MAGIC BOX booklet 28/3/03 5:38 pm Page 2

Northern

Contacts BBC Information 08700 100 222* Text phone for people who are deaf or have a hearing impairment is: 08700 100 212 Celebrating 50 years of BBC Television in Northern Ireland *Calls charged at national rate and may be recorded

BBC NI Accountability Department 028 90 338 210

BBC NI Archive at the Folk and Transport Museum 028 90 428 428 Email: archives.ni@.co.uk

For information on how to obtain tickets for BBC recordings, please log on to bbc.co.uk/ni/tickets

Credits With thanks to: Mark Adair, Nan Magee, Lisa Kelso, Keith Baker, Grainne Loughran, Lynda Atcheson, Peter Johnston, Margaret McKee,Tracey Leavy, Caroline Cooper, Joanne Wallace, Paul McKevitt,Veronica Hughes,Tony Dobbyn, Robin Reynolds, Rory O’Connell, Stephen Douds, Geraldine McCourt, Rachael Moore, Information and Archives BBC NI, Pacemaker and NewCreation.com MAGIC BOX booklet 28/3/03 5:38 pm Page 4

The Magic Box – Celebrating 50 years of BBC Television in Northern Ireland

Television was one of the most socially important production effort in drama, news, sport, education and innovations of the 20th Century. Its arrival helped shrink entertainment. Today's knowledge economy and the world, and to enlarge our understanding of its information society, and our creative industries, owe much complexity.What began as a tiny and experimental affair to Northern Ireland’s television pioneers. quickly became a dominant means of communication.The The Magic Box is a touring exhibition to celebrate magic box of television was transformed from an 50 years of BBC television in, for and about Northern expensive luxury, with limited programming and even Ireland. It tells the story of our region through sound and smaller audiences, to an everyday item watched by almost pictures and underscores the BBC’s long-established and all of us. Over the last 50 years it has shaped our unique role at the heart of community life and creativity. childhoods, connected us with big events and provided a rich source of information, education and entertainment.

Television has brought everywhere to every living room. It has transformed our sense of time and distance, and made the unknown and far-away, familiar. Its pictures have allowed us to glimpse ourselves and to catch proper sight of strangers, whether at home or abroad.

Local people have been part of this story of social and technological change. BBCNI made its first television broadcast half a century ago.Those flickering black and white images began a process which would, in time, turn Professor Fabian Monds CBE occasional local programmes into a year-round National Governor BBC Northern Ireland MAGIC BOX booklet 28/3/03 5:38 pm Page 6

Small Screen – Big Influence BBC Television made its debut was broadcast from Westminster When television came to Northern Ireland in 1953, few turned to it for reliable news of what was happening in in Northern Ireland in 1953, Abbey. It was the first British could have realised how important it would become. Its our streets and countryside. And it also provided an relaying network programmes Coronation ever seen live on role as both “mirror and window”, in Sir Kenneth important source of humour and entertainment that from a temporary transmitter television. It still is. Bloomfield’s phrase, has been massively influential. enabled us to laugh at ourselves and the predicaments of installed in an old Nissen hut on All over the country, people community life in NI. a hillside just outside . Television has allowed us to watch the events that shaped gathered round the nearest available the second half of the twentieth century: wars, The small screen has exerted a big influence on all our The first viewers were thin on the television set to watch. assassinations, the exploration of space, the fall of lives.This exhibition gives us an opportunity to count the ground.Television sets were It was a turning point.As one viewer Communism and the coming of the new millennium gains of its first half century and to estimate local expensive and the reception – black recalled, ‘the Royal Family were on across the globe. And through its images, the world has television’s promise and future direction. and white, of course - was far from television so therefore it was okay.’ seen our conflict and local efforts to create a more perfect. Television had become acceptable. peaceful future. A typical day that month shows a And it was here to stay. schedule that included cricket, a Television has given us opportunities to see ourselves and western, a variety gala and news. our neighbours in Northern Ireland. Our poets and There were long gaps in writers have made this new medium their own. Children transmission and programmes had from town and country have learned more about each concluded by 10.30pm. 24 hour other through schools’ broadcasts, and all of us have television was still some years away. benefited from a range of programmes documenting our history and celebrating local creativity, sporting But on 2nd June 1953, history was achievements and cultural diversity.Television has created a made and people could watch it powerful, living record of the ordinary and the happening. Controller extraordinary lives of people here. In the darkest days we BBC Northern Ireland The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II MAGIC BOX booklet 28/3/03 5:38 pm Page 8

