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ITV

Broadcast on: International
Active from: 22 Sep 1955
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About

ITV is a commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom launched in 1955 to provide competition to the BBC, which is also the oldest commercial network in the UK.

AVAILABILITY

United Kingdom

PICTURE FORMAT

16:9 576i (SDTV)
16:9 1080i (HDTV)

ABOUT

ITV is an integrated producer broadcaster, operating the largest commercial family of channels in the UK. In addition to traditional broadcasting on our channels, it delivers content on demand through numerous platforms, both directly and via ITV Player.

Through ITV Studios it produces content for both its own channels and third parties in the UK and increasingly overseas. ITs distribution business sells finished programmes and formats worldwide.

History

Following the Television Act of 1954 which made commercial television in the UK possible, ITV first began broadcasting in 1955 on Channel 3 in the London area. By 1973 there were 15 separate Channel 3 regional broadcasting licences and each of the regional licences was run by a separate company.

The Broadcasting Act of 1990 allowed regional companies, under specific conditions, to merge for the first time. It paved the way for the consolidation of ITV and the first merger took place in 1994 when Granada bought LWT. By the new millennium Granada plc owned six regional licences, Carlton owned five, Scottish Media Group (SMG, now STV) owned two and Ulster and Channel remained independent.

The merger of Granada and Carlton became an obvious next step. The necessary changes in legislation were introduced by the Communications Act and the Competition Commission approved the merger plans. In February 2004 ITV plc, owner of eleven of the fifteen regional licences, was born.

Today ITV plc sells advertising on behalf of all fifteen of the licences and produces much of the programming broadcast on ITV channels.

Broadcast and Online

ITV broadcasts a wide variety of content on its family of free to air (FTA) channels, consisting of ITV, the largest commercial television channel in the UK, and the digital channels, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4 and CITV.

Programming is primarily funded by television advertising revenues. ITV has the largest share of our estimate of the UK television advertising market at 45.4% in 2013.

In addition to linear broadcast, ITV delivers its content across multiple platforms. This is either through ITV Player, available on ITV's website, and platforms such as Virgin and Sky, or through direct content deals with services such as Lovefilm and Netflix.

ITV Studios

ITV Studios is the Group's international content business. It is the largest production company in the UK and produces programming for ITV’s own channels and for other broadcasters such as the BBC, Channel 4 and Sky.

ITV Studios also operates in five international locations, the US, Australia, Germany, France and the Nordics, producing content for local broadcasters in these regions. This content is either locally created IP or created elsewhere by ITV, mainly the UK.

Global Entertainment, ITV's distribution business, licenses ITV's finished programmes and formats and third party content internationally.


Latest Updated Shows

Downton Abbey

Genre: Drama, Period Drama
Channel: BBC Entertainment, VIDI, BBC Brit, BBC First
Summary: Set in the country house of the Earl and Countess of Grantham, this period drama follows the intrigues of the Crawley family and their servants.
Starring: Hugh Bonneville, Jessica Brown Findlay, Laura Carmichael


The X Factor (UK)

Genre: Music, Reality Competition
Channel: M-Net, M-Net Series Zone, Vuzu
Summary: Talent series contested by aspiring singers drawn from public auditions, in which the judges double as mentors and coaches to the finalists.
Starring: Kate Thornton, Dermot O'Leary, Simon Cowell


Britain's Got Talent

Genre: Reality Competition, Variety
Channel: M-Net, Vuzu, M-Net Series Zone, M-Net Family, M-Net City
Summary: Talent show in which anyone of any age can audition, with acts competing to win cash and the opportunity to perform at the Royal Variety Performance.
Starring: Anthony McPartlin, Declan Donnelly, Simon Cowell



LATEST ARTICLES

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She's one of five surfr grlz from round the world in Prime Video's Season 2.


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Sibongile & The Dlaminis 2 Teasers - July 2025

Series finale! Look into Nomalanga's eyes and what do you see? D.A.N.G.E.R. The end is nigh.


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Pretty awful. This is what awaits Pretty. Phomolo wants Lehasa to marry Dr Loren Blue instead of her.


House of Zwide 5 Teasers - July 2025

A major death takes place following the shocking events of the Season 4 finale.


House of Zwide 4 Teasers - July 2025

Faith and Msizi find and dispose of Sizwe's body, but someone spots them...


New on TV today: Monday 30 June 2025

BBC Earth re-imagines Walking with Dinosaurs 25 years later while Travel Channel tries to unravel the mystery of Finding Amelia.


New on TV today: Sunday 29 June 2025

The documentary Boet se Goet airs on kykNET and Ocean with David Attenborough is on Nat Geo Wild.

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