Independent Television (ITV) is the name given to the original network of British commercial television broadcasters, set up to provide competition to the BBC. In England and Wales the channel was recently rebranded ITV1 by ITV plc who own the regional broadcasting licences for the regions. The regional names have been kept by UTV (Northern Ireland), Scottish, (Central Scotland), Grampian (Northern Scotland) and Channel TV, (Channel Islands) This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... British television broadcasting has a range of different broadcasters, broadcasting multiple channels over a variety of distribution media. ... This article is an overview article about the Crown chartered British Broadcasting Corporation formed in 1927. ... ITV plc is the company formed from the merger of Carlton Communications and Granada plc, which began trading on 2 February 2004. ...

History

Note: This article (mostly) discusses the history of the ITV network as a whole; for information on individual ITV companies please see their respective articles—links to which are available in the "ITV companies: past and present" section. For current information on the national programme service provided by the ITV companies, see ITV1. ITV1 is a terrestrial, free-to-air television channel broadcast in the United Kingdom by the ITV network. ...

The early years: 1954–1963

After much debate both in the British Parliament and the British Press, the Television Act became law in 1954. This Act paved the way for the establishment of a commercial television service in the UK, creating the Independent Television Authority (ITA). The ITA's responsibility was to regulate the new service, ensuring that the new service did not follow the same path taken by American television networks (which were perceived as "vulgar" by some people). For example, it was made obligatory that commercials be clearly distinguishable from programmes. The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative institution in the United Kingdom and British overseas territories (it alone has parliamentary sovereignty). ... A newspaper is a lightweight and disposable publication (more specifically, a periodical), usually printed on low-cost paper called newsprint. ... The Television Act 1954 was the law which permitted the creation of the first commercial television network in the United Kingdom, ITV. By the early 1950s, the only television service in Britain was operated as a monopoly by the British Broadcasting Corporation, and financed by the annual television licence fee... The Independent Television Authority (ITA) was a body created by the Television Act 1954 to supervise the creation of Independent Television (ITV), the first commercial television network in the United Kingdom. ... From the earliest days of the medium, television has been used as a vehicle for advertising in some countries. ...

The "Independent Television" service, so-called because of its independence from the BBC (which previously had held a monopoly on broadcasting in the UK), was to be made up of regions, with each region run by different companies. The three largest regions (London, the Midlands and the North of England) were subdivided into weekday and weekend services, with a different company running each. Space for commercials, shown during and between programmes was always sold on a region-by-region basis by each ITV company, and not on a nation-wide basis throughout the United Kingdom. The reason for this seemingly overcomplicated arrangement was to fulfil the 1954 Act's requirement for competition within the ITV system (as well as against the BBC) and also to help prevent any individual company obtaining a monopoly on commercial broadcasting.

The ITV companies were required by the terms of their licences from the ITA to provide a local television service for their particular region, including a daily local news bulletin and regular local documentaries. However, national news bulletins, covering events in the UK and the rest of the world, were (and still are) produced by Independent Television News (ITN). Until recently, ITN was owned by all the ITV companies. Corporate logo of Independent Television News Ltd Independent Television News (ITN) is the main supplier of news broadcasts to two British broadcasting networks: ITV and Channel 4. ...

Each company also produced programming that would be shown across the network (although the decision as to when or if to show each programme remained with the individual regions), with the four largest regions (known as the "Big Four"—London Weekday, London Weekend, the North of England and the Midlands) producing the bulk of this output. Each regional service had its own on-screen identity to distinguish it from other regions, since there was often a sizeable overlap between regions.

The first ITV contractor to begin broadcasting was the London Weekday contractor Associated-Rediffusion, on 22 September 1955. On the first night of telecasts, BBC, who had held the monopoly on broadcasting in Britain, aired a special episode of their popular radio soap opera The Archers on the Home Service. In the episode, core character Grace Archer was killed in a fire, and it was seen as a ploy to keep loyal viewers and listeners away from the new station. Associated-Rediffusion was the British Independent Television (commercial television) contractor for London, on weekdays between 1954 (transmissions started on September 22, 1955) and 1968. ... September 22 is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years). ... 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The first TIME cover devoted to soap operas: Dated January 12, 1976, Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes of Days of Our Lives are featured with the headline Soap Operas: Sex and suffering in the afternoon. A soap opera is an ongoing, episodic work of fiction, usually broadcast on television... The Archers is a British radio soap opera broadcast on the BBCs main national spoken-word radio channel, Radio 4. ... The BBC Home Service was the original name for Radio 4 and was on the air from 1939 until 30 September 1967. ...

The London Weekend contractor, ATV London (initially known as "ABC" until the Midlands weekend contractor, Associated British Corporation, complained), began two days later. The other regions all launched later: The ATV colour logo, used from the start of the colour standard in 1969 until the companys demise in 1981. ...

