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Thames Television's coverage of its own opening lunch

Thames day one in 1968

A lovely little closedown from Central in 1982 with the fabulous Gary Terzza doing the honours from Central House.

Central closedown - Gary Terzza

Ulster Television closes for the night one Saturday in 1968.

Ulster Television closedown in 1968

The simple B-B-C jingle used between every 5 or so pieces of testcard music as a tuning signal.

BBC jingle

The BBC Home Service's news at 10pm on 14 August 1967 reports on the closedowns of the offshore stations as the Marine Offences Act comes into force.

BBC Home Service on the offshore radio closedowns

In 1941, the BBC began prefixing their transmissions to the European mainland with 'V' in morse code, a practice that was so successful they kept it up long after the end of the war. http://www.transdiffusion.org/2015/07/16/dot-dot-dot-dash

BBC 'V for Victory' tuning signal

ITN's News at Ten from 14 August 1967 devotes 10 minutes of its programme to the closure of the offshore stations and the forthcoming launch of BBC Radio One.

ITN's News At Ten on the closure of the offshore stations

A Southern Television ident into the opening (and closing) music of 'How!' in 1967

How! opening and closing

It's 1971 and Ireland is hosting the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time. Terry Wogan is there, ready to commentate for BBC Radio 2, but clearly with very little bandwidth. Someone manages to get a better feed - but one, Radio 2 continuity discover, with no Wogan attached...

BBC Radio 2 coverage of the 1971 Eurovision Song Contest

BBC-1 on a Sunday afternoon in 1965 is repeating the imported US series "Arrest and Trial" when the sound disappears. Continuity put on a record and apologise.

BBC1 lost of sound during "Arrest and Trial" in 1965

The short title music to Rediffusion's pop science programme 'Futurama' presented by Jimmy Hanley. The BBC would copy the format to create 'Tomorrow's World'.

Futurama from Rediffusion London

It's Tuesday, it's 5.25pm, so we're off to Associated-Rediffusion for Tuesday Rendezvous with Redvers Kyle and Muriel Young.

Tuesday Rendezvous

We come out of The Sam Costa Show on BBC Radio 2 in 1968 into the Greenwich Time Signal - but not the one we're used to these days.

The Sam Costa Show into the old-style Greenwich pips

The short-lived (13 episodes) 'Riviera Police' with Noel Trevarthen as Superintendent Johnson, Frank Lieberman as Lt Col Sore, Brian Spink as Insp Legrand and Geoffrey Frederick as Superintendent Hunter. The theme music is 'Latin Quarter' (or possibly 'City in the Sun') by Laurie Johnson.

Riviera Police

From the http://www.transdiffusion.org/ archives...

Settle yourself down for half an hour of entertainment from Rediffusion as Dickie Henderson, June Laverick and Lionel Murton entertain you in 'The Dickie Henderson Show'.

The Dickie Henderson Show titles | 1965

Via our friend David Heathcote comes this audio recording of Rediffusion London starting the day on Christmas Day 1964

Rediffusion starts the day, Christmas Day 1964

In the 1970s, our honorary president was Geoffrey Lugg, head of presentation at ABC and Thames. He recorded many hours of tapes from 1970 onwards detailing how Thames was formed and what its presentation practices were, as well his memories of ABC and of Rediffusion in 1956 and 1968. Here's a brief excerpt from his first tape, in February 1970, where he talks about the importance of presentation and how Thames hands over to LWT on Fridays at 7.

The Geoffrey Lugg Tapes - 001

Opportunity Knocks says Goodbye to Didsbury on ABC's last Saturday - a complete show, minus adverts, that looks back at 12 years of ABC in the North.

Transdiffusion Broadcasting System

Opportunity Knocks: Goodbye to Didsbury (27 July 1968)

David Hamilton closes ABC North down for the very final time on Sunday 28 July 1968 with this special trip down memory lane, also featuring Keith Martin with the final weather forecast.

Goodbye to ABC, final programme on ABC, 28 July 1968

In the week of 22 February 1971, LWT teeters on the edge yet again and faces a takeover from Rupert Murdoch. Ludovic Kennedy and Barrie Penrose at the BBC's '24 Hours' stir the pot... or investigate the troubled broadcaster.

BBC '24 Hours' on the fall of LWT, week commencing 22 February 1971

From the late 1970s, BBC Radio 1's 'Mailbag' interviews producer Johnny Beerling about the station's use of jingles. With thanks to Jon Tarrant.

Johnny Beerling interviewed about BBC Radio 1 jingles

Broadcasting minister Christopher Chataway is about to decide how commercial radio will be introduced into the UK. David Lomax reports for the BBC's '24 Hours'.

BBC '24 Hours' on the Sound Broadcasting Bill, 14 January 1971

Launch night of the new BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 2. Kenneth Horne takes us through what you can expect from the two new networks. Music edited out - in places, literally with scissors at the time. Also gone is the Michael Parkinson sports monologue. Sorry.

Spotlight 1 and 2, 30 September 1967

The independent broadcasting authority since 1964