Associated-Rediffusion facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Associated-Rediffusion
Rediffusion London

Logo from 1964
The Rediffusion region when it lost its franchise in 1968
Type	Region of television network
Branding	Associated-Rediffusion (1955–1964) Rediffusion London (1964–1968)
Country	UK
First air date	22 September 1955; 69 years ago (1955-09-22)
Founded	1955
Headquarters	Television House, London
Broadcast area	London, Greater London
Owner	BET plc (Rediffusion)
Dissolved	29 July 1968; 56 years ago (1968-07-29) (after 12 years, 311 days)
Picture format	405-line black and white
Affiliation	ITV
Language	English
Replaced by	Thames Television

Associated-Rediffusion, later called Rediffusion London, was a British TV company. It held the license to broadcast on weekdays in London and parts of the surrounding areas. This was from September 22, 1955, to July 29, 1968. It was the very first company to start broadcasting on the new ITV network. It was also one of the "Big Four" companies that made most of the ITV shows during that time.

Rediffusion lost its license in 1968. However, it joined with another company to create Thames Television. Thames Television then continued to hold the London weekday license for another 24 years.

History of Associated-Rediffusion

How the Company Started

Associated-Rediffusion Television began as a partnership. It included British Electric Traction (BET), its company Broadcast Relay Services Ltd., and Associated Newspapers. Associated Newspapers owned the Daily Mail newspaper. They had been interested in commercial broadcasting since the 1920s.

In its early years, the new ITV system lost a lot of money. Because of this, Associated Newspapers sold most of its share to BET and Rediffusion. The company kept "Associated" in its name until 1964. Later, Associated Newspapers saw how successful ITV could be. They then invested in other ITV companies like Southern Television.

Thomas Brownrigg was the general manager of Associated-Rediffusion from 1955. He wanted his new commercial TV station to be like the BBC Television Service, but with advertisements. The station even had a special on-air clock. Staff called it "Mitch" after the chief announcer, Leslie Mitchell.

First Broadcasts and Programs

Associated-Rediffusion took over the former Wembley Film Studio in Wembley Park, Middlesex. The company officially started broadcasting on September 22, 1955, at 7:15 PM. Actress Marjie Lawrence spoke the first words. That night, the BBC tried to get people to listen to their radio show The Archers. This was seen as a way to stop people from watching the new TV station.

Britain's first female newsreader, Barbara Mandell, appeared on September 23, 1955. The London weekend TV company, ATV, started two days later. Associated-Rediffusion wanted to make ITV seem respectable. They did have popular game shows, but they also offered high-quality programs. These shows gained large audiences across the country.

Boris Ford was the first head of schools broadcasting for Associated-Rediffusion (1957–58). He convinced Benjamin Britten to write his opera Noye's Fludde for a series of programs. Associated-Rediffusion continued to work with Britten. They produced a very successful TV broadcast of his opera The Turn of the Screw in 1959.

Ticket for the dress rehearsal for 'Around the Beatles', on April 28, 1964, at Wembley Park

In 1960, Associated-Rediffusion added new TV studios at Wembley Park. These studios were very large and had a unique design. They became famous worldwide. In the 1960s, these studios hosted many popular ITV shows. These included The Rat Catchers, Blackmail, At Last, The 1948 Show, and The Frost Report. Even The Beatles appeared at these studios more than once.

Changes and Losing the License

In 1964, the company changed its name to Rediffusion Television. On screen, it was called "Rediffusion London." It had a modern, 1960s style. However, the new Rediffusion did not last long. In October 1967, the Independent Television Authority announced big changes. Rediffusion was shocked to learn it would not get a new license.

The ITV network was reorganized. As a result, ABC Weekend TV lost its licenses. To keep ABC going, the ITA suggested that ABC and Rediffusion form a new company: Thames Television. This was not a simple merger. The parent companies, ABPC (for ABC) and BET (for Rediffusion), created Thames as a separate business. Thames would use the studios and staff from ABC's Teddington Studios and Rediffusion's Television House.

BET, Rediffusion's parent company, owned 49% of Thames. However, they had less control in the new company. Rediffusion strongly disagreed with this. The ITA said that either Thames took the new contract, or ABC would take over completely. Rediffusion chose to form Thames. Rediffusion went off the air on July 29, 1968, at 12:26 AM. Many employees moved to work for London Weekend Television or Thames.

Much of Rediffusion's old TV shows were lost or destroyed after Thames was created. Some surviving shows are kept by the BFI National Archive. Most of these shows are owned by Archbuild Limited. However, some music shows like Ready Steady Go! have different owners. Some Rediffusion shows have been found again in recent years. For example, parts of At Last the 1948 Show were found in Sweden.

Later Uses of the Name

In the 1990s, the name "Associated-Rediffusion Television" and its star logo were bought by journalist Victor Lewis-Smith. He used them for his own production company. This company made several TV shows, including:

• TV Offal, a funny show with old TV clips.
• Ads Infinitum, a look back at old TV advertisements.
• An Omnibus documentary about Dudley Moore. This show won a BAFTA Television Award in 2001.
• A one-time return of Dee Time.
• Documentaries presented by actor Keith Allen.
• 21st Century Bach, a series of short music programs.
• Alchemists of Sound, a documentary about the BBC Radiophonic Workshop.
• The Undiscovered Tony Hancock, a 2018 documentary for Sky Arts.

Rediffusion Music Services

The music parts of the company, like Rediffusion Music and Reditune Rediffusion, were sold in 1996. They were bought by AEI Music Network. Then, DMX Music bought AEI Music in 2000. Mood Media bought DMX Music in 2005. Today, Mood Media Corporation owns these names. They now trade under the MOOD: brand.

Where Rediffusion Worked

Television House, Rediffusion's headquarters.

The company's main offices and broadcasting equipment were at Television House in Kingsway, London. Most TV shows were made at Wembley Studios in Wembley Park, north-west London. There was also a small studio at Television House, called Studio 9. It was sometimes used for news programs and was home to Ready Steady Go! in its early years.

Television House used to be called Adastral House. It was the headquarters of the Air Ministry. This is where A-R's logo, the 16-point Adastral Star, got its name. The star appeared before and after each commercial break. The company's old TV shows and films were stored at these locations.

After Rediffusion lost its license, the Wembley studios were leased to London Weekend Television. This happened in May 1968. London Weekend Television later left these studios in 1972. The Wembley studios site has been used by many different owners over the years. It has been film studios and TV studios. It closed in 2018 and is now a theatre space. Television House was used as Thames Television's headquarters until 1970. It was then sold.

How Rediffusion Looked on Screen

When Rediffusion first started, it was called Associated-Rediffusion. Its on-screen look was simple. It had an animated logo with the company name and a spinning star called the Adastral. This first logo had a five-note electronic sound. A special clock was also created, nicknamed 'Mitch'.

In 1964, Associated-Rediffusion changed its name to Rediffusion London. The new on-screen logo was black and grey. It still had the spinning star, but the new name was in a modern font. A new seven-note theme tune was used. A simpler clock was designed with a 24-hour display. The original 'Mitch' clock was given to the Science Museum. It is now at the National Media Museum in Bradford.

Rediffusion had several TV announcers during its 13 years on air. Redvers Kyle and Muriel Young were two of the most well-known.

Popular Rediffusion Programmes

Here are some of the TV shows made by or for Associated-Rediffusion and Rediffusion:

Most of the surviving old shows are now owned by Archbuild. It is not known exactly how many shows still exist.

See also

In Spanish: Associated-Rediffusion para niños