The ITV regions initially broadcast on 405-line VHF. During the 1960s some commercial companies proposed the introduction of colour on the 405-line system, but the General Post Office insisted that colour should wait until the higher-definition 625-line UHF system became standard. ITV eventually introduced PAL colour on this system from 15 November 1969, simultaneous with BBC1 and two years after BBC2. This did not, however, spread immediately across the UK; some regions had to wait a few more years before colour was available. Colour was available to nearly 100% of the UK from 1976, with the Channel Islands being the last region to be converted. This enabled the 405-line system to be phased out between 1982 and 1985. September 22 is the 265th day of the year (266th in leap years). ... 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... St. ... Associated-Rediffusion was the British Independent Television (commercial television) contractor for London, on weekdays between 1954 (transmissions started on September 22, 1955) and 1968. ... September 24 is the 267th day of the year (268th in leap years). ... 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The ATV colour logo, used from the start of the colour standard in 1969 until the companys demise in 1981. ... February 17 is the 48th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The midlands of a territory are its central regions. ... The ATV colour logo, used from the start of the colour standard in 1969 until the companys demise in 1981. ... February 18 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... ABC logo, 1960s ABC Television or ABC Weekend TV was the British Independent Television (ITV) (commercial television) contractor on Saturdays and Sundays in the Midlands and North of England between 1956 and 1968. ... The ABC Circle logo, designed by Paul Rand in 1962. ... The ABC or Australian Broadcasting Corporation is the national, public broadcaster in Australia. ... May 3 is the 123rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (124th in leap years). ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The three northern Regions Northern England is a rather ill-defined term, with no universally accepted definition. ... Granada TV logo, used from 1956 to 1968. ... May 5 is the 125th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (126th in leap years). ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... ABC logo, 1960s ABC Television or ABC Weekend TV was the British Independent Television (ITV) (commercial television) contractor on Saturdays and Sundays in the Midlands and North of England between 1956 and 1968. ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining, as the final day of August. ... 1957 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Scotland (Alba in Scottish Gaelic) is a country in northwest Europe and a constituent nation of the United Kingdom. ... Scottish Television is Scotlands largest independent television station, and has held the ITV franchise for Central Scotland since 1957. ... January 14 is the 14th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Wales - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... TWW Logo Television Wales and the West (TWW) was the British Independent Television (commercial television) contractor for the South Wales and West of England franchise area 1956-1968 (franchise awarded October 26, 1956, started transmissions on January 14, 1958). ... August 30 is the 242nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (243rd in leap years), with 123 days remaining. ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... South East England is one of the official regions of England. ... Southern Television colour logo, 1969-1981 Southern Television was one of the original ITV companies, serving the south and south-east of England from August 30, 1958 until 12:45 AM on January 1, 1982. ... January 15 is the 15th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1959 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... North East England is one of the regions of England. ... Tyne Tees Television, City Road Tyne Tees Television Limited is the ITV television contractor for North East England. ... October 31 is the 304th day of the year (305th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 61 days remaining, as the final day of October. ... 1959 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Those who are confused by the meaning of terms in this article such as Ulster, (Republic of) Ireland, (Great) Britain and United Kingdom should refer to British Isles - Clarification of Terms. ... Ulster Television plc (UTV) is a media company based in Northern Ireland. ... October 27 is the 300th day of the year (301st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 65 days remaining. ... 1959 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... East of England is one of the official regions of England. ... Anglia Television is the ITV station for East Anglia. ... April 29 is the 119th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (120th in leap years). ... 1961 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... South West England is one of the regions of England. ... Westward Television was the ITV franchise holder for the South West of England from April 1961 until December 1981. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... 1961 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Border Television is the ITV franchisee for the border region between England and Scotland, and also the Crown Dependency of Isle of Man. ... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 92 days remaining, as the final day of September. ... 1961 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Grampian Television logo, late 1990s. ... September 1 is the 244th day of the year (245th in leap years). ... 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Channel Islands are a group of islands off the coast of Normandy, France, in the English Channel. ... The current Channel TV ident Channel Television (CTV) is a British television station which has served as an Independent Television (ITV), contractor to the Channel Islands since 1962. ... September 14 is the 257th day of the year (258th in leap years). ... 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Teledu Cymru -- Wales (West and North) Television - WWN was the British Independent Television (commercial television) contractor awarded the North and West Wales franchise area for 1962-1968 (franchise awarded June 6, 1961, started transmissions on September 14, 1962, ceased transmissions through financial failure January 26, 1964 when the franchise area... Very high frequency (VHF) is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz (wavelength 10 m) to 300 MHz (wavelength 1 m). ... The 1960s, or The Sixties, in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969, but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past twenty years. ... The term General Post Office is used by a number of postal administrations worldwide. ... This article is about the radio frequency. ... For other meanings of PAL see PAL (disambiguation). ... November 15 is the 319th day of the year (320th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 46 days remaining. ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... BBC One (or BBC1 as it was formerly styled) is the oldest television station in the United Kingdom, and indeed, the world. ... BBC Two (or BBC2 as it was formerly styled) was the second UK television station to be aired by the BBC. // History The channel was scheduled to begin at 7:20 pm on April 20, 1964 and show an evening of light entertainment, starting with the comedy show The Alberts... 1976 is a leap year starting on Thursday (link will take you to calendar). ... The Channel Islands are a group of islands off the coast of Normandy, France, in the English Channel. ... 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1985 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In general, usually a few years after their launch, the regional companies made a profit; the largest regions especially so. Roy Thomson, the Canadian founding Chairman of Scottish Television famously described the ownership of an ITV franchise as "a licence to print money". However, this was not the case with Wales (West and North) Television (WWN). Problems with the construction of their transmitter network, as well as strict provisions in their contract to produce a large amount of Welsh-language programming, meant that WWN lost a lot of money. Although WWN did receive some help from other ITV contractors, it was not enough; the company declared itself bankrupt in 1964—the only ITV company to have ever done so. The Teledu Cymru name and studio facilities were taken over by TWW, who continued to broadcast in North and West Wales using that name until 1968. Roy Herbert Thomson, 1st Baron Thomson of Fleet (June 5, 1894 – August 4, 1976) was a newspaper proprietor and media entrepreneur. ... Teledu Cymru -- Wales (West and North) Television - WWN was the British Independent Television (commercial television) contractor awarded the North and West Wales franchise area for 1962-1968 (franchise awarded June 6, 1961, started transmissions on September 14, 1962, ceased transmissions through financial failure January 26, 1964 when the franchise area... Bankruptcy is a legally declared inability or impairment of ability of an individual or organization to pay their creditors. ... 1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...

