ITV1

Organisation

Unlike practically all other TV channels in the United Kingdom, ITV1 is not owned by one single company, although it has come close in recent years. The UK Office of Communications (Ofcom) licences fifteen companies to provide regional Channel 3 services in various areas of the country, with a separate franchise for the national breakfast service between 6:00am and 9:25am. The licences were last put out to full tender in 1991, since then they have been renewed on a rolling basis. All the companies belong to ITV Network Limited (formerly the Independent Television Companies' Association Limited), a not-for-profit body. It is this body that commissions programmes for the network, and schedules the network programming.

Related Topics:
United Kingdom - Office of Communications

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In practical terms, ITV plc, which owns eleven of the fifteen licences (all except Scottish TV, Grampian, UTV, Channel and GMTV (which it still partially owns)) dominates the system nowadays. ITV plc only operates the other "ITV" branded channels in the UK, not the ITV Network. See the separate article on ITV plc for details.

Related Topics:
ITV plc - Scottish TV - Grampian - UTV - Channel - GMTV

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