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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 11h

Evening programmes 50 years ago today, from the Stoke Sentinel. As ever, ATV and Granada's schedules are wildly different, only really coinciding 8pm-10.30.

BBC-1, BBC-2, ATV and Granada programes after 5pm; BBC Radios 1-4 and Stoke, and North Staffs Hospital Radio.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 29/09/2026

Evening programmes for today 60 years ago from the Shropshire Star. The amount of programme variations between ATV and Granada are huge — enough that it's almost redundant for the Star to list Granada's stuff "as ATV except…"

A page of TV and radio listings, in the order ATV, BBC-1, Granada (as ATV except) and BBC-2; radio is Midland Home Service, the Light Programme, the Third Network (Third Programme plus the "Radio Everything Else" sweepings on the frequency, as opposed to Network Three, which is everything else except the Third Programme) and Luxy. Last night's Tomorrow's World gets a capsule review; Bill Smith reviews tonight's documentary on inventors on BBC-1 at 9pm, the relaunch of Emergency: Ward 10, and Rediffusion's Hippodrome variety series made for export.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 28/09/2026

The crowdfunder begins! Our massive ATV book can be yours in November for just £25! #ATVShowBook --> transdiffusion.org/atv-show-book/

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 28/09/2026

A look at what was on TV and radio in the Midlands 70 years ago today, from the Birmingham Post and the Coventry Evening Telegraph. Sloppy compositing at the Telegraph: the 8.15 swimming is actually on the BBC, while This Week is being described using its slogan rather than its name.

Birmingham Post listings for the Light Programme, Midland Home Service, BBCtv, and ATV; regional variations for the London (properly, 'basic'), North, Wales and West Homes Service; and, as an afterthought, the Third Programme.

Coventry Evening Telegraph listings for the Midland Home Service and the Light and Third Programmes, BBCtv and ATV. The Toddlers Truce is still in effect: no TV between 6pm and 7pm so children will not be distracted from their bedtimes.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 26/09/2026

CROWDFUNDER STARTS NEXT WEEK! 248-page softback book (21x28cm) featuring articles from ATV's 50s & 60s "Show Books", staff newsletters and publicity material. It charts the history of ATV and ITC 1955–81. £25 inc p&p worldwide. The crowdfunder will run for a month, with delivery before Christmas.

Front cover. From the final draft, which is why those of you with eyes like a rat will see elements of the background poking through into the foreground. That's not in the final version, it's a quirk of Adobe's InDesign software. Please form an orderly queue to complain about Adobe's software, as well *all* have complaints.

The index, so you can check if your favourite show or star is included. This page: 64,000 Question to Keith, Brian.

The index, so you can check if your favourite show or star is included. This page: Kelly, Barbara to Zoo Gang, The.

The back cover, because who doesn't like a huge shadowed eye, hey? Fools, that's who.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 29/08/2026

Coming soon (by which we don't mean 'imminently', so take a breath): our latest print project. Probably going to be expensive, even though it's being done for cost without any profit. Somewhere between £25 and £30, about 230 pages, 21x28cm, softback. Made by humans with no AI.

A selection of thumbnails from the inner pages of the ATV Show Book 2026 from Transdiffusion.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 26/07/2026

A complaint arrives that this leaflet, reprinted on our website, is very out of date now. Yeah, it might be. We'll have to look into that. Obviously we're very well known for being the #1 source for up-to-date information on modern broadcasting. 😐

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 17/07/2026

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. We’re getting there!

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 16/07/2026

Another 40 Studios of ITV packs went in the post today! That’s 40% done, so not much longer to wait, backers!

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 09/07/2026

'Studios of ITV' backers! Dispatch of the NINE books, booklets and newspapers, plus an absolutely startling envelope bulging with extras, begins on TUESDAY 14 JULY 2026. Our local Post Office has requested we drop off a max of 30 a day, so it'll take until 18 July until everything is out the door.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 24/06/2026

So many boxes. And more to come.

A big pile of boxes, in front of a smaller pile of boxes.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 23/06/2026

It is literally too hot here in Granadaland to be dealing with this today, but we’re still doing it. More goodies back from the print shop for our Studios of ITV thing!

Three sets of leaflets from the 1950s and 1960s, reprinted.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 17/06/2026

Yeah, certainly the ones from 1957 through to about 1975; it'd pick up in the mid- to late-1970s thanks to quite a lot of domestic video surviving (since schools recorded the programmes to show over and over again). These (2 recreations and a tele-snap) exist from 1968 though!

KecskeBak recreation of a tele-snap in our archive.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 17/06/2026

STUDIOS OF ITV OFFER UPDATE We sold 199 packs! We rounded this up to 200, at which point deep discounts kick in, which means extra extras for everybody! Print orders have gone in for everything except Talk of Thames, which goes in tomorrow with a UK company. We've already had one thing back!

Three copies of ATV Newsheet. Not pictured 197 other copies of ATV Newsheet.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 31/05/2026

Our 2026 print project: for £25 (including postage and shipping worldwide) you get 9 contemporary booklets, newspapers and magazines about ITV studios, including ATV at Elstree, Thames at Euston, Grampian at Aberdeen and much more! Order here transdiffusion.org/studios-of-i... for delivery in July!

