Welcome to Transdiffusion
This is the Transdiffusion Broadcasting System (TBS), a not-for-profit historical society dedicated to documenting and preserving broadcasting history.
We have over three dozen websites devoted to all aspects of broadcasting and broadcasting history [sitemap], backed by the largest known private physical archive of historical presentation material.
In the latest update...
Φ ATV Today A Midland Montage
Φ Ryan Davies All-round Welsh performer
Φ Re-defining Regional TV The US approach
Φ Brush Under Carpet Can TV really be interactive?
Φ Is DAB dead? Or is it just about greed?
Φ Broadcasting the Bards Welsh poetry on the air
Φ How do we make money? Musicians in the Internet Age
Our editors' latest musings in the MediaBlog
30-second guide to...
Associated-Rediffusion
and Rediffusion London
(1955-1964 and 1964-1968)
Rediffusion
was the first ITV company, coming on air from the
Croydon transmitter
on Thursday 22 September 1955 to serve
London on
weekdays. In its first incarnation, as Associated-Rediffusion, it
has retrospective reputation for being
upmarket
and heavyweight. In its post-1964 incarnation as Rediffusion
London, it has a reputation for being
downmarket
and lightweight. Neither are accurate, except in terms of
presentation
and even that is a matter of degrees. Both versions of Rediffusion
followed a plan of show
popular
(and even populist) programming in the first part of the evening to attract
viewers and revenue. These viewers were then expected to stay for the
later part of the evening, where
heavyweight documentaries and dramas were shown, paid for by the
mass-audience programming earlier. This clever strategy did not find
favour with the
ITA, who in 1964 considered combining Associated-Rediffusion with
another applicant for the contract in order to shake them up. This did
not happen then, but in 1968 the ITA combined Rediffusion London with
ABC to form
Thames Television.
Famous figures in Rediffusion included
Captain Thomas M Brownrigg DSO RN (Rtd),
Redvers Kyle,
Muriel Young
and Brian
Masters. Famous programmes included
This
Week,
The Life and Times of Lord Mountbatten, Double Your Money, Take Your
Pick and
People in Trouble.
Get involved!
Transdiffusion is run entirely by volunteers - staff, meta editors and contributors all working to keep hundreds of thousands of readers up to date with the latest broadcasting issues and the best in broadcasting history.
If you'd like to join us, we've got plenty for you to do! You can subscribe to our free email newsletter (below right), get chatting with us and fellow enthusiasts on our email forums, write articles on your favourite subjects, or become a meta editor of one of our sites.
