TV show replay soon

Press, 16 June 1986, Page 1

TV show replay soon

Television New Zealand will decide in a day or two when to rescreen the first show of Billy T. James’ new comedy series. Close to half the population of the South Island was denied a look at the show when transmission failed about 8.30 p.m. on Saturday. The fault, at the Sugarloaf transmitter on the Port Hills, also cut the first half-hour of “Saturday Playhouse” on Channel Two, and ZM-FM radio. Services were restored soon after 9 p.m.

The regional manager of Television New Zealand, Mr Colin Harrison, said yesterday that the popular “Billy T. James Show” would be repeated, but he could not say when. “We will give it plenty of publicity.” Mr Harrison estimated that about a population of 400,000 could have been affected in the area stretching from just south of Kaikoura to Ashburton. The supervising technician for the Broadcasting Corporation, Mr Bas Howell, said that the fault

lay in a printed circuit board carrying signals from the microwave link to the transmitters. A short-circuit burned out the board and its power supply. Technicians were able to by-pass the; board to restore services on Saturday. Permanent repairs would be made as soon as spares were obtained, he said. Mr Howell said there should be no further interruption to programmes. Christchurch police sent two patrol cars to the

transmitter, and set up road blocks on the access roads, fearing sabotage. Senior-Sergeant Mike Moore said that one of his men may have got the idea that it was sabotage because of a suggestion from a reporter who called the police, but the possibility was later ruled out. The incident overloaded Television New Zealand’s Christchurch switchboard The switchboard operator confirmed that most callers were concerned about missing the “Billy T. James Show.”