Central Independent Television
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| Based in | Birmingham |
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| Broadcast area | Midlands |
| First airdate | 1 January 1982 |
| Closed | lost on-air identity 27 October 2002 (known as ITV at all times) |
| Replaced | Associated Television |
| Owned by | ITV plc |
| Website | ITV Central |
| Former logo | |
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ITV Central, previously known as Central Independent Television, Carlton Central and popularly shortened to Central, is the Independent Television contractor for the Midlands, and was created following the restructuring of ATV and commencing broadcast on 1 January 1982. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting Limited.
During the 1970s ATV, the previous Midlands licence holder, had often been criticised for its lack of regional output and character. Although ATV had purpose-built a modern colour production complex in the centre of Birmingham, most of its major productions were recorded at its main studios at Elstree in Hertfordshire, a legacy of when the company also served London at the weekends prior to 1968. Equally, its corporate headquarters were based in central London.
ATV attempted to address its problem in 1980 as part of its franchise re-application; with plans for a second major facility in the area (to be based in Nottingham) and as part of the Independent Broadcasting Authority plan for the contract to be a dual region, providing separate news coverage for both the East and the West Midlands. The company name would also be changed from ATV Network Limited to ATV Midlands Limited, thus reinforcing the greater regional focus. The IBA accepted ATV's assertion that ATV Midlands Ltd planned to take a more local identity, and awarded the contract to ATV Midlands Ltd on the basis that further changes were to be implemented, including that the parent company Associated Communications Corporation would divest 49% of its shareholding in ATV Midlands Ltd in an attempt to introduce local shareholders and that ATV Midlands Ltd's registered office should be within the region. To demonstrate this change of share structure, the IBA insisted that ATV change its company name, to show that it was a substantially new company due to the requirements of a dual region.
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