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Timeline of Meridian Broadcasting

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This is a timeline of the history of the British broadcaster Meridian Broadcasting (now known as ITV Meridian). It has provided the ITV service for the South and South East of England since 1993.

1990s

  • 1991
  • Meridian Broadcasting is formed to apply for the South of England region in the forthcoming ITV franchise round. Intended as a publisher broadcaster, the majority of programmes would be commissioned from independent producers rather than produced in-house.
  • 16 October – The ITC announces that Meridian had been awarded the licence. Meridian had tabled a lower bid that the incumbent broadcaster, TVS, but the ITC awarded the licence because it felt that TVS’ bid of £59 million was too high, meaning that TVS's business plan was deemed to be unsatisfactory.TVS's £54m bid 'threatens profits'. Melinda Wittstock, Media Correspondent. The Times, Tuesday, 6 August 1991. Therefore, Meridian was awarded the licence as the next highest bidder (£36.5 million).{{cite web|last=Blyth|first=K|title=Licence granted to Meridian Broadcasting Limited to provide a regional Channel 3 service under part 1 of the Broadcasting Act 1990|url=http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/itc/uploads/Meridian_Broadcasting_Licence.pdf|publisher=Ofcom|access-date=27 March 2012|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924071242/http://www.ofcom.org.uk/static/archive/itc/uploads/Meridian_Broadcasting_Licence.pdf|url-status=live}}
  • 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.{{cite news|title=TV companies link up|url=http://find.galegroup.com/ttda/infomark.do?&source=gale&prodId=TTDA&userGroupName=hamlib&tabID=T003&docPage=article&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&docId=IF503365333&type=multipage&contentSet=LTO&version=1.0|accessdate=10 September 2012|newspaper=Times|date=20 July 1993|location=London|page=22}}
  • 1994
  • 19 February – Meridian purchases Anglia Television, the ITV franchise for the east of England.{{cite news|last=John|first=Murray|title=Heseltine clears way for Anglia TV bid|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/heseltine-clears-way-for-anglia-tv-bid-1395076.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/heseltine-clears-way-for-anglia-tv-bid-1395076.html |archive-date=2022-05-07 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|accessdate=27 March 2012|location=London|newspaper=The Independent|date=19 February 1994}}{{cbignore}}
  • 1995
  • No events.
  • 1997
  • 28 June – United News & Media takes over HTV.{{cite news|last=Newman|first=Cathy|title=HTV succumbs to United News in pounds 370m takeover bid|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/htv-succumbs-to-united-news-in-pounds-370m-takeover-bid-1258407.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220507/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/htv-succumbs-to-united-news-in-pounds-370m-takeover-bid-1258407.html |archive-date=2022-05-07 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|accessdate=27 March 2012|newspaper=The Independent|date=28 June 1997}}{{cbignore}}
  • 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.{{cite news|title=United News sharpens focus|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/865609.stm|accessdate=27 March 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=4 August 2000}}{{cite web|title=History|url=http://www.itvplc.com/about/history|publisher=ITV plc|accessdate=27 March 2012}}
  • 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.
  • 2005
  • No events.
  • 2006
  • 4 December – The non-franchised region ITV Thames Valley is launched. 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
  • December – All non-news local programming ends after Ofcom gives ITV permission to drastically cut back its regional programming.{{cite news|title=ITV 'can cut' regional programming|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7635011.stm|access-date=7 September 2011|newspaper=BBC News|date=25 September 2008}} From 2009 the only regional programme is the monthly political discussion show.
  • 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.[https://www.theguardian.com/media/organgrinder/2009/feb/16/seventeen-regions-into-nine-itv-news Seventeen regions into nine: How the updated ITV local news services will run] Caitlin Fitzsimmons, The Guardian, 17 February 2009

2010s

  • 2010
  • No events.
  • 2011
  • No events.
  • 2013
  • 16 September – The 2009 cut-backs are reversed and once again the Meridian region is served by three opt-out services.{{cite web|title=Channel 3 and Channel 5: Statement of Programming Obligations - Amendments to obligations for Channel 3 and Channel 5 ahead of a new licensing period|url=http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/consultations/c3-c5-obligations/statement/|website=Ofcom|accessdate=13 April 2015}} 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.

See also

References

{{Reflist}}

{{ITV}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Meridian Broadcasting}}

Category:Television in the United Kingdom by year

Category:ITV timelines