James Redmond (broadcaster)
Encyclopedia
Sir James Redmond was a British
engineer. One of the pioneers of modern public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom
, he spent the greater part of his career with the Engineering Department of the BBC
(British Broadcasting Corporation) rising all the way through the ranks from vision mixer to Director of Engineering and was involved in overseeing most of the technical developments which made modern television broadcasting possible. He was one of the engineers responsible for the successful development of live outside broadcasting
, satellite transmission
, 625 line television and colour television as well as the birth of the Eurovision Network
and the Open University
.
railwayman and a Scottish
miner's daughter, Jim Redmond was born in Burnbridge Muiravonside near Linlithgow
. He was educated at Graeme High School Falkirk
and the Caledonian Wireless College Edinburgh
before going to sea at the age of seventeen as a wireless operator with the Marconi Company
. Tired of constant travel, he spent a brief spell with the Post Office
Engineering Department and the BBC in Edinburgh before joining the new television
service at Alexandra Palace
, London
in 1937 as a vision mixer
under the direction of Thornton 'Tony' Bridgewater.
When the Second World War broke out he returned to the Merchant Navy as a wireless operator and spent two years on hazardous convoy
duty with the Blue Funnel Line
before transferring to a shore job in Birkenhead
supervising the maintenance and repair of ships' radio and radar equipment. Although Redmond was not an actor the Crown Film Unit
director Pat Jackson
cast him as a radio operator in the acclaimed Technicolor
drama-documentary Western Approaches
which was released in 1944.
He married Joan Morris, a secretary at the Blue Funnel Line in 1942. After the war they returned to London and settled first in Muswell Hill
and then Highgate
. They had two children.
Redmond returned to the BBC at the war's end and rose steadily through the ranks. He took part in the coverage of the Festival of Britain
in 1951, the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
in 1953 and the Oxford vs. Cambridge University Boat Race. He was a senior engineer in the Planning and Installation Department in the 1950s before becoming Senior Superintendent Engineer Television in 1963, Assistant Director of Engineering in 1967 and succeeding Sir Francis Maclean as Director of Engineering in 1968.
As Senior Superintendent Engineer, he was responsible for the construction of new transmitters to spread the television network across the UK. In 1963 he spent some time in Tokyo
, Japan
preparing the broadcasting of the following year's Olympic Games
. From 1964 he served on the committee that advised the BBC on establishing telvison channel BBC2. This involved resolving a number of complicated technical problems. The new channel was to be broadcast on 625 lines instead of the old 405 line system and had to be ready to accommodate the impending switch from black and white to colour. Programmes had to be capable of being viewed on either the old 405 line or new 625 line sets. To make matters worse both channels had to be able to broadcast US-made programmes which were made using an altogether different system and which were already transmitted in a crude colour system which Redmond derided as 'Mickey Mouse'. The technical problems were overcome by the opening night of BBC2 in 1964 but the opening was wrecked by a power cut throughout central London.
During his time as Director of Engineering Redmond oversaw the introduction of colour broadcasting in 1970 and pushed for the BBC to adopt digital signaling and supported the introduction of Ceefax
. He took overall responsibility for broadcasting the Eurovision Song Contest
from London in 1968 although he privately detested the event. To his chagrin diplomatic reasons forced him to attend the actual concert and he was delighted when Cliff Richard
's "Congratulations
" was beaten into second place by the Spanish contestant Massiel
as this meant he would not have to stage the contest again the following year. Redmond was a natural supporter of the Open University
as he had gained most of his engineering qualifications at night school and he put all the resources at his disposal into ensuring its success. He was a strong supporter of the BBC's engineering training centre at Wood Norton
near Evesham
and of the BBC Research Department. Not all the ideas he supported were successful. He was an enthusiast for quadrophonic sound and had a system set up in his home.
As well as working for the BBC Redmond was an extremely active member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers
. He was appointed President of the IEE in 1978 and was appointed a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering
in the same year. He became an Honorary Fellow of the IEE in 1989.
