Dramatic increase in staff and buildings

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32621, 1 June 1971, Page 13

Dramatic increase in staff and buildings

Only four months after the start of regular programmes from CHTV3 on June 1, 1961, the transmission hours were increased from 151 to 29 and since then, the scope of television news coverage and its range of entertainment has expanded steadily. By October, 1962, CHTV3 was transmitting for 36 hours a week and on die station’s third birthday, this was increased again to 50 hours a week.

CHTV3’s sixth anniversary was marked by the introduction of week-day afternoon programmes, bringing the weekly total to 65 hours.

There was a staff of 14 technicians in the Gloucester Street buildings when CHTV3 began. This has now grown to 67, distributed among the Sugarloaf transmitter, the outside broadcast unit, the film sound section and the studios at Gloucester Street. A staff of three or four non - technical workers, originally housed in the McLean Institute building in Oxford Terrace, has grown to 66.

The first transmitter of 10 kilowatts was situated at Gloucester Street, the 100 kilowatt Sugarloaf transmitter opening in October, 1965.

Operations at the start were often extremely difficult There was one small studio for everything, but in very limited space a ballet was produced, as well as an extract from “The Taming of The Shrew.”

As more space became essential, the Orange Hall was used in conjunction with the mobile control room outside broadcast van and if this was a makeshift arrangement, the “Have a Shot” series was produced successfully. Other halls used included the now dismantled Latimer Hall for a ballet and a series of musical programmes and the Girl Guides’ Hall.

But still, with the growth of production, the demand for space increased. Offices were built in the back yard of the Gloucester Street premises. The ground floor of the Canterbury Rugby Union building in Manchester Street was used for some time, until space was available in the Manchester Unity building. There the presentation, production, film processing and editing, news, art and design and cine camera sections are housed.

In addition, a large wool store was converted into a workshop and store for properties and furniture used on the various productions.

Meanwhile, in Gloucester Street, work began on the installation of a continuity suite, its control room, and the associated telecine room housing all the projectors. From the suite the news, weather and spoken announcements originate. The original control room has been re-built and serves a small studio on the ground floor the home of “The South Tonight,” and small productions. The first studio in the country to be designed for television

requirements was built at Gloucester Street, and finishing touches are now being made to the associated control room, which should be in operation next month.

When this is completed, CHTV3 will have a continuity suite, a small studio and a moderately-sized modem studio fully equipped with lighting and cameras and capable of handling most types of productions.