Fourth UK television service
In the 1960s and 1970s, an envisioned fourth UK television service was popularly referred to as ITV-2, before the launch of Channel 4 and its Welsh counterpart, Sianel Pedwar Cymru in 1982.
History
Beginnings
Plans for independent television to consist of two or more channels in a given area were first discussed during its inception, where ways of allowing the composite companies to compete directly with one another were considered. When the first broadcasts went on the air on 22 September 1955, there was not enough frequency space allocated for television, leading to the approach whereby each competing company was allotted a part of the country :| Channel | Regional area |
| BBC Television Service | London, Midlands, North of England, Scotland, West of England, Northern Ireland, Wales |
| Independent Television | Associated-Rediffusion/ATV, ATV/ABC Television, Granada Television/ABC Television, Scottish Television, TWW, Southern Television, Tyne Tees Television, Anglia Television, Ulster Television, Westward Television, Border Television, Grampian Television, Channel Television, WWN/Teledu Cymru |
This arrangement was not seen as ideal and the Independent Television Authority along with the franchisees continually pushed the government for capacity to license a second set of franchises.
Proposals
When transmissions began on 625-line ultra high frequency in the early 1960s, the General Post Office were 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 services, allowing one each for the existing BBC and Independent Television services already carried on 405-line very high frequency, one for the new BBC-2 and a fourth for future allocations. By 1968, the ITA considered this sufficiently likely that when awarding new franchises for the next ten-year period they included a clause that allowed the licence to be revoked and reconsidered if 'ITV-2' became a reality.The term 'ITV-2' became popular as the term 'ITV' itself grew in popularity for the commercial network which had previously been referred to by generic titles 'Independent Television' or 'Commercial Television'. In anticipation of the second network, it was common for television sets manufactured during the 1960s and 1970s to having the four channel buttons labelled BBC-1, BBC-2, ITV-1 and ITV-2.
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 BBC Television. The following Conservative government, and advocates of commercial broadcasting, were also slow to act in implementing a new network came into effect on 18 June 1970 after Edward Heath's victory during the general election, instead concentrating on Independent Local Radio while the Sound Broadcasting Act received royal assent on 12 July 1972 and the Independent Television Authority accordingly changed its name to the Independent Broadcasting Authority that same day.
In February 1977, the Annan Committee on the future of broadcasting makes its recommendations, they include the establishment of a fourth independent television channel, the establishment of Broadcasting Complaints Commission and an increase in independent production. With the approach of the 1979 general election both the Conservatives and Labour include plans for a fourth channel in their election manifestos. Labour favours an Open Broadcasting Authority community service aimed at minority groups, while the Conservatives plan is for the channel to be given to ITV. Both main parties also pledge to launch a separate Welsh language television service for Wales, and suggests except for an occasional opt-out, the service should be the same as that offered in the rest of the United Kingdom. This leads to acts of civil disobedience, including refusals to pay the television licence fee and sit-ins in BBC and HTV studios and some attacks on television transmitters in Welsh-speaking areas.
On 17 September 1980, the government reverses its position on a separate Welsh language service for Wales following opposition from the public and Welsh politicians, including a threat from the former president of Plaid Cymru, Gwynfor Evans, to go on hunger strike and the idea is given the green light. This leads to the establishment of the Welsh Fourth Channel Authority.
Legacy
The resultant service, Channel 4, and a variant for Wales, S4C, began in November 1982. It could be said that this service was the long-awaited 'ITV-2' in all but name, as it was operated and regulated by the Independent Broadcasting Authority, later became the Independent Television Commission, was funded by the rest of ITV and had a substantial amount of content produced by the major ITV companies until the end of 1992:| Name | Nation | Advertising funded by ITV regional companies | Service date |
| S4C | Wales | HTV Cymru Wales | 1 November 1982 |
| Channel 4 | England | Thames Television/London Weekend Television, Anglia Television, Television South, HTV West, Television South West, Central Independent Television, Granada Television, Yorkshire Television, Tyne Tees Television, Border Television | 2 November 1982 |
| Channel 4 | Scotland | Border Television, Scottish Television, Grampian Television | 2 November 1982 |
| Channel 4 | Northern Ireland | Ulster Television | 2 November 1982 |
| Channel 4 | Isle of Man | Granada Television, Border Television | 2 November 1982 |
| Channel 4 | Guernsey | Channel Television | 2 November 1982 |
| Channel 4 | Jersey | Channel Television | 2 November 1982 |
Aftermath
On 1 January 1993, Channel 4 becomes an independent statutory corporation, under the terms of the Broadcasting Act 1990, the channel is now also allowed to sell its own airtime. Under the Act, ITV have agreed to fund Channel 4 if it falls below 14% of total advertising revenue. The channel also makes a payment of £38m to ITV under terms of its funding formula.It was not until 16 years after the launch of Channel 4 and S4C that the name 'ITV2' was used for a new digital channel on 7 December 1998.