Ad-Mags aka Shopper's Guides tried to bend the rules on television advertising. For years they were a hit with the public, but the authorities were less impressed. And they very nearly cost the ITA their franchise licence.
When ITV arrived in 1955 it brought something new into the homes of the British viewing public: television advertising. As Briton's finally saw an end to rationing and the Government was keen to encourage public spending to boost the economy, this was seen as an opportune moment for all concerned.
With the Government agreeing to Independent Television in Britain for the first time, on 25 August 1954 an advertisement was placed for applicants for regional franchises. Six companies applied but not all of them were successful, and that included the most likely to succeed.
Within a few years of BBC television restarting after the end of the Second World War, there were already suggestions that perhaps the Corporation's monopoly on broadcasting was restricting the type of programmes available to the British public due to the limit that public funding imposed.