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Fourth UK television service
In the 1960s and 1970s, an envisioned fourth UK television service was popularly referred to as ITV2, before the launch of Channel 4 (and its Welsh counterpart, S4C) in November 1982.
During the established Television Act 1954, plans for "independent television" to consist of two or more channels in a given area were discussed its first inception, where ways of allowing the component companies to compete directly with one another were considered. When the first broadcasts went on the air in September 1955, there was not enough frequency space allocated for television, leading to the approach whereby each company was allotted a part of the country (or in the larger areas a period of the seven-day week, weekdays or weekend):
This arrangement was not seen as ideal and the Independent Television Authority (which was also admitted as an active member of the European Broadcasting Union on 1 January 1960) along with the regional companies continually pushed the government for capacity to license a second set of franchises.
When transmissions began on 625-line ultra high frequency in the early 1960s, the General Post Office was afforded the task of allocating each transmitter region with a set of frequencies that would provide maximum coverage and minimal interference; this provided capacity for four television channels, allowing one each for the existing BBC (later became BBC1) and ITV services already carried on 405-line very high frequency, one for the new BBC2 (from 20 April 1964) and a fourth for future allocations. By 1968, the ITA considered this sufficiently likely that the new franchises were awarded for the next ten-year period they included a clause that allowed the licence to be revoked and reconsidered if a fourth UHF network became a reality.
Subsequently, the potential fourth channel was often referred to as "ITV2". In anticipation of the second commercial network, it was common for television sets with push-button controls manufactured during the 1960s and 1970s to have buttons labelled "BBC1", "BBC2", "ITV1" and "ITV2".
During late 1969, the ITA started broadcasting in colour using the PAL system, and by the end of 1971 colour was available across the entire network, except in the Channel Islands[h] where colour broadcasts began in 1976:
The issue was a sensitive political point: the Labour Party of the 1950s and 1960s had traditionally been against commercial television and many on the left of the party wanted to see all commercial television abolished, advocating instead for an expansion of the BBC (which was not acted upon, most likely due to cost). The following Conservative government, and advocates of commercial broadcasting were also slow to act in implementing a new network after Edward Heath's victory in the general election on 18 June 1970, instead concentrating on Independent Local Radio when the Sound Broadcasting Act 1972 received royal assent on 12 July 1972, and the Independent Television Authority accordingly changed its name to the Independent Broadcasting Authority on the same day.
On 3 February 1977, the Annan Committee on the Future of Broadcasting made its recommendations including the establishment of a fourth independent television channel, albeit controlled by a new Open Broadcasting Authority; the establishment of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission; and an increase in independent production. ITV companies continued to hope for ITV2. With the approach of the 1979 general election on 3 May, both the Conservatives and Labour included plans for a fourth channel in their election manifestos. Labour favoured an Open Broadcasting Authority community service aimed at minority groups, while the Conservatives' plan was for the channel to be given to ITV. Both main parties also pledged to launch a separate Welsh language television service for Wales, but when the Conservatives were elected, the new Home Secretary William Whitelaw decided against the idea and suggested, except for an occasional opt-out, that the service should be the same as offered in the rest of the United Kingdom. This led to acts of civil disobedience including refusals to pay the television licence fee, and sit-ins used for both the BBC and HTV studios with some attacks on various transmitters for the Welsh-speaking areas.
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Fourth UK television service
In the 1960s and 1970s, an envisioned fourth UK television service was popularly referred to as ITV2, before the launch of Channel 4 (and its Welsh counterpart, S4C) in November 1982.
During the established Television Act 1954, plans for "independent television" to consist of two or more channels in a given area were discussed its first inception, where ways of allowing the component companies to compete directly with one another were considered. When the first broadcasts went on the air in September 1955, there was not enough frequency space allocated for television, leading to the approach whereby each company was allotted a part of the country (or in the larger areas a period of the seven-day week, weekdays or weekend):
This arrangement was not seen as ideal and the Independent Television Authority (which was also admitted as an active member of the European Broadcasting Union on 1 January 1960) along with the regional companies continually pushed the government for capacity to license a second set of franchises.
When transmissions began on 625-line ultra high frequency in the early 1960s, the General Post Office was afforded the task of allocating each transmitter region with a set of frequencies that would provide maximum coverage and minimal interference; this provided capacity for four television channels, allowing one each for the existing BBC (later became BBC1) and ITV services already carried on 405-line very high frequency, one for the new BBC2 (from 20 April 1964) and a fourth for future allocations. By 1968, the ITA considered this sufficiently likely that the new franchises were awarded for the next ten-year period they included a clause that allowed the licence to be revoked and reconsidered if a fourth UHF network became a reality.
Subsequently, the potential fourth channel was often referred to as "ITV2". In anticipation of the second commercial network, it was common for television sets with push-button controls manufactured during the 1960s and 1970s to have buttons labelled "BBC1", "BBC2", "ITV1" and "ITV2".
During late 1969, the ITA started broadcasting in colour using the PAL system, and by the end of 1971 colour was available across the entire network, except in the Channel Islands[h] where colour broadcasts began in 1976:
The issue was a sensitive political point: the Labour Party of the 1950s and 1960s had traditionally been against commercial television and many on the left of the party wanted to see all commercial television abolished, advocating instead for an expansion of the BBC (which was not acted upon, most likely due to cost). The following Conservative government, and advocates of commercial broadcasting were also slow to act in implementing a new network after Edward Heath's victory in the general election on 18 June 1970, instead concentrating on Independent Local Radio when the Sound Broadcasting Act 1972 received royal assent on 12 July 1972, and the Independent Television Authority accordingly changed its name to the Independent Broadcasting Authority on the same day.
On 3 February 1977, the Annan Committee on the Future of Broadcasting made its recommendations including the establishment of a fourth independent television channel, albeit controlled by a new Open Broadcasting Authority; the establishment of the Broadcasting Complaints Commission; and an increase in independent production. ITV companies continued to hope for ITV2. With the approach of the 1979 general election on 3 May, both the Conservatives and Labour included plans for a fourth channel in their election manifestos. Labour favoured an Open Broadcasting Authority community service aimed at minority groups, while the Conservatives' plan was for the channel to be given to ITV. Both main parties also pledged to launch a separate Welsh language television service for Wales, but when the Conservatives were elected, the new Home Secretary William Whitelaw decided against the idea and suggested, except for an occasional opt-out, that the service should be the same as offered in the rest of the United Kingdom. This led to acts of civil disobedience including refusals to pay the television licence fee, and sit-ins used for both the BBC and HTV studios with some attacks on various transmitters for the Welsh-speaking areas.