[Commlist] Transmission and transmitters, CFP for special issue of Journal of British Cinema and Television

*Call for Papers: Special issue of /Journal of British Cinema and 
Television /on the theme of transmission and transmitters*

Proposals are invited for a special issue of the/ Journal of British 
Cinema and Television/ on the subject of television and cinema transmission.

Transmission is one of the key technologies underpinning television and 
cinema. It is the liminal, ethereal, and often invisible stage between 
production and consumption. Transmitters send television signals to the 
homes of viewers; satellites beam images from space to rooftop dishes; 
fast internet connections enable live streaming and the rapid 
distribution of Digital Cinema Packages.

A few television transmitters have become iconic – such as the masts at 
Alexandra Palace and Crystal Palace, and the tower at Emley Moor. Their 
images have come to stand for the institutions and structures of 
television. The reach of a transmitter defines the boundaries of 
regional and national television. Just as often, transmission 
infrastructure is hidden from view. Few can see the television mast 
which transmits their signals; none can see the satellite to which their 
dish is pointed. For most viewers, transmission becomes noticeable only 
when it fails.

In the case of television, modes of transmission and reception which 
have defined the viewing experience since the inception of television in 
the late 1920s could soon disappear from the media landscape. The recent 
announcement by British broadcasters of a new service to enable viewers 
to watch live television online points to the eventual decommissioning 
and dismantling of television masts and transmitters.

In light of this historical turning point, and considering the 
under-appreciated cultural impact of transmission technologies, we 
invite papers responding in any way to the technologies, cultures, and 
imagery of transmission in British television and cinema. Topics could 
include:

·Analogue or digital, terrestrial or satellite, television transmission;

·The role of transmitters in the creation of regional and national identity;

·The role of transmission in the iconography and imagery of television 
and cinema branding;

·Relationships between transmission infrastructure and rural and urban 
environments;

·Future changes to transmission infrastructure, decommissioning and lost 
heritage.

  The deadline for proposals is 30 April 2024. Decisions will be made 
by the end of May with first drafts due in December 2024.

Editors: Dr Nick Hall (Royal Holloway University of London), Prof Jamie 
Medhurst (Aberystwyth University) and Prof John Wyver (University of 
Westminster).


For questions and enquiries please email (nick.hall /at/ rhul.ac.uk) 
<mailto:(nick.hall /at/ rhul.ac.uk)>.

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