licence until 31 December 1992. Retirement The Independent Broadcasting Authority set a limit on the age of managing directors of ITV companies, specifying that they retire at the age of 75. When Howard Thomas reached this age, Thames Television Holdings (the company that held the shares in Thames formerly held by the now-defunct Associated British Picture Corporation) promoted him from Thames Television to become chairman of Thames Television International – then a subsidiary of Thames but previously known as EMI Films and, before that, the remains of the former ABC owner Associated British Picture Corporation. Family Howard Thomas married Hilda in 1934 and they had two daughters, Rosemary and Carol. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 1967. See also The Avengers Armchair Theatre Eamonn Andrews References Thomas, Howard With An Independent Air London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson 1977 Sendall, Bernard Independent Television in Britain: Volume 1 – Origin and Foundation 1946–62 London: The Macmillan Press Ltd 1982 (reprinted 1984) pp68, 82–84, 312, 359 Briggs, A. The history of broadcasting in the United Kingdom, 3 (1970) · Howard Potter, J. Companies and programmes, 1968–80, vol. 4 of Independent television in Britain (1982–90) London: The Macmillan Press Ltd 1990 Graham, Russ J Thomas: Independent broadcaster TVHeroes from Electromusications by Transdiffusion 2005, accessed 3 February 2006 Bowden-Smith, Chris (Ed.) ABC at Large Telemusications from Transdiffusion 2002, accessed 3 February 2006 Elen, Richard G British Film Institute Screenonline – ABC undated, accessed 3 February 2006 Elen, Richard G British Film Institute Screenonline – Thames undated, accessed 3 February 20 Daily Telegraph (7 November 1986) The Times (7 November 1986) External links ABC at Large Talk of Thames British Pathé 1909 births 1986 deaths BBC radio producers British film producers British radio producers Commanders of the Order of the British Empire People from Monmouthshire Welsh television executives International Emmy Directorate Award 20th-century Welsh businesspeople