The first franchise round: 1964

Contracts to run an ITV region are not permanent. Contracts were renewed by the ITA every few years, but it was not guaranteed that the incumbent contractor would win an extension; a new company could take over instead.

The ITA's new chairman, former Postmaster General Lord Hill of Luton, undertook a licence review in September 1963 before the legal limit of 10 years for an ITV contract was reached. The purpose of this review was to look at the ITV system in the light of the Pilkington Report into broadcasting in the UK, which had roundly and, it was felt, unfairly, criticised ITV; the review also took into account the promised ITV2 UHF channel, due to be launched if the Conservative Party won the 1964 General Election. In the United Kingdom, the Postmaster General is a now defunct ministerial position. ... September is the ninth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of four Gregorian months with the length of 30 days. ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... ITV2 is an entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV plc. ... Conservative Party, as a proper noun, can refer to: Canada Conservative Party of Canada (since 2003) Progressive Conservative Party of Canada (1942-2003) Conservative Party of Canada (historical) (until 1942) Their respective affiliated provincial parties Chile - Conservative Party Colombia - Colombian Conservative Party Denmark - Conservative Peoples Party New Zealand - Conservative... A general election is an election in which all members of a given political body are up for election. ...

The review also had the effect of showing the Authority's teeth in the face of perceived arrogance from the contractors.

However, no company lost its position as the local ITV contractor for their region and all licences were extended for another three years (starting July 1964), although several companies took the opportunity relaunch their on-screen identities and change business names and shareholdings. July is the seventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

The second franchise round: 1968

Unlike the 'roll-over' of contracts in 1963, the 1967 review (for contracts running from the end of July 1968) was to create dramatic changes to the structure of the ITV network. 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July is the seventh month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...

The purpose of this review was to ensure the ITV system was ready for the arrival of colour broadcasting in 1969 and also to again allow for the potential start of ITV2, should the Conservatives win any election held after 1970. 1970 was a common year starting on Thursday. ...

Additionally, Lord Hill of Luton had failed to temper the 'arrogance' of the contractors when he made no changes in 1963/4. Indeed, it was felt by many inside the ITA that the arrogance of the companies had grown — especially Rediffusion London, whose department managers also popped up in similar roles for rival applicants, and TWW, who reapplied for their contract under both their own and WWN/Teledu Cymru's name as a tax dodge.

Lord Hill had made it clear in 1966 that "all bets were off" on the next franchise round and that the regions themselves would be likely to change. Therefore, in the period between the interviews of each applicant and the announcement of the changes, the newspapers speculated wildly about the likely changes; suggestions were made of Scottish Television exiting the system, Rediffusion moving to replace Southern and various other wild ideas (although it seems clear that Scottish would indeed have exited, had TWW not been the sacrificial company chosen). 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ...

In the end, the ITA made the following changes to the ITV region map:

• Any split weekday/weekend licences were removed in all regions except London.
• The North of England region was split into North West and Yorkshire regions.

There were also changes to the companies running each region:

• Granada, the existing weekday contractor for the North of England region, was given a seven-day licence for the new North West region.
• Lord Thompson of Fleet was required to divest himself of most of his holding in Scottish Television.
• A new company, Yorkshire Television, was given the licence to broadcast in the newly created Yorkshire region.
• ATV won the new seven-day Midlands licence, replacing ABC at the weekend.
• ABC and Rediffusion were asked to merge by the ITA, creating Thames Television. Thames was awarded the London Weekday licence previously held by Rediffusion.
• London Weekend Television was awarded the London Weekend licence, replacing ATV in London.
• Most controversially, TWW lost its franchise for Wales and the West of England to Harlech Television, which became known as HTV on the arrival of UHF.

Finally, the local programme guides produced in each region (except the Channel Islands) were abolished and a new company, Independent Television Publications was formed, taking over the London TV Times magazine and producing a national magazine with regional editions. Yorkshire Television Limited is the ITV contractor for Yorkshire, England, and the surrounding areas. ... The classic Thames Television logo (1969 - 1989), featuring a geographically incorrect montage of London landmarks. ... Now known as ITV London (Weekends) London Weekend Television logo, 1978-1996 London Weekend Television Limited (LWT) is the ITV contractor for London, Friday 5:15pm to Monday, 5:59am. ... HTV logo, 1990s HTV Group plc is a television company, the ITV contractor of Wales and the West of England, owned by ITV plc. ... The Channel Islands are a group of islands off the coast of Normandy, France, in the English Channel. ... The TV Times is a television listings magazine published in the United Kingdom. ...

Before the changes were implemented, Harold Wilson made the surprise move of sending Lord Hill to the chairmanship of the BBC Board of Governors and replacing him with Herbert Bowden, the Secretary of State for the Commonwealth Office, who was elevated to the peerage under the title Lord Aylestone. This article is about the British politician. ... The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was formed in 1927 by means of a royal charter. ... Herbert Bowden was a British Labour politician. ... The Peerage is a system of titles of nobility which exists in the United Kingdom and is one part of the British honours system. ...

Aylestone reviewed the changes Hill had made, but allowed them to stand.

The implementation of the ITV changes led to industrial unrest in the companies. Although there were no job losses in the system — this was an ITA stipulation — people were forced to move from Manchester to Leeds, from London to Cardiff and, perhaps less troublesome, from one part of London to another.

