Richard G Elen

Pay-per-PSB? Not as a package: COO of BSkyB, Mike Darcey, writing in the Royal Television Society journal Television (Vol. 45:6, July 2008 p12), reckons Ofcom – and many of the rest of us – are all asking the wrong question about the future of Public...; Published in Editorial, on 20 July 2008
Breaking the news too fast: On the internet, news travels too quickly; Published in Editorial, on 23 June 2008
How do we make money?: So here we are in this new media world. We download our music and give it to our friends, so the musicians who make it don't get any income. We write our blogs and splatter our opinions all over the...; Published in Editorial, on 1 April 2008
Democratisation or death?: Can we trust new media?; Published in Third Programme, on 9 March 2008
Microsoft strikes again: For an extended version of this article, click here. It was bad enough that the BBC's iPlayer excludes tens of thousands of licence-payers by being Windows-only. Now Classic FM, the UK's most popular commercial radio station, has done the self-same...; Published in Editorial, on 1 February 2008
The forgotten anniversary: Of all the broadcasting anniversaries we've been noting recently in these pages, there's one that seems to have slipped by. It might seem a small thing, but it was actually quite important, especially at the time. On Thursday 8th November...; Published in Editorial, on 1 December 2007
The BBC Sells Out?: A recent blog entry on the web site www.defectivebydesign.org, under the headline "BBC Corrupted by Microsoft" bemoans the latest development in copy protection. What it is fundamentally about is that the BBC's iPlayer, which is required to view the content...; Published in Editorial, on 1 August 2007
Hospital ripoff: I had the occasion recently to go into hospital for an operation. In fact, it was the second attempt to remove a lump on my vocal cords which had grown back after previous laser removal in March. So here I...; Published in Editorial, on 1 July 2007
TIme to end it: It's evidently not enough that Ofcom has roundly condemned the participants in the Big Brother racism row (see our June article) and there's already a further racism accusation raging regarding the new series. And now the same production company responsible...; Published in Editorial, on 1 June 2007
Spaghetti Fool: The spaghetti harvest of 50 years ago; Published in Aspidistra, on 1 April 2007
Flat-screen chaos: Professionals worse off than viewers; Published in Techmark, on 27 March 2007
Flat-screen chaos: You'd think the headlong rush to acquire large flat-screen TVs - that cost more to run, have a larger carbon footprint, and give a poorer picture than the CRT-based sets they replace - was bad enough at the consumer end...; Published in Editorial, on 1 March 2007
Measure and Countermeasure: Hacker web sites and forums have been talking for the last week or two about a claim that the AACS (Advanced Access Content System) copy protection system used on both the HD DVD and Blu Ray Disc HD disc formats...; Published in Editorial, on 1 January 2007
Welcome to Small Screen: A powerful combination; Published in Small Screen, on 2 December 2006
Grade to the Rescue: Whatever the impact of Michael Grade's departure on the BBC - and there are all sorts of opinions on that from disaster to nothing at all - there can be no doubt that his move to ITV can be anything...; Published in Editorial, on 1 December 2006
It was 60 years ago today…: 1946: The BBC Television Service re-opens.; Published in Baird, on 3 November 2006
The trouble with ITV: There was a time, not so long ago, when ITV was the country's leading advertising medium, with vast amounts of money changing hands for expensive spots. Now, as ITV1 continues to lose its way, the precipitous fall in popularity -...; Published in Editorial, on 1 November 2006
Science or show?: The recent sad passing of naturalist and TV presenter Steve Irwin inevitably raises questions about how we produce television programmes about the natural world. The BBC spends vast amounts of our money on natural history programming, and the resulting multi-award-winning...; Published in Editorial, on 1 October 2006
Still a place for quality TV: ITV1's decline and the future of TV as we know it.; Published in Inside TV, on 2 September 2006
Put that thing down!: So, the World Cup has long since passed, and as a result you're probably watching the crop of available HD channels on your Sky box and wondering what to do next. Needless to say, the BBC content is wonderful -...; Published in Editorial, on 1 September 2006
Not your parents' ITV: "What ITV is up to" is a subject that occupies our minds from time to time here at Transdiffusion, especially in the wake of the 50th anniversary last year, which encouraged us fairly inevitably to look back over that half-century...; Published in Editorial, on 1 August 2006
HDTV or not: I wonder if you invested in an HDMI/HDCP-equipped flat panel display and an HD box to watch the World Cup in Hi-Def? Well, let’s not talk about that then. But have you seen Wimbledon in HD? The World Cup looks...; Published in Editorial, on 1 July 2006
Discs or downloads?: Do viewers and listeners care about technical quality? Yes and no.; Published in Techmark, on 29 June 2006
More commercial BBC-bashing: It seems that hardly a week goes by when there isn't some new scheme from the commercial sector to emasculate the BBC, either by stopping it from getting the money it plainly needs to continue its world-leading services, or by...; Published in Editorial, on 1 June 2006
A goldmine of programming history: There's something that has been widely talked about recently in the several forums and email lists that discuss goings-on in television and the media. If you're someone who frequents such places, you'll already know about it: but to the vast...; Published in Editorial, on 1 May 2006
Why Spiegl should stay: I'm very pleased to see that our friend 'Sir' Gavin Sutherland's excellent new recording of Fritz Spiegl's Radio 4 UK Theme is now on the shelves, metaphorical or actual - backed with a very pleasant rendering of Sailing By, I...; Published in Editorial, on 1 April 2006
Children's air: Younger television viewers of the early 1950s had their very own startup; Published in Baird, on 1 March 2006
Overstretching Time: There's a long television tradition for getting an 'expert' to pronounce on-screen in a documentary series about their specialist subject: it goes back to Kenneth Clark's marathon 13-part Civilisation in 1969 and beyond. The latest example is Michio Kaku, one...; Published in Editorial, on 1 March 2006
February 2006: No sooner has BBC Four televised a (rather good) documentary on "Music for Everyone" than it's suddenly Music for Nobody Because You Can't Find It Anywhere. Not that I'm against the music I grew up with and later went on...; Published in Editorial, on 1 February 2006
