SCOTTISH TELEVISION

'Scottish Television' (now legally known as 'STV Central Ltd' and referred to on-air as 'STV') is Scotland's largest ITV franchisee, and has held the ITV franchise for Central Scotland since August 31, 1957. The studios were located on Renfield Street in Cowcaddens, Glasgow since its launch in 1957, but moved to new studios in Pacific Quay, alongside BBC Scotland and the Glasgow Science Centre in July 2006.
The channel is now owned by SMG plc, which also owns Scotland's other independent television franchisee, Grampian Television, based in Aberdeen.
STV Central produces news, current affairs, politics and sports programmes (in both English and Gaelic) for its transmission region, as well as for the whole of Scotland. STV Central's main news programme is ''Scotland Today'', and the main sports show is ''Scotsport'', the world's longest running sports television programme. Along with STV North, STV Central is the main rival to the publicly-funded national broadcaster, BBC Scotland.
In 2008, the United Kingdom plans to begin its 5-year programme to cease Analogue television broadcasts as part of the switchover to Digital television, with STV Central switching over from October 2010 till March 2011.

Contents

History

Programmes

Childrens' TV

Channel changes

References

External links

History

The company was founded by a consortium led by Canadian businessman Roy (Later Lord) Thomson and went on-air in 1957, the first ITV franchise to launch outside the three largest regions and thereby the first to operate a full week schedule. The company soon gained a reputation for cheap programming prompting the jibe that STV only had two pieces of equipment - one telecine to show western films and another to show the commercials.
In 1965 the chairman of the Independent Television Authority Charles Hill paid a visit to STV's Glasgow studios during which he observed an edition of the blunt daytime entertainment show ''One o'clock Gang''. So appalled by it he immediately axed the show with the words "My God, how long have you been getting away with this?" ^[1].
Although the early days of the ITV network were a financial gamble the service soon became profitable, resulting in Thomson claiming that 'running a commercial television station is like having a licence to print your own money' ^[2].
However by 1969 the company was, like many within the ITV system, struggling with a recession, increased transmitter rental fees and taxation on income (rather than profits) as a result of the ''Pilkington Committee'' review into ITV. The situation hit STV harder than most and by 1970 was making significant losses.
The conversion of a theatre in Edinburgh into new colour studios also saw a drain on finances. This facility grew in importance in 1969 after a fire gutted the main studio and production suites at the Cowcaddens site, a fire in which two firemen died. The site was subsequently razed to the ground and new colour facilities built, which became fully operational in 1973.
By this time a change in taxation rules and a general increase in advertising spend saw STV's fortunes recover. In the following twenty years the company gained greater access to the national network, primarily through the soap opera ''Take the High Road'' and the long-running detective series ''Taggart''. Recent contibutions have included the quiz ''Wheel of Fortune'' and the adaptation of the ''Rebus'' crime books.
In late 1992 Scottish Television took over a number of children's programmes made by independent producers for the outgoing ITV company TVS including the shows ''Art Attack'' and ''How 2''.

Programmes

A list of programmes made by Scottish Television. All networked shows now come under the banner of SMG Productions.

★ ''Club Cupid''

★ ''Now You See It''

★ ''Politics Now''

★ ''Taggart''

★ ''Take the High Road''

★ ''Unsolved''

★ ''Wheel of Fortune''

Childrens' TV

★ ''Fun House''

★ ''Glen Michael''

★ ''How 2''

★ ''Hurricanes''

★ ''Inside Out''

★ ''Rupert Bear''

★ ''What's Up Doc''

Channel changes

On March 2, 2006, it was announced by SMG plc that later in 2006, Scottish Television will revert to using its former brand name of ''STV'', from the start of colour broadcasting in 1969 until August 30, 1985, and which the station is still informally known as in parts of Scotland. At the same time, Grampian TV would also become known as STV, so one identity will serve the two SMG Licences. It was announced that no jobs will be lost. The two regional news programmes, ''Scotland Today'' (Scottish TV) and ''North Tonight'' (Grampian TV), both still broadcast in the regions after the rebranding, which was launched on May 30, 2006.

References

1. Cherry, S, ITV: The People's Channel, Reynolds and Hearn, London 2005
2. Black, P, The Mirror In The Corner - People's Television, Hutchinson & Co, London, 1972

External links

★ stv.tv