United Kingdom Independent Broadcasting

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UKIB was formed in 1981, when the Association of Independent Radio Contractors (AIRC){{cite book|last1=Barnard|first1=Stephen|title=Studying Radio|date=2000|publisher=Arnold|location=London|isbn=9780340719664|page=76}} was admitted as an active member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). It replaced the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA), formerly the Independent Television Authority (ITA) as the second British EBU member.

Once ITCA was admitted as a fully active EBU member, the AIRC joined with UKIB to form the Commercial Radio Companies Association (CRCA) in June 1996. In July 2006, it merged with the Radio Advertising Bureau to form Radiocentre, the industry body for UK commercial radio.{{Cite web|url=https://www.radiocentre.org/facts|title=Facts - History|date=May 31, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150531095507/https://www.radiocentre.org/facts|archive-date=2015-05-31}} Following the merger, CRCA cancelled its EBU membership.{{Cite web|url=https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/8866122/european-broadcasting-union-ebu-directory-cullen-international|title=european-broadcasting-union-ebu-directory-cullen-international|website=yumpu.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/2007EBUDirectory|title=2007 EBU Directory|date=May 21, 2018|via=Internet Archive}}

The IBA continued to exist until it was disbanded by the Broadcasting Act 1990, which replaced it with the Independent Television Commission (ITC) and the Radio Authority.{{Cite web |title=BFI Screenonline: 1990 Broadcasting Act |url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/1107541/ |access-date=2022-08-07 |website=www.screenonline.org.uk}}

Besides the main ITV, Channel 4, and S4C channels, there are several digital-only channels (ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, CITV and ITVBe) owned by ITV plc and E4, More4, Film4, 4seven and 4Music (now extinguished) operated by Channel 4.

The {{Esccnty|United Kingdom}}'s entries in the Eurovision Song Contest have been entered by the BBC each time. However, the {{Esccnty|United Kingdom|Junior}}'s Junior Eurovision Song Contest entries were broadcast and selected by ITV from {{Escyr|2003|Junior}} to {{Escyr|2005|Junior}}, before ITV withdrew in {{Escyr|2006|Junior}} due to low viewing figures. ITV were also set to host the {{Escyr|2004|Junior}} contest in Manchester, but pulled out of hosting due to financial and scheduling issues, as well as the previous years poor viewing figures. The contest was eventually held in Lillehammer, Norway.{{Cite web|url=http://www.ebu.ch/en/union/news/archives/2003/|title=Confirmation of Manchester as original host|date=4 October 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121004221031/http://www.ebu.ch/en/union/news/archives/2003/|archive-date=4 October 2012}}

S4C announced on 9 May 2018 that {{Esccnty|Wales|Junior}} would debut at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2018 held in Minsk, Belarus.{{Cite web|url=https://junioreurovision.cymru/home/|title=Chwilio am Seren|website=junioreurovision.cymru|publisher=S4C|date=9 May 2018|access-date=9 May 2018}} However, S4C withdrew from the contest in {{Escyr|2020|Junior}}, citing the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason for their withdrawal, and have not returned since.{{cite web|last=Farren|first=Neil|url=https://eurovoix.com/2020/07/14/wales-withdraws-from-junior-eurovision-2020/|title=Wales: Withdraws From Junior Eurovision|publisher=Eurovoix|access-date=14 July 2020|date=14 July 2020}} On 25 August 2022, it was confirmed that the United Kingdom would return to the contest in {{escyr|2022|Junior}} in Yerevan, Armenia, with the BBC replacing ITV as the country's broadcaster.{{Cite web|url=https://junioreurovision.tv/story/united-kingdom-returns-junior-eurovision|title=United Kingdom returns to Junior Eurovision|work=Junioreurovision.tv|publisher=European Broadcasting Union|date=25 August 2022}}

{{reflist|group=Note}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.itv.com/ ITV]
• [http://www.stv.tv/ STV]
• [http://www.itv.com/utv UTV]
• [http://www.channel4.com/ Channel 4]
• [http://www.s4c.co.uk/hafan/e_index.shtml S4C English]
• [http://www.s4c.co.uk/hafan/c_index.shtml S4C Welsh]

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Category:Television organisations in the United Kingdom

Category:ITV (TV network)

Category:Channel 4

Category:European Broadcasting Union members

Category:1981 establishments in the United Kingdom

Category:Organizations established in 1981