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TRANSDIFFUSI⭕️N
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This is https://transdiffusion.org/, the independent broadcasting authority since 1964. A huge collection of television, radio & advertising archives, articles and more.
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A cute story from the BBC's staff magazine Ariel in February 1965. #doctorwhoday
When Carole Smith, aged four, visited the Daily Mail Schoolboys’ and Girls’ Exhibition she was fascinated to find that the Daleks were there, fresh from their latest exploit in Dr Who. They were indeed the real BBC Daleks and had been supplied by Publicity Department at the request of the Exhibition’s organizers. Since then, her mother said, she had played Daleks all day long and even dreamed of them. But Carole had one problem, and she wrote a letter about it: ‘Dear Daleks, Can you go over steps?’ The Daily Mail prudently passed this penetrating question to Publicity Department, and left them to wrestle with the job of explaining how a footless Dalek gets up stairs. Eventually the reply shown below, in what it was hoped was the sort of writing a Dalek would produce, was sent to Carole with a covering note to her mother explaining that it was dropped by space-ship after the question had been passed to the Daleks over the BBC Interplanetary Network. TO CAROLE SMITH | DEAR CAROLE | THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION | FOLLOWS | WHEN WE WISH TO GO OVER STEPS | WE SWITCH ON JETS OF AIR WHICH | BLOW DOWNWARDS AND LIFT US | OFF THE GROUND | WE MOVE BY POINTING OUR MAGNETIC | RAY AT METAL OBJECT IN FRONT OF US | THE DALEKS HAVE SPOKEN | END OF EARTH MESSAGE
November 23, 2025 at 2:47 PM
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Happy Doctor Who Day!
Larne Times - Saturday 24 August 1935 DOCTOR WHO LIKES HIS IN-LAWS. 25 RELATIVES OF WIFE TAKEN ON TWO-WEEK TRIP. Westminster Gazette - Friday 23 December 1927 DOCTOR WHO DEFIED DRUG ORDER. MEMBER OF WELL-KNOWN FAMILY. TO ENTER HOME. Western Mail - Saturday 21 July 1934 DOCTOR WH0 MUST NEVER DRIVE AGAIN Fined £20 for Motoring Offences MALARIA ATTACK DEFENCE Edinburgh Evening News - Friday 28 March 1947 Doctor Who Refused Night Call
November 23, 2025 at 2:13 PM
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Happy "Thames Goes Colour Today in 1969" day to all who celebrate. Here's the postage-stamp sized sticker they put on their outgoing mail in the month or so before C-Day.
THAMES GOES COLOUR November 17
November 17, 2025 at 4:04 PM
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ITV is back and it's going to bring the fight to the BBC, reports the Sandwell Evening Mail in the West Midlands on Wednesday 24 October 1979.

There's also a half-page reminder of where we left the two big soaps 11 weeks ago.
THEY'RE BACK TO A STAR WAR. ITV is ready to get back into top gear again with its costliest autumn bonanza ever - a multi-million pound line-up of stars to win back viewers from the BBC. Stars such as The Sweeney's Denis Waterman and Morecambe and Wise will line up with Hollywood greats like John Wayne, Errol Flynn, Lauren Bacall, and Humphrey Bogart in ITV's build-up to Christmas. The switch-on begins at 5.45 tonight - with Anna Ford, The Muppets, Faye Dunaway and Sir John Mills all included in the front line of the big shows. Sir John Mills stars in a new production of "Quatermass" — and late night viewers will see the first TV screening of the award winning movie "Chinatown," starring Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway. The story so far... Business as usual at the Rovers Return; Drama check-in at the motel. It is more than 10 weeks since you last saw what the TV favourites of Crossroads, Coronation Street and other popular programmes were up to. To help viewers recall the story so far STAFFORD HILDRED presents an armchair guide to the state of play. TV listings for this evening on BBC-1, BBC-2 and ATV; radio listings for BBC Radio 1, 2, 3, 4, Birmingham and Derby; BRMB, Beacon and Luxy; plus Birmingham, Bromsgrove, Walsall and Dudley hospital radio.
