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Of course, the first thing
to notice about ATV's first morning is that they are not called ATV. They
have come on air with the name Associated Broadcasting Company, otherwise known
as ABC.
Associated British
Picture Corporation were horrified. Their cinema chain was called ABC
Cinemas (redundantly, the ABC stood for Associated British Cinemas) and they
felt somewhat protective of the name. To make matters worse, as ITV went
on air, Sir Philip Warter signed a contract with the ITA for ABPC to replace the
failed Kemsley-Winnick Television as contractor in the midlands and north.
ABPC went to court,
obtaining an injunction that prevented Associated Broadcasting from using the
name 'ABC'. After a month of argument, with Saturday 15 October,
Associated Broadcasting's fourth weekend on air, looming and the company losing
money at an alarming rate, Prince Littler and Lew Grade took the decision to
give up the fight and change the company's name. Thus ATV was born and the
first 'ABC' died.
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