Sound TV was a
free-to-air
Free-to-air (FTA) services are television (TV) and radio services broadcast in unencrypted form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscripti ...
television channel
A television channel is a terrestrial frequency or virtual number over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the terrestrial or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, wit ...
following the tradition of the
variety show
Variety show, also known as variety arts or variety entertainment, is entertainment made up of a variety of acts including musical performances, sketch comedy, magic, acrobatics, juggling, and ventriloquism. It is normally introduced by a com ...
, which has not been popular in Britain since the 1980s. It aspired to give television exposure to acts (young and old) unable to acquire airtime on other channels.
The
managing director
A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especiall ...
of the channel was
comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolish (as in slapstick), or employing prop comedy. A comedian who addresses an audience dir ...
and
folk singer
Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has be ...
Richard Digance
Richard Digance (pronounced DYE-jance; born 24 February 1949) is an English comedian and folk singer.
Early life
Digance was born in Plaistow, East London. After his family moved to nearby East Ham, he attended Vicarage Lane Primary School ...
.
Chris Tarrant
Christopher John Tarrant, (born 10 October 1946) is an English broadcaster, television personality and former radio DJ. He presented the ITV children's television show ''Tiswas'' from 1974 to 1981, and the game show ''Who Wants to Be a Milli ...
and
Mike Osman Mike Osman (born August 1959) is an English radio presenter, impressionist and entertainer.
He was born in Millbrook, Southampton as the fourth of seven brothers. After leaving Millbrook Community Secondary School at 16, he was briefly an apprentic ...
were executives and associates and
Cornish
Cornish is the adjective and demonym associated with Cornwall, the most southwesterly part of the United Kingdom. It may refer to:
* Cornish language, a Brittonic Southwestern Celtic language of the Indo-European language family, spoken in Cornwa ...
comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting foolish (as in slapstick), or employing prop comedy. A comedian who addresses an audience dir ...
Jethro
Jethro is a male given name meaning "overflow". It is derived from the Hebrew word ''Yithrô''.
People named Jethro
* Kenneth C. "Jethro" Burns (1920–1989), mandolin player in satirical country music duo Homer and Jethro
* Jethro Franklin ...
was a director.
The channel was managed by Information TV, a factual channel which broadcast on the same frequency between midnight and 16:00. Sound TV's launch was delayed several times under its working title of ''The Great British Television Channel''.
Opening night
19:00
Mike Osman Mike Osman (born August 1959) is an English radio presenter, impressionist and entertainer.
He was born in Millbrook, Southampton as the fourth of seven brothers. After leaving Millbrook Community Secondary School at 16, he was briefly an apprentic ...
,
Richard Digance
Richard Digance (pronounced DYE-jance; born 24 February 1949) is an English comedian and folk singer.
Early life
Digance was born in Plaistow, East London. After his family moved to nearby East Ham, he attended Vicarage Lane Primary School ...
and
Jethro
Jethro is a male given name meaning "overflow". It is derived from the Hebrew word ''Yithrô''.
People named Jethro
* Kenneth C. "Jethro" Burns (1920–1989), mandolin player in satirical country music duo Homer and Jethro
* Jethro Franklin ...
discussed the vision for the new channel, such as an opportunity to give
television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication Media (communication), medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of Transmission (telecommunications), television tra ...
exposure and breaks to new talent. Digance commented that they could not financially compete with
ITV, and therefore could not afford lavish productions such as ''Live at Her Majesty's''. They contrasted themselves to other
television
Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication Media (communication), medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or the medium of Transmission (telecommunications), television tra ...
executives: if the turn didn't turn up, they said, then they themselves could do the gig.
19:30 ''Golden Moments''
20:00 ''The New Variety Show'' — From Jethro's club in
Devon
Devon ( , historically known as Devonshire , ) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South West England. The most populous settlement in Devon is the city of Plymouth, followed by Devon's county town, the city of Exeter. Devon is ...
22:00 ''Inside the Comedy Mind'' — Alan King meets
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and comed ...
23:00 ''Classic Concert'' — Johnny Dickinson
Closure
Richard Digance
Richard Digance (pronounced DYE-jance; born 24 February 1949) is an English comedian and folk singer.
Early life
Digance was born in Plaistow, East London. After his family moved to nearby East Ham, he attended Vicarage Lane Primary School ...
resigned from the board of directors in August following creative differences and the station went off air soon after (because of cashflow problems).
Administrators
Administrator or admin may refer to:
Job roles Computing and internet
* Database administrator, a person who is responsible for the environmental aspects of a database
* Forum administrator, one who oversees discussions on an Internet forum
* N ...
Portland Business Solutions
Portland most commonly refers to:
* Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States
* Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northea ...
were called in on 3 October 2005.
The slot reverted to Information TV.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sound Tv
Defunct British television channels
Television channels and stations established in 2005
Television channels and stations disestablished in 2005