A CRUCIAL decision affecting the lives millions of working class people will have been taken by the end of after lengthy process of 'consultation' at public meetings up and down The Independent Television Authority will have awarded the franchises to run commercial television for the next eight years.
The charade of the boardroom bickerings at Westward TV has deminated coverage of this media event. But from my experience in the Northeast, the wheeling and dealing is by no means confined to South-west England.
Appalling The North-east franchise is currently held by Tyne Tees Television. Most people agree talls an aboare slaton and that takes its place could hardly be worse. A recent excellent supplement to Durham Street highlighted the fact that the board of Tyne Tees hold no less than 70 directorships be tween them.
include Sir Ralph former Conservative Association, Viscount Ridley, brother of Tory MP. Nicholas, and Robert Dickinson.
Establish Dickinson alone holds 22 directorships, including Gosforth Industrial Holdings Liu, te nrm formea out or the old Swan Hunter shipounders lo invest une ziom handed to them by the government in compensation for nationalisation.
Tyne Tees very much the voice of the North-east es-What et. its rivals? TV.
"What of of North in its application makes much of the fact that it has cavy Illancia backing and superior equipment to lees.
This affluence comes as no surprise when its consortium includes Sir Monty Finniston, former chairperson of Guest, Keen and Nettlefords, one ol lne largest single contributors to Tory Party funds;
will Tory baroness, and like-minded layabouts.
obvious that motley collection of worthies can in no sense pretend people or ine Vorth-east, an area dominat ed Labour trade union influence third consortium ITV Tyne franchise pretending to be completely aver game Norseman which die wil tell vou is the name of Tory earl, a popular brand of lager sold in pubs and clubs throughout this the area.
to member is Paul happens managing and breweries .and hotels in the region. For.. good measure, Nicholson is E also land Newspapers, , union-bashing plans.
something Somen board different. Its title Norseman away any Georregiona TGWU and Paul Nicholson, board director of vaux Lne and owner of pubs announced, cher. that Not the Northern CBI. His colleagues on the consortium include Sir Richard Storey, chairperson of Portsmouth and Sunder.
who was recently exposed in the New sonally Statesman for his provocative also on the are Tom Of the CMWU and JeeMills secretary elected ecutive secretary the the media's favourite trade union superthat two million unemployed was warning Thatunless she was 'anonymous 'careful the 'extremists' would •leader take over from responsible union leaders like himself and encourage redundant workers to burp their fareer press Durham Street quotes Mills as saying: "I perdon't represent the TGWU on the board. I repre sent the labour movement. On behalf of the Cleveland Association of Trades Councils I asked at the last meeting of the regional TUC who has Not it to join a bunch of capitalists, and to whom they were accountable I received no reply, which perhaps surprising given that the regional president George Arnold is widely rumoured to be the union 'TY North has signed At a recent IBA public meeting in Middlesbrough, after attacking Tyne Tees pathetic Fairerage oI trade union affairs, made the point that there was nothing being offered by the other consortia which was likely to change this. Furious Norseman supporters pointed to the presence of Mills and Burlison on their board.
In other words, leading trade unionists in the area are acting as cover for ruthless would-be TV moguls who are hoping to win rich advertising pickings.
The used justify trade unionists sitting on these consortia have been heard before in another context. "They have the region's interests at heart... They are not sitting back and criticising but are getting stuck in Blue eins to use their in fluence' sort of nonsense we keep hearing.
It must be familiar sound to old 'Mr Newcastle. himself, T Dan Smith.
'Durham Street Press' is available from: Folkus, Al ington House, 4 North Baley Durham.
The Tory Press How To Fight I CHAOS TO WORI PHL LEAVES ww Geomer onenod of Socialist Challengese fory NOW OUT • the 2nd edition •ooular samenet 'The Press and How To Fight It'.
If you gritted your teeth at the coverage the Party conference, and thrilled the media workers snould ensure the right of reply... this pam phlet is for you Single copies 10p plus 10 p&p; multiple orders at 8p a from: Socialist Challenge, Upper St, London N1 Socialist Challonge 30 October 1980 : Page 11
unofficial military Washington has revealed that the US has now developed 'a tiny 12 inch device which can destroy a satellite in space. The weapon apparently, will be able to 'home in' on enemy satellites and destroy them 'by high speed impact.
If the report is true the weapon marks a new stage in the space arms race. Until now, the chief means developed for destroying satellites has been laser weapons. Last year the government's Research Projects Agency was given $200m for work in this field.
The main problem the military scientists have come up against with such weapons is that are very vulnerable to counter attack. Ihis is because the nature of laser beams means that the weapon which projects them relatively exposed, simply destroyed.
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sla Mills recently distinguish- Ty he Tees Ty he day that