Since this meant that staff were being made redundant (albeit with a guaranteed job to go to), the unions required redundancy payments. However, these payments led to problems in staff not receiving them who were changing company (from Rediffusion to Thames, for instance) but not location. The unions asked for payments to also be made in those cases; the companies responded by drawing the line; and wildcat strikes broke out in the week before and the week after the changes came into effect.

By the Friday after the changes, a mixture of strike action and management lock-outs had taken ITV off the air and for most of August 1968 the regional network was replaced with an ITV Emergency National Service run by management. By September 1968, and with both sides claiming victory, all workers had returned to work. However, the strike left a legacy of bitterness across the ITV system that would continue to boil up occasionally during the next decade. The ITV Emergency National Service was the management response to the near-complete Independent Television technicians strike immediately after the 1968 franchise changes. ...

The third franchise round: 1974

Much like 1964, and very much unlike 1968, the review of contracts in 1974 produced a 'roll-over' with almost no changes.

The IBA (the ITA was given the responsibility of regulating the new commercial "Independent Local Radio" (ILR) stations under the Sound Broadcasting Act 1972 and the name changed accordingly to the Independent Broadcasting Authority) took the opportunity of reassigning the Belmont transmitter in Lincolnshire from Anglia to Yorkshire Television, almost doubling the area served by the smallest of the "Big Five" companies. The Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) was the regulatory body in the United Kingdom for commercial television (ITV and Channel 4 - cable and satellite television were the responsibility of the Cable Authority) and radio broadcasts. ... Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs) is a county in the East Midlands of England, traditionally the second largest after Yorkshire. ...

A degree of consolidation was allowed into the system by the IBA, for instance joint advertising sales operations. One of these, Trident Management, which handled sales for Tyne Tees Television and Yorkshire Television, was allowed to perform a reverse takeover on the two companies, creating a new entity, Trident Television. Both YTV and TTT, however, retained their own identities, boards and local management. Reverse Takeover or Back door listing is a transaction that results in a private company going public without going the traditional route of filing a prospectus and undertaking an IPO. Rather, it is accomplished by the shareholders of the private company selling all of their shares in the private company...

The teletext service ORACLE was fully launched in 1974—one of the first of its kind (along with the BBC's CEEFAX). Teletext is an information retrieval service provided by television broadcast companies. ... ORACLE (Optional Reception of Announcements by Coded Line Electronics) was a commercial teletext service broadcast on ITV and Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 1974 to 1992. ... 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... Ceefax (phonetic for See Facts) is the BBCs teletext information service. ...

The fourth franchise round: 1982

At the end of the 1980 the IBA reviewed the ITV broadcasting licences again, for contracts beginning on 1 January 1982. As a result, the following changes occurred: 1980 is a leap year starting on Tuesday. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

• ATV was considered by the IBA to have not focused on their region enough, and were ordered to change in order to keep their licence. The renamed Central Independent Television took over from ATV on 1 January 1982.
• Southern Television lost their South of England licence, in favour of Television South (TVS).
• Westward Television also lost their licence (for South West England), being replaced by Television South West (TSW).
• The new nation-wide breakfast television service was awarded to TV-am with a provisional start date of May 1983
• Trident Television was ordered to sell the majority of its holdings in Yorkshire and Tyne Tees and the two companies became independent of each other again.

Central TV logo, 1985-1998 Central Independent Television, or to give it its familiar name, Central Television or Central, is a British Independent Television company that took over from ATV on 1 January 1982. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... TVS, or Television South, was the ITV franchise holder in the South of England which replaced its predecessor, Southern Television on the morning of 1 January 1982 (The first show - Bring in the New - was hosted by Khalid Aziz). ... Categories: Television stubs | ITV ... TV-am was a breakfast television station that broadcast in the United Kingdom from 1983 to 1992. ... This article is about the month of May. ... 1983 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Broadcasting Act of 1990

Margaret Thatcher's Conservative Party government spent much of the 1980s privatising and deregulating British industry. Commercial broadcasting was no exception. The Broadcasting Act 1990 paved the way for the deregulation of the British commercial broadcasting industry, which was to have many consequences for the ITV system. The Right Honourable Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, PC, FRS (born 13 October 1925), born Margaret Hilda Roberts, is a British stateswoman and was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990, the only woman as of 2005 to serve in that position, and the... Conservative Party (UK) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... // Events and trends The 1980s marked an abrupt shift towards more conservative lifestyles after the momentous cultural revolutions which took place in the 60s and 70s and the definition of the AIDS virus in 1981. ...

As a result of this Act, the Independent Broadcasting Authority was abolished, and was replaced by two new "light-touch" regulators: Independent Television Commission (otherwise known as the ITC) and the Radio Authority. The small Cable Authority was also abolished and its powers transferred to the ITC. The ITC has been superseded as the British commercial television regulator by Ofcom (the Office of Communications). ... The Office of Communications, usually known as Ofcom, is the UKs communications regulator. ...

The main change caused by the Act was to the system of licence allocation; the "beauty contest" where applicants needed to show good programming ideas and fine financial controls was replaced by highest-bidder auctions to determine the winner of each ITV regional franchise.

The auction element of the ITV franchising process was very controversial; the press and the existing ITV companies lobbied to have it changed and the ITC agreed to introduce a "quality threshold" to prevent high bidders with poor programme plans from joining the system.

ITN, the news provider for ITV, no longer had to be exclusively owned by ITV companies. The legal name of the ITV network was changed to "Channel 3", although the network is still generally referred to as ITV by the general public and the media.

Additionally, Channel 4, which had previously been an independent subsidiary of the IBA, was now to become a Government-owned corporation patterned after the BBC. It would also begin to sell its own advertisement space — a function previously provided by each ITV company as a return for subsidising the channel. Channel 4 is a television broadcaster in the United Kingdom (see British television). ... The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) was formed in 1927 by means of a royal charter. ...