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 28/05/2026

This one of the 9 items in our £25 print offer (ends 12 June!) is... quite hard to promote. A 40-page, unillustrated, remarkably densely written guide to Grampian's studios in Aberdeen from 1994. It's a bit of a slog to get through. Buy here transdiffusion.org/studios-of-i... for delivery in July.

The densely written introduction. Things do not improve.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 27/05/2026

One of the 9 booklets and brochures in our £25 reprint offer is an edition of 8-page company mag Talk of THAMES telling staff in February 1969 about progress on building Euston. It's the only one we're having printed abroad and are worried about. See transdiffusion.org/studios-of-i... for details.

Page 7, with a diagram of the new buildings

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 24/05/2026

There are NINE booklets, brochures and newspapers in our £25 print offer, including this reprint of ABC and ATV's 28-page booklet for audience members at Alpha Studios in Aston from 1959/60. Buy here transdiffusion.org/studios-of-i... for delivery in July!

Page 10: ATV programmes and personalities

Page 14: ABC programmes and personalities

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 22/05/2026

There are NINE booklets, brochures and newspapers in our £25 print offer, including this reprint of TWW's 20-page arty booklet from October 1966 about their expansion works at Pontcanna. Buy here transdiffusion.org/studios-of-i... for delivery in July!

Page 18: Some studio and technical views

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 20/05/2026

There are NINE booklets, brochures and newspapers in our £25 print offer, including this reprint of Granada's 52-page book from June 1960 explaining to the layman how television is made. Buy here transdiffusion.org/studios-of-i... for delivery in July!

Page 6: Quay Street before the studios were built

Page 42: some of the special effects for television pictures available in the studio

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 18/05/2026

There are NINE booklets, brochures and newspapers in our £25 print offer, including this reprint of ABC Weekend's 52-page promotional brochure from February 1963 about Teddington studios. Buy here transdiffusion.org/studios-of-i... for delivery in July!

A model of the television production centre

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 15/05/2026

There are NINE booklets, brochures and newspapers in our £25 print offer, including this reprint of ATV's 12-page staff newspaper from April 1961 all about the move to Elstree. Buy here transdiffusion.org/studios-of-i... for delivery in July.

Cover of ATV Newsheet: OPENING OF ELSTREE BY DR. CHARLES HILL

p8 of ATV Newsheet: STUDIO STAFF AT WORK

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 07/05/2026

This graph is how the IBA saw the 'size' of each company in late 1981 based on what they were asked to pay into C4's start-up costs (written into the new 1982 contracts). It probably roughly shows their network contributions too, except that STV punched higher and TTT did less than it might've done.

A pie chart of how C4's start-up costs were divided.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 07/05/2026

Here's that map of BBC-2 UHF transmitters in service, under construction and planned as of late 1968 that you were looking for.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 28/04/2026

For purposes of comparison, please see this UHF clusterfudge in progress and, with no extra UHF channels or extra transmitters available and a Post Office requirement to minimise overlap areas, decide how you would've solved the East/Yorks/Northeast split given that all 3 companies must be viable.

The sprawling landmass that was Anglia UHF

"Yorkshire Television" except it serves Sunderland and Middlesbrough but not Hull.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 28/04/2026

April 1969 map of the planned UHF 625-line transmitter network in the Yorkshire Television region. More info: transdiffusion.org/2026/04/28/i...

A map of Yorkshire... and then some... from Sunderland down to Alfreton, from Skipton to Market Weighton, with an outcropping just outside Hull, in green to show UHF, and a larger and more logical outline in red showing VHF.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 21/04/2026

April 1969 map of the planned UHF 625-line transmitter network in the Harlech Television region. More info: transdiffusion.org/2026/04/21/i...

A map of Wales and the west of England with UHF coverage in green and the larger VHF coverage outlined in red. The Welsh transmitters all stop dead at the border with England.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 20/04/2026

Desmond Morris, producer/presenter of Granada's Zoo Time, Thames' The Human Race and the BBC's The Human Animal, has died at 98.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 14/04/2026

April 1969 map of the planned UHF 625-line transmitter network in the Westward Television region. More info: transdiffusion.org/2026/04/14/i...

A map of southwest England with the UHF area in green and the larger VHF area outlined in red

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 07/04/2026

The BBC's "V for Victory" tuning signal, developed during the last world war and still in use on shortwave when we recorded it in the 1960s. Auditory hauntology.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 07/04/2026

An emergency edition of "London Calling", mailed out to listeners of the BBC Overseas Service in September 1939.

BBC Oversea (sic) Service Emergency Transmissions Schedule

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 07/04/2026

Ooh, there's also this brilliant piece of cover art from issue 3 of the A-R staff magazine 'Fusion' for Autumn 1958 by Joe McGrath.

