Rule of three

June Fraser’s 1958 logo for ABC Television.

On the September 22nd 1955 advertising-supported television was launched in Great Britain. This reflected the increasing home television viewing figures which had arisen from the lowering cost of technology and an increase in household incomes. However, and as a consequence, British cinema chains started to see a down turn in audiences and were being forced to develop new initiatives to retain them. One such initiative was the setting up of television stations.

The Associated-British Picture Corporation (ABPC) was approached by the Independent Television Authority (ITA) with an invitation to start their own station. Despite initial reluctance, they agreed and signed a contract. This had initially been a larger seven day Midlands contract, however, by the time of agreement, the new offer from the ITA was a much smaller deal for a weekend slot in the Midlands and the North of England.

When the newly formed ABC Television launched in 1956, it used a derivative of the ABC cinema logo, the parent company. Following criticism from the ITA in 1958, who had suggested it was too similar, ABC Television sought out a new logo.