The fifth franchise round: 1993

The results of the Channel 3 franchise auction in 1991 for contracts beginning 1 January 1993 were: 1991 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January 1 is the first day of the calendar year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...

• Television South West lost the South West England franchise to Westcountry Television.
• Thames Television lost the London Weekday franchise to Carlton Television. However, Thames, although it has lost its broadcasting licence, still produces programmes for ITV, such as The Bill and the successful reality television programme Pop Idol.
• TVS lost the South of England franchise to Meridian Broadcasting.
• TV-am lost the National Breakfast television to Sunrise Television, who changed their name to GMTV before launch due to a dispute with BSkyB over the "Sunrise" name.
• ORACLE lost the National Teletext franchise to Teletext Ltd.

All other existing ITV companies retained their regional franchises. Westcountry Television is the ITV franchise holder in the South West (of England), replacing its predecessor, TSW - Television South West, on 1 January 1993. ... Carlton logo in cinemas Carlton Television Limited is the United Kingdom Channel 3 (ITV) licencee for London, Monday 9:25am, to Friday, 5:15pm. ... The current cast of The Bill The Bill is a long-running British police drama shown on ITV1. ... Reality television is a genre of television programming which generally is unscripted, documenting actual events over fiction, and featuring ordinary people over professional actors. ... Pop Idol is a British television series shown on ITV1; the show is a talent contest to find the best new young singer or pop idol in the UK. The Idol series has spun off dozens of successes such as American Idol, Canadian Idol, and Australian Idol. ... Meridian is the ITV station for the South and South East of England. ... Good Morning Television (GMTV) is the national breakfast franchise of the British ITV network. ... British Sky Broadcasting (BSkyB - formerly two companies, Sky Television and British Satellite Broadcasting) is a company that operates Sky Digital, the most popular subscription television service in the UK and Ireland. ... Teletext Ltd is the provider of Teletext services for ITV, Channel 4 and Five in the United Kingdom. ...

Television South West and TVS attempted to obtain a judicial review of the ITC's decisions and of the wording of the 1990 Act. Accordingly, the ITC held off awarding the contract to Westcountry until the review was completed. As the contract with Meridian had already been agreed, the court felt unable to conduct a review of that decision. The review of the south-west franchise process took several months but was decided in favour of the ITC (and therefore against TSW). Judicial review is the power of a court to review a law or an official act of a government employee or agent; for example, although the basis is different in different countries, as unconstitutional or violating of basic principles of justice. ...

Consolidation since 1993

The relaxation in the franchise ownership rules as a result of the 1990 Act meant that mergers between ITV companies were now possible (even more after the Broadcasting Act 1996, which relaxed the rules even further). This was quickly taken advantage of by the larger companies—Carlton Communications, Granada and (to a lesser extent) Scottish Television:

• 1993:
  • Yorkshire Television and Tyne Tees re-merged, creating Yorkshire–Tyne Tees Television plc.
• 1994:
  • Carlton Television buys Central Independent Television.
  • MAI (later United News and Media—UNM) buys Anglia Television.
  • Granada takeover of LWT takes place.
• 1996:
  • Carlton buys Westcountry Television.
  • United News and Media purchases HTV.
• 1997:
  • Granada acquisition of Yorkshire–Tyne Tees Television plc.
  • Scottish Media Group (SMG) acquires Grampian Television.
• 1999:

Carlton drop the Central & Westcountry names from their on-air presentation. Categories: Stub | Media companies of the United Kingdom | Companies traded on the LSE ...

• 2000:
  • Granada acquires Anglia, Meridian and HTV from UNM; Granada then sells HTV to Carlton to comply with the then-current regulatory requirements.

Carlton and Granada attempted to merge twice in the 1990s, creating a new company that would own all the Channel 3 licences in England and Wales (and the English-Scottish Border). In October 2003, the Government announced that it would no longer prevent a merger from taking place, subject to safeguards being set in place to ensure the continued independence of the Scottish Media Group, UTV and Channel Television. The merger of the two companies finally took place at the end of January 2004, and the new company—named ITV plc—started trading on 2 February, with former Carlton shareholders owning 32% and Granada shareholders owning 68% of the new shares in the company. // Events and trends The 1990s are generally classified as having moved slightly away from the more conservative 1980s, but keeping the same mind-set. ... October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... January is the first month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... ITV plc is the company formed from the merger of Carlton Communications and Granada plc, which began trading on 2 February 2004. ... February 2 is the 33rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

The choice of the name "ITV plc" was controversial, since it could imply that the company runs the entire network, and an agreement had to be reached with SMG, UTV and Channel before the name could be used. Granada and Carlton have also been criticised in the past for using the ITV name to brand their failed pay television service, ITV Digital, and the ITV Sports Channel. ITV Digital used to be the sole British terrestrial digital television broadcaster. ...

Although still the major force in UK commercial television, ITV's share of the TV viewing audience has been falling for years, particularly since the start of competition by satellite television and cable, and more recently Digital Terrestrial Television. As a result, the ITV network has tried to adapt, by launching three additional channels broadcast on the main digital television platforms. ITV2 launched in 1998, and carries a mix of imported and homemade programming, as well as extended coverage of ITV's reality television programmes. The ITV News Channel shows ITV News bulletins 24-hours a day (produced by ITN). In 2004 a further general entertainment channel called ITV3 was launched. Satellite television is television delivered by way of orbiting communications satellites located 37,000 km (22,300 miles) above the earth’s surface. ... Coaxial Cable is often used to transmit cable television into the house Cable television or Community Antenna Television (CATV) (and often shortened to cable) is a system of providing television, FM radio programming and other services to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted directly to people’s televisions through fixed... Digital television (DTV) uses digital modulation and compression to broadcast video, audio and data signals to television sets. ... ITV2 is an entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV plc. ... 1998 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The ITV News Channel is a 24 hour television news channel in the United Kingdom available on Sky Digital, cable and Freeview, presenting the latest national and international news stories plus regular business, sport, entertainment and weather summaries. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... ITV3 is an entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV plc. ...

