ITV 70 coverage oversimplifying the channel’s past

Sometimes the story of the present is lost in the misrepresentation or misunderstanding of the past.

This is the case with some of the coverage of ITV’s 70th anniversary.

It is too easy to distort the channel’s story by oversimplification and present the past 70 years as one simple journey.

This matters.

History in all its forms can simply become the story of the victorious. 

The story of ITV plc or of modern ITV 1 is not the story of Independent Television itself.

Sadly, this has led to some confusing coverage of the anniversary. 

ITV plc can trace its history back to Granada Television and nobody should ever understate Granada’s achievements as a broadcaster.

It was the most serious-minded of the major network companies. Nearly all its significant programmes were rooted in the north of England culturally or socially. It made many fine programmes – serious dramas and documentaries – which were not obviously “commercial”.

But Granada was the fourth ITV company to go on the air – behind Associated Rediffusion, ATV and ABC.

To suggest the regional companies were mere “news hubs” is simply disrespectful. 

Do we really believe that people over the age of 40 do not know what Independent Television was?

I thought I’d try to condense the history of the network accurately into a few short paragraphs. Surely this would be more fitting than sone of the blurb in recent days?

Condensed history of ITV

Commercial television in Britain is 70 years old. 

The first two commercial broadcasters in the UK – Associated Rediffusion and ATV – started broadcasting in the London area in September 1955. Neither are still in business. 

Over the next seven years, other companies began broadcasting across most of the rest of the country.

These companies were all fiercely independent of each other – serving their local areas while also acting together as a network.

The regional map was redrawn significantly in 1968 and further modified as a result of the switch to UHF transmission.

But, more significantly, many companies changed over the years through franchise rounds run by the regulator.

After 1993, the regional companies started to merge with each other. Eventually one company owned all the licences outside Scotland.

Today ITV plc runs a national channel called ITV 1. But the service includes regional news and advertising plus some bespoke programmes for Wales and Northern Ireland.

Some regional companies came and went in the franchise rounds – some survived and have their legacy within ITV plc.

In summary

Of course, this is a huge simplification but surely it is at least an accurate summary?

The past is another country. ITV’s anniversary is a cause for celebration.

But the old confederation of regional companies should not be forgotten. Nor should the pivotal role of Thames for so many years be ignored. 

Acknowledgements