Echoes of the past: The impact of television on advertising

Upon wading past the opening 26 straight pages of advertising in The Optician of 50 years ago (March 13, 1964) the subsequent editorial features some interesting snippets about the impact of television.One short item covers the extension of the colour TV patent through to June 30 1971. It had been lodged in January 1939, but due to the war the life of the patent was extended by nine years above the normal 16-year term. At the time of writing the patentee had received only a few hundred pounds by way of royalties. As it turns out there was a three-year wait for colour TV to be introduced with the BBC2 coverage of Wimbledon on July 1 1967. BBC1 and ITV were to move to the new-fangled colour in 1969.