The North East Film Archive is one of a network of regional film archives established to collect, preserve and show film made in, or about the North East of England. Our collections are non-fiction, and date from the early 1900s to the present day, providing a rich record of life in the region over the 20th century. Many of our films are available to watch, free of charge, on our website.
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The Big Country
Tuning into the biggest consumer market for television advertising in Britain with Trident TV.
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Overview
Today, a new North has burst out of its old shell.' Trident TV was born out of the marriage of Tyne Tees and Yorkshire in 1970. From the Borders down to the Wash, the new company promoted the spending power of millions of consumers, corralled as viewers, to sell commercial airtime to advertisers. This epic film markets a vast new grid of urban potential, from Sheffield's Park Hill flats to cavernous hypermarkets in Washington and the new towns of Peterlee and Newton Aycliffe.
The Independent Television Authority (ITA) set up Trident to deal with the problem of fairly allocating commercial airtime from a new television transmitter at Bilsdale in North Yorkshire. It was set up for the switch over to colour and straddled the catchment areas of two Independent Television companies (ITV). Tyne Tees TV benefited by gaining financial stability. A joint rate card encouraged advertisers seeking the huge markets of Yorkshire cities to place commercials on Tyne Tees TV too.
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