He retired from the BBC in 1979 and was made a Knight Bachelor
in that year's New Year's Honours' List. Equally active in retirement as when he was in work, Redmond served on the Council of the Open University
from 1981-1995 and on the Council of Brunel University
from 1980-1988 as well as acting as a consultant to various private companies.
After his death, his family donated his large collection of technical papers to the Institution of Engineering and Technology
archive. They include many BBC Research Department papers and a copy of the "Black Book" - a tutorial with circuit diagrams of the original Alexandra Palace installation written by Douglas Birkinshaw.
Inaugural Address as IEE President (The Proceedings of the IEE Vol 126 No 1 1979)
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
engineer. One of the pioneers of modern public service broadcasting in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, he spent the greater part of his career with the Engineering Department of the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
(British Broadcasting Corporation) rising all the way through the ranks from vision mixer to Director of Engineering and was involved in overseeing most of the technical developments which made modern television broadcasting possible. He was one of the engineers responsible for the successful development of live outside broadcasting
Outside broadcasting
Outside broadcasting is the electronic field production of television or radio programmes from a mobile remote broadcast television studio. Professional video camera and microphone signals come into the production truck for processing, recording and possibly transmission...
, satellite transmission
Satellite television
Satellite television is television programming delivered by the means of communications satellite and received by an outdoor antenna, usually a parabolic mirror generally referred to as a satellite dish, and as far as household usage is concerned, a satellite receiver either in the form of an...
, 625 line television and colour television as well as the birth of the Eurovision Network
Eurovision Network
The Eurovision Network is part of the European Broadcasting Union, itself founded in 1950 as a system of international broadcasting cooperation...
and the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
.
Biography
The son of an IrishIreland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
railwayman and a Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
miner's daughter, Jim Redmond was born in Burnbridge Muiravonside near Linlithgow
Linlithgow
Linlithgow is a Royal Burgh in West Lothian, Scotland. An ancient town, it lies south of its two most prominent landmarks: Linlithgow Palace and Linlithgow Loch, and north of the Union Canal....
. He was educated at Graeme High School Falkirk
Falkirk
Falkirk is a town in the Central Lowlands of Scotland. It lies in the Forth Valley, almost midway between the two most populous cities of Scotland; north-west of Edinburgh and north-east of Glasgow....
and the Caledonian Wireless College Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
before going to sea at the age of seventeen as a wireless operator with the Marconi Company
Marconi Company
The Marconi Company Ltd. was founded by Guglielmo Marconi in 1897 as The Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company...
. Tired of constant travel, he spent a brief spell with the Post Office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
Engineering Department and the BBC in Edinburgh before joining the new television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
service at Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace is a building in North London, England. It stands in Alexandra Park, in an area between Hornsey, Muswell Hill and Wood Green...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
in 1937 as a vision mixer
Vision mixer
A vision mixer is a device used to select between several different video sources and in some cases Compositing video sources together to create special effects...
under the direction of Thornton 'Tony' Bridgewater.
When the Second World War broke out he returned to the Merchant Navy as a wireless operator and spent two years on hazardous convoy
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
duty with the Blue Funnel Line
Blue Funnel Line
Alfred Holt and Company, marketed as the Blue Funnel Line, was founded by Alfred Holt on 16 January 1866.The main operating subsidiary was the Ocean Steam Ship Company, which owned and operated the majority of the company's vessels....
before transferring to a shore job in Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
supervising the maintenance and repair of ships' radio and radar equipment. Although Redmond was not an actor the Crown Film Unit
Crown Film Unit
The Crown Film Unit was an organisation within the British Government's Ministry of Information during World War II. Formerly the GPO Film Unit it became the Crown Film Unit in 1940. Its remit was to make films for the general public in Britain and abroad...
director Pat Jackson
Pat Jackson
Patrick Douglas Selmes Jackson was an English film and television director.Born in Eltham, Jackson worked as a production assistant on the 1936 short film Night Mail. He directed a number of documentaries in the mid-1930's. His debut feature film was 1944's Western Approaches. Jackson spent some...
cast him as a radio operator in the acclaimed Technicolor
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
drama-documentary Western Approaches
Western Approaches
The Western Approaches is a rectangular area of the Atlantic ocean lying on the western coast of Great Britain. The rectangle is higher than it is wide, the north and south boundaries defined by the north and south ends of the British Isles, the eastern boundary lying on the western coast, and the...
which was released in 1944.
