{{Short description|East of England branch for ITV}} {{Use dmy dates|date=June 2022}} {{Infobox broadcasting network | name = ITV Anglia | logo = ITV Anglia 2013.svg | logo_size = 150 | logo_alt = | logo caption = Logo used since 2013 | image = ITV Anglia 2015 locator map.svg | image_size = 150 | type = Region of [[television network]] | branding = [[ITV1]] | country = [[United Kingdom]] | airdate = {{start date and age|1959|10|27|df=y|p=y}} | tvtransmitters = [[Sandy Heath transmitting station|Sandy Heath]], [[Sudbury transmitting station|Sudbury]], [[Tacolneston transmitting station|Tacolneston]]<br />''(formerly [[Belmont transmitting station|Belmont]], [[Mendlesham transmitting station|Mendlesham]])'' | headquarters = Anglia House, [[Norwich]] | broadcast_area = [[East of England]] | owner = [[ITV plc]] | launch_date = <!-- {{Start date|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y}} --> | dissolved = lost on-air identity on {{End date|2002|10|27|df=y}} (now known as ITV at all times) | former_names = Anglia Television | Picture format = [[1080i]] [[HDTV]], downscaled to [[16:9]] [[576i]] for [[SDTV]] | affiliation = [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] | website = {{URL|https://itv.com/anglia}} | language = English | subsidiary = Anglia Television Entertainment }}
'''ITV Anglia''', previously known as '''Anglia Television''', is the [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] franchise holder for the [[East of England]]. The station is based at Anglia House in [[Norwich]], with regional news bureaux in [[Cambridge]] and [[Northampton]]. ITV Anglia is owned and operated by [[ITV plc]] under the licence name of ITV Broadcasting Limited.<ref>{{cite web|title=Anglia ITV|url=http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/tv-broadcast-licences/current-licensees/channel-3/anglia/|work=TV Broadcast Licences|publisher=Ofcom|access-date=25 January 2012|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120415101156/http://licensing.ofcom.org.uk/tv-broadcast-licences/current-licensees/channel-3/anglia/|archive-date=15 April 2012}}</ref>
ITV Anglia broadcasts to [[Norfolk]], [[Suffolk]], [[Essex]], [[Cambridgeshire]], [[Northamptonshire]], [[Bedfordshire]], northern [[Hertfordshire]], northern [[Buckinghamshire]] and the southeastern fringes of [[Lincolnshire]] and [[Leicestershire]]. Its principal programme nowadays is [[ITV News Anglia]] which is split into two regional editions, both airing at 18:00 on weekdays and various times at weekends.
==History== {{Further|Timeline of Anglia Television}} Anglia Television launched on 27 October 1959 as an independent company serving the East of England, the eleventh [[Independent Television Authority|ITA]] station to go on air. At its launch, Anglia broadcast from the Mendlesham Transmitter and was soon joined by Sandy Heath and then Belmont. Under the chairmanship of [[Aubrey Buxton, Baron Buxton of Alsa|Aubrey Buxton]] the station soon established a reputation for producing excellent drama, through a deal with the then-franchise holder for London, [[Associated-Rediffusion]]. Anglia also established the long-running nature documentary series ''[[Survival (TV series)|Survival]]''. During the early 1960s, it looked towards the unserved portion of south-east England, which was to be served by a transmitter at Dover, as a logical extension to its eastern bailiwick – however, the ITA decided to hand this part of the country to [[Southern Television]] instead.
