South Wales and the West of England
TWW is the public company which, under agreement with the Independent Television Authority, provides the independent television service in South Wales and the West of England during the whole week
Pontcanna Studios, Cardiff.
CARDIFF 26633
TWW Television Centre, Bath Road, Bristol.
BRISTOL 70271
TWW House, 207 Sloane Street, London S.W.1.
BELgravia 7000
ITA Channel Vision Sound Opening Date Population ITA Homes
Transmitter Frequency Frequency 000's 000's
Mc/s Mc/s
St. Hilary 10 199.7305 196.2395 14th Jan 1958 3,287 796
Directors
The Rt Hon The Earl of Derby, MC (Chairman); Alfred Francis, OBE (Vice Chairman); Herbert Agar (USA); Sir William Carr; M Chapman-Walker, CBE, MVO; Sir Ifan Ab Owen Edwards; Dr Huw T Edwards; Sidney Gilliat; Jack Hylton; AG Jeans; Percy Jones, JP; TR Jones, FRSA; Lieut-Col HM Llewellyn, CBE, JP; Sir Alexander H Maxwell, KCMG; Eoin Mekie, CBE; Sir Grismond Philipps, CVO; John Baxter (Managing Director).
Officers
Bryan Michie (Programme Controller); Stanley Leach (Sales Controller); Walter Kemp (Technical Controller); Peter Bartholomew (Regional Controller); Wyn Roberts (Executive Producer); G Bailes (Secretary); TH McL Carpenter (Operations Manager); M McHatton (Chief Accountant).
Visits to Studios
Tickets available for audiences at certain shows.
Enquiries
VIEWERS: PR Office at Cardiff or Bristol. PROGRAMMES: Programme Controller at London office.
Submission of Scripts
The Script Editor, London office. Requirements similar to those general in industry.
Programme Journal
Television Weekly is published by Berrows Newspapers Limited at Hereford under licence from TWW.
Overseas
TWW is associated with Television Network (Kenya) Limited and with Trans-Europe Television (Paris). Some TWW religious programmes have been exported overseas.
Studios
PONTCANNA STUDIOS, Cardiff. A purpose-built TV centre, set in Pontcanna Fields with studio working areas totalling 5,088 sq. ft. and an open-air studio. Studio 1: 80′ × 60′. Studio 2: 24′ × 12′. (Small continuity studio.) Associated with these studios are full technical facilities for major productions (five image orthicon cameras, two CPS). Extensive programme services include a completely self-supporting film unit complete with re-recording and viewing theatre and a scenic workshop. These studios pioneered a comprehensive, open-plan master control area.
TWW TELEVISION CENTRE, Bath Road, Bristol. A purpose-built TV centre with a total of 7,500 sq. ft. of studio floor area. Studio 1: 90′ × 65′. Studio 2: 20′ × 30′. A back-projection “tunnel” associated with the main studio can provide an extra floor area of 1,100 sq. ft. Full technical facilities for major productions (five image orthicon and 1 remote-control camera). Permanent circuit linking with Cardiff studios. Viewing theatre and some programme services.
Outside Broadcasts
One mobile unit, with four cameras, complete with videotape, power and micro-wave link equipment. Can record also on European and American line standards.
Videotape Recording
Three videotape recorders, one of which is mobile and multi-standard.
Technical Development
A lighting grid of original design installed in the Bristol studios has been used elsewhere. Two telecine channels can be converted for the transmission of colour films. An original telerecording system has been developed in Bristol, and there have been practical developments in standards conversion. A remote unit for processing, cutting and editing film and including telecine equipment has been assembled to operate with the Outside Broadcast Unit on locations distant from the studio. Videotape editing techniques have been developed and a paper on these techniques is in the course of preparation.
Programmes
Regional productions totalled 489 hours during 1962. Land of Song is part networked every four weeks. Discs a Gogo is taken by six other regions. Regular weekly magazine features include: Here Today (each weekday), Sports Preview, In the News, Movie Magazine. News: TWW Reports and Newyddion y Dydd (each weekday). Documentary and Feature: Hyperion, The Long Day (Dartmoor), Wales and the West series (John Betjeman and Gwyn Thomas), Faces of Wales, Tribute to Dylan Thomas, Birth of a Giant, etc. Quiz: Try for Ten, Taro Deg. Audience Participation: Claim to fame, Pwy Fase’n Meddwl. Discussion: Challenge, Personal Scrapbook, Clash, Your Point of View, Mind Behind Murder. Drama: Thirty Minute Theatre. Light Entertainment: Looking for the Stars, Miss TWW, Songs at Seven. National Events: Bath Festival, Royal National Eisteddfod, Bath Tattoo, Urdd Eisteddfod, Bath and West Show. The Arts: Treasure Chest. Welsh Language: Trysorau Cymru, Amser Te, Hoffwn Wybod, Wrth eu Gaith, Twmpath Dawns, Trin t Tir and various filmed programmes. Special religious programmes are also produced for the TWW region with the assistance of a special panel of advisors.
Local News
TWW maintains a comprehensive news operation involving over 200 news sources and the use of ten camera teams. The daily bulletin is presented jointly from Cardiff and Bristol and a Welsh language bulletin is originated from Cardiff. Extensive use is made of film and the deadline for arrival of film at Cardiff studios is twenty minutes prior to transmission.
Theatre
TWW has endowed the Cilcennin Memorial Fellowship in Drama at Bristol University and gives scholarships at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. Grants are given to the Welsh National Opera Company and some repertory theatres. The company has a major interest in the West End theatre through the Donmar group of companies, which includes the Piccadilly Theatre.