In recognition of this fact, the ITV network (in the Carlton and Granada owned areas) was rebranded ITV1 in 2001. From October 2002 regional branding in these regions (and Channel Television) was dropped altogether, except before regional programming, with all ITV plc regions now being controlled from a reduced number of transmission centres. This has led to a number of job cuts and scaled-back operations at regional centres, with some studios being sold off altogether. In view of the national audiences they serve, Scottish, Grampian and UTV have all decided not to adopt the ITV1 brand, and still use their own individual identities at all times. ITV1 is a terrestrial, free-to-air television channel broadcast in the United Kingdom by the ITV network. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey 2001 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October is the tenth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

In June 2005, Ofcom, the channel's regulator since the demise of the Independent Television Commission announced huge reductions in the licence fees payable by the Channel 3 contractors (and Five). This move reflects the significant shift towards digital viewing in the UK, and the British government's desire to switch off analogue television signals altogether by 2012. Licence fees will fall further as the shift to digital continues. Ofcom has also significantly relaxed most of the remaining public service requirements on the ITV contractors; regional non-news output has been a significant casualty of these cutbacks, with most regions now broadcasting no more than two weekly hours in this category. Following digital switchover, it remains unclear whether Ofcom or the British government will be able to insist that ITV maintains any public service commitments. The Office of Communications, usually known as Ofcom, is the UKs communications regulator. ... The ITC has been superseded as the British commercial television regulator by Ofcom (the Office of Communications). ... five, formerly known as Channel 5, is the United Kingdoms fifth terrestrial TV Channel. ...

Accusations of Dumbing-down

It is believed by some people that ITV has started "dumbing-down" in recent years. They argue that serious documentary and current affairs programmes are seldom to be seen in prime time, whilst the amount of reality television programmes and soap operas has increased (although this may be something attributed British television in general, since the BBC has been accused of the same things). In its defence, ITV does continue to show its major strengths in the fields of sports coverage and drama productions, and the production of "high-brow" programming such as The South Bank Show has continued. Reality television is a genre of television programming which generally is unscripted, documenting actual events over fiction, and featuring ordinary people over professional actors. ... The first TIME cover devoted to soap operas: Dated January 12, 1976, Bill Hayes and Susan Seaforth Hayes of Days of Our Lives are featured with the headline Soap Operas: Sex and suffering in the afternoon. A soap opera is an ongoing, episodic work of fiction, usually broadcast on television...

One of the most controversial changes was the scrapping of the flagship late evening news programme, News at Ten in 1999, replacing it with a later, irregular scheduled and shorter news bulletin. ITV argued that the move to enable them to have diversity and flexibility to the evening schedule; showing more documentaries and feature length films without a news break.

Programmes

There are some programmes produced by ITV companies (past and present) that are well-known, usually in the UK, but often world-wide. These include:

• The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Produced 1984–1994 by Granada Television)
• Agatha Christie's Poirot (Shown since 1989 and produced by LWT)
• Armchair Theatre (Produced from 1956–1968 by ABC, and intermittently during the 1970s by Thames Television)
• The Avengers (Produced 1961–1969 by ABC)
• The Benny Hill Show (Produced 1969–1989 by Thames Television)
• The Bill (Shown since 1984 in the UK, produced by Thames Television)
• Cadfael (Produced 1994–1998 by Central/Carlton Television)
• Coronation Street (Shown since 1960 in the UK, produced by Granada Television)
• Emmerdale (Shown since 1972 in the UK, produced by Yorkshire Television)
• Hornblower (Produced 1998–2002 by United Film and Television Productions)
• Inspector Morse (Produced 1987–2001 by Zenith Productions for Central)
• Pop Idol (Two series; produced in 2001 and 2003 by Thames Television and 19 Management)
• The Prisoner (Produced in 1967 by Everyman Films with ITC and ATV)
• The World at War (Originally shown 1973–1974, produced by Thames Television)
• World in Action (Produced 1963–1999 by Granada Television)
• The Saint (Produced 1962–1969 by ITC)
• Sharpe (Produced 1993–1997 by Central/Carlton Television)
• 3-2-1 (Produced 1978–1987 by Yorkshire Television)
• The South Bank Show (Shown since 1978 in the UK, produced by LWT)
• Upstairs, Downstairs (Produced 1971 by LWT)
• Wycliffe (Produced 1993–1998 by HTV/Red Rooster Film & Television Entertainment)

