TV Live Podcast

Rob Francis
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  • TV & FILM

This is your seat in the front row of television’s past and present. Each episode looks at the craft of presentation: the junctions, the branding, the faces, and the voices that shaped how viewers met their programmes. We explore the stories behind the graphics, the sets, and the continuity desks that kept stations on the air. We also bring clear news and sharp analysis from across the industry. We track big changes, small shifts, and the ideas that push broadcasting forward. If you enjoy the hidden work that makes TV feel like TV, you’re in the right place.

Episodes

  1. Episode 10: The Bitter End

    JAN 22

    Episode 10: The Bitter End

    Southern Television was a trusted presence on screens across the south of England for more than two decades, but when it lost its ITV franchise in 1980, the reaction was anything but gracious. In this episode, Rob Francis how a broadcaster that had once seemed untouchable became bitter, petty, and openly mocking of its successor. From the infamous “Portakabin TV” song in its final news bulletin to the final broadcast that mixed nostalgia with grievance, we unpack the anger, irony, and missteps that defined Southern’s last year on air. The Southern Television logo is owned by Nic Ayling.

    9 min
  2. Episode 9: Unity Optional

    JAN 6

    Episode 9: Unity Optional

    In the first of a new series of the TV Live Podcast, Rob Francis takes a critical look at the 1989 ITV on-air look. Where it came from. What it was trying to fix. And why it exposed deep problems inside the network it was meant to unite. This isn’t a nostalgia trip. It’s a story about branding without authority, design without conviction, and a broadcaster that wanted to be one thing, but couldn’t bring itself to act like it. If you want to understand how ITV became what it is today, this is where the cracks first showed.

    9 min
  3. Episode 8: 3 Isn't The Magic Number

    12/31/2025

    Episode 8: 3 Isn't The Magic Number

    In 1996, Tyne Tees - one of the North-East’s most beloved TV stations - was abruptly rebranded as Channel 3 North East. Sleek, corporate, and utterly soulless, the rebrand alienated viewers and turned a regional favorite into a forgettable number on the dial. Led by Bruce Gyngell, the ambitious chief executive of Yorkshire‑Tyne Tees, the move was meant to modernize the network - but it backfired spectacularly. In this episode, the last of the current series of the TV Live Podcast, Rob Francis dives into the infamous rebrand, the station’s cheeky personality that earned it the nickname “the bitch network,” and its triumphant return as Tyne Tees in 1998. He'll share what it was like watching this from the south, long after the fact, and why this story is a lesson in hubris, identity, and the power of local TV. WATCH: Matthew Harris' absolutely brilliant ITV In The Face episode focusing on Tyne Tees - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNOx6-3a5Fg

    7 min
  4. Episode 7: The ITV Gamble

    12/27/2025

    Episode 7: The ITV Gamble

    This episode of the TV Live Podcast takes you back to 1991, when British television changed forever. The ITV franchise auctions turned the familiar world of commercial TV upside down — Thames Television, TV-am, TVS, and others lost their licences, while newcomers like Carlton, Meridian, and Westcountry stepped in to take their place. In this episode, Rob Francis explores the high-stakes bids, political pressure, and the uncertainty that gripped the network. He'll share his own memories as a child watching favourite faces and programmes disappear, replaced by new voices and shows.

    7 min
  5. Episode 6: Take It, Master Control

    12/07/2025

    Episode 6: Take It, Master Control

    Independent Television didn’t slip quietly into British life. It arrived in the 1950s with new voices, bright lights, and a challenge to everything the BBC had done for decades. In this episode, Rob Francis explores how a single switch-on reshaped the national mood, opened the door to competition, and changed the rhythm of the living room. From regional pioneers to the first commercial break, this is the story of how ITV began - and why it mattered.

    12 min
  6. Episode 5: The Day Television Stood Still

    11/20/2025

    Episode 5: The Day Television Stood Still

    This episode looks at how British television handled the early hours of Sunday 31 August 1997, when the first reports of the Paris car crash involving Diana, Princess of Wales began to emerge. It follows the BBC’s overnight coverage, ITV’s delayed response, and the moment when every major channel shifted into a single day of rolling news. Rob Francis reflects on watching events unfold as a twelve-year-old who expected a morning of children’s programmes but instead witnessed one of the most significant broadcast moments of the era. Audio clips from http://www.meldrum.co.uk/mhp/continuity/diana.html and telly.site/diana/

    15 min
  7. Episode 4: Losing The North

    11/15/2025

    Episode 4: Losing The North

    This episode looks at the future of STV’s news service in Aberdeen and what the planned closure of the North bulletin means for the region. I explore how local news shaped the North East, why losing a dedicated service hits harder than a simple schedule change, and why the identity of this part of Scotland is tied to the stories told about it. There’s history, reflection, and a blunt look at what comes next if Aberdeen’s voice on screen fades.

    7 min
  8. Episode 3: Truth On Trial

    11/12/2025

    Episode 3: Truth On Trial

    President Donald Trump is threatening to sue the BBC for a billion dollars over a Panorama documentary that edited his January 6th speech in a way the corporation now admits was misleading. In this episode, Rob Francis examines what really happened, why it matters, and what it reveals about the fragile relationship between truth, journalism, and political power. Can the BBC survive this without losing public trust? Should it fight Trump in court or face its own failings first? With sharp analysis and honest opinion, Rob explores whether this moment is a scandal, a turning point - or the beginning of a new era where truth itself goes on trial.

    10 min
  9. Episode 2: The BBC's Lost Voice

    11/10/2025

    Episode 2: The BBC's Lost Voice

    As Director-General Tim Davie and BBC News CEO Deborah Turness step down, Rob Francis asks what their departures really say about the state of Britain’s public broadcaster. In this episode of the TV Live Podcast, he unpacks months of scandal, misjudgment, and fear inside the BBC - from the Trump edit to the Gaza documentary - and explores how an institution built on truth has become paralysed by self-doubt. From the corridors of New Broadcasting House to the front lines of community radio, this is a raw, reflective look at what happens when leadership loses its conviction — and how public broadcasting might still find its voice again.

    9 min
  10. Episode 1: Independent Minds

    11/10/2025

    Episode 1: Independent Minds

    Before rolling news, before 24-hour channels and endless scrolls, there was ITN - the independent newsroom that changed how Britain saw itself. In this episode, we trace the history of Independent Television News, from its 1955 launch as a bold challenge to the BBC’s monopoly to its evolution into one of the world’s most respected news brands. Featuring the voices, controversies, and innovations that shaped ITN - from the early days of News at Ten to the digital revolution - this is the story of how commercial television learned to do serious journalism, and how ITN’s legacy still echoes through every newsroom in Britain today.

    36 min
  • 10 Episodes

About

This is your seat in the front row of television’s past and present. Each episode looks at the craft of presentation: the junctions, the branding, the faces, and the voices that shaped how viewers met their programmes. We explore the stories behind the graphics, the sets, and the continuity desks that kept stations on the air. We also bring clear news and sharp analysis from across the industry. We track big changes, small shifts, and the ideas that push broadcasting forward. If you enjoy the hidden work that makes TV feel like TV, you’re in the right place.

Information

  • Creator
    Rob Francis
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Rob Francis
  • Show Website
    TV Live Podcast