ITV4
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| ITV4 | |
|---|---|
| Image:ITV4logo06.png | |
| Launched | November 1, 2005 |
| Owned by | ITV plc |
| Picture format | 16:9/4:3, 576i (SDTV) |
| Audience share | 0.8% (November 2007, [1]) |
| Website | www.itv.com/itv4 |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Freeview | Channel 28 |
| Satellite | |
| Sky Digital | Channel 120 |
| Astra 2D | 10758V 22000 5/6 |
| Cable | |
| Virgin Media | Channel 117 |
| Internet Television | |
| itv.com | Any Page |
ITV4 is a UK television station which launched on November 1, 2005. The ITV plc channel has a male-oriented line-up, including sport, cop shows and US comedies and dramas, as well as classic ITV action series of the 1960s and '70s. The channel has an annual budget of just £15m, compared to £900 - 1000m for the ITV Network.[citation needed]
ITV4 is broadcast on Freeview, digital cable and satellite television. It was expected that ITV4 would replace the existing Men & Motors channel, until ITV plc stated that the two channels would run alongside each other. Both channels were on Freeview until ITV plc took Men & Motors off Freeview (although it remained on other platforms) and replaced it with the live quiz channel ITV Play (which was later taken off air and replaced with ITV2+1). Some programming from Men & Motors was transferred to ITV4.
ITV4's launch night aired on Freeview channel 30. Although it was broadcast on the Astra 2D satellite used by Sky, so users could manually tune it in, it launched on Sky Digital channel 120, after ITV2 and ITV3 in the listings, on 7 November. Prior to this date, some sporting content was simulcast on Men & Motors in an ITV4 on M&M strand. ITV4 broadcasts weekdays between 6pm and 6am and weekends between 12.30pm and 6am, with space on Freeview being used by the CITV Channel for the other hours of the day.
ITV4 was the first channel to launch the new on-screen look that rolled out across the rest of ITV plc's channels on January 16, 2006. Red Bee Media designed the new logos and presentation for the entire corporation that saw the end of the yellow and blue squared look designed for ITV1, ITV2 and the cube look for ITV3 with the sharp font.
ITV plc had hoped ITV4 would compete with Channel 4's third channel, More4,[citation needed] despite the latter's larger £33m budget. ITV4 has occasionally beaten More4 in the ratings and is currently beating More4 by 0.1%
[edit] Some programmes shown on ITV4
In addition to these shows, a number of hits from the ITC catalogue are shown, such as The Saint and The Persuaders!.
In a change of pace, in June 2007, ITV4 aired The Winner.
Sporting coverage includes the UEFA Champions League, Formula One, live boxing, Tour de France, World Poker Tour and the brand new Grand Slam of Darts.
ITV4 used to air the Late Show with David Letterman from the 1st November 2005 until it was dropped by ITV4 on the 27th October 2006 and replaced with Saturday Night Live from 4th November 2006.
[edit] External links
ITV | |
|---|---|
| Companies | ITV plc · SMG plc · UTV Media plc · Channel Television Ltd · GMTV Ltd |
| ITV Franchises | Northern Scotland: Grampian · Central Scotland: Scottish · Scottish/English Border and Isle of Man: Border · Northern Ireland: UTV · North East England: Tyne Tees · Yorkshire/Lincolnshire: Yorkshire · North and North West England (Weekdays): Granada · North, Midlands, and North West England (Weekends): ABC · Wales and the West of England: TWW, WWN, ITSWW, HTV · Midlands: ATV, Central · East Anglia: Anglia · London (Weekdays): Rediffusion, Thames, Carlton · London (Weekends): ATV, LWT · South and South East England: Southern, TVS, Meridian · South West England: Westward, TSW, Westcountry · Channel Islands: Channel |
| National franchises | Breakfast: TV-am, GMTV/GMTV2 · Teletext: ORACLE, Teletext Ltd. |
| Non-franchise regions | STV · ITV Thames Valley · ITV London |
| Digital channels | ITV2 · ITV3 · ITV4 · CITV Channel · Men & Motors |
| News | ITN · ITV News |
| Brands | Sport: ITV Sport · Children: CITV · Weather: ITV Weather · Mobile: ITV Mobile |
| Online | itv.com · ITV Local · Friends Reunited |
| See Also | ITV television presentation · ITV Digital |
| Independent television regulators | ITA (1955-72) · IBA (1972-91) · ITC (1991-2003) · Ofcom (2003-present) |
| Website: www.itv.com | |