October 24, 2025 at 1:18 PM
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We’ve seen an unconfirmed report, from his cousin, that ABC and Thames announcer Philip Elsmore died on 3 August at the age of 87.
David Hamilton, Shelia Kennedy and Philip Elsmore at the launch of Thames in 1968
October 12, 2025 at 10:22 PM
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The Daily Express gets itself all worked up today in 1997 because BBC-1 has got new idents.

So worked up that they fail to notice that "Tory MP David Shaw" appears to be ex-MP David Shaw, kicked out of Dover on an 11% swing back in April 1997.
Balloon goes up at BBC (for just £500,000 including inflation). THIS IS the striking balloon logo which, from 6am today, will launch a new image for BBC 1. Viewers will see the huge designed to look like a sphere, designed er 10 ditrerent globe, locations in Britain. The total cost of the balloon and the filming is £500,000 - part of a £5.1 million budget the BBC will spend over the next three years incorporating its new logo. When the plan was announced two months ago it caused controversy with critics branding the scheme a waste of licence payers' money. Gerald Kaufman, chair- man of the National Heritage Select Committee in the last Par-liament, said at the time: "It seems to me that there could be a more useful way licence payers' money.„ spending Tory MP David Shaw said: "This sounds like the most appalling waste of money." The BBC, however, claimed yesterday that the simpler logo will produce savings of about B £750,000 a year and pay for itself BIC ONE in eight years. spokesman said: "The purpose was to simplify and unify the logo which will save time and money. Alan Yentob, the BBC's director of television, also said the new logo would be more cost effective. He added: "I do believe this is a memorable image which will allow the channel to embrace the whole of the UK." Pam Masters, the director of broadcasting and presentation. said the new logo would continue into the next century. She said: "The existing one was never ideal for on-screen use and this updated one is aimed at improving the overall visual image of the BBC." Design consultant Martin Lambie-Nairn worked with Ms Masters and creative director Dave Howe to produce the new image. They filmed over six weeks during the summer, choosing two locations in Scotland, two in Wales, two in Northern Ireland and four in England: In England, the balloon is seen hovering over the South Downs, gliding past endless rows of containers at the port of Felixstowe, floating over the Swinside Stone Circle in Cumbria and also Canary Wharf in London's Docklands. In Scotland, the balloon is filmed through the distinctive red steel framework of the Forth Bridge. It is also seen at Eilean Donan Castle, with the continent of Africa surrealistically hovering over Loch Duich. Cardiff City Hall and the towering slopes of Snowdon are the two locations in Wales. One of the Northern Ireland sites, Strandford Loch, is among the province's most famous beauty spots. The second loca-tion, Grey Abbey, stands on the same loch. The idea of using sites around the UK is to emphasise the national character of the BBC's main television channel. The images will mostly be seen in the countries where they were filmed but viewers will be shown all of them over a period of time. BBC bosses also hope to use the balloon at major events to promote the corporation.
October 4, 2025 at 5:42 PM
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A year in, and the Radio Times celebrates Radio 1 and Radio 2 and looks forward to even more poptastic adventures in 1969.
Radio 1 is one! Dave Cash, Tony Blackburn, Kenny Everett. Radio 1 is one! John Peel, Ed Stewart, Mike Raven, Emperor Rosco, Stuart Henry. The year ahead in Radio 1 and 2. Ray Moore, John Dunn, Paul Hollingdale, Chris Denning (yes, we know). Radio 1 is one! Jimmy Savile (yes, we know), Alan Freeman, Jimmy Young, Keith Skues, Pete Murray. Radio 2 is one too! Sam Costa.
September 30, 2025 at 1:12 PM
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Happy birthday to the new BBC radio networks, launched today in 1967. Part-time station BBC Radio 1 does pop; 2 takes on the Light Programme, the Third Programme, Network Three and the Third Network become Radio 3, and the Home Service becomes 4.

