Features
Music in the night
Our new microsite takes you behind the scenes of Radio Luxembourg in 1965: from the staff to the adverts, from how to buy airtime to how to visit… and packed with audio clips recorded by Transdiffusion at the time!
Back in time for TV: 1972
H E Cooper takes her time machine back to Christmas 1972 to find out what was on the telly…
Nation shall speak loudly unto nation
A habit picked in a hot war carries over into the Cold War: countries shouting at each other over shortwave radio
Three giants
From the vaults: Leslie Mitchell, John Benson and Redvers Kyle are profiled in this article from 2015
Back in time for TV: 1971
H E Cooper takes her time machine back to 1971 to find out what was on the telly…
Scandal FM
Ofcom plans to further deregulate Independent Local Radio. But are things already too lax? Come hear the tale of political corruption at an ILR station in 1994
Haldane Duncan 1945-2018
Scottish television director Haldane Duncan has died aged 73. Read his autobiography we first published in 2006
A World Listened and Watched
How the four American networks – ABC, CBS, Mutual and NBC – covered the assassination of President Kennedy
Toddlers and the £750,000 Question
Lord Hill of Luton on ending the Toddlers’ Truce and handing £750,000 to ITV
Waterfall watermark
How do you get watermarked paper for your new ITV company when you can’t afford watermarked paper?
They watch your viewing
The Independent Television Authority took on new powers in 1964. The TVTimes in February 1965 explains what these are and how the ITA is structured
‘Early Bird’ spreads its wings
The first geostationary satellite linking Europe and North America goes into service in 1965
Tory-Weighted Programmers For Britain’s Comm’l TV Spark Rumpus
The first ITV contracts are announced in November 1954… but, as Variety reports, politicians are worried
Track in on… Albert Short for general post
Peter Ling pops up to the second floor to meet Albert Short, head of the post room
Track in, as… Tony Hulley steps on to the floor
Peter Ling goes down on to the studio floor to meet FM Tony Hulley in 1958
Track in on… Betty Bowes, the dark lady of the tonics
Peter Ling pays a visit to the Rediffusion Club and talks to bartender Betty Bowes in 1958
Gay News: Issue 18
Read issue 18 of the UK’s pioneering LGBT+ newspaper Gay News from March 1973, fully digitised and free
ABC’s Religious Training Scheme
All television production requires training, especially when it’s amateurs in front of the camera. In 1959, ABC Weekend set out to teach the vicars, priests and bishops of Britain how to work in TV
Freddie Phillips
You know him from Trumpton and Camberwick Green. We know him from his 8 daily start-up pieces for BBC-1 (two on Sundays) in use 1964-7. Have a listen to them on our SoundCloud channel
Television starts the day
Listen to Television start the day each day on Transdiffusion’s free SoundCloud playlist
Quick march
On retransmission stations of the internet, this is the Transdiffusion Broadcasting System
Locally great, globally useless
A decision has been made that makes Independent Local Radio less independent, less local and less good radio, says David Heathcote
Routine Sheet Database
A new resource from Transdiffusion… but what now?
Get Zzzapped!
A new website goes in depth into the 1990s television comic ‘Zzzap!’