Pictures for all
The transmission area covered by the main Burnhope transmitter encompassed an area from Alnwick to Northallerton and across to Middleton-in-Teesdale.

However, in order to provide a service for colour television in the late 60s, UHF transmission began from Pontop Pike.

With the addition of Chatton in the North and Bilsdale in the South, UHF coverage extended beyond our original VHF coverage enabling transmission to stretch from Berwick in the North to Selby in the South and across to Alston in the West.

The erection of the new Bilsdale transmitter in North Yorkshire created a major overlap problem for Tyne Tees and Yorkshire when its high strength signal was beamed deep into Yorkshire territory.

North East and North Yorkshire
The companies considered how best to resolve the situation and came to the conclusion that the establishment of some form of common interest would be the best answer.

Discussions with the ITA followed and a solution was found by arranging for the two companies to become wholly owned subsidiaries of a new holding company, Trident Television Limited.

Trident sold airtime for both companies and provided them with common administrative facilities while leaving them free to perform their separate contractual and programming functions.

This was a successful partnership until the then IBA (Independent Broadcasting Authority formerly the ITA) required its dissolution in the early 80s.

However, the relationship between the two companies re-emerged in 1992 when Yorkshire Television acquired Tyne Tees and a holding company was formed.

This structure continued until August 1997 when both companies became part of the Granada Media Group creating the largest production and broadcasting operation within ITV.

Tyne Tees Television renewed its licence to broadcast programmes for a further 10 years in 1999.

Page 1 | 2