ITV1 is the primary television channel broadcast in the United Kingdom by the ITV network. From its founding in 1955 the channel was known nationally as Independent Television (later ITV) and locally by the regional branding of the local ITV franchise operator. The network was renamed ITV1 in August2001, with the increased uptake of digital TV and the existence of ITV2 (which had started in 1998). From October2002 the station began to drop regional identification for all but select local programmes and began to adopt a unified national branding of ITV1. This style was not taken up by the Scottish Television (Central Scotland), Grampian (Northern Scotland) or UTV (Northern Ireland) regions.
On November 1st, 2004, the channel adopted a new on-air look to co-incide with the launch of ITV3. The new look was designed mainly to improve cross-channel promotion across the ITV network.
In Northern and Central Scotland the channel is known as stv and UTV in Northern Ireland.
On 6 June 2006, ITV plc announced they would be merging the network's two smallest sub-regions, Central South and Meridian'sThames Valley sub-region to create a new entity, expected to be called ITVThames Valley from late 2006/early 2007.
As a result, ITV West's coverage area would be increased to serve the areas of Gloucester and Cheltenham.
ITV1 was launched in 1955 as "ITV", a federal network of fifteen regional companies granted franchises either solely on a geographical basis or also on a weekday/weekend split basis.
ITV plc's third channel was launched on 1 November 2004 as ITV3.
ITV HD is the trial high-definition television channel created by ITV primarily to show the 2006 World Cup games to which ITV has the rights.
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