This is a timeline of the history of the British television company
ABC Weekend TV
ABC Weekend TV was the popular name of the British broadcaster ABC Television Limited, which provided the weekend service in the Midlands and Northern England regions of the Independent Television (ITV) network from 1956 to 1968. It was one ...
Independent Television Authority
The Independent Television Authority (ITA) was an agency created by the Television Act 1954 to supervise the creation of "Independent Television" ( ITV), the first commercial television network in the United Kingdom. The ITA existed from 1954 un ...
(ITA) awards franchises for weekend services in the Midlands and North of England regions to Kemsley-Winnick Television.
* 1955
** 21 September – After the collapse of Kemsley-Winnick, the ITA approaches
Associated British Picture Corporation
Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), originally British International Pictures (BIP), was a British film production, distribution and exhibition company active from 1927 until 1970 when it was absorbed into EMI. ABPC also owned appro ...
(ABPC) to provide the services instead and the contract was signed that day.
** 8 October – After legal action from ABPC, the weekend service for London is renamed from ABC (Associated Broadcasting Company) to ATV (Associated TeleVision), thus allowing ABPC to later use the ABC name for its own TV service.
* 1956
** 17 February –
Alpha Television
Alpha Television was a British limited company which operated television studios in Aston, Birmingham from 1956 to 1970.
History
The company was formed in 1956 as a joint venture between two newly created Independent Television (ITV) compan ...
, a joint venture between ABC and the Midlands weekday contractor ATV, reopens the former Astoria Cinema in
Aston
Aston is an area of inner Birmingham, England. Located immediately to the north-east of Central Birmingham, Aston constitutes a ward within the metropolitan authority. It is approximately 1.5 miles from Birmingham City Centre.
History
Aston wa ...
, Birmingham, as a studio shared between the companies.
** 18 February – ABPC's new company, Associated British Cinemas (Television) Ltd, begins its Midlands weekend service, under the brand name "ABC", broadcasting from
Lichfield transmitting station
The Lichfield transmitting station is situated close to Tamworth in Staffordshire in the West Midlands between the A5 and A51. The nearest geographical feature is Hopwas Hill. The station is owned and operated by Arqiva. The mast is known l ...
. Its logo is based on the logo of
ABC Cinemas
ABC Cinemas (Associated British Cinemas) was a cinema chain in the United Kingdom. Originally a wholly owned subsidiary of Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), it operated between the 1930s and the 1980s. The brand name was reused in ...
(owned by ABPC).
** 5 May – ABC begins its North of England weekend service. Initially the service covers the North West from Winter Hill transmitting station. The former Capitol Cinema in
Didsbury
Didsbury is a suburban area of Manchester, England, on the north bank of the River Mersey, south of Manchester city centre. The population at the 2011 census was 26,788.
Within the boundaries of the historic county of Lancashire, there are ...
, Manchester, reopens as ABC's studios in the North of England.
** 3 November – ABC's North of England service is extended to Yorkshire via
Emley Moor transmitting station
The Emley Moor transmitting station is a telecommunications and broadcasting facility on Emley Moor, west of the village centre of Emley, in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, England.
It is made up of a concrete tower and apparatus that began ...
.
* 1957
** No events.
* 1958
** November – ABC buys the former Warner film studios at
Teddington Lock
Teddington Lock is a complex of three locks and a weir on the River Thames between Ham and Teddington in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, England. Historically in Middlesex, it was first built in 1810.
The limit of legal po ...
in London, to be converted into television studios.
* 1959
**
Teddington Studios
Teddington Studios was a large British television studio in Teddington, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, providing studio facilities for programmes airing on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5, Sky1 and others. The complex also prov ...
open as ABC's main production centre in London.
** September – ABC introduces a new logo based on inverted triangles, accompanied by a jingle based on the musical notes A, B and C.
1960s
* 1960
** No events.
* 1961
** 7 January – The first episode of ABC's cult series '' The Avengers'' is broadcast. It would run until 1969.
** 18 July – A new mast at Lichfield replaces the existing mast to extend ABC's Midlands service.
** August – Alpha Television in Birmingham upgrades its site to provide a second studio, office block, canteen and other facilities.
* 1962
** No events.
* 1963
** No events.
* 1964
** 11 July – ABC airs the first episode of its version of the talent show '' Opportunity Knocks''. A previous version had been made for one series in 1956 by
Associated-Rediffusion
Associated-Rediffusion, later Rediffusion London, was the British ITV franchise holder for London and parts of the surrounding counties, on weekdays between 22 September 1955 and 29 July 1968. It was the first ITA franchisee to go on air, ...
. ABC and its successor
Thames Television
Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992.
Thames Television broa ...
continue to produce the show until 1978. It would later be revived by the BBC in 1987 and its version would run until 1990.
* 1965
** 2 January – '' World of Sport'' is first broadcast. ABC compiles and hosts the show from contributions from the whole ITV network. After ABC's demise, the show would be hosted by
London Weekend Television
London Weekend Television (LWT) (now part of the non-franchised ITV London region) was the ITV network franchise holder for Greater London and the Home Counties at weekends, broadcasting from Fridays at 5.15 pm (7:00 pm from 1968 un ...
(branded as
ITV Sport
ITV Sport is a sport producer for ITV. It was formed following the merger between Granada Sport and Central Sport.Membury transmitting station extends ABC's Midlands service to the Thames Valley area.
** 11 June – A new relay station in Scarborough extends ABC's North of England service.
* 1966
** 28 February – A new mast at Winter Hill replaces the existing mast to extend ABC's service in the North West.
** 15 August – A new mast at Emley Moor replaces the existing mast to extend ABC's service in Yorkshire.
* 1967
** 13 January – The fifth series of '' The Avengers'' begins in the UK. This is the first series shot on colour film, even though ITV would not broadcast in colour until nearly three years later, the colour is for the benefit of American audiences. ABC uses the name "Associated British Corporation" at the end of the episodes in this series to avoid confusion with the American ABC network.
** 11 June – At its franchise review, the ITA decides that ABC will lose both its licences in 1968. Subsequently, the owners of ABC and the London weekday contractor
Rediffusion
Rediffusion was a business that distributed radio and TV signals through wired relay networks. The business gave rise to a number of other companies, including Associated-Rediffusion, later known as Rediffusion London, the first ITV ( commer ...
will jointly form a new company
Thames Television
Thames Television, commonly simplified to just Thames, was a franchise holder for a region of the British ITV television network serving London and surrounding areas from 30 July 1968 until the night of 31 December 1992.
Thames Television broa ...
which will be awarded the new London weekday franchise.
* 1968
** 28 July – ABC broadcasts for the last time. Its Midlands service is to be replaced by ATV and its North of England service is to be replaced by
Granada Television
ITV Granada, formerly known as Granada Television, is the ITV franchisee for the North West of England and Isle of Man. From 1956 to 1968 it broadcast to both the north west and Yorkshire but only on weekdays as ABC Weekend Television was its ...
in the North West and
Yorkshire Television
ITV Yorkshire, previously known as Yorkshire Television and commonly referred to as just YTV, is the British television service provided by ITV Broadcasting Limited for the Yorkshire franchise area on the ITV (TV network), ITV network. Until 19 ...
in Yorkshire.
** 30 July – Thames Television goes on the air. The ABC brand continues to be used on some programmes broadcast by Thames (including the final series of ''The Avengers''). Thames also inherits ABC's Teddington Studios.