* Authority, not Transmission.

[tedrobinson]

Two comments:
With the launch of BBC2 in 1964, the intending colour standard planned was NTSC. The BBC only made a change to PAL at the last moment in early '67.
And the second commercial channel, Channel 4, was launched in 1982.

[MeiinUK]

Pirate Radio was broadcasting on a ship off the shores of the British Isle ? 😆 It is really fascinating to read realise how the BBC was actually such an Upper Class organisation.

[cerionerwarriorgamer]

How did the British TV set channel button for BBC or ITV worked vs the tuner knob in the USA?