ITV (TV channel) Facts for Kids

ITV is a popular commercial TV channel in the United Kingdom. It started in 1955 and was the second TV channel in the UK.

ITV used to be a group of many different local TV channels. Now, it mostly operates as one channel across England, Wales, Scotland and the Channel Islands. From 2001 to 2013, the channel was known as ITV1.

In 2004, two big TV companies, Granada and Carlton Communications, joined together to create ITV plc, which now owns ITV.

Quick facts for kids
ITV
Programming
Country	England & Wales (STV available in Scotland and UTV available in NI)
Network	ITV
Slogan	More than TV
Language(s)	English
Ownership
Owner	ITV plc

History of ITV
ITV Regions
ITV Branding and Logos
Other ITV Channels
ITV Outside the UK
Logos
Images for kids
See also

History of ITV

ITV first started broadcasting in 1955. It was the second television channel to launch in the United Kingdom.

For many years, the name "ITV" was mainly used in England, Wales, Southern Scotland, and the Isle of Man. In 2006, Channel Television, which serves the Channel Islands, also started using the ITV name.

Before 2002, ITV was made up of many different local TV companies. These companies had names like Anglia Television, Granada Television, and Yorkshire Television. They all showed their own local news and programmes, but also shared shows from the wider ITV network. Over time, many of these companies joined together to form ITV plc.

ITV Regions

ITV has different regional versions, which means the channel can show local news and adverts specific to your area. Here's how some of the regions were known before and after the ITV1 branding:

Broadcast area	Old Name	New Name
English-Scottish border/Isle of Man	Border	ITV
North East England	Tyne Tees	ITV
Yorkshire and Lincolnshire	Yorkshire	ITV
North West England	Granada	ITV
Wales	HTV Wales	ITV Cymru Wales
West of England	HTV West	ITV
The Midlands	Carlton Central	ITV
East of England	Anglia	ITV
London (weekdays)	Carlton London	ITV
London (weekends)	LWT (London Weekend Television)	ITV
South and South East England	Meridian	ITV
South West England	Carlton Westcountry	ITV
Channel Islands	Channel	ITV Channel Television

In England, the channel was called ITV1 from 2006 until 2013. Since January 14, 2013, it has simply been called ITV.

Some parts of the UK have their own separate ITV-like channels:

Broadcast area	Current Name	Old Name
Northern Ireland	UTV	Ulster Television
Northern Scotland	STV (North)	Grampian Television
Central Scotland	STV (Central)	Scottish Television

ITV Branding and Logos

Over the years, ITV has changed its look and logos many times.

Early ITV Branding (1955–1989)

When ITV first started, it was known as "Independent Television." Each local ITV company had its own unique logo and on-screen look.

ITV Logo Changes (1989–1998)

In 1989, ITV tried to create a more unified look across all its channels. They introduced a new "ITV" logo. This logo was designed to be used alongside each regional company's own logo. However, not all the regional channels decided to use this new look.

"TV from the Heart" (1998-2001)

In 1999, ITV tried again to create a common look for all its channels. This time, the theme was "TV from the Heart." This new look also combined the ITV name with the local channel's name.

ITV1 Era (2001–2013)

By 2001, most of the ITV channels in England and Wales were owned by just two big companies. Because of this, a new common name, ITV1, was launched on August 11, 2001. This happened at the same time as the new digital channel ITV2 was launched.

In 2006, ITV1 got a new on-screen look. This was to help promote all of ITV's channels together, including the new ITV4. The new logo made ITV1, ITV2, and ITV3 look similar to ITV4.

ITV Day

In 2005, ITV introduced a special branding called ITV Day. This was used for ITV1 programmes shown between 9:25 AM and 6:00 PM. ITV Day had its own unique colours (red, orange, and yellow) and showed scenes of typical daytime activities. This helped viewers know they were watching daytime shows.

ITV Rebranding (2013)

On November 15, 2012, ITV announced a big change to its brand. ITV1 was renamed back to its original name, ITV. They also introduced a new logo that looked like handwriting and changed colours. The colours would change depending on the TV show being aired. For example, it might be green and purple for Dancing on Ice or green and brown for I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!.

This new look was part of a plan to make all ITV channels and online services look the same. The rebrand officially went live on January 14, 2013. For the first time ever, a small digital logo (called a DOG) was shown on screen during programmes.

Other ITV Channels

ITV has other channels that are linked to it. These include ITV HD, which shows programmes in high definition, and ITV +1, which shows programmes one hour later. Both of these channels officially launched in 2009.

ITV Outside the UK

ITV can also be watched in some places outside the United Kingdom.

In the Republic of Ireland, ITV (as UTV) is widely available on cable and MMDS. People living near the border with Northern Ireland or on the coast can sometimes pick up the signal directly.
ITV is also available on cable and IPTV in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.
Since March 27, 2013, the British Forces Broadcasting Service (BFBS) has offered ITV London to members of the UK Armed Forces and their families around the world.

Logos

ITV logo used from October 1998 to August 2001.
The ITV1 logo was broken into blocks and was used from November 2004 to January 2006.
The ITV1 logo text was changed from white to black. Logo used from November 2006 to April 2010.