January 2006: To start they new year , we feature the first of what I hope will be a continuing series of contributions from noted director Haldane Duncan. Apart from 200 editions of Emmerdale, he's experienced the creative side of the television...; Published in Editorial, on 1 January 2006
December 2005: It was actually fascinating - although not all of the presentations seemed to have a lot to do with the topic, while some could have been much longer and still retained my interest. A particular source of enjoyment was the...; Published in Editorial, on 1 December 2005
November 2005: Meanwhile, our roving reporter Glenn Aylett has headed north of the border this month, and returns with an illustrated report on the new BBC and STV production facilities appearing on Clydeside. And a new contributor, Sam Simmonds, tells us what...; Published in Editorial, on 1 November 2005
Part 3: TV Ancient & Modern: Our interview concludes with Sir Christopher's views on modern television; Published in TV Heroes, on 31 October 2005
Part 2: ITN wins its spurs: How ITN rewrote the rulebook for television news; Published in TV Heroes, on 2 October 2005
October 2005: This month we also have some behind-the-scenes developments to report. For more than a year we have been working on moving Transdiffusion over to a new content management system that will make the sites easier to maintain. This will be...; Published in Editorial, on 1 October 2005
Part 1: First with the news: In the first part of this exclusive interview, Chris Chataway remembers Opening Night; Published in TV Heroes, on 2 September 2005
September 2005: There's another anniversary too, though: it's six years this month that Transdiffusion hit the web in 1999, and in that time this collection of sites has gone from strength to strength, and to what is now around 2,500 pages of...; Published in Editorial, on 1 September 2005
August 2005: The present government has made several mistakes in my view, of which the most obvious is our ill-chosen support of Bush's Holy War on Iraq – the impact of this weasel-worded decision having become more evident over the past four...; Published in Editorial, on 1 August 2005
July 2005: Well, quite honestly, the 'problem', if that's what you want to call it, is that the BBC is extremely good at what it does. The odd niggles about cutting people's heads off with ill-advised hacksawing of 4:3 programming to 16:9,...; Published in Editorial, on 1 July 2005
June 2005: It's interesting how digital terrestrial television – the subject of our lead article this month – has taken off after being such a flop when it started.; Published in Editorial, on 1 June 2005
Pictures of the dawn: Video recording is not new. In fact it goes back a very long way.; Published in Baird, on 1 May 2005
May 2005: In addition to commentary in the MediaBlog, there are several articles, from political bias in the media to a moving tribute to Gwynfor Evans - one of the few men to stand up to Margaret Thatcher and win, and a...; Published in Editorial, on 1 May 2005
Four into three goes...: Three regions, four contractors. How? Why? asks Richard G Elen; Published in The Authority, on 1 April 2005
April 2005: The good side is that with a renewed remit to produce exactly the kind of programming we at Transdiffusion would like to see – meaningful, deeper, without having to chase ratings or be complained about for wasting the licence fee...; Published in Editorial, on 1 April 2005
March 2005: We lead off with a fascinating article from Russ J Graham on Britain's first TV star, Gilbert Harding, who from around 1952 to 1960 was just about the most famous person in the country. Following that up, we have...; Published in Editorial, on 1 March 2005
Februrary 2005: Some philosophical content this month, including a look at modern British television that would no doubt make Adam Smith proud – privatise, damn your eyes, damn your eyes; why the Television Act of 1954 actually didn't create ITV; and a...; Published in Editorial, on 1 February 2005
Nothing Better Than Something: Richard Elen finds the Green Paper
less dangerous than the DG; Published in Aspidistra, on 1 January 2005
December 2004: We have a spread of articles from across the Transdiffusion spectrum for you this time, kicking off with a piece by Louis Barfe about the first buildings in Britain that were designed specifically for television. As the medium expanded in...; Published in Editorial, on 1 December 2004
November 2004: As you may know, if you subscribe to some of the mailing lists about broadcasting history, television presentation and related topics, a couple of months ago Russ J Graham - overall Editor-In-Chief since the inception of this version of Transdiffusion...; Published in Editorial, on 1 November 2004
Ringing the changes: Don't blame the agency; Published in Ident, on 24 May 2004
Getting the BBC out of the way: Richard Elen asks if the BBC really needs far reaching change; Published in Aspidistra, on 24 February 2004
ITV 1956: Starting a network; Published in GeoHistory, on 1 January 2004
The True Cost: Because commercial television isn't free; Published in Third Programme, on 1 January 2004
Between two stools: The British approach to public service; Published in Third Programme, on 1 January 2004
Oh, that Symbol...: Abram Games creates the first animated TV identity; Published in Baird, on 1 December 2003
On being a librarian: Richard Elen on life at KPM and music libraries in general; Published in Sounds On, on 13 July 2003
The London Television Station: Take a tour of Alexandra Palace; Published in Baird, on 9 July 2003
The opening of the BBC Television Service: The BBC Television Service opens - twice; Published in Baird, on 3 July 2003
Public private partnership: What is a ‘public service broadcaster’?; Published in Inside TV, on 29 June 2003
Rediffusion's Blithe Spirit: How Associated Rediffusion started the day in its first few months; Published in Vision On, on 1 June 2003
Baird's independent television: Thanks to John Logie Baird, ITV nearly arrived 50 years early; Published in Baird, on 5 April 2003
The fools on the hill: The BBC embraces television - and a new service is born; Published in Baird, on 13 March 2003
Baird versus the BBC: JLB pioneers television - but John Reith needs convincing; Published in Baird, on 10 February 2003
Regional Flavours: Folk medleys defined many aspects of start-up music, says Richard Elen; Published in Sounds On, on 1 January 2003
Undercover A-R: The early days of start-ups on Associated Rediffusion; Published in Vision On, on 1 January 2003
The quest for Arne: Richard Elen has been searching for 35 years for one tune; Published in Sounds On, on 1 January 2002

