Westcountry Television - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Westcountry Television, is the ITV franchise holder in the South West of England, ... Westcountry, originally an independent company, replaced Television South West ...
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YouTube - Westcountry Television - Adverts and News at Ten
Adverts and continuity from ITV Westcountry Television in 1996. ... Westcountry Television Advert News Ten ITN Ident ITV Sunday Independant Ariel ...
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Image:ITV Westcountry.svg - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Non-free use media rationale - non-free logo for Westcountry Television. Description ... of the article discussing Westcountry Television, a subject of public ...
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TV - ITV1 Westcountry - LyngSat Address
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Westcountry Television - CLG Wiki
... TV, from the Viacom "V of Doom" to the Screen Gems "S from Hell" - Westcountry Television ... Westcountry Television. Westward Television. Yorkshire Television ...
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YouTube - Class 142's on Westcountry TV 23-01-2008.
The Westcountry TV news team go for a ride on FGW's premier Barnstaple line rolling stock... Sign Up QuickList (0) Help Sign In. UK English. Close ...
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TSW - CLG Wiki
... original logo authority that discusses all closing logos you see on TV, from the Viacom "V of Doom" to the Screen ... by Westcountry Television. 1st Logo ...
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Westcountry - Home - Welcome To ITV Local for the West Country
The latest news, weather, travel and information for the West Country, Exeter, Plymouth, Newquay, Dorset, Cornwall, Devon, and Scilly Isles.
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ITV1 - The TV IV
Channel Television (Channel Islands; September 1, 1962) ... Grampian Television (Northern ... Westcountry Television (Southwest England; January 1, 1993) ...
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ITV
Carlton West Country Region (Westcountry Television Ltd) www.westcountry.co.uk ... London Weekend Television www.g-wizz.co.uk/lwt ...
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{{Infobox ITV franchisee| name = Westcountry Television | image = ] | based = [Plymouth | area = [Devon
[Cornwall
South and West [Somerset
West [Dorset | owner = [ITV plc | airdate = 1 January [ | oldlogo = ]
''Westcountry TV logo 1993'' | captionb = | closeddate = lost on-air identity on 27 October [ (verbally known as '''ITV1 Westcountry''' before regional programming only) | replaced = [Television South West | replacedby = | website = http://www.itvlocal.com/westcountry itvlocal.com/westcountry -->Westcountry Television is the ITV franchise holder in the South West of England, replacing its predecessor, TSW (Television South West), on 1 January 1993. It covers Devon, Cornwall, and areas of Somerset and Dorset.

Although Westcountry is intended for Devon and Cornwall and parts of Somerset and West Dorset, it can be picked up in parts of South Wales and even South-West Ireland (i.e Munster). It is common in many area in South Wales for residents to receive Westcountry solely as opposed to official Welsh broadcaster, HTV. Likewise, people in North Devon and North Cornwall can sometimes pick up HTV and Radio Telefís Éireann (the national television service of the Republic of Ireland).

ITV Westcountry has sub-studios in: Penzance, Truro, Plymouth, Exeter, Torbay, Barnstaple, Weymouth, and Taunton as well as the main studio on the Langage Science Park, to the east of Plympton near Plymouth. Plans for a purpose-built studio complex on the Plymouth waterfront had to be abandoned because of TSW's legal challenge to the franchise award. It has four sub-programmes (local news sections) within its main Westcountry News evening programme, covering the West (Truro), East (Exeter), North (Barnstaple) and South (Plymouth) of the Region. It was the first ITV company to do this.

In 2009, Westcountry, along with HTV, HTV and Granada Television will cease its analogue broadcasts as part of the switch to digital TV.

Pre-history Westcountry Television was one of two rival consortia bidding against the incumbent TSW when the ITV franchises were put to tender early in 1991. Westcountry's original shareholders were Brittany Ferries and, controversially, South West Water. On 16 October 1991, Westcountry was announced as the winner, bidding £7 million a year against TSW's 16 million. Several local MPs were concerned that South West Water's involvement would lead to partiality in news items concerning the local water firm. In the beginning the firm was housed at Brittany Ferries' offices in Millbay Docks, Plymouth.

TSW launched a legal challenge to the franchise award, and after initially being refused permission to do so in the High Court a legal action began which would last almost three months and went all the way to the House of Lords. In February 1992, the legal process found in favour of Westcountry, and while they could now finally sign the franchise agreement their original programme plans were hit by the delay.

Following discussions with the Independent Television Commission, Westcountry announced on 01 April 1992 it had abandoned plans for a purpose-built waterfront studio complex in Plymouth, opting instead to convert an industrial unit at Langage Science Park, Plymouth. They also reduced their planned staffing levels - already far fewer than those of TSW - leading to an expression of disappointment by TSW's managing director Harry Turner.

History Wetscountry, originally an independent company, replaced Television South West at 00:00 GMT on 1 January, 1993. The first programme aired on the channel was a video welcoming viewers to Westcountry and promising higher levels of regional commitment, followed by the Eddie Murphy and Dudley Moore film Best Defense.

