Television House
Encyclopedia
Television House, on Kingsway
in London
was, from 1955, the London headquarters of Associated-Rediffusion
, Independent Television News
(ITN), TV Times
magazine, the Independent Television Companies Association and, at first, Associated TeleVision
. It was later the headquarters of 'Rediffusion, London' and its successor, Thames Television
.
s and tenement housing into a broad avenue with grand office buildings and expensive town houses.
After the formation of the Air Ministry
in 1918, headquarters were found on Kingsway and one of two identical buildings opposite Bush House
became Adastral House. This was the home of the Air Ministry through World War II
and became famous after the war as the central London temperatures and wind speeds were measured from its roof by the Met Office
and announced as such during the BBC
weather forecasts.
(ITA) awarded the first two contracts for the new ITV
commercial television system. Because the BBC had previously held a monopoly on broadcasting, there were no non-BBC television studio facilities in the UK. Associated-Rediffusion, as one of the two contractors, needed to build from scratch a whole new facility. The company had hired Thomas Brownrigg
as General Manager, partially due to his extensive knowledge of planning and project management, which would be needed in simultaneously building a new company and its studios and headquarters.
British Electric Traction
, majority owner of Associated-Rediffusion, bought the freehold on Adastral House from the government. Brownrigg engaged Bovis Limited (later Bovis Construction) to gut the building internally and build a new suite of offices, technical facilities and studios to be called Television House. This was begun in early 1955 and, with a planned start date for ITV of 22 September 1955, was worked on at great speed, virtually 24 hours a day.
Four small studios (numbered 7, 8, 9 and 10) were built inside the building, mainly for current affairs and continuity use (the main large studios, now The Fountain Studios, were constructed on the site of the former 20th Century Fox
studios in Wembley
in Middlesex
). Additionally, office space and dining facilities for over 1,000 people was created. A suite of management offices, complete with oak-panelled boardroom, was built.
The original headquarters and studio facilities of ITN were located on the seventh and eighth floors of the building.
TV Times, part-owned by Associated-Rediffusion, occupied offices in the building from 1957 until April 1958.
A computer room, housing an early mainframe computer
that controlled advertising bookings, was added on the second floor in 1966.
Associated TeleVision (ATV) inhabited Television House for the first few years of broadcasting, mainly just for office accommodation rather than studio facilities. For a period early in ITV's history, Associated-Rediffusion provided this space for free as part of the effort to keep ITV afloat during the financial crisis of 1955-1957.
and Rediffusion Television, Thames Television. This new company had a surplus number of studios in London. The Wembley studios were therefore sold to the new London Weekend Television
. Thames, controlled by the former ABC, decided that a brand new studio complex, equipped from the start for colour broadcasting and located out of the centre of London would be more appropriate.
Thames used Television House as its headquarters whilst the building of the new Thames Television House in Euston
took place.
When Television House was vacated in the early 1970s, it was again occupied by the government, this time the General Register Office
, where it housed the birth certificates of the English
and Welsh
populations. The building was renamed to St Catherine's House.
In the 1990s, the building was vacated by the General Register Office, which moved to Southport
in Merseyside
, and, after extensive refurbishment, it became the UK headquarters of ExxonMobil
.
, the Nursing and Midwifery Council
, SVG Capital
, Takeda Pharmaceuticals
, Ashmore Group
, Tishman Speyer, Interconnector UK, and Babson Capital.
Kingsway (London)
Kingsway is a major road in central London in the United Kingdom, designated as part of the A4200. It runs from High Holborn, at its north end in the London Borough of Camden, and meets Aldwych in the south in the City of Westminster at Bush House. It was built in the 1900s...
in 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...
was, from 1955, the London headquarters of Associated-Rediffusion
Associated-Rediffusion
Associated-Rediffusion, later Rediffusion, London, was the British ITV contractor for London and parts of the surrounding counties, on weekdays between 1954 and 29 July 1968. Transmissions started on 22 September 1955.-Formation:...
, Independent Television News
Independent Television News
ITN is a news and content provider with headquarters in the United Kingdom. It is made up of four key businesses: ITN News, ITN Source, ITN Productions and ITN Consulting. The ITN logotype can be displayed in any of 4 different colours, each of which represents a business unit. This is the...
(ITN), TV Times
TV Times
TVTimes is a television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom by IPC Media, a subsidiary of Time Warner. It is known for its access to television actors and their programmes. In 2006 it was refreshed for a more modern look, increasing its emphasis on big star interviews and soaps...
magazine, the Independent Television Companies Association and, at first, Associated TeleVision
Associated TeleVision
Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982...