A painting of a sad looking lion, looking over his shoulder at Mitch, where the lion is missing but the griffin is still present.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 07/04/2026

April 1969 map of the planned UHF 625-line transmitter network in the Southern Independent Television region. More info: transdiffusion.org/2026/04/07/i...

A map of the south of England, showing planned UHF coverage in green and the far larger VHF coverage outlined in red

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 01/04/2026

The Fred Bonfield slide collection shows technological evolution at Television House. Here's an early set-up for Mitch, the Associated-Rediffusion clock (left), and a more advanced version (right) from later.

Mitch within equipment, with a much smaller and more streamlined camera. Above appears to be a slide scanner.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 01/04/2026

The Fred Bonfield slide collection has thrown up some interesting things. For instance, it's split in two, one box from Rediffusion, one smaller box from Thames: this is in the Kingsway/Wembley box, but there is a clue that it's probably Teddington.

Close-up of the telecine equipment. Ding ding ding, bump-de-bump.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 31/03/2026

April 1969 map of the planned UHF 625-line transmitter network in the Ulster Television region. More info: transdiffusion.org/2026/03/31/i...

A map of UHF coverage of Northern Ireland in green, with a pretty similar pattern outlined in red; both stop dead at the international border.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 27/03/2026

The modern iPhones have built-in image "enhancement" for macro-level photography and I think we can all agree the result of this is... Not Good.

Two people who have been squashed under a plate of glass, sandblasted, given a level of blur that needs glasses to correct, and then improved by an AI that has never seen a human but is vaguely aware of what Autons look like.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 27/03/2026

Promised due care and attention now applied!

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 26/03/2026

Different sides of the building. The blue section is replicated on both sides. These two pictures show the same tree, which should make it clearer.

Further down the road with the tree visible in the background

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 26/03/2026

==The Fred Bonfield collection in the Transdiffusion archives== Finally, back to Television House on Kingsway, the Aldwych, in central London, at night.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 26/03/2026

==The Fred Bonfield collection in the Transdiffusion archives== Still at Wembley for lovely views of the big Rediffusion studios.

Steel-framed building with red REDIFFUSION TELEVISION STUDIOS across the top

The side of the building, from the main road.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 26/03/2026

==The Fred Bonfield collection in the Transdiffusion archives== Still at Wembley for more brilliant views of the big Rediffusion studios.

The 1930s side of the Rediffusion studios

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 26/03/2026

==The Fred Bonfield collection in the Transdiffusion archives== Over to Wembley for a series of brilliant views of the big Rediffusion studios.

Blue cladding and plate glass windows in a steel-framed building with signwork saying REDIFFUSION TELEVISION STUDIOS

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 26/03/2026

==The Fred Bonfield collection in the Transdiffusion archives== Some more, starting with Laurie West doing Rediffusion's weather at TV House. [BTW, we're having fun posting these things. If you're not... don't lecture us about it. Don't nitpick the images, text or alt-text. Have some damn class.]

Laurie West stands in front of a map of the south east, with a barometer above. EARLY MIST. PARTLY CLOUDY WITH HAZY SUNSHINE. DRY.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 26/03/2026

==The Fred Bonfield collection in the Transdiffusion archives== Finally for this ad hoc set (more after our dinner, probably!) the set-up at Television House for Mitch, Associated-Rediffusion's station clock, showing the camera and the lighting rig. The spinning adastral has blurred.

Mitch, Associated-Rediffusion's station clock, the camera and the lighting rig. The spinning adastral has blurred.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 26/03/2026

==The Fred Bonfield collection in the Transdiffusion archives== Light leak present on the original slide. The ITA's tuning signal, Mitch, the internal testcard, and the title card for ATV's Lunch Box.

Screen showing the ITA's tuning signal, Mitch, the internal testcard, and the title card for ATV's Lunch Box.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 26/03/2026

==The Fred Bonfield collection in the Transdiffusion archives== The station clock, aka Mitch, two distorted testcards, two Marconi/English Electric camera cards A-R used as testcards, and something in front of a background picture of Waterloo bridge(?)

A control room, with screens showing the station clock, aka Mitch, two distorted testcards, two Marconi/English Electric camera cards A-R used as testcards, and something in front of a background picture of Waterloo bridge(?)

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 26/03/2026

==The Fred Bonfield collection in the Transdiffusion archives== Even in times of analogue photography, a skilled photographer knew when what they'd caught was out of focus. Fred clearly spotted an issue and had another go. Redvers Kyle smiles tolerantly at him. This will be Television House.

An out-of-focus Redvers Kyle sits at a desk holding paperwork, a weather map of the south east of England behind him.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 26/03/2026

==The Fred Bonfield collection in the Transdiffusion archives== The new slide scanner arrived, and we've scanned the first half dozen ad hoc to see what we can see. Most of them, because Fred was a highly skilled engineer at Rediffusion and Thames, are of equipment. We'll need help identifying it!

Random transistorised equipment at Television House or Wembley.

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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N @transdiffusion.org · 26/03/2026

You are hereby officially renamed from "Andy Taylor" to "Sandy Heath". Have a good day, Sandy. 😜

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