Timeline of Meridian Broadcasting

This is a timeline of the history of Meridian Broadcasting (now known as ITV Meridian).

1990s

• 1991
  • 16 October – The ITC announces that TVS has lost its licence to Meridian Broadcasting. Meridian had tabled a lower bid but the ITC awarded the licence because it felt that TVS’ bid of £59 million was too high.[1]

• 1992
  • No events.

• 1993
  • 1 January – After the chimes of Big Ben, Meridian Broadcasting goes on air.
  • 20 July – Meridian joins up with HTV, Westcountry Television, Channel Television and S4C to form a joint advertising company operated by Meridian Broadcasting and HTV.[2]

• 1994
  • 19 February – Meridian purchases Anglia Television, the ITV franchise for the east of England.[3]

• 1995
  • No events.

• 1996
  • MAI merges with United Newspapers (via an agreed takeover by United) to form United News & Media. The resulting company owned the Daily Express newspaper, Meridian Broadcasting, Anglia Television, and a large shareholding (through the Yorkshire Post) in Yorkshire Tyne Tees Television, the owners of Yorkshire Television and Tyne Tees Television.[4]

• 1997
  • 28 June – United News & Media takes over HTV.[5]

• 1998
  • 15 November – The public launch of digital terrestrial TV in the UK takes place.

• 1999
  • The television assets of Meridian's owner United News & Media are sold to Granada. However due to regulations stating that the company could not control that large an audience share, the broadcasting arm of HTV is sold to Carlton Television in exchange for Central Independent Television's 20% stake in Meridian Broadcasting.[6][7]
  • 8 November – A new, hearts-based on-air look is introduced.

2000s

• 2000
  • No events.

• 2001
  • No events.

• 2002
  • 28 October – On-air regional identities are dropped apart from when introducing regional programmes and Meridian is renamed ITV1 Meridian.

• 2003
  • No events.

• 2004
  • January – The final two remaining English ITV companies, Carlton and Granada, merge to create a single England and Wales ITV company called ITV plc.
  • Meridian moves from Northam studio complex to a new studio base in Whiteley, Hampshire.

• 2005
  • No events.

• 2006
  • The non-franchised region ITV Thames Valley is launched covering the Thames Valley area. It incorporates the former Central South news service and the Meridian North service and both operate as their own sub-regions for non-news programming and for advertising.

• 2007
  • No events.

• 2008
  • No events.

• 2009
  • 16 February – As part of ITV’s major cutbacks of its operation in England, Meridian’s three news services are amalgamated into one. However part of the programme, and the late night bulletin, remain localised. [8] All other regional programmes, apart from a monthly political programme, end at around this time.

2010s

• 2010
  • No events.

• 2011
  • No events.

• 2012
  • 27 June – The Meridian region completes digital switchover.

• 2013
  • 16 September – The 2009 cut-backs are reversed and once again the Meridian region is served by three opt-out services.[9] However to maintain lower costs, the main half-hour programme at 6pm contains a minimum 20 minutes of regional news (10 minutes in the Thames Valley) and daily use of "shared content" from outside the region.[9]

See also

• History of ITV
• History of ITV television idents
• Timeline of ITV

References

1. TVS's £54m bid 'threatens profits'.Melinda Wittstock, Media Correspondent. The Times, Tuesday, 6 August 1991.
2. "TV companies link up". Times. London. 20 July 1993. p. 22. Retrieved 10 September 2012.
3. John, Murray (19 February 1994). "Heseltine clears way for Anglia TV bid". The Independent. London. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
4. "PRNewsWire". PRNewsWire. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
5. Newman, Cathy (28 June 1997). "HTV succumbs to United News in pounds 370m takeover bid". The Independent. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
6. "United News sharpens focus". BBC News. 4 August 2000. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
7. "History". ITV plc. Retrieved 27 March 2012.
8. Seventeen regions into nine: How the updated ITV local news services will run Caitlin Fitzsimmons, The Guardian, 17 February 2009
9. "Channel 3 and Channel 5: Statement of Programming Obligations - Amendments to obligations for Channel 3 and Channel 5 ahead of a new licensing period". Ofcom. Ofcom. Retrieved 13 April 2015.