“Broadcast Relay Service Ltd (associated with the British Electric Traction Company Ltd) and Associated Newspapers Ltd are in a position jointly to form and operate a ‘Programme Contractor Company’. It has not yet been decided under what name the company should operate but for the purpose of convenience this partnership is referred to throughout this application as the ‘Television Company’.
application for an ITA contract, 8 September 1954
BET subsidiary ‘Broadcast Relay Service Ltd’ had been formed in March 1928 but had long been known by this time as ‘Rediffusion’, and although it, along with Associated Newspapers (the proprietors of the Daily Mail) gave its name to the new company, it was short of capital, and as a result looked to its parent, BET, to come in as an equal partner to share their 50% investment. But this arrangement was not to last for long…
In this section we look at how Associated-Rediffusion came on the air; how it got through the first, lean years; …and what happened then. We also examine the long and illustrious history of the company behind Rediffusion, which was in quite a different business - at least to begin with.
