Today on Rediffusion
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Tonight on Adulterated Rediffusion at 10 o'clock we have a season of old films. We were going to simply call them old films, but we thought it better to call them 'Great Classics of our Century'.
(David Frost, 1961, before he became the first General Trainee at Rediffusion.)
Rediffusion is another company which had a reputation of producing cheap formulaic programmes. Although they did have some that might fall into that category they also were prepared to experiment, with uncategorisable shows like `The Frost Programme', and schools programmes, where they transmitted the first ever in the UK.
Below is a small subjective list of programmes. If your favourite Rediffusion programme is missing let me know, and I will add it.
The opening night of ITV was a joint effort between Rediffusion and ATV. The next day was all down to Associated Rediffusion:
Interesting to see morning television and lunchtime children's programmes, often thought of as much later innovations. Both disappeared in the cash crisis of 1956. Also note that the news at noon was read by a woman, Barbara Mandell, who was the first female newsreader on British television, not as sometimes stated Angela Rippon or Anna Ford.