In 1973, the [[Independent Broadcasting Authority|IBA]] planned to transfer the [[Belmont transmitting station|Belmont transmitter]], which served Lincolnshire, eastern Yorkshire, northern Norfolk and eastern Nottinghamshire, away from Anglia to [[Yorkshire Television]]. The public protested against such a move, especially in parts of north Norfolk.<ref>Transfer of Anglia transmitter. The Times (London, England), Monday, 19 February 1973; pg. 13.</ref><ref>Yorkshire in Norfolk. P. B. LUCAS. The Times (London, England), Friday, 23 February 1973; pg. 1</ref> Anglia decided not to publicly fight the IBA plans, after a board member had agreed to produce a film for the IBA explaining why Anglia should be allowed to keep hold of the Belmont transmitter.<ref>Anglia TV put film in custody of IBA. The Times, Saturday, 21 April 1973; pg. 15</ref> On 30 July 1974, the transmitter was transferred;<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thebigtower.com/live/Belmont/131P24000403071.htm|title=TheBigTower Belmont Dates|work=thebigtower.com}}</ref> due to this change, Anglia's profits were reduced from £2.2 million to £1.29 million.<ref>Profit halved at Anglia TV. The Times, Thursday, 23 January 1975.</ref> However, by 1976 Anglia had managed to improve its operations, posting results of £1.47 million. Anglia described the improvement as "satisfactory", and its prospects were considered "encouraging".<ref>Only dividend curbs restrain Anglia TV. The Times, Thursday, 24 June 1976; pg. 22.</ref>
In 1975, the technicians' union [[Association of Cinematograph, Television and Allied Technicians|(ACTT)]] criticised Anglia over the amount of regional programming being produced at the station, stating it had been dramatically decreasing since 1970 to just five hours per week. The concerns were raised to the IBA, who they believed would be able to construe the rapid decline in programming as the failure of Anglia to not fully commit to its obligations for the franchise area.<ref>Union criticizes cut in regional programmes. By a Staff Reporter. The Times, Tuesday, 20 May 1975</ref>
In December 1976, Anglia dropped the [[Thames Television|Thames]] children's series ''[[Pauline's Quirkes]]'' as it believed it was insufficiently entertaining for its young audience. The company denied the move was due to the high volume of complaints about the content of the series. Thames said it was "surprised" at the decision, as the programme had rated well.<ref>ITV company drops '[[Pauline's Quirkes]]'. By Our Arts Reporter. The Times, Tuesday, 7 December 1976</ref>
In the autumn of 1977, a commercial Dutch television company{{who|date=June 2020}} was recording Anglia television signals and transmitting its English programmes, including [[ITV Granada|Granada]]'s ''[[Coronation Street]]'' and its own ''Survival'', to its viewers in [[Amsterdam]]. The Dutch government did not believe it was a violation of Dutch copyright law – [[EBU]] legal advisers held discussions about to how resolve the matter.<ref>Foreign TV 'piracy' under fire. The Times, Saturday, 10 September 1977; pg. 23;</ref>
In 1979, a survey carried out by the IBA highlighted Anglia as one of the best-known ITV companies – Anglia claimed that this was a testament to the strength of its commitment to a prominent local and national identity.{{cn|date=July 2023}}
===1980s=== In 1980, Anglia successfully retained the franchise after defeating a challenge from East of England TV, who wished to operate from Cambridge.<ref>Starter's orders for the great ITV stakes The Guardian (1959–2003); 10 May 1980</ref> In addition, the IBA bowed to public pressure from 70,000 viewers in northern parts of Norfolk who were served by Yorkshire Television via the Belmont Transmitter; many of the viewers had gone to "considerable trouble and expense" to receive Anglia Television. Three new low powered relay stations were built, allowing easier access to Anglia transmissions.<ref>ITV's framework for survival in the eighties: Expectations of a harsh ... The Guardian, 25 January 1980.</ref>
Anglia was one of the first ITV companies to begin 24-hour transmission, launching a full overnight service in August 1987.
===1990s to present=== On 9 July 1990, ''About Anglia'' was replaced by a new dual news service, with both editions of ''Anglia News'' broadcast from Norwich (long before this became standard practice in other ITV regions). Journalists were also based at seven regional newsrooms and a Westminster bureau.<ref>Television & Radio. The Times, Monday, 9 July 1990.</ref> Anglia began providing separate news services for the East and West of the Anglia region.<ref>{{cite web|title=First Anglia News West| date=June 2008 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxaX2h0xaoQ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/hxaX2h0xaoQ |archive-date=21 December 2021 |url-status=live|publisher=YouTube|access-date=25 January 2012}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Barnes|first=Steve|title=Anglia Television – News|url=http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/itveast/news.html|publisher=TVARK: The Online Television Museum|access-date=25 January 2012|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401122946/http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/itveast/news.html|archive-date=1 April 2012}} Website contains video of original promotion of the new service.</ref> The two services were replaced with a single pan-regional service in February 2009 as part of major cutbacks to ITV's regional news output but have latterly been restored as ''[[ITV News Anglia]]''.