In the last decade, the number of productions by 'independent' production companies (that is, companies that are independent of the ITV network) has increased. Notable examples include Thames Television (itself a former ITV contractor) and Celador, producers of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is a collection of twelve Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, illustrated by Sidney Paget, that were originally published in the Strand Magazine from July 1891 to June 1892. ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... Agatha Christies Poirot (U.S. title Poirot) is a British television series starring David Suchet as Agatha Christies detective character Hercule Poirot. ... 1989 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Armchair Theatre was a British television drama anthology series, which ran on the ITV network from 1956 until 1969 in its original form, and was intermittently resurrected at various points during the 1970s. ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... This article provides extensive lists of events and significant personalities of the 1970s. ... This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... 1961 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Born Alfred Hawthorn Hill (January 21, 1924/1925 - April 20, 1992), Benny Hill was a prolific comic British actor. ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... 1989 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The current cast of The Bill The Bill is a long-running British police drama shown on ITV1. ... 1984 is a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Brother Cadfael is a fictional character, the detective in a series of murder mysteries by Edith Pargeter writing under the name Ellis Peters. ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... 1998 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The opening title of Coronation Street, since 2002. ... 1960 was a leap year starting on Friday (link will take you to calendar). ... The opening title the show has used since 1998. ... 1972 was a leap year that started on a Saturday. ... Hornblower is the umbrella title of an acclaimed series of television drama programmes loosely based on C. S. Foresters novels about the character Horatio Hornblower, a British naval officer during the Napoleonic Wars. ... 1998 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse is a fictional character, who features in a series of thirteen detective novels by British author Colin Dexter, though he is better known for the TV series about him. ... 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey 2001 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Pop Idol is a British television series shown on ITV1; the show is a talent contest to find the best new young singer or pop idol in the UK. The Idol series has spun off dozens of successes such as American Idol, Canadian Idol, and Australian Idol. ... 2001: A Space Odyssey 2001 2001 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Prisoner was a controversial 1967 UK television series, starring Patrick McGoohan, created by McGoohan and George Markstein. ... 1967 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The World at War was a 1974 television documentary series on the Second World War, the events that led up to it, and those that followed in its wake. ... 1973 was a common year starting on Monday. ... 1974 is a common year starting on Tuesday (click on link for calendar). ... World in Action was an investigative current affairs series produced by Granada Television from around 1962/63 until 1998. ... 1963 was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1999 is a common year starting on Friday of the Common Era, and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the United Nations. ... The Saint refers to the fictional character created by Leslie Charteris in one of the following contexts: Simon Templar, the character also known as The Saint (main article on this topic) The Saint, a TV series that ran from 1962 to 1969, starring Roger Moore as Simon Templar. ... 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... Sharpe was a series of TV movies based on the novels by Bernard Cornwell featuring the character of Richard Sharpe. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 1997 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 3-2-1 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... 1987 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The South Bank Show is a British television arts magazine show, presented by Melvyn Bragg and seen in over 60 countries — including Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Sweden and the USA. Its stated aim is to bring both high art and popular culture to a mass audience. ... 1978 was a common year starting on Sunday (the link is to a full 1978 calendar). ... Upstairs, Downstairs was a 1970s British television series set in a grand Edwardian town house in London and depicting the events of the early twentieth century as they affected the servants (downstairs) and masters (upstairs). The series was originally conceived by Jean Marsh and Eileen Atkins as a comedy, called... 1971 is a common year starting on Friday (click for link to calendar). ... See also John Wycliffe, theologian and Wycliffe, County Durham. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 1998 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Celador is an independent production company formed in 1983. ... Logo from the UK version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? is a television game show which offers very large cash prizes for correctly answering successive multiple-choice questions. ...

ITV companies: past and present

Former ITV contractors

• Associated British Corporation (ABC Television): North and Midlands weekend franchise (1956–1968)
• Associated-Rediffusion: London weekday franchise (1955–1968)
• Associated Television Network Limited (ATV): Midlands weekday franchise and London weekend franchise (1956–1968); Midlands (7 day) (1968–1981)
• Southern Television: South and South East England franchise (1958–1982)
• Thames Television: London weekday franchise (1968–1992)
• TSW SW England franchise (1982–1992)
• TVS: South and South East England franchise (1982–1992)
• TWW: Wales and West of England franchise (1958–1968). See also ITSWW (March–May 1968)
• Westward Television: SW England franchise (1961–1981)
• WWN: North and West Wales franchise (1962–1964)

• TV-am: National Breakfast Television franchise (1983–1992)
• ORACLE: National Teletext franchise (1977–1992)

• See also the ITV Emergency National Strike Service of August 1968

ABC logo, 1960s ABC Television or ABC Weekend TV was the British Independent Television (ITV) (commercial television) contractor on Saturdays and Sundays in the Midlands and North of England between 1956 and 1968. ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Associated-Rediffusion was the British Independent Television (commercial television) contractor for London, on weekdays between 1954 (transmissions started on September 22, 1955) and 1968. ... 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... The ATV colour logo, used from the start of the colour standard in 1969 until the companys demise in 1981. ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Southern Television colour logo, 1969-1981 Southern Television was one of the original ITV companies, serving the south and south-east of England from August 30, 1958 until 12:45 AM on January 1, 1982. ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The classic Thames Television logo (1969 - 1989), featuring a geographically incorrect montage of London landmarks. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Categories: Television stubs | ITV ... 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... TVS, or Television South, was the ITV franchise holder in the South of England which replaced its predecessor, Southern Television on the morning of 1 January 1982 (The first show - Bring in the New - was hosted by Khalid Aziz). ... 1982 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... TWW Logo Television Wales and the West (TWW) was the British Independent Television (commercial television) contractor for the South Wales and West of England franchise area 1956-1968 (franchise awarded October 26, 1956, started transmissions on January 14, 1958). ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Independent Television Service for Wales and the West or ITSWW is a remarkably unusual entity. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Westward Television was the ITV franchise holder for the South West of England from April 1961 until December 1981. ... 1961 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Teledu Cymru -- Wales (West and North) Television - WWN was the British Independent Television (commercial television) contractor awarded the North and West Wales franchise area for 1962-1968 (franchise awarded June 6, 1961, started transmissions on September 14, 1962, ceased transmissions through financial failure January 26, 1964 when the franchise area... 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... TV-am was a breakfast television station that broadcast in the United Kingdom from 1983 to 1992. ... 1983 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... ORACLE (Optional Reception of Announcements by Coded Line Electronics) was a commercial teletext service broadcast on ITV and Channel 4 in the United Kingdom from 1974 to 1992. ... 1977 was a common year starting on Saturday (the link is to a full 1977 calendar). ... 1992 is a leap year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The ITV Emergency National Service was the management response to the near-complete Independent Television technicians strike immediately after the 1968 franchise changes. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ...

