Tinted screen
TELEVISION STUART HOOD
One man must be relieved at the PMG'S decision to allow ay to duplicate its trans- missions in colour. It is Lord Hill, for had the decision been left in the air much longer he would presumably have had to tell applicants for the franchises—old or new—that their ren- tals would be one of two figures: a lower one for black and white, a higher one for colour. Now he knows that the figure must be the higher one. Out of it he must find a very con- siderable sum to equip rrA transmitters for both colour and 625 lines transmissions. In some cases the rrA will be able to share a mast with the sac, but a lot of new engineering equipment will be required. It will be a costly business.
So far the independent companies have been outwardly delighted. Their euphoria may be dampened a bit once they have actually to lay out money for the new cameras and studio equipment. Admittedly they will not require to fit themselves out as lavishly as the BBC, whose engineers are notorious in the profession for a rigorous policy of belt-and-braces. The com- panies have been shrewd enough, too, to let their equipment run down for some years. By the time colour comes they will have pretty well written off their present capital investment. Re- equipping will come as a great relief to the com- panies' engineers who have reached the limits of inspired improvisation and Heath Robinson techniques.
Presumably the advertisers are also happy— even if there are strong rumours that whiter than whiteness is technically very difficult to achieve in colour. For my part I cannot bear to think of all these cat and dog foods in ghastly reds and purples. Even in black and white they are emetic. What is more important than such personal foibles, however, is the question to what extent the advertisers will exert pressure —through the controllers of advertising in the companies—against the continued use of black and white in any rry programme. This is a point of some importance, for it seems obvious —if the cinema is any sort of parallel—that certain programmes will always be more effec- tive in black and white, and certain directors will probably wish to use black and white occa- sionally for specific effects. Perhaps their only hope will be to work for the BBC, which is likely to be the last haven of such artistic freedom.
Bac 2 will have a head start on the commer- cial companies since its colour transmissions begin this autumn. Whether it is further ad- vanced in colour techniques than the companies is, however, open to doubt. It is probable, for instance, that a company like ATV, which has been recording on colour tape for sorr° time in
order to export prestige programmes to the States, may have more operational know-how
than the BBC, which has not yet taped any major productions. It is true that the BBC has been stockpiling colour film for some time: but this may prove a mixed blessing. Nothing dates so quickly as the style of a television programme. The colour documentaries and travelogues and nature films in the BBC's film vaults may prove to be a liability. And only the greatest of opti- mists will believe that a second showing—in colour—of American series already transmitted in black and white is going to make the public queue up for expensive new sets.
That brings us to the set manufacturers who —one hopes—are better prepared to produce
colour sets than they were to bring out 625 lines sets for the opening of BBC 1. On that occasion, having pressurised in all directions for a change in lines standards, they had to admit when the time came that they could not deliver the goods. At all events, they should be happy, for the electronics industry is going to have the boost it wanted. The trouble about this particular lobby is that it is never satisfied. But no doubt in ten years' time or so someone will have thought up a reason for us to scrap all our sets and equipment once more. Come to think of it, that day will probably come even sooner.
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