Get into view with new channel 

24 October 2017 tbs.pm/13115

From the TVTimes published 23 October 1982

All over Britain television sets are being tuned in ready to receive Channel Four — the country’s first new TV service for almost 20 years — which goes on the air next week — at 4.45pm on Tuesday 2 November.

It’s a simple task to adjust sets to pick up the new programmes. But there may be some viewers who still feel a little bewildered by this exciting new venture, particularly the old. So now is the time to adopt a good-neighbour policy. If the elderly folk nearby ask you about the ‘technicalities’ of Channel Four, offer some positive help. Show them, for instance, how to tune in their sets. Or, if you like, put them in touch with a local charity such as Age Concern. ‘Old people watch a lot of television. For them it is a vital lifeline to the outside world. It is very important they should have as wide a choice of viewing as possible,’ says an official of Age Concern.

Many television sets already have a spare push-button or knob allocated for the new channel. It may be marked ITV2, IBA2 or, more accurately, Channel 4 or simply 4. A test card is being shown in all ITV regions between 9am and 8pm daily, with just the occasional interruption for engineering work. Additionally, clips from the opening programmes are now being interspersed with the test card transmission — as a bonus to whet your appetite.

On 2 November, its first day on the air, programmes on the new service can be seen by almost 90 per cent of the country’s viewers. Channel Four will show 60 hours of viewing each week. There will be original drama, twice-weekly episodes of a new serial Brookside, set in a Merseyside housing estate, comedy, quizzes, court dramas, rock for younger viewers, plus 15 hours of movies.

Most viewers will be able to enjoy the variety of programmes on Channel Four from the first day. But in some parts of the country there will be unavoidable delay as engineers install equipment in the remaining transmitters as fast as they can.

Remember, if you have any doubt about receiving the new service, get in touch with your dealer or rental company.

For further information contact your local IBA office at Dudley House, Albion Street, Leeds LS2 8PN. Tel: 0532 441091/2

You Say

4 responses to this article

Alan Keeling 24 October 2017 at 12:53 pm

The test card that was radiated prior to the 2nd of November was the electronic ETP1 test pattern. ETP1 was in fact radiated from February 1982 with a tone, music and programme clips began from May onwards.

Joanne Gray 24 October 2017 at 1:17 pm

I can remember the excitement in October 1982 when I found a Channel 4 test transmission. The funny thing is, I hadn’t really been looking for Channel 4. I just had this weird habit of amusing myself by fiddling with the tuning knobs on the family telly to see if I could get any additional pictures to the three channels we could already receive.

paulette gooderson 7 November 2017 at 5:06 am

I remember the disappointment of the very low key opening and the sheer boredom of the first programme – Countdown.

Arthur Vasey 3 September 2020 at 11:16 am

For my part, my eldest sister’s husband phoned me up at home and said: “I’m getting a Channel 4 test card on my telly!” – everyone else was out, so I spent a few minutes tuning it in – found it beyond BBC 2, surprisingly enough – perfect reception – when my family got back, I showed them!

Not sure exactly when the trailers started to appear – but, between 2 and 7 pm, they ran trailers – it looked like the new channel was going to be the ITV version of BBC 2, with all that upmarket programming!

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