Scottish Television

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

<tr><th>Website</th><td>stv.tv</td></tr>

**Scottish Television** <tr><td colspan="2" style="font-size: smaller; text-align: center;">Image:Stv.gif</td></tr><tr><th>Based in</th><td>Glasgow</td></tr><tr><th>Broadcast area</th><td>Central Scotland</td></tr><tr><th>Launched</th><td>31 August 1957</td></tr><tr><td colspan="2" style="font-size: smaller; text-align: center;">

Scottish Television logo, mid 1980s
</td></tr><tr><th>Closed</th><td>lost on-air identity on 30 May 2006
(rebranded as stv along with Grampian Television)</td></tr>
Owned by	SMG plc

Scottish Television (stv central), now known as stv on air, is Scotland's largest independent television franchisee, and has held the ITV franchise for Central Scotland since 31 August, 1957. The studios were located on Renfield Street in Cowcaddens, Glasgow since its launch in 1957, but moved to new studios in Pacific Quay, alongside BBC Scotland and the Glasgow Science Centre. The channel is now owned by SMG plc, which also owns Scotland's other independent television francisee, Grampian Television, based in Aberdeen.

stv central produces news, current affairs, politics and sports programmes (in both English and Gaelic) for its transmission region, as well as for the whole of Scotland. stv central's main news programme is Scotland Today, and the main sports show is Scotsport, the world's longest running sports television programme. Along with stv north, stv central is the main rival to the publicly-funded national broadcaster, BBC Scotland.

In 2008, the United Kingdom plans to begin its 5-year programme to cease Analogue television broadcasts as part of the switchover to Digital television, with stv central switching over from October 2010 till March 2011.

[edit] Channel changes

On 2 March 2006, it was announced by SMG plc that later in 2006 Scottish Television will revert to using its former brand name of 'stv', which it previously used (in the captialised STV form) from the start of colour broadcasting in 1969 until 30 August 1985, and which the station is still informally known as in parts of Scotland. At the same time, Grampian TV would also become known as stv, so one identity will serve the two SMG Licences. It was announced that no jobs will be lost. The two regional news programmes, Scotland Today (Scottish TV) and North Tonight (Grampian TV), both still broadcast in the regions after the rebranding, which was launched on 30 May 2006.