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Do you remember
the music that accompanied |
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BBC Nicam Stereo
The BBC experimented with
Nicam stereo sound for several years
prior to the start of full programme service on 31 August 1991.
The tests comprised of music sourced from CD, and some programmes,
though the programmes were never announced as having a stereo soundtrack.
The tests were only from Crystal Palace in London
but as the launch date got closer and the network distribution was put in
place, the tests were available over a wider area.
The late start to BBC Nicam did mean that much more of the country was able
to receive the service from the start.
The ITV/C4 service was only available in London
and Yorkshire to begin with.
Howard
Pitfield, an early Nicam viewer in London remembers:
"News
of NICAM leaked out via trade mags in 1988, and I acquired a JVC NICAM VCR
towards the autumn of 88.
Early BBC tests (usually during testcard transmissions) consisted of music
and tones,
and it was different to the normal FM sound.
The NEW IMAGES CD the BBC had was played endlessly and the tunes soon had
me humming on the way to work.
The first show I can remember was WOGAN. One evening the NICAM track has been
silent,
then as WOGAN started, up came the intro music. As the show ended I was frantically
switching between NICAM and FM. The NICAM track went on for a while longer
(i.e. no music fade) then the normal TV sound.
I soon learned to keep an ear open for live studio shows as these were the
first to attract stereo sound.
Having noticed the name of one of the sound engineers I contacted the BBC
and they were intrigued that the public were already "listening in".
I was put onto the internal Stereo Radio Times list in late '88 - just in
time for Christmas.
During '89 more regular programmes appeared, including some pre-recorded shows.
In September '89 I almost wet myself when DR WHO appeared on the list.
I had been lucky enough to wangle a trip to a recording of DR WHO
and it was confirmed that stereo was being used.
The last edition of the Stereo Radio Times gave the Public Service Date of
31 August 1991 - ten years this week!
Channel 4 began their tests before ITV - and it took a while for programmes
to appear routinely.
The morning editions of IBA Engineering teased me about NICAM in early 1989,
and the first one was heard on 21 Feb. 1989 in London. I guess that a lot
of the groundwork
had
been laid by the BBC, so C4 and ITV had an easy time before they launched
officially.
The JVC machine I had then is still giving service - and I await the introduction
of
Dolby Digital 5.1 sound on Sky later this year with their new Sky+ box.
I have the DD equipment ready to roll".
Wayne Tilling
remembers:
"We had
an early TV which had stereo input but no NICAM - we also had a NICAM VCR,
but living in Oxford our local transmitter had no NICAM.
We could
get perfect NICAM signal from Crystal Palace but the picture was not as good
as our local picture.
For each Doctor Who episode we would tune the VCR to BBC1 Crystal Palace
and watch the BBC1 Oxford video with the VCR stereo input overide set on the
TV."
The following files are all .mp3 format
Music used on the
Nicam tests from the CD "New Images"
New Images - Superlights
Thanks
to Howard Pitfield
for these tracks
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An
internal "Stereo Radio Times" was available within the BBC.
It listed the shows that would be in stereo during the tests. Please click on each page below to enlarge. |
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This
issue was dated
26th October 1988 |
This
was one of the last
issues dated 25th April 1991 |
There
are far more programmes in stereo in 1991 than 1988
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Thanks
to Howard Pitfield for these
documents
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BBC
One On Nicam Opening Day 31st August 1991
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The
first programme in stereo Click HERE for
continuity
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End
of first day of Nicam stereo Click HERE
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BBC
TWO On Nicam Opening Day 31st August 1991
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The
first programme is stereo Click HERE for
continuity
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