Raymond Snoddy on media: Birth of Thinkbox is virtually a good thing for TV.

Every effort must be made to avoid mocking Thinkbox, the commercial television companies' new marketing agency, even though the determination to do so brings the words 'superhuman effort' to mind.

We all know that it would have been much better if commercial television had discovered the power of marketing 15 or even 50 years ago, depending on your historical sense of perspective. But the broadcasters have finally got there, and respect is due for the fact that after all this time they have even made it to the starting line.

Cynics might raise an eyebrow that this co-operative, all-industry effort has come so long after both the radio and national newspaper industries got their act …