He married Joan Morris, a secretary at the Blue Funnel Line in 1942. After the war they returned to London and settled first in Muswell Hill
Muswell Hill
Muswell Hill is a suburb of north London, mostly in the London Borough of Haringey. It is situated about north of Charing Cross and around from the City of London. Muswell Hill is in the N10 postal district and mostly in the Hornsey and Wood Green parliamentary constituency.- History :The...
and then Highgate
Highgate
Highgate is an area of North London on the north-eastern corner of Hampstead Heath.Highgate is one of the most expensive London suburbs in which to live. It has an active conservation body, the Highgate Society, to protect its character....
. They had two children.
Redmond returned to the BBC at the war's end and rose steadily through the ranks. He took part in the coverage of the Festival of Britain
Festival of Britain
The Festival of Britain was a national exhibition in Britain in the summer of 1951. It was organised by the government to give Britons a feeling of recovery in the aftermath of war and to promote good quality design in the rebuilding of British towns and cities. The Festival's centrepiece was in...
in 1951, the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was the ceremony in which the newly ascended monarch, Elizabeth II, was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ceylon, and Pakistan, as well as taking on the role of Head of the Commonwealth...
in 1953 and the Oxford vs. Cambridge University Boat Race. He was a senior engineer in the Planning and Installation Department in the 1950s before becoming Senior Superintendent Engineer Television in 1963, Assistant Director of Engineering in 1967 and succeeding Sir Francis Maclean as Director of Engineering in 1968.
As Senior Superintendent Engineer, he was responsible for the construction of new transmitters to spread the television network across the UK. In 1963 he spent some time in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
preparing the broadcasting of the following year's Olympic Games
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
. From 1964 he served on the committee that advised the BBC on establishing telvison channel BBC2. This involved resolving a number of complicated technical problems. The new channel was to be broadcast on 625 lines instead of the old 405 line system and had to be ready to accommodate the impending switch from black and white to colour. Programmes had to be capable of being viewed on either the old 405 line or new 625 line sets. To make matters worse both channels had to be able to broadcast US-made programmes which were made using an altogether different system and which were already transmitted in a crude colour system which Redmond derided as 'Mickey Mouse'. The technical problems were overcome by the opening night of BBC2 in 1964 but the opening was wrecked by a power cut throughout central London.
During his time as Director of Engineering Redmond oversaw the introduction of colour broadcasting in 1970 and pushed for the BBC to adopt digital signaling and supported the introduction of Ceefax
Ceefax
Ceefax is the BBC's teletext information service transmitted via the analogue signal, started in 1974 and will run until April 2012 for Pages from Ceefax, while the actual interactive service will run until 24 October 2012, in-line with the digital switchover.-History:During the late 60s, engineer...
. He took overall responsibility for broadcasting the Eurovision Song Contest
Eurovision Song Contest
The Eurovision Song Contest is an annual competition held among active member countries of the European Broadcasting Union .Each member country submits a song to be performed on live television and then casts votes for the other countries' songs to determine the most popular song in the competition...
from London in 1968 although he privately detested the event. To his chagrin diplomatic reasons forced him to attend the actual concert and he was delighted when Cliff Richard
Cliff Richard
Sir Cliff Richard, OBE is a British pop singer, musician, performer, actor, and philanthropist who has sold over an estimated 250 million records worldwide....
