As the final region in the UK to shut down its analogue TV transmissions, both BBC NI and UTV co-produced and broadcast live a special show called "The Magic Box" which took a look back at 60 years of TV in Northern Ireland.
This clip shows the host Eamon Holmes signing off the programme along with a final video sequence played to "Shining Light" by Downpatrick rock band Ash. A caption then comes up with details from the off-screen continuity announcer explaining that analogue transmissions from BBC One are about to shut down for good with a final look back on old BBC One NI graphics used through the last 25 years and also explaining that from the following morning BBC One NI HD will launch on Freeview, Satellite and cable - followed by the BBC logo, a final goodbye and a fade to black. This was recorded from BBC One NI's satellite transmission on Astra 1N so it doesn't include the switch off of the analogue terrestrial transmitters that followed it.
Personally, I thought the folks at the BBC Broadcasting House in Belfast did a great job with their sign off which included in the last few hours leading up to it showing the BBC One "Balloon era" clock leading into the 10 O'Clock news (I wasn't expecting that so I didn't get a chance to capture it) and the COW globe ident leading into the start of The Magic Box programme. Their sign off two weeks earlier for BBC Two NI's analogue shut down was also nice and nostalgic. OTOH UTV's analogue sign-off was a bit of a shambles. While presenter Tina Campbell did the voice over in a good professional style after some final advertisements on UTV's analogue transmissions, the wrong address was given on-screen for the Digital UK website as well as incorrect info spoken for the price of calling the Digital UK 0845 helpline, and to cap it off the feed to the analogue transmitters was cut just before the end of the announcement! Despite that UTV must be given credit for their involvement in The Magic Box in a well put together show.
14 окт 2024