. It was later the headquarters of 'Rediffusion, London' and its successor, Thames Television
Thames Television
Thames Television was a licensee of the British ITV television network, covering London and parts of the surrounding counties on weekdays from 30 July 1968 until 31 December 1992....
.
Adastral House
The Kingsway area had been redeveloped at the start of the 20th century from slumSlum
A slum, as defined by United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, is a run-down area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security. According to the United Nations, the percentage of urban dwellers living in slums decreased from 47 percent to 37 percent in the...
s and tenement housing into a broad avenue with grand office buildings and expensive town houses.
After the formation of the Air Ministry
Air Ministry
The Air Ministry was a department of the British Government with the responsibility of managing the affairs of the Royal Air Force, that existed from 1918 to 1964...
in 1918, headquarters were found on Kingsway and one of two identical buildings opposite Bush House
Bush House
Bush House is a building between Aldwych and The Strand in London at the southern end of Kingsway. The BBC World Service occupies the Centre Block, North East and South East wings. The North West wing was formerly occupied by BBC Online until they relocated to BBC Media Village in 2005, with some...
became Adastral House. This was the home of the Air Ministry through World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and became famous after the war as the central London temperatures and wind speeds were measured from its roof by the Met Office
Met Office
The Met Office , is the United Kingdom's national weather service, and a trading fund of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills...
and announced as such during 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...
weather forecasts.
Television House
In 1954, the Independent Television AuthorityIndependent Television Authority
The Independent Television Authority was an agency created by the Television Act 1954 to supervise the creation of "Independent Television" , the first commercial television network in the United Kingdom...
(ITA) awarded the first two contracts for the new ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
commercial television system. Because the BBC had previously held a monopoly on broadcasting, there were no non-BBC television studio facilities in the UK. Associated-Rediffusion, as one of the two contractors, needed to build from scratch a whole new facility. The company had hired Thomas Brownrigg
Thomas Brownrigg
Captain Thomas Marcus Brownrigg CBE DSO RN was a British Royal Navy officer before and during World War II who later became the first General Manager of Bracknell New Town Development Corporation before founding Europe's first commercial television station, Associated-Rediffusion.-Naval...
as General Manager, partially due to his extensive knowledge of planning and project management, which would be needed in simultaneously building a new company and its studios and headquarters.
British Electric Traction
British Electric Traction
British Electric Traction Company Limited, renamed BET plc in 1985, was a large British industrial conglomerate. It was once a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index but was acquired by Rentokil in 1996, and the merged company is now known as Rentokil Initial.- Early history :The company was founded as...
, majority owner of Associated-Rediffusion, bought the freehold on Adastral House from the government. Brownrigg engaged Bovis Limited (later Bovis Construction) to gut the building internally and build a new suite of offices, technical facilities and studios to be called Television House. This was begun in early 1955 and, with a planned start date for ITV of 22 September 1955, was worked on at great speed, virtually 24 hours a day.
Four small studios (numbered 7, 8, 9 and 10) were built inside the building, mainly for current affairs and continuity use (the main large studios, now The Fountain Studios, were constructed on the site of the former 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
studios in Wembley
Wembley
Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena...
in Middlesex
Middlesex
Middlesex is one of the historic counties of England and the second smallest by area. The low-lying county contained the wealthy and politically independent City of London on its southern boundary and was dominated by it from a very early time...
). Additionally, office space and dining facilities for over 1,000 people was created. A suite of management offices, complete with oak-panelled boardroom, was built.
The original headquarters and studio facilities of ITN were located on the seventh and eighth floors of the building.
TV Times, part-owned by Associated-Rediffusion, occupied offices in the building from 1957 until April 1958.
A computer room, housing an early mainframe computer
Mainframe computer
Mainframes are powerful computers used primarily by corporate and governmental organizations for critical applications, bulk data processing such as census, industry and consumer statistics, enterprise resource planning, and financial transaction processing.The term originally referred to the...
that controlled advertising bookings, was added on the second floor in 1966.
Associated TeleVision (ATV) inhabited Television House for the first few years of broadcasting, mainly just for office accommodation rather than studio facilities. For a period early in ITV's history, Associated-Rediffusion provided this space for free as part of the effort to keep ITV afloat during the financial crisis of 1955-1957.
St Catherine's House
In the 1967 ITV contract round, the ITA awarded the London weekday contract to a joint company made up of ABC Weekend TVAssociated British Corporation
Associated British Corporation was one of a number of commercial television companies established in the United Kingdom during the 1950s by cinema chain companies in an attempt to safeguard their business by becoming involved with television which was taking away their cinema audiences.In this...
and Rediffusion Television, Thames Television. This new company had a surplus number of studios in London. The Wembley studios were therefore sold to the new London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television was the name of the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties including south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire, Warwickshire, east Dorset and...