Needless to say, Radio 1 gets all the publicity.
Cover of the Radio Times, featuring a woman dancing in a Radio 1 shift dress. Your first weekend on Radio 1, says the Radio Times. Tony Blackburn, Keith Skues, Emperor Rosco, Chris Denning (yes, we know), Pete Murray, Pete Brady, Johnny Moran, Mike Raven, Pete Drummond, Michael Aspel, Ed Stewart. Be a Radio 1-upman!
September 30, 2025 at 1:03 PM
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30 September 1961. The Northern Scot reports that Elgin Town Council have decided – late in the day and reluctantly – that council tenants can put up aerials for the new Grampian TV which launches today... as long as they take them down immediately when the CATV system is upgraded.
GO-AHEAD GIVEN FOR ITV AERIALS COUNCIL GRANT PERMISSION TO TENANTS PERMISSION for the erection of aerials to receive Grampian" television transmissions is to be given to Elgin municipal tenants. This is on the understanding that in the event of other channels being developed in the future, no further aerials or additions to aerials will be permitted.
September 30, 2025 at 12:41 PM
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Happy birthday to BBC Network Three, born on this day in 1957. Network Three will be something of an odd-sock drawer, picking up things like adult education and sport that don't fit well on the Home Service, Light Programme or Third Programme, and is pitched as being a station for people's hobbies.
Cover of the Radio Times advertising "the new pattern in sound broadcasting" Lindsay Wellington, Director of Sound Broadcasting, explains how the existing networks are also being shaken up to bring them closer to the remit they have drifted from in the past decade. The Home Service and Network Three explained. The Third Programme and the Light Programme explained.
September 30, 2025 at 12:37 PM
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Back in 1974, here's the P&J's listings for 23 September. Correct typeface for Grampian and... well, shall we call it a "game stab" at the STV logo of the time?
TV listings.
September 29, 2025 at 12:14 PM
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On this day in 1946, a new BBC radio station opened – the highbrow Third Programme.
Radio Times cover for the launch of the Third Programme. First evening's listings for the Third Programme. How To Listen; Bach; Reflections on World Affairs; Choral and Orchestral Concert; introductory talk by Sir William Haley; back to the concert; Living Opinion; Madrigals by Monteverdi; The Best of Yesterday; epilogue. A page from the Radio Times. The Third Programme intends to set a high standard in its choice of broadcasts of music, drama, and speech, and to achieve the highest available level of performance. It is ... For the Alert and Receptive Listener.
September 29, 2025 at 11:35 AM
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On this day in 1923, the first edition of the Radio Times (covering 30 September to 6 October) was published. genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/page/d58cef7...
Cover of the first Radio Times.
September 28, 2025 at 12:43 PM
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Saturday 28 September 1985 sees the last ever World of Sport on ITV. The Aberdeen Press & Journal reports that the programme bows out with a 45-minute retrospective covering the programme's history under its two consecutive co-ordinating companies.
TV listings for BBC-1, BBC-2, Grampian and Channel 4. Highlights section has a picture of Dickie Davies and says 'DICKIE Davies (right) takes us through the last "World of Sport" this morning – the end of a 21-year era. Tune in at 4 p.m. for a 45-minute compilation of highlights.'
September 28, 2025 at 12:42 PM
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The Liverpool Echo on Monday 27 September 1965 has noticed it's roughly 40 years since John Logie Baird made his first television broadcast, so has published a lightly fictionalised and slightly overwrought telling of the story.
Forty years ago this week.... John Logie Baird Sent The First Television Picture Article (which is too long to include here, sorry) has a line-drawn picture of two men fighting, captioned "Baird grabbed the startled William Taynton and hustled him upstairs."
September 27, 2025 at 6:15 PM
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If you were one of the great and the good at the Guildhall in London that night, this was waiting for you at your seat.
INDEPENDENT TV – FIRST PROGRAMME – LONDON STATION. White with blue writing. Blue double-headed tassel from the top left.
