Based in | Glasgow |
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Broadcast area | Central Scotland |
First airdate | 31 August 1957 |
Owned by | STV Group plc |
Website | www |
Scottish Television (now, legally, known as STV Central Ltd and referred to on-air as STV) is Scotland's largest ITV franchisee, and has held the ITV franchise for Central Scotland since 31 August 1957. It is the second oldest ITV franchisee still active (Granada Television being the oldest). The channel is now owned and operated by STV Group plc (formerly SMG plc), which also owns another independent television franchise, Grampian Television (now STV North), based in Aberdeen.
STV Central produces news for the west and east halves of its transmission region (STV News at Six) along with current affairs, politics and sports programmes for Northern and Central Scotland. Along with STV North and ITV Tyne Tees & Border, STV Central is a commercial rival to the publicly funded national broadcaster, BBC Scotland, and is based alongside its studios at Pacific Quay in Glasgow.
Scottish Television was founded by Canadian newspaper magnate Roy Thomson (later Lord Thomson). As a base he bought the Theatre Royal, Glasgow from Howard & Wyndham Ltd, who became minor partners in the new venture. Thomson invited Canadian television producer Rai Purdy to become the station's first head of programming. In the months leading up to opening night, Purdy pledged that the new channel would provide first class entertainment and as much cultural programming as possible as well as allowing Scottish talent every opportunity to develop and be seen on STV.