On this Day 1967: ‘Electric Cars’

OTD, January 30th 1967…

ATV Midlands News took a look at the electric car.

In this report John Wilford interviewed Dr. William Arrol of the Lucas Research Department about batteries for electric cars.

Reporter John Wilford joined ATV News in Birmingham after studying economic history at Durham University and having a brief spell as a journalist with a newspaper, The Northampton Chronicle and Echo. Wilford worked as a reporter on ATV Midlands News and ATV Today between 1966 and 1968 covering everything from the opening of the BBC’s first local radio station to the ’66 World Cup.

John moved to Leeds for the launch of Yorkshire Television in spring of ’68 and was one of the founding team of the Calendar News programme. Across the 1970s he rose to become YTV’s head of programmes. As the 70s became the 1980s he looked to become a media mogul bidding for the ITV Midlands contract with Mercia Television which was due for change in January 1982. Ultimately it remained with ATV Midlands as a rebranded Central Television.

Wilford, beaten in the ITV franchise wars, returned to Yorkshire Television becoming their first Head of Corporate Affairs. John died in 2020 aged 80. In his later years he was a keen player in Harrogate Dramatic Society productions which hark back to his earliest appearances on television as a supporting artist on Granada Television’s sitcom The Army Game.