Granadaland: Histories and Memories of Granada TV in the North West of England, 1954-1990

1. S
Granadaland
1956-1990
Stephen Kelly & Judith Jones

2. An Oral History
 2016 is 60th
anniversary of
Granada
 Working with
Manchester Centre for
Regional History at
MMU.
 Grant from Granada
Foundation
 Interviewing wide
range of staff and jobs
 Building on our oral
history of Coronation
Street

3. Janice Finch
Researcher and
Producer, local
programmes and World
In Action, 1984-1999
‘How Granada got its
name’

4. ‘Granada Television
is the finest TV
company in the
world,
New York Times.
 Started by Sidney
Bernstein, transmitting in
1956 to whole of the north
 Between 1956 & 1990
considered one of most
innovative TV companies in
world
 After 1990 Broadcasting
Act, television fragments
 No longer exists – just part
of ITV

5. Sandy Ross
Granada 1976-86
Started at GTV as a
Researcher, later
Producer
Later Programme
Controller and Managing
Director, Scottish
Television
‘The best television
company in the world!’

6. What has been
done so far
 Recorded older
memories first
 Looking at wide range
of roles
 Conducted 12 detailed
interviews so far
 Still many more to do
 Keen to source other
memorabilia like
photos and scripts

7. Frank Clarke
Accounts Clerk
Joined Granada April 1956
and worked there until
1988
‘The start of Granada TV’

8. Major areas to emerge
 The changing technology, nature and culture of television
 Significance of ‘Northern-ness’ to Granada, and
Granada’s importance to the region
 ‘Paternalistic’ nature of the company
 Pride in unique programmes and talent
 Management style encouraged innovation and was
supported by generous budgets
 Bonding/Canteen and Old School/Stables bars
 Employment practices

9. The Concept of Granadaland
 Regional identity and strong output.
 Northern presenters: Bob Greaves, Tony Wilson, Brian
Trueman, Michael Parkinson, Roger Blythe, Anna Ford.
 Quirky northern documentaries
 Prominence of Quay Street building
 Importance to the local economy

10. Brian Trueman
Granada Presenter, 1957
until 1983
‘Granadaland passports!’

11. Regional Output
Strong lineup of local programmes
 Granada Reports (formerly Scene At Six Thirty) – daily
half hour news/magazine programme
 Reports Politics – weekly local politics half hour
 Reports Extra – weekly local, quirky half hour
 This Is Your Right – local consumer/rights programme
 Kick Off – local Sunday football highlights
 Religious service every Sunday

12. The
Company
 Granada was a paternalistic
company - ‘Felt like a family’
 Employees were well
rewarded - hours were long
 ‘Club’ atmosphere.
Production teams bonded
 Left-wing & not ashamed of it
 Employees proud of the
company and its
programmes
 Many still talk of it as being
‘the best job and best
company in the world’

13. June Buchan
Secretary, London and
Manchester, 1975-1990
later Production Assistant
‘A family firm’

14. Respect for
Management
 Sidney Bernstein,
Chairman of Granada
Group
 Cecil Bernstein
 Denis Forman,
Chairman of GTV
 David Plowright,
Managing Director
 Mike Scott,
Programme Controller

15. Roland
Coburn
Film Editor, Granada, 1972-
2009
‘Sir Denis Forman’

16. Why Was Granada So Unique
?
 Range of programmes:-
 Dramas - Brideshead Revisited,
Jewel In The Crown, Cracker,
Coronation Street
 Innovative current affairs - World
In Action, Union World, Granada
Election 500, What the Papers
Say
 Documentaries - Birmingham Six,
Disappearing World, Seven Up
 Music - Beatles, Johnny Cash,
Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis,
Blues at Chorlton Station

17. Brian Trueman
Granada Presenter, 1957
until 1983
‘The Beatles and the
Rolling Stones’

18. Unearthing
talent
• Michael Parkinson
• Brian Trueman
• Paul Greengrass
• Lord John Birt
• Anna Ford
• Dame Margaret Beckett
• Jack Straw
• Michael Apted
• Sir Jeremy Isaacs
• Sarah Lancashire
• Richard Madeley
• Tony Wilson

19. Bonding
The Canteen (known as the
Cannie)
The Stables – a theatre, then
bar – later The Old School

20. Roland
Coburn
Film Editor, Granada, 1972-
2009
‘The Granada Canteen’

21. Trade Unions
 Unions strong throughout commercial television sector
 Everyone had to be a member – closed shop in most
areas
 Strict demarcation rules and working practices

22. Employment
Practices
 Well rewarded – salaries,
expenses
 Excellent training for
technical staff but not
production staff
 Good promotion
opportunities
 Ethnic minorities hugely
unrepresented
 Gender – women in certain
roles

23. Wallen
Matthie
Joined Granada 1981 as
a Researcher, left 1997
‘Numbers of ethnic
minorities’

24. Ann Lewis
Secretary, 1970-78
Now a journalist and
filmmaker
‘Sexism in the workplace’

25. Where Next?
Apply for further funding
Put together a team of
volunteers
Collect memorabilia
Collect photographs
Set up a dedicated website

26. Tony Wilson – a great
Mancunian

27. S
Granadaland
1956-1990
Stephen Kelly & Judith Jones