Anglia retained its franchise at the [[1991 ITV franchise auctions]]. In 1993, Anglia forged a partnership with American pay-TV network [[HBO]], owned by [[Time Warner]] (now [[Warner Bros. Discovery]]). Under this arrangement, Anglia acquired half-ownership in Citadel, an HBO production subsidiary; Time Warner subsequently acquired 50 percent of ITEL (International Television Enterprises Limited), Anglia's distribution unit. In addition, a new company was formed: Anglia Television Entertainment, 51% owned by Anglia and 49% owned by HBO.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/1993/tv/news/hbo-deal-with-anglia-tv-confirmed-105000/|title=HBO deal with Anglia TV confirmed|last=Dawtrey|first=Adam|date=16 March 1993|language=en-US|access-date=8 September 2016}}</ref> On 15 November, ATE entered into a joint-venture with [[Brian Cosgrove]] and [[Mark Hall (animator)|Mark Hall]] to form [[Cosgrove Hall Films]], a restructuring of their previous studio Cosgrove Hall Productions which went dormant following owners [[Thames Television]]'s loss of their ITV franchise. ATE would handle 75% ownership while ITEL would handle the international distribution, while animation production would remain at the studio's longtime home of Manchester.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dawtrey |first=Adam |date=1993-11-16 |title=HBO, Anglia form kidvid firm |url=https://variety.com/1993/tv/news/hbo-anglia-form-kidvid-firm-115865/ |access-date=2024-05-31 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}</ref>
In early 1994, Anglia Television was bought by MAI (owners of [[Meridian Broadcasting]]),<ref>{{cite news|last=Murray|first=John|title=Heseltine clears way for Anglia TV bid|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/heseltine-clears-way-for-anglia-tv-bid-1395076.html|access-date=25 January 2012|newspaper=The Independent|date=19 February 1994}}</ref> who merged with United Newspapers to form [[United News and Media]], eventually being joined by [[ITV Wales & West|HTV]] in 1996. In November 1999, UN&M purchased out HBO's stake in ITEL, making it a fully owned subsidiary.<ref>{{Cite web |title=United News and Media to buy out ITEL |url=https://realscreen.com/1999/11/01/27093-19991101/ |access-date=2024-05-31}}</ref>
Following United's aborted merger attempt with [[Carlton Communications]], [[Granada plc]] bought Anglia and Meridian, whilst selling off HTV (not including its studios) to Carlton. After the sale was complete, ITEL's assets were merged and folded into Granada Media's distribution arm.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://realscreen.com/2000/09/01/29843-20000901/ | title=ITEL to change hands from United to Granada }}</ref>
In 2004, Granada finally merged with Carlton to form [[ITV plc]], which ended Anglia Television's existence as a separate brand. During its period of UBM ownership, a 'youth' channel was launched to cable and satellite from Anglia Television's facilities, [[Rapture TV]]; some productions for the ITV network were also shared with Rapture, which was retained by UBM after the sale to Granada, but later closed down and its assets sold. Many early programmes for the newly launched [[Channel 5 (UK)|Channel 5]] were made at Anglia Television, as UBM also owned a stake in the channel (later sold to [[RTL Group]]).
