ITV1 - Definition and Overview

ITV1 is the primary television channel broadcast in the United Kingdom by the ITV network. From its founding in 1955 the channel was known nationally as Independent Television (later ITV) and locally by the regional branding of the local ITV franchise operator. The network was renamed ITV1 in August 2001, with the increased uptake of digital TV and the existence of ITV2 (which had started in 1998). From October 2002 the station began to drop regional identification for all but select local programmes and began to adopt a unified national branding of ITV1. This style was not taken up by the Scottish Television (Central Scotland), Grampian (Northern Scotland) or UTV (Northern Ireland) regions.

On November 1st, 2004, the channel adopted a new on-air look to co-incide with the launch of ITV3. The new look was designed mainly to improve cross-channel promotion across the ITV network.