Current ITV franchise holders

• Owned by ITV plc:
  • Anglia Television: East of England franchise (1959–)
  • Border Television: English — Scottish border and Isle of Man franchise (1961–)
  • Carlton: London weekday franchise (1993–)
  • Central Independent Television: Midlands franchise (1981–)
  • Granada Television: North of England weekday franchise (1956–1968); NW England franchise (1968–)
  • HTV (originally "Harlech"): Wales and West of England franchise (1968–)
  • London Weekend Television (LWT): London Weekend franchise (1968–)
  • Meridian Broadcasting: South and south-east England franchise (1993–)
  • Tyne Tees Television: North-east England franchise (1958–)
  • Westcountry Television SW England franchise (1993–)
  • Yorkshire Television: Yorkshire/Lincolnshire franchise (1968–)
• Owned by Scottish Media Group:
  • Grampian Television: North-east Scotland franchise (1961–)
  • Scottish Television: Central Scotland franchise (1957–)
• Other regional franchises:
  • Channel Television: Channel Islands franchise (1962–)
  • Ulster Television (UTV): Northern Ireland franchise (1959–)
• National franchises:
  • GMTV: National Breakfast franchise (1993–)
  • Teletext Ltd: National Teletext franchise (1993–)

ITV plc is the company formed from the merger of Carlton Communications and Granada plc, which began trading on 2 February 2004. ... Anglia Television is the ITV station for East Anglia. ... 1959 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Border Television is the ITV franchisee for the border region between England and Scotland, and also the Crown Dependency of Isle of Man. ... 1961 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Carlton logo in cinemas Carlton Television Limited is the United Kingdom Channel 3 (ITV) licencee for London, Monday 9:25am, to Friday, 5:15pm. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Central TV logo, 1985-1998 Central Independent Television, or to give it its familiar name, Central Television or Central, is a British Independent Television company that took over from ATV on 1 January 1982. ... 1981 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Granada TV logo, used from 1956 to 1968. ... 1956 was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... HTV logo, 1990s HTV Group plc is a television company, the ITV contractor of Wales and the West of England, owned by ITV plc. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Now known as ITV London (Weekends) London Weekend Television logo, 1978-1996 London Weekend Television Limited (LWT) is the ITV contractor for London, Friday 5:15pm to Monday, 5:59am. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... Meridian is the ITV station for the South and South East of England. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Tyne Tees Television, City Road Tyne Tees Television Limited is the ITV television contractor for North East England. ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Westcountry Television is the ITV franchise holder in the South West (of England), replacing its predecessor, TSW - Television South West, on 1 January 1993. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Yorkshire Television Limited is the ITV contractor for Yorkshire, England, and the surrounding areas. ... 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... SMG plc is a Scottish-based media company. ... Grampian Television logo, late 1990s. ... 1961 was a common year starting on Sunday (link will take you to calendar). ... Scottish Television is Scotlands largest independent television station, and has held the ITV franchise for Central Scotland since 1957. ... 1957 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The current Channel TV ident Channel Television (CTV) is a British television station which has served as an Independent Television (ITV), contractor to the Channel Islands since 1962. ... 1962 was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... Ulster Television plc (UTV) is a media company based in Northern Ireland. ... 1959 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Good Morning Television (GMTV) is the national breakfast franchise of the British ITV network. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... Teletext Ltd is the provider of Teletext services for ITV, Channel 4 and Five in the United Kingdom. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ...

See also

• List of British television channels
• ITV plc
• Ofcom — the Office of Communications
• ITV1
• ITV2
• ITV3
• ITV4
• ITV News Channel
• ITV Digital
• Men & Motors

// National Analogue Terrestrial Stations The channels are available via an antenna with an analogue TV set. ... ITV plc is the company formed from the merger of Carlton Communications and Granada plc, which began trading on 2 February 2004. ... The Office of Communications, usually known as Ofcom, is the UKs communications regulator. ... ITV1 is a terrestrial, free-to-air television channel broadcast in the United Kingdom by the ITV network. ... ITV2 is an entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV plc. ... ITV3 is an entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV plc. ... ITV4 is a UK television station which will launch on November 1, 2005. ... The ITV News Channel is a 24 hour television news channel in the United Kingdom available on Sky Digital, cable and Freeview, presenting the latest national and international news stories plus regular business, sport, entertainment and weather summaries. ... ITV Digital used to be the sole British terrestrial digital television broadcaster. ... Men & Motors is a mens lifestyle television channel in the UK. It is the last remaining station operated by Granada Sky Broadcasting, a joint venture set up by Granada Television (now part of ITV plc) and British Sky Broadcasting in 1996. ...

External links

The ITV companies

• ITV.com — Homepage of the ITV Network
• ITV Plc Homepage of ITV PLC (formally Carlton & Granada)
• Channel Television Ltd
• SMG plc, Scottish TV, Grampian TV
• UTV plc, Channel Homepage UTV

Unofficial sites about ITV

• TV Ark - The Television Museum — a history of British television, with large amounts on ITV
• The Transdiffusion Network — a British Communications History website
• Independent TeleWeb — a history of ITV
• The Historical Television Website
• Harlech House of Graphics — a site about ITV in Wales and the West of England
• Tyne Tees Logo Page — about the North East England broadcaster