Anglia Television no longer makes a significant content contribution to ITV nationally (the last major programme being ''[[Trisha Goddard (TV series)|Trisha]]'', before it moved to Channel 5) and the semi-independent Anglia Factual brand, which supplied content for [[Discovery Channel]] in the USA, [[Channel 4]] and [[Channel 5 (UK)|Channel 5]] in the UK and other broadcasters worldwide, was closed in January 2012 with any returning series re-allocated to either the London or Manchester factual departments.<ref>{{cite news|title=ITV Studios to close Norwich base with loss of 35 jobs|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-16549399|access-date=25 January 2012|newspaper=BBC News|date=13 January 2012}}</ref> Notable series included ''[[Animal Precinct]]'' and ''[[Animal Cops]]'' for [[Animal Planet]], ''Monkey Kingdom'' for [[Channel 5 (UK)|Channel 5]] and ''Real Crime'' and ''[[Survival with Ray Mears]]'' for [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] (credited as ITV Studios). Commercial Breaks, the now-defunct commercial production agency owned by ITV's sales division, was also based in Norwich.
In 2006, ITV plc swapped subsidiaries, which involved renaming ''Anglia Television Limited'' as ITV Broadcasting Limited and vice versa. However, due to Ofcom licensing regulation, the new Anglia Television Limited could not take up the franchise, which meant that the East Anglia franchise was effectively transferred to ''ITV Broadcasting Limited''. All other franchises then owned by [[ITV plc]] were transferred to ITV Broadcasting Limited in December 2008. Thus, technically the former Anglia Television Limited (as ITV Broadcasting Limited) now holds all eleven regional ITV licences in England, Wales and southern Scotland; the other three ITV plc-owned licensees, [[ITV Channel Television|Channel Television Limited]], [[ITV Breakfast|ITV Breakfast Broadcasting Limited]] and [[UTV (TV channel)|UTV Limited]], were acquired after 2008. Until 28 March 2017, Anglia Television Limited was listed on www.companieshouse.gov.uk as a private owned company.<ref>{{cite web |title=ANGLIA TELEVISION LIMITED overview - Find and update company information - GOV.UK |url=https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/05959958 |website=[[Companies House]] |access-date=17 January 2026}}</ref>
==Studios== [[Image:Anglia Television.JPG|thumb|250px|Anglia House, Anglia Television's headquarters on Agricultural Hall Plain in Norwich]] Throughout Anglia's existence, the company has retained its headquarters at Anglia House in [[Norwich]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Barnes|first=Steve|title=Anglia Television – History|url=http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/itveast/history.html|publisher=TVARK: The Online Television Museum|access-date=25 January 2012|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401122806/http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/itveast/history.html|archive-date=1 April 2012}} Contains images of Anglia House and a video clip of a broadcast from launch night in which Anglia house is seen.</ref> which contains four studios and offices for the company. As Anglia's production grew the company also expanded, buying a former bowling alley in Magdalen Street in the late 1970s and creating a further studio, referred to as 'Studio E'.<ref>'A Knight on the Box – 40 years of Anglia Television', Anglia Television Limited, Norwich, 1999, p67</ref> While larger productions moved here, as did the news service in 1999, some smaller productions (such as regional programmes) continued at Anglia House.
In recent years though, and especially since the formation of [[ITV plc]], the need for studio space has become unnecessary. In 2006, Anglia sold its Magdalen Street studio complex (which included its newsroom and twin news studios) to Norfolk County Council, which, with the help of the East of England Development Agency, created EPIC – the East of England Production Innovation Centre. Intended as an "incubator" for small creative and media enterprises, Studio E (formerly home to ''Trisha'') is now available for hire as an independent facility. One of the first tenants of EPIC was Televirtual, a company formed out of Broadsword Productions, which made Anglia's popular children's show ''[[Knightmare (TV series)|Knightmare]]''. A major education partner at EPIC is the Norwich School of Art and Design, which has based its Foundation Degree in Film and Video at the centre since September 2007.<ref>{{cite web|title=Foundation Degree in Film and Video|url=http://www.nsad.ac.uk/courses/foundationfilmandvideo.php|publisher=Norwich School of Art and Design|access-date=25 January 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080327081344/http://www.nsad.ac.uk/courses/foundationfilmandvideo.php|archive-date=27 