Westward TV
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|
| Based in | Plymouth |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area |
Devon Cornwall South Somerset Taunton Deane West Dorset West Somerset |
| First airdate | 29 April 1961 |
| Closed | 31 December 1981 as branding; 1 January 1982 at 12.40 am (alongside TSW brand) as channel |
| Replaced by | TSW |
| Owned by | Self-owned |
Westward Television was the first ITV franchise holder for the South West of England. It held the franchise from 29 April 1961 until 31 December 1981. After a difficult start, Westward Television provided a popular, distinctive and highly regarded service to its region, until public boardroom squabbles led to its franchise not being renewed by the IBA. Westward launched the career of many broadcasters who became well known nationally, won numerous awards for its programming, and heavily influenced its successor, TSW.
The company's first chairman was Peter Cadbury who had left the board of Tyne Tees Television to set up the company and bid for the south-west franchise, which he won against 11 competing bids. Cadbury named the company after the golf course at Westward Ho! in north Devon, where he played. Ironically, Westward Ho! was part of the region that found reception of the television signal most difficult, until the construction of the Huntshaw Cross relay transmitter in 1968. Westward's region was surrounded on three sides by the sea, which was strongly reflected in Westward's output and its company logo, a silver model of the Golden Hind.
In early January 1969, plans were drawn up for a merger between Westward and the Keith Prowse company, as Peter Cadbury was chairman of both. By 17 January, the deal was done. EMI purchased Keith Prowse Music Publishing from Westward in the latter part of 1969. Soon, the Westward board was in continual disagreement, and in January 1970, Cadbury was sacked, and re-hired within days as the chairman of the Westward board, after he made outspoken remarks against the levy imposed on advertising revenue imposed by the IBA while also withholding a Westward corporation tax bill to the Inland Revenue over the same matter. By July 1980, Cadbury was finally removed from the Westward board and over the following six months, he tried to regain control.
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