ITV Meridian
ITV Meridian (previously Meridian Broadcasting) is the holder of the ITV franchise for the South and South East of England. The station was launched at 12:00 am on 1 January 1993, replacing previous broadcaster Television South, and is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting Limited. Meridian Broadcasting Ltd was one of several (but not all) ITV plc-owned regional companies to have its legal name changed on 29 December 2006, when it became ITV Meridian Ltd. This company is, along with most other regional companies owned by ITV plc, listed with Companies House as a "Dormant company".
Logo used since 2013 | |
| Type | Region of television network |
|---|---|
| Branding | ITV1 |
| Country | |
First air date | 1 January 1993 |
| Founded | 16 October 1991 (company) |
| TV transmitters | Rowridge, Dover, Hannington, Bluebell Hill, Midhurst, Whitehawk Hill, Heathfield; Oxford (since 2015) |
| Headquarters | Whiteley, Hampshire (previously Southampton) |
Broadcast area | Central Southern England, South East England, Thames Valley |
| Owner | ITV plc (2004–present) Granada plc (2000–2004) United News & Media (1996–2000) |
| Dissolved | lost on-air identity on 27 October 2002 (now known as ITV at all times) |
Former names | Meridian Broadcasting |
Picture format | 1080i HDTV, downscaled to 16:9 576i for SDTV |
| Affiliation(s) | ITV |
Official website | itv |
| Language | English |
| Replaced | TVS |
The company broadcasts to the region from transmitters at Hannington, Midhurst, Rowridge, Whitehawk Hill, Hastings, Heathfield, Tunbridge Wells, Bluebell Hill, Dover and, since 2015, Oxford (previously part of the ITV Central region), as well as associated relays.
Today, ITV Meridian operates from studios in Whiteley, Hampshire, producing regional news services for three sub-regions, covering the South Coast of England, the South East of England and the Thames Valley.