ABC Weekend TV

ABC Television Limited
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Broadcasting
Predecessor	Associated British Cinemas (Television) Ltd
Founded	1956; 70 years ago
Founder	Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC)
Defunct	1968
Fate	Merged with Rediffusion to form Thames Television
Headquarters	Teddington, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom
Area served	Midlands and Northern England (weekends)
Key people	Howard Thomas (Managing Director)
Products	Television broadcasting and production
Owner	Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC)
Parent	Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC)

ABC Television Limited, commonly referred to as ABC Weekend TV, was a British broadcaster that operated weekend transmissions for the Midlands and Northern England areas within the Independent Television (ITV) network from 1956 until 1968. It was among the "Big Four" companies responsible for producing the majority of networked ITV content during this era.

Initially founded as Associated British Cinemas (Television) Ltd, ABC was established by its parent company, the cinema chain Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC), which owned ABC Cinemas. Although ABPC was initially reluctant to enter the broadcasting sector, it was persuaded by the Independent Television Authority (ITA) and Pathé News executive Howard Thomas, who subsequently became ABC’s managing director.

ABC held two regional franchises: one in the Midlands, which launched as the fourth ITA franchise in 1956, and another in Northern England, the sixth franchise to commence later that same year. Both franchises were lost in 1968, but ABC merged with another licensee to create Thames Television, which held the London weekday franchise for 24 years.

Starting in 1967, ABC’s affiliated company, ABC Television Films, marketed its productions in the United States under the name Associated British Corporation, including the final two seasons of The Avengers.

Establishment

Following the disintegration of Kemsley-Winnick, a consortium originally granted two exclusive Independent Television franchises in 1954, the ITA invited ABPC to assume control. ABPC accepted a contract to broadcast on weekends in both the Midlands and Northern England, formalizing the agreement on 21 September 1955, shortly before ITV’s launch in London.

With only five months to prepare, ABC began transmissions in the Midlands on 18 February 1956. The company then expanded its coverage to North West England on 5 May 1956 and Yorkshire on 3 November 1956. ABC capitalized on Kelmsley-Winnick’s collapse by acquiring production equipment valued at over £1 million from Pye at a reduced rate.

ATV

The London weekend broadcaster initially operated under the name "Associated Broadcasting Company" (ABC), but ABPC took legal action to protect its rights to the ABC brand, consistent with its existing ABC Cinemas identity. Consequently, after three weeks, the London contractor rebranded itself as Associated Television (ATV), enabling ABPC to launch its service using the "ABC" name.

ITN

As a late entrant into Independent Television, ABC encountered pre-existing agreements between ITA and other contractors. Being both the smallest operator and limited to weekend broadcasting, ABC considered certain conditions inequitable.

In particular, ABC challenged the requirement to contribute one-quarter of expenses for ITN, which supplied national news but broadcast fewer programs during weekends. ABC’s managing director Howard Thomas, who had previously led Pathé News, suggested producing its own news service more economically. However, ITA maintained that national news must remain independent of regional broadcasters. Through persistent advocacy by ABC, ITN’s programming obligations were reduced along with a substantial decrease in associated costs.

Presentation

Following the profitability of the "Big Four" companies, the ITA assessed their overall performance. ABC received minimal criticism apart from its presentation style, which was considered uninspiring and too closely resembled that of its affiliate, "ABC Cinemas." In response, ABC introduced a refreshed visual identity in September 1959.

ATV again

Among the initial ITV franchise holders, ABC encountered difficulties securing airtime for its programmes in London, which negatively impacted its standing. With two contractors managing London franchises and Granada maintaining a cooperative relationship with Associated-Rediffusion, ABC found itself in direct rivalry with ATV, as both held weekend broadcasting rights.

ATV capitalized on its strong connections with the Moss Empires theatre chain and the Grade Organisation talent agency to develop prominent drama, variety, and comedy productions, relegating lower-budget weekend content to ABC. This setup placed ABC at a financial disadvantage; it held two weekend regions and was responsible for two-thirds of ATV London's costly production expenses, whereas ATV only contributed to one-third of ABC's more economical programming costs.

To counter this, ABC sold some pre-recorded content to Associated-Rediffusion for weekday London broadcasts and chose not to acquire ATV’s flagship shows such as Sunday Night at the London Palladium, opting instead for alternatives like Blackpool Night Out. Eventually, ATV consented to purchase a greater portion of ABC’s programming.

Loss of franchise

The regional contract reorganization in 1967 resulted in the termination of ABC's existing agreement. The Northern region was split into North West and Yorkshire, both operating seven days a week, as was the Midlands. Preference was given to established weekday licensees Granada and ATV. ABC submitted applications for both the London weekend slot and the Midlands seven-day franchise but favored securing the London contract.

Contrary to expectations, ABC lost the London weekend licence to London Weekend Television. To prevent the closure of a successful operation through no fault of its own, the Independent Television Authority required a merger with Rediffusion, forming Thames Television with ABC retaining majority ownership.

Following objections from Rediffusion, ABC ceased weekend transmissions in the North and Midlands on 28 July 1968 and recommenced broadcasting on 30 July as part of Thames Television in London.

