In this case, the parent company was the Associated British Picture Corporation (ABPC)—owner of ABC Cinemas—which initially did not wish to become involved with the new broadcasting system, but was persuaded to do so by the Independent Television Authority (ITA) and the manager of its Pathé News subsidiary Howard Thomas, who became the new company's managing director.

When Kemsley-Winnick, one of the consortia that had been awarded two franchises in the new Independent Television network in 1954, collapsed, the ITA approached ABPC to step into the breach.

The Corporation agreed to assume the franchises to broadcast on Saturdays and Sundays to the Midlands and the North of England.

The contract agreeing to do so was signed on 21 September 1955, the day before Independent Television (ITV) began in London.

ABC's late entry into Independent Television meant that some of the details of how the new system would run were already agreed between the ITA regulator and the other three contractors.

[7][8] Of the original four ITV contractors, ABC had difficulty getting its programmes shown in the London region, which was hampering its reputation.

Two of the other contractors had London franchises, and Granada seemed to have a good working relationship with Associated-Rediffusion to show its programmes.

ABC found itself in a head-to-head battle with ATV, as, in the early years, these were the only two companies whose franchises operated at the weekend.

[9] ABC fought back, first of all, by selling some of its pre-recorded shows to Associated-Rediffusion (instead of ATV) to broadcast to London on weekdays.

ABC consequently submitted two applications: one for the service for London at the weekend, the other for the Midlands seven-day operation, although it favoured the first contract.

To prevent this, the governing body of ITV, the Independent Television Authority, ordered a merger with the existing London weekday company Rediffusion, with ABC having majority control of the new operation.

Although this was outside its contract area, ABC wanted a London base, as many performers could not venture outside of the capital to record programmes because they were often committed to runs of theatre plays in the West End.

[citation needed] The company itself was originally called Associated British Cinemas (Television) Limited,[12] which by 1957 had been shortened to A.B.C.

Television Films Ltd. (such as the last two series of The Avengers), the name 'Associated British Corporation' was used, to avoid confusion with the US ABC network.

[citation needed] The following who have served as announcers for ABC Weekend TV include: Networked programmes from ABC included the drama series Police Surgeon, The Human Jungle, Undermind, Redcap, The Avengers, the Armchair Theatre series of single plays, the Habatales cartoons, the popular shows Thank Your Lucky Stars, Opportunity Knocks, Big Night Out, Doddy's Music Box and Oh Boy!, Tommy Cooper's shows Cooperama and Life with Cooper, the children's science fiction serials Emerald Soup, Target Luna and its sequels Pathfinders in Space, Pathfinders to Mars and Pathfinders to Venus, and the gritty drama series Callan and Public Eye (both of which continued as Thames productions after 1968).