1979: The BBC is RUBBISH! | Points of View | Voice of the People | BBC Archive

"Why not close down television altogether?"

Industrial action by ITV technicians meant that, for an eleven week period in 1979, ITV ceased broadcasting programmes. Hence, British TV viewers had a tough decision to make. They could either turn their television sets off completely (rather drastic, that), stay tuned to ITV, watching a caption that stated programmes were off air due to the strike (which an estimated 1 million people did), or... tune in to the BBC.

Some ITV viewers did turn over to the BBC. Going by Barry Took's filled-to-bursting Points of View postbag, they were not amused...


Clip taken from Points of View, originally broadcast on BBC One, 31 August, 1979.





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