September 22, 2025 at 5:30 PM
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Tonight on ITV (in 1955): see some of the new stars of Independent Television... eating dinner in the Guildhall. Then, from A̶B̶C̶ ATV, variety (of course). Ten minute excerpts from plays, boxing and the news are followed by famous people drinking, cabaret and a run down of what's coming up.
Front cover of the first TV Times with Patricia Dainton and Lucille Ball. Just Some of the Stars of New TV: Dick Powell, Gracie Fields, Norman Wisdom, Tony Hancock, Orson Welles, Jack Webb, Bernadette O'Farrell, Elizabeth Sellars. Listings page. Photos of Seymour Howard and Kenneth Clark. Guildhall: 7.15 guests arrive; 7.30 the Hallé plays Elgar; 7.45 speeches. 8pm Variety. Listings. Photos of Charles Hill and Robert Fraser. 8.40 Drama (Importance of Being Earnest; Baker's Dozen; Private Lives). 9.10 Boxing. 10 News and Newsreel. 10:15 Gala Night at the Mayfair. 10.30 Star Cabaret. 10.50 Preview. 11.00 Epilogue, national anthem and closedown.
September 22, 2025 at 5:27 PM
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The Daily Record reports that the final episode of Z-Cars goes out tonight on BBC-1 in 1978.

Football means it gets shifted around depending on where you live: 8pm in England and Wales, 10.15pm in Scotland and 11.15pm in NI.
IT'S GOODBYE TO Z-CARS TELEVISION'S most popular policemen go on the beat for the last time tonight. For after 16 years-and a staggering total of 571 episodesZ Cars is to disappear. Not bad for a set of programmes that were originally scheduled for six episodes. Z Cars was the first and most original of all the television cops and robbers sagas. It was the forerunner of programmes like The Sweeney, Softly Softly and Target. Yet when the series started in 1962 it caused bitter controversy as police bosses hit out at the no-punches-pulled style. But it survived and went on to become the BBC's record breaker-and their only real challenger to the long running Coronation Street - which has now been on the box for 17 years. Stratford Johns as Barlow, Frank Windsor as Sergeant Watt and Brian Blessed as PC Fancy Smith, all went on to become established stars. Tonight's final performance (10.15, BBC-1) will be a nostalgic affair. Frank Windsor is to appear as John Watt the role that made him famous. John Phillips is back as the Chief Constable. And, although the BBC are saying nothing about the show's special guests, it seems certain that Brian Blessed (Fancy Smith) and Colin Welland (PC Graham) will also make an appearance.
September 20, 2025 at 9:51 AM
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On 17 September 1989 the ITV companies joined together in an advertising campaign – seen here in the Sunday People – to try to head off the government's white paper on broadcasting, which would become the Broadcasting Bill and, next year, the Broadcasting Act 1990.
"I don't agree with the White Paper at all on the idea of cash bids for television franchises." – Rupert Murdoch 25.8.89 If he's not for it, who is? Rupert Murdoch, most ardent of free marketeers, said in his recent speech at the Edinburgh Television Festival that he was against the auction of the ITV franchises as proposed by the Government's White Paper on Broadcasting He is just one more in the long line of those who have stood up and declared their opposition to this proposal. (Other people quoted: Dr Patrick Barwise of the London Business School, Jocelyn Hay of Voice of the Listener, the FT, Kleinwort Benson LLC, the Incorporated Society of British Advertisers)
September 17, 2025 at 10:34 AM
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Thursday 15 September 1960 and the News Chronicle reports that televising live football doesn't work: viewers aren't interested and watched the other channel instead of the first ever live broadcast. In the game, Blackpool v Bolton Wanderers on 10 September, Bolton won 1-0.
