Television South West
 Logo used from 1 January 1982 – 31 December 1992. |
|
| Based in | Plymouth |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area |
Devon Cornwall South & West Somerset West Dorset |
| First airdate | 1 January 1982 at 12:00am |
| Closed | 31 December 1992 at 11:59pm |
| Replaced | Westward Television |
| Replaced by | Westcountry Television |
| Owned by | independent, public limited company |
Television South West (TSW) was the ITV franchise holder for the South West England region from 1 January 1982 until 31 December 1992, broadcasting from studios at Derry's Cross in Plymouth, Devon.
On 28 December 1980 TSW was awarded the contract to serve the South West England from the night of 31 December 1981 at 12 midnight for a 10-year period, succeeding incumbent Westward Television which had served the area since 1961.
TSW promised greater investment in the area including the introduction of Electronic News Gathering facilities at a number of sites in the region (a process already started by Westward) and a stronger emphasis on local programming (an area in which Westward had been particularly successful).
However TSW's success in winning the contract may have been helped by boardroom friction within Westward which had blighted the company for several years and incurred criticism from the Independent Broadcasting Authority. During negotiations to purchase Westward's facilities at Derry's Cross, Plymouth the management of TSW bought the whole company for £2.38million and thus went on-air four months early on 11 August 1981, although they transmitted under the Westward name until the end of the year.
TSW was seen as slightly more ambitious than both its predecessor Westward Television and its successor Westcountry Television and its presentation, although still homelier than much seen on ITV and not dissimilar to that of Westward, was considered more professional than its forebear.
TSW was one of the last ITV companies to start broadcasting 24-hours in daily which it did so on 2 September 1988, on the same day as Border Television, Tyne Tees Television and Grampian Television. It was also one of the first ITV companies to start broadcasting in Nicam Digital Stereo, which it started doing in summer 1990.
Shortly, right after Roger Shaw delivered the closing announcement on Westward's closing night, TSW began with a short video clip of a champagne bottle being opened accompanied by the short audio version of the station ident "That's Soul, Write". Shaw then re-appeared wearing a modern suit (no longer in a dinner jacket), and now in a modern chair, surrounded by staff wearing TSW T-shirts and holding 2" videotapes. This was clearly to remind viewers of a new modern era. Shaw made the first announcement on TSW:
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