As the 1960s went on companies became more imaginative with the way they started up, moving on from simple use of moving from the Picasso tuning signal and company symbol (how ever well matched to the tune). These didn’t necessary last very long before a different idea surfaced. Here we look at the differing way Granada started up in 1967, 1968, and 1969.
1967
The North region (Winter Hill, Emley Moor and Scarborough transmitters) allow you to make final adjustments at home just to make sure your television is at optimum tuning.
Winter 1967 and everyone is waking up at Granada to the strains of The Granada March and slowly turning on the lights.
And Brian Trueman or Jan Leeming can explain the rest of the day
Listen to audio clip of Brian Trueman
1968
29 July 1968, and Granada begins its 7-days-a-week north west operation. Time for a change - out go the dipoles and a new starting sequence comes in.
Another chance to fine tune your TV, this time courtesy of Granada Television rather than North region.
The thrill of a countdown. Starts after 2 minutes of Picasso at the beginning of the slow verse of the New March for Granada by Sir William Walton.
Note the white dot in the black circle - this isn’t a spot on the photograph but denotes the seconds.
And up forms the new symbol for the last verse of the music, complete with salutation.
And this is the symbol for the rest of the evening. Not an arrow in sight.
1969 and colour
It’s time to fine tune that new colour set of yours with this new colour tuning signal from the ITA. Suddenly the ITA symbol is massive compared to the company name. It’s not much use for fine tuning, though. Or for getting the colour balance right since it is mostly black and white.
OK, these are rather indistinct B&W pictures, but are clear enough to show that the colour start-up sequence started in the same fashion as the previous one. Note though that the word “Granada” is no longer underlined.
But at the start of the last verse the word Granada disappears off the screen and a dot forms at the centre.
And a familiar symbol starts to form.
But carries in growing…
And eventually fills up the screen…
And as in the last sequence, it ends with the standard symbol.