. Thames, controlled by the former ABC, decided that a brand new studio complex, equipped from the start for colour broadcasting and located out of the centre of London would be more appropriate.
Thames used Television House as its headquarters whilst the building of the new Thames Television House in Euston
Euston Road
Euston Road is an important thoroughfare in central London, England, and forms part of the A501. It is part of the New Road from Paddington to Islington, and was opened as part of the New Road in 1756...
took place.
When Television House was vacated in the early 1970s, it was again occupied by the government, this time the General Register Office
General Register Office
The General Register Office for England and Wales is the section of the UK Identity and Passport Service responsible for the civil registration of births , adoptions, marriages, civil partnerships and deaths in England and Wales and for those same events outwith the UK if they involve a UK citizen...
, where it housed the birth certificates of the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Welsh
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
populations. The building was renamed to St Catherine's House.
In the 1990s, the building was vacated by the General Register Office, which moved to Southport
Southport
Southport is a seaside town in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton in Merseyside, England. During the 2001 census Southport was recorded as having a population of 90,336, making it the eleventh most populous settlement in North West England...
in Merseyside
Merseyside
Merseyside is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 1,365,900. It encompasses the metropolitan area centred on both banks of the lower reaches of the Mersey Estuary, and comprises five metropolitan boroughs: Knowsley, St Helens, Sefton, Wirral, and the city of Liverpool...
, and, after extensive refurbishment, it became the UK headquarters of ExxonMobil
ExxonMobil
Exxon Mobil Corporation or ExxonMobil, is an American multinational oil and gas corporation. It is a direct descendant of John D. Rockefeller's Standard Oil company, and was formed on November 30, 1999, by the merger of Exxon and Mobil. Its headquarters are in Irving, Texas...
.
Centrium
After ExxonMobil left and further redevelopment work took place in 2007, the building is now called "The Centrium" and houses a number of corporations, including Herman MillerHerman Miller (office equipment)
Herman Miller, Inc., based in Zeeland, Michigan, is a major American manufacturer of office furniture and equipment, as well as furniture for the home. It is notable as one of the first companies to produce modern furniture and, under the guidance of Design Director George Nelson, is likely the...
, the Nursing and Midwifery Council
Nursing and Midwifery Council
Established in 2002, the Nursing and Midwifery Council is a statutory body set up by the Parliament of the United Kingdom through the . The NMC is the UK regulator for nursing and midwifery professions with a stated aim to safeguard the health and wellbeing of the public...
, SVG Capital
SVG Capital
SVG Capital is a leading British private equity and investment management business. It is headquartered in London and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-History:...
, Takeda Pharmaceuticals
Takeda Pharmaceutical Company
is the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan and Asia and a top 15 pharmaceutical company. The company has over 19,000 employees worldwide and achieved $15.7 billion USD in revenue during the 2008 fiscal year...
, Ashmore Group
Ashmore Group
Ashmore Group plc is a large British investment manager dedicated to the emerging markets. Established in 1992, the company is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. The Chairman is Michael Benson and the Chief Executive is Mark Coombs. It is headquartered in London.-Senior management:-External...
, Tishman Speyer, Interconnector UK, and Babson Capital.
Production space
- Studio 7: 702 sq ft (65.2 m²). 33' by 24' = 10 m x 7.3 m
- Studio 8: 950 sq ft (88.3 m²). 38' by 25' = 11.6 m x 7.6 m
- Studio 9: 2416 sq ft (224.5 m²). 64' by 40' = 19.5 m x 12.2 m
- Studio 10: 312 sq ft (29 m²). 26' by 12' = 8 m x 3.7 m
- Master Control: 900 sq ft (83.6 m²).
- Maintenance Workshop: 1150 sq ft (106.8 m²).
- VTR (with 2x Ampex2 inch Quadruplex videotape2-inch quadruplex videotape was the first practical and commercially successful analog recording videotape format. It was developed and released for the broadcast television industry in 1956 by Ampex, an American company based in Redwood City, California...
video recorders): 320 sq ft (29.7 m²). - Telecine (with 2x Cintel, 1x RCA Vidicon and 2x EMI Flying Spot telecine machines): 1150 sq ft (106.8 m²).
- Rehearsal rooms x6: 7500 sq ft (696.8 m²).
- Projector theatres x 6
- Cutting rooms x15
- Dubbing theatre
External links
- Television House Telemusications from Transdiffusion
- British Film Institute screenonline.org