Monday is quiet but Clifford Davis weighs in with an interesting story in the Daily Mirror. He writes that “Commercial television’s top shows are now reaching a new audience of more than 2,000,000 – on SOUND radio.”
He goes on to explain that the Rediffusion Group, which holds half the shares in ITV company Associated-Rediffusion, is relaying, via its cable service, the sound of the programmes and their advertisements to its listeners all over the country and cites Bristol, Swansea, Tyneside and Nottingham in particular.
Davis quotes a Rediffusion spokesman who said, “We are licensed to pick up and relay to our subscribers any authorised broadcast. We put out Radio Luxembourg, which we pick up from the continent and relay again, so there is no reason why we should not put out commercial television as well.” Of course BBC radio programmes are also relayed in this fashion, but BBC television shows? It doesn’t say.
Davis notes that a big audience is expected for the Daily Mirror Disc Festival which will be televised on ITV in November. What a coincidence!
If anyone wasn’t already aware, you can now see why the company was called Rediffusion.