Radiomusications

On the Run: The story of London's clandestine radio stations (1973); Published in Radio Features, on 1 August 2008
Microsoft Strikes Again: Why can't I listen to MyClassicFM?; Published in Radio Features, on 10 January 2008
Free Radio: 40 years on: What happened to 'Free Radio'?; Published in Offshore Radio, on 2 September 2007

Telemusications

Credits, Contacts & Copyright: Where to ask about programmes, thanks, and more; Published in Television House, on 25 March 2007
Busy making money: Listening to Nigel Pickard whistling to himself; Published in ITV at 50, on 1 February 2005
The Network's News: A new approach; Published in Television House, on 1 January 2004
The ITN Adventure: Preparing for D-Day; Published in Television House, on 1 January 2004
Newscasting begins: A new approach to News; Published in Television House, on 1 January 2004
Rediffusion's Blithe Spirit: A-R's lost startup; Published in Television House, on 1 January 2004
In this section: A company of contrasts; Published in Television House, on 1 January 2004
Undercover A-R: The archaeology of startups; Published in Television House, on 1 January 2004
In this section: The people behind Rediffusion made it what it was.; Published in Television House, on 1 January 2004
A Broadcasting Institution: An introduction to Rediffusion; Published in Television House, on 1 January 2004
In This Section: Television House explored; Published in Television House, on 1 January 2004
The Music: of Rediffusion; Published in Television House, on 1 January 2004

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Richard G Elen

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