The first programme made by diverse as drama, current affairs, In Northern Ireland, with its long Other news programmes were to And the news that they, and others, BBC Northern Ireland for local education, sport and entertainment. history of division, objective and follow: Six Five, Six Ten,Scene reported was the often difficult story viewers was Ulster Mirror in It also produces popular informed journalism is vital. Around Six, Inside Ulster, BBC of Northern Ireland itself – Bloody 1954. programmes for Network audiences. Newsline. All have made their mark Sunday, Bloody Friday, Enniskillen, News and Current Affairs has been a with the Northern Ireland audience. Omagh, the Good Friday Agreement. Shown every fortnight, it was a core service over the past fifty years. So, too, the presenters. Names from The television images of those events, miscellany of items from around the Television news remains a vital link the past and present include: captured by camera staff operating in region. However, no facilities existed between the BBC and the community often grim and dangerous in Belfast for either editing, or local it serves. Malcolm Kellard, Larry McCoubrey, Barry circumstances, are seared into our transmission, so all the material had Cowan, Sean Rafferty,Wendy Austin, Noel The first bulletin was broadcast in memories.They are milestones in our to be flown to and it was Thompson, Rose Neill. All became 1957 and bore very little resemblance troubled journey. broadcast from there. familiar teatime guests in our homes. to the kind of coverage viewers expect But even that first tentative step today.There was no film.Video had not BBCNI journalism has always been into local programming even been invented.A newsreader read characterised by authority and demonstrated a commitment by the a script illustrated only by the informed analysis – from BBC to connect with its audience occasional black and white photograph. correspondents such as W.D. Flackes, and to reach into the heart of It was like radio, on television. Eric Waugh and Brian Walker to Stephen Grimason, Maggie Taggart, Brian Rowan communities in towns, cities and The first news magazine came on the and Dot Kirby. villages across Northern Ireland. air in 1959. Studio Eight was the name of the studio and the A host of distinguished broadcasters Today, BBCNI broadcasts almost 740 programme itself. cut their journalistic teeth with hours of locally produced BBC NI – Nicholas Witchell, Jeremy programmes each year in areas as Paxman, Gavin Esler and many more. MAGIC BOX booklet 28/3/03 5:38 pm Page 10

Since 1973, Spotlight has been Investigating, challenging, and getting And Let’s Talk has made a direct and Throughout its history, BBC NI homes. It was the single biggest BBC NI’s flagship current affairs under the skin of important issues intimate connection with audiences on has shown a commitment to outside broadcast operation ever programme. have been at the core of Spotlight’s a range of topics, providing a valuable the big occasion, and to mounted by the region. purpose. platform for debate. capturing and sharing events The moments leading up to the And while politics and security issues of significance. conclusion of the negotiations on have often dominated the wider Live election coverage has been a Good Friday in 1998 gave us more agenda since 1969, Spotlight has kept major part of that.And BBC NI history in the making. audiences informed about other has been the only local aspects of life in Northern Ireland. And who can forget pictures of broadcaster to provide regular the first visit by President Clinton More recently, Hearts and Minds has coverage of debates from the established itself as a uniquely engaging in November 1995? Assembly Chamber at Stormont. political series. Once again, keeping audiences informed has been, and remains, a priority.

Since June 1953, there has been coverage of visits to Northern Ireland by the Queen and other members of the Royal Family.

Historic, too, was the Pope’s journey to Ireland in 1979. BBC NI cameras brought his famous speech in Drogheda live into our MAGIC BOX booklet 28/3/03 5:39 pm Page 12

James Young was a huge success in the It was in the famous Billy plays that Group Theatre long before his young Kenneth Branagh’s talents first comedy was transferred to television reached a wider audience. in 1971.

But BBC NI gave his genius wider scope and a bigger stage.

It is a long time - but in many ways a short step - from James Young to the Hole in the Wall Gang and Give My Head Peace. Throughout the past fifty years, In their work, his scathing wit and BBC NI has been committed to has gone from a We are committed to enriching the Fair Play, our first television cultural caricature live on. finding and nurturing local talent. Hollywood star Liam Neeson made his BBCNI stand-up comedy lives of our viewers and to engaging consumer series, has struck a chord first television appearance in a BBCNI programme at The Empire to them in what we do. with audiences, who have brought Some talent was already well Many others were given their first schools’ programme about the railways. nationwide fame. And Shauna complaints about everything from established, of course. chance with BBC NI. Making A Difference encouraged Lowry, now a familiar face to faulty washing machines to mobile people to nominate the unsung Network audiences, began her telephone masts. heroes who have had a beneficial television career with BBC NI’s effect on the lives of those around And think of the remarkable Home Youth Programmes Unit. them and the BBC’s Children in Truths documentaries which sought The search goes on….. Need provides year-round support to establish what really happened in Could you be the next to young people throughout the the Curran murder case and led to big discovery? region. the release of Iain Hay Gordon.