In 1996, Westcountry was purchased by Carlton Communications (now ITV plc), who by that time owned the London weekday (Carlton Television) and Midlands (Central Independent Television) franchises. Subsequently, Westcountry was re-branded as Carlton Westcountry in September 1999, although only referred on screen as Carlton. On 27 October 2002, Carlton Westcountry lost its regional identity, and became known as ITV1 Carlton prior to regional programmes only, while being known as ITV1 at all other times. The franchise briefly became ITV1 for the Westcountry in 2003, before being renamed as ITV1 Westcountry upon the ITV plc merger of 2004. ITV1 Westcountry was used for a time after this, although now the regional name is only verbally mentioned before any locally-produced programming.

Following a speech by Michael Grade about regional broadcasting post switchover at the 2007 Nations and Regions conference in Cardiff, there has been speculation that ITV Westcountry and ITV West could merge operations, as part of further streamlining of regional operations (other regions affected could include ITV Border and ITV Anglia). Rumours suggest that, while a newsroom (and separate regional identity) would be retained in the south west, the main Westcountry Live programme would move to a studio alongside The West Tonight at ITV West in Bristol (akin to the Meridian and Thames Valley news services at Whiteley). On 12th September 2007, ITV issued a statement to the City of London, saying that it wished to reduce the number of news studios from 17 to just 9. This includes merging ITV West with ITV Westcountry at the end of 2008. Therefore, news for Devon and Cornwall will originate, and be broadcasted from Bristol. OFCOM have yet to approve these plans.

Programmes Westcountry has not made any notable contribution to the ITV network, but produces mainly regional programmes such as Westcountry Live, the main evening news bulletin, as well as several regional factual series.

Westcountry Live presenters are: Sheila Jansen, Peter Wareham, Richard Bath, Nicky Parr, Jemma Woodman, Alexis Bowater and James Wignall. Richard Bath and Alexis Bowater usually present the main programme at 6pm.

• Westcountry Live (1993-present)
• Westcountry Update - no longer made
• Westcountry Life
• West Wise
• Brief Encounters
• Birthday People - discontinued in 2005

Future In June 2007, ITV plc executive chairman Michael Grade hinted at a possible re-structure of the ITV regional layout, stating the existence of smaller regional services including Westcountry "no longer makes sense" relative to the regional audience they serve Grade hints at ITV Region re-structure - Digital Spy. The move is expected to give ITV plc "greater value for money", however will be subject to Ofcom approval ITV Close to New Regional Plan - Digital Spy.

The plan was confirmed in September 2007, and would reduce the number of regional news programmes from 17 to just 9, saving around £35 to £40 million each year, and will inevitably see ITV Westcountry's Westcountry Live merge with ITV West's The West Tonight programme. Pre-recorded sub-regional news is expected to be added to each programme; a practice which has been used by Westcountry since launch in 1993. Future job losses are currently unknown BBC News - ITV to merge regional newsrooms.

References

External links

• ITV Westcountry at ITV Local
• Westcountry Television at TV Ark
• Carlton Westcountry at TV Ark

Westcountry Television - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Westcountry Television is the ITV franchise holder in the South West of England, replacing its predecessor, TSW (Television South West), on 1 January 1993.

TV World Westcountry Television
westcountry television launched on the 1st january1993 , replacing the popular television south west. westcountry launch 01/01/1993

SOUTH WEST ENGLAND: WESTCOUNTRY TELEVISION APR
South West England: Westcountry Television . Nineteen ninety-seven was the first year in which Westcountry operated, not as a free-standing company, but as part of a larger ...

SOUTH WEST ENGLAND: WESTCOUNTRY TELEVISION APR
SOUTH WEST ENGLAND: WESTCOUNTRY TELEVISION . The television service in South West England went through fundamental change in 1999. Not only were there new formats or slots for ...

TV50 : British TV Idents & Jingles 1950 - 2000 : Westcountry ...
TV50 : Ident Gallery : Stills : Westcountry Television Idents 1993 - 2000

TV ARK | Westcountry Idents
Westcountry - Opening Promo 01.01.1993 Following Big Ben's chimes, Westcountry unleashed itself onto South West screens with this video, welcoming viewers to their service.

Carlton Television
Official Carlton Communications plc site . Official Carlton Television site . Status: Franchise owner London weekdays. Also owner of Central Television and Westcountry Television.

Westcountry News
Westcountry Television News. 01/01/93 - 05/09/ 99 [ Main | News | Programmes | ... First shown on 4th January 1993, Westcountry Live was ...

Westcountry
Westcountry Television. 01/01/93 - 05/09 /99 [ Main | News | Programmes | ... Following Big Ben's chimes, Westcountry unleashed itself onto ...

TV ARK | ITV South West Index
WESTCOUNTRY TELEVISION - 01 January 1993 - 05 September 1999, 01 February 2004-2009 ... This page has been written and presented by Simon Luxton. The information ...