TELEVISED SOCCER WAS FLOP, ITV TOLD. INDEPENDENT TELEVISION chiefs were shocked last night when they heard that first reports showed that the televised League football match last Saturday had been a flop. Early figures from TAM, the television audience measurement organisation, indicated that the broadcast attracted only a few more viewers than "off-peak" programmes on Sunday afternoon. In the London ares, said TAM, more viewers watched the BBC film "Sons of the Musketeers" than saw the game between Blackpool and Bolton. Provisional figures for the Midlands and the North were slightly higher. ITV pays great attention to these ratings in planning its programme. Normal variety shows claim between 50 and 60 per cent. of a potential audience. The match seems to have attracted about half that figure.
September 15, 2025 at 2:37 PM
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Olive Kay in the Belfast News-Letter on Monday 13 September 1965 says that children have never had it so good when it comes to television. Stingray, Noggin the Nog, and the Chumbleys – who Doctor Who fans are guaranteed to love 😐
ONLY THE BEST FOR CHILDREN. There is no doubt about it, the children have the best that television can provide. Taking a look at the programmes screened during the time which used to be called "Children's Hour" is usually sheer pleasure. Whether it's "Stingray" doing a contem porary H. G. Wells-type story on UTV or Oliver Postgaate's delightful "noggin" on B.B.C.. the youngsters are being entertained more intelligently and wittily than their elders. The latest "goodies" in the Dr. Who series are called the Chumbleys, and I predict that these endearing little creatures will be wildly popular. They resemble Daleks which have been on a sustained diet of whipped cream, and not even the more adult chi dren will be on the side of the stately blonde Drahvins who are the deadly enemies of the chubby Chumbleys. Joseph Cotten's commentary on "The Swashbucklers" in the B.B.C.'s "Hollywood and the Stars" was an example of perfect unobtrusiveness. Seeing Northern Ireland's contribution to the swashbuckling age, Errol Flynn, whose father was a professor and whose family lived at Stranmillis, reminded me of the small boy in a bus going past the Queen's University many years ago who sointed tu the building and said to his visiting friend: "That's where Errol Flynn's da works." Judging from Cotten's comments on Flynn's screen and private performances he would have appreciated this anecdote (incidentally, It is quite true).
September 13, 2025 at 11:35 AM
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The curiously spelled Southport Visiter newspaper offers this curiously punctuated advertisement in 1989.
SEFTON TV If your bored with whats on TV satellite gives you much more variety and choice Schitts Creek. Alexis says "I don't think that there are enough apostrophes."
September 12, 2025 at 7:52 PM
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Apropos of nothing, here's Eileen Diss's choice of sofa being removed approximately on this day in 1985 as part of a set redress at TV-am.
TV-am: So-fa so good TV-am started a clear-out yesterday ready for the new autumn season. Out goes the old set, including the famous sofa. Taking its place is a new studio design and a host of new names to join the regular presenters of ITV's breakfast show. Viewers will even have a chance to win the sofa, which has been sat up on by more than 2,500 celebrities since the programme started in February 1983, including Mrs Thatcher, Princess Anne and Prince Andrew, Joan Collins and Ringo Starr. Competitors will be asked to explain why they want the sofa, and it will go to the most convincing entry. Henry Kelly will join the regular weekday presenters and TV-am is to launch search a for a new woman presenter to join the trio. Photo: Anne Diamond leads a troop of people carrying a sofa. Identifiable are Nick Owen, Wincey Willis and Jayne Irving. Caption: Led by Anne Diamond TV-am's staff and guests carry off the famous sofa
September 7, 2025 at 3:23 PM
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The Duchess of Kent has died aged 92. In the absence of a Duke and Duchess of York – the title had merged with the crown when George VI and Elizabeth came to the throne – she opened the YTV studios on Kirkstall Road in Leeds in 1968.
Duchess of Kent on the cover of the TVTimes
September 5, 2025 at 1:11 PM
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The Bristol Evening Post gives over a full page to the reborn Points West and presenters Vivien Creegor and Chris Vacher.
POINTS WEST TRIES A NEW STYLE. The big news tonight is that the familiar BBC Points West news programme is changing its format and its transmission time. From today, Points West will be screened at 6.30pm as opposed to the regular 5.55 spot which it has filled for many years.
September 3, 2025 at 10:09 AM