Welcome to our section looking at the building and studios used by Southern Television over the years
Southern’s main studios were located in Southampton while a small studio would later exist in Dover to cover the south-east output
CONSTRUCTION OF NEW STUDIOS – SOUTHAMPTON (1968)
Southern converted a cinema, The Plaza, on the banks of the River Itchen in Southampton to be their first studios.
CONSTRUCTION OF NEW STUDIOS – SOUTHAMPTON (1968)
With the introduction of colour TV, it was becoming clear that the existing Southampton studios were becoming outdated. The existing studios were inconvenient to use, as it was a converted cinema. It lacked the space to expand and so new studios were built.
Southern spent a huge sum of money reclaiming land from the nearby River Itchen to act as foundations for the new studio complex. These new studios would be built next to the existing studios, causing some issues with the recordings of programmes due to the noise and vibrations. Workers would be told to pause work while programmes were being recorded as a result.
The new studios were opened on the 19th August 1969
SOUTHAMPTON STUDIOS (1970s)
This vehicle was called The Scanner and was a mobile control room. It would later pass on to TVS when Southern lost their franchise. The vehicle still exists, having been restored back to its Southern configuration.
This photo is held as part of our own archives
SOUTHAMPTON STUDIOS (1970s)
A couple of images of Southern’s main studios in the 1970s
SOUTHAMPTON STUDIOS (1981)
The Southampton studios during the final days of Southern Television. They sold the studios to the incoming Television South who set up shop in temporary buildings located in the car park – earning them the name Portakabin TV.