's "Congratulations
Congratulations (song)
"Congratulations" is a song written by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter as the UK entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1968 on 6 April with Cliff Richard performing....
" was beaten into second place by the Spanish contestant Massiel
Massiel
María de los Ángeles Felisa Santamaría Espinoza , professionally known as Massiel, is a Spanish pop singer...
as this meant he would not have to stage the contest again the following year. Redmond was a natural supporter of the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
as he had gained most of his engineering qualifications at night school and he put all the resources at his disposal into ensuring its success. He was a strong supporter of the BBC's engineering training centre at Wood Norton
Wood Norton, Worcestershire
Wood Norton Hall is a Grade II listed Victorian stately home near Evesham, Worcestershire, England. It was the last home in England of Prince Philippe, Duke of Orléans, who claimed the throne of France...
near Evesham
Evesham
Evesham is a market town and a civil parish in the Local Authority District of Wychavon in the county of Worcestershire, England with a population of 22,000. It is located roughly equidistant between Worcester, Cheltenham and Stratford-upon-Avon...
and of the BBC Research Department. Not all the ideas he supported were successful. He was an enthusiast for quadrophonic sound and had a system set up in his home.
As well as working for the BBC Redmond was an extremely active member of the Institution of Electrical Engineers
Institution of Engineering and Technology
The Institution of Engineering and Technology is a British professional body for those working in engineering and technology in the United Kingdom and worldwide. It was formed in 2006 from two separate institutions: the Institution of Electrical Engineers , dating back to 1871, and the...
. He was appointed President of the IEE in 1978 and was appointed a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering
Royal Academy of Engineering
-Overview: is the UK’s national academy of engineering. The Academy brings together the most successful and talented engineers from across the engineering sectors for a shared purpose: to advance and promote excellence in engineering....
in the same year. He became an Honorary Fellow of the IEE in 1989.
He retired from the BBC in 1979 and was made a Knight Bachelor
Knight Bachelor
The rank of Knight Bachelor is a part of the British honours system. It is the most basic rank of a man who has been knighted by the monarch but not as a member of one of the organised Orders of Chivalry...
in that year's New Year's Honours' List. Equally active in retirement as when he was in work, Redmond served on the Council of the Open University
Open University
The Open University is a distance learning and research university founded by Royal Charter in the United Kingdom...
from 1981-1995 and on the Council of Brunel University
Brunel University
Brunel University is a public research university located in Uxbridge, London, United Kingdom. The university is named after the Victorian engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel....
from 1980-1988 as well as acting as a consultant to various private companies.
After his death, his family donated his large collection of technical papers to the Institution of Engineering and Technology
Institution of Engineering and Technology
The Institution of Engineering and Technology is a British professional body for those working in engineering and technology in the United Kingdom and worldwide. It was formed in 2006 from two separate institutions: the Institution of Electrical Engineers , dating back to 1871, and the...
archive. They include many BBC Research Department papers and a copy of the "Black Book" - a tutorial with circuit diagrams of the original Alexandra Palace installation written by Douglas Birkinshaw.
Publications
Broadcasting the Developing TechnologyInaugural Address as IEE President (The Proceedings of the IEE Vol 126 No 1 1979)
Sources
- Who's Who 1979
- The Independent 20.10.99 (obituary)
- The Scotsman 29.10.99 (obituary)
- The Times 30.11.99 (obituary)
- BBC Film History Archive 22.8.90 (filmed memoirs)
- 'A Retake Please!' Pat Jackson Liverpool University Press and Royal Naval Museum Publications 1999 ISBN 0-85323-953-3 on the making of 'Western Approaches'
- 'Western Approaches' DVD Imperial War Museum 2004. Region Code 2 only DD06067
External links
- A copy of the Times obituary http://www.nrcdxas.org/articles/sirjames.html
- Internet Movie Database - Western Approaches http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0037455/
- Brunel University listing of honorary graduates - http://www.brunel.ac.uk/about/hongrads/1991/redmond