BBC Training Video 1987

I bet the BBC was a good place to work back in the 80s....not now

I was in the VT Dept at this time. I left when Birt started breaking everything and the ITV franchises were heading south in a similar way . The extensive training (Both at Wood Norton and in London), the people and the superb working conditions were simply amazing. I was so lucky to be a part of something special.

Just came across this. I was extremely lucky to become an operator in the early 90's and got the tail end of this hayday. I even got to work there in tvc stage 5 and the basement as a vt op. I have worked in many places and roles in the last 29 years, but that time in tvc was absolutely the best.

I've just come across this again, many years after I left the VT department. I remember and worked with most of the people in the video. Great times in a great organisation.

Brendan Mallon is still working for the BBC, 36 years later.

Really goid to see this again, I was in VT Current Ops from 1983 to 1989, the best working days of my life.

I joined the TV industry a couple years after this, in the rival satellite tv sector. No long elaborate training, just learning on the job. No massive support network, as the Transmission controller and assistant covered most of these tasks.. on the plus side we had much up to date equipment and the freedom to make decisions on the spot, ourselves. Plus we would be doing a 12 hour shift. By the nineties, at MTV & Discovery I was broadcasting (alone, with an engineer to handle equipment failures) to 20 million plus viewers, across Europe handling multiple channels, with subtitles and multiple language audio. I had various BBC guys in for training (they were moonlighting) and the were always nervous at how much one person was responsible for... no big support network. I miss it all (but only occasionally)!

It is so much better talking about this than actually doing it ever was. I am deeply proud that I did. This was shot about a decade after I joined.

OF course this couldn't be complete without Jarre's music.

Fascinating programme, thanks for posting. It just shows what a tense job it was when any little glitch and 10000000 people would be on your case! Yes this was a time when you got your moneys worth out of the BBC fee, compared to the tripe thats on there now.

I wish I still had that shirt... Great to see this again. I remember Dave, Graham, Roland and Jane making it. Excellent souvenir of bits of TK and VT. All the familiar faces!

Happy days - for me starting in 1969. I learned more at Wood Norton than at any other time of my life. Then spent four happy years at BBC Scotland.

BBC also organized similar 10 week intensive courses around the world. I attended one in '98. Although the focus was on the news, we pretty much had to go through everything, from news reporting, to operating cameras, editing, presenting, graphics, even marketing. It included a complete production of an evening news bulletin. There were two groups, TV and radio, with about 10 students in each group. Accommodation was covered and we had an allowance for food that was close to an average national salary at the time (about 200 pounds a month). Unforgettable experience!!!

Wow I made this film in 1987 where on earth did you get it from!!!? Jean Michel Jarre lives... Dave Rixon ~ Grindelwald Productions

I'm sure that you all remember the 1979 Christmas Tape!

I was at Wood Norton as a TA not long after the Bredon Wing (and what was under that) was built. TAs and TOs did the A Course in parallel. After the A, B and C Courses I did some time On Station, but was ultimately arm-twisted (double the salary) to join EMI and became a Senior Project Engineer. I seem to remember that the Manager at the Evesham Club was the brother of Harry Corbett - Sooty and Sweep? Ahh, that green BBC Bus taking us from Wood Norton into Evesham!

Back when the BBC actually had integrity and was relevant. 😮

I've probably watched this too many times. There's just something about the tech of the time and the people interviewed. Thanks so much for sharing!

Thanks for finding this footage, I was on VT shift two and left that department one year after this film was made.  Love the pictures of Telecine that I’d forgotten about, and Wendy Webb Presenting, just gold dust. It’s nearly 30 years on and I’m still freelance editing but now at NBH amongst other locations. Thanks again for sharing this video – Keith Palmer

I was always intrigued by the contra-rotating reels on those Type-C VTRs.