The world of British television off and on the screen, as it was sixty years ago.
Although it repeats some of the information from The Times last week, The Stage‘s TV Page goes into more detail about the agreement between Equity, the actors’ union, and the Association of Specialised Film Producers and the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising. (more…)
Robert Cannell, writing in the Daily Express, reveals the secret behind last night’s opening edition of This is Your Life. (more…)
An unnamed Daily Express TV Reporter reveals that, to fight commercial television, the BBC will broadcast better and longer programmes which will cost the Corporation £40,000 extra per week. The improvements will include:
The Daily Express‘ Political Correspondent reports on the fact that MPs are restricted in what they can talk about on television or radio. Apparently, although previously “a gentleman’s agreement”, the Government has laid down that “no MP can broadcast on legislation being discussed in Parliament from the time it is introduced to the time when it receives the Royal Assent or is withdrawn. Moreover, all discussion on radio or TV of subjects to be debated in Parliament within a fortnight is now barred by order.” (more…)
Last night’s new panel game, Who Said That? – where the object is to guess the sources of quotations and then discuss them, attracted the attention of the Daily Express’ Cyril Aynsley.
He records that the quotations ranged from Jean-Jacques Rousseau and Edmund Burke to Oscar Wilde and Bertrand Russell. Aynsley was, it seems, most amused by Gilbert Harding’s reaction (more…)
The Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced a number of measures designed to curb hire purchase and, as expected in some quarters, has lifted the minimum deposit to 33.33% (6s 8d in the pound). The maximum period for repayment of the balance remains at 24 months. The Daily Express illustrates the difference by noting that a deposit for a television set costing £65 will have risen from £9.15s.0d to £21.13s.4d. (more…)
It’s a land of opportunity today: the Independent Television Authority are advertising for experienced engineers while Granada are looking for architects and draughtsmen to help with the design of television studios.
Writing in The Observer, Alan Brien looks back at the week’s drama and isn’t overly enthusiastic. He finds A Phoenix Too Frequent “a courageous choice” and considers that George Cole and Noelle Middleton, “though well-spoken and well-produced remained distant and aloof, like fish in an aquarium.” (more…)
The Times carries an interesting report headed Actors in Television Advertising Films. It says that “[a]ctors in the one-minute advertising films to be used in commercial television will be paid a minimum fee of £7 per day.” This decision has been reached after negotiation between the Association of Specialized Film Producers, British Actors’ Equity and the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising. (more…)
As reported in The Times, at yesterday’s Annual General Meeting, the 59th such gathering for The British Electric Traction Company Ltd, its chairman, Mr H. C. Drayton, said that, via their subsidiary company the Broadcast Relay Group, “it is right an proper for me to bring to your notice (more…)
