The organisation was founded in 1945 with the merger of the
BBC Staff (Wartime) Association and the
Association of BBC Engineers to form the
BBC Staff Association. It was regarded as a non-political organisation for employees of the
BBC, but despite challenges from various trade unions, it remained the primary association of BBC employees. In 1946,
Leslie Littlewood was elected General Secretary, a post he was to hold until 1968. With the creation of
ITV, the association aimed to expand its remit to cover the new broadcaster, and accordingly renamed itself the
Association of Broadcasting Staff (
ABS) in 1956. This was unsuccessful, but the ABS was recognised by the
Independent Television Authority. In 1963, the ABS finally affiliated to the
Trades Union Congress (TUC), and was able to normalise its relations with other TUC members. It was renamed the Association of Broadcasting and Allied Staffs in 1974. In 1972,
Tony Hearn became General Secretary, and under his leadership, the union began negotiations with the
National Association of Theatrical and Kine Employees. The two unions finally merged in 1984 to form the
Broadcasting and Entertainment Trades Alliance. As of 1982, the union had a membership of 15,510, and published a monthly journal,
ABStract. ==General Secretaries==