19 AUGUST 1955, Page 16

COMMERCIAL TV AND THE PRESS Sta,—The recent PEP Report on

Commercial TV suggests that the provincial press may be hard hit when the full impact on press advertis- ing revenue is felt.

Can it be that this is why Commercial TV contractors are doing so little through the medium of press advertising to remind the public that they must have their TV sets adapted if they are to receive ITA service, due to begin on September 22? Do they intend to wait until they can use their own advertising medium? Surely they must realise that their own TV screens can preach only to the wave- length converted!

I feel that the ITA network will have fewer viewers than is anticipated unless contractors brighten their outlook and set about persuad- ing people to incur the considerable expense of adapting their sets.

I feel that the press, rather than being antagonistic, would be pleased to sell their space for a changeover announcement, be- cause, as one of Britain's largest advertisers, I am sure—whatever PEP may say—that news- papers have nothing to fear from the new medium. My own firm's experience has proved that expenditure on press advertising is the most effective way of increasing sales and so benefiting the public by enabling prices to be lowered.

The new medium may supplement the old : it will not oust it. People will still buy 'because I saw it in the paper.'—Yours faithfully, I. JACK LYONS, Managing Director, John Collier 364-366 Kensington High Street, London W14