Studios

ABC maintained three production facilities along with a sales office. Its primary production site was the former Warner Studios located in Teddington, Middlesex, selected due to its proximity to London-based performers frequently involved in West End theatre. After merging with Rediffusion, this location became Thames Television’s main headquarters.

In the Midlands, ABC collaborated with weekday licensee ATV to operate a shared production and transmission centre. Alpha Television purchased and upgraded a former cinema in Aston, near Birmingham, establishing Alpha Studios.

In Northern England, ABC managed a studio complex in Manchester alongside a sales office at Television House. The production studio, converted from an old Capitol cinema in Didsbury, was vacated in 1968. Additionally, ABC produced entertainment programmes such as Blackpool Night Out at the ABC Theatre in Blackpool, owned by its sister company ABC Cinemas. For filmed series like The Avengers (from 1965), ABC utilized facilities at its parent company’s Associated British Elstree Studios.

Identity

At its inception, ABC adopted the branding of its affiliate ABC Cinemas, which featured a triangular shield displaying "ABC" alongside a "Television" banner. This design remained in use until September 1959 but faced criticism from the ITA for being uninspired and overly linked to the cinema chain.

To address these concerns, ABC unveiled a new ident showcasing three arrows that formed a triangle and revealed the letters ABC. This emblem was slightly modified in 1964 with refreshed typography and remained in use until the company ceased operations. The trio of triangles symbolized the company's initials, complemented by a vibraphone melody playing the notes A-B-C. This distinctive branding made ABC one of the earliest British broadcasters to prioritize a strong corporate identity.

Initially registered as Associated British Cinemas (Television) Limited, the name was abbreviated to A.B.C. Television Limited by 1957. Around 1967, exports managed by sister firm A.B.C. Television Films Ltd., including subsequent series of The Avengers, adopted the 'Associated British Corporation' title to distinguish themselves from the American ABC network. On-air references varied among 'Associated British', 'ABC Television', or simply 'ABC', with occasional appearances of 'ABC Television Network' or 'ABC Weekend Network'. The station earned the tongue-in-cheek nickname "All Bloody Commercials" from Bob Monkhouse.

Slogans evolved over time, beginning with "ABC – Associated British in the North/Midlands" at launch, shifting to "ABC, your weekend TV" in 1958, and later adopting "ABC, your weekend television in the North/Midlands" from 1964 onward.

Continuity announcers

Among those who served as announcers for ABC Weekend TV were:

Jill Bechley
John Benson
Sidonie Bond
John Braban
John Duncanson
John Edmunds
Philip Elsmore
David Hamilton
Sheila Kennedy
Keith Martin
John McGavin
Mel Oxley
Owen Oyston
Bill Steel
Julie Stevens
Clifford Swindells

Programming

ABC’s networked output included drama series such as Police Surgeon, The Human Jungle, Undermind, Redcap, and The Avengers. The company produced acclaimed single plays under Armchair Theatre, animated shows like Habatales, and popular programs including Thank Your Lucky Stars, Opportunity Knocks, Big Night Out, and Oh Boy!. Comedy offerings featured Tommy Cooper’s shows Cooperama and Life with Cooper. Music content included folk and blues through Hullabaloo. Children’s science fiction serials such as Emerald Soup and sequels to Pathfinders broadened ABC’s range, while hard-edged dramas like Callan and Public Eye continued production under Thames post-1968.

ABC was a trailblazer for ITV’s first weekly arts program, Tempo, introduced its first hidden camera show, Candid Camera, and competed with the BBC’s sports coverage through World of Sport. It also pioneered British television’s inaugural late-night chat show with The Eamonn Andrews Show and, in partnership with ATV, launched ITV’s earliest regular adult education broadcasts.

Service areas

The regions served corresponded to county borders as they existed at the time; these boundaries underwent notable alterations following ABC's 1968 shutdown.

Franchise	Commencement date	Transmitter	Main coverage area	Notable spillover into neighbouring territories	Production facilities
Midlands	18 February 1956	Lichfield Channel 8	West Midlands along with sections of the East Midlands	Portions of Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire (Anglia) Cheshire (ABC North)	Alpha Studios, Birmingham
Midlands	30 April 1965	Membury Channel 12	Thames Valley	Areas within Hampshire (Southern)
North	5 May 1956	Winter Hill Channel 9	Lancashire and Cheshire	The coastline of North Wales (Teledu Cymru) Staffordshire (ABC Midlands)	Didsbury Studios, Manchester
	3 November 1956	Emley Moor Channel 10	West Riding of Yorkshire, portions of Lincolnshire, and North and East Ridings of Yorkshire	Sections of Lincolnshire and East Riding (Anglia)
	11 June 1965	Scarborough Channel 6	Scarborough
	1959				Teddington Studios, London

Within the Midlands and North franchises, ABC maintained distinct continuity announcers, advertising segments, and localized programming—chiefly news bulletins, weather updates, and magazine shows such as ABC of the Midlands and ABC of the North. Aside from these regional differences, both areas simultaneously aired identical network-wide content.

External links

ABC at Large from Transdiffusion (unofficial history site)
Animated ABC logo, 1960s from 625.uk.com (Macromedia Flash Player 6 or later required)
Animated ABC logo, c.1964 from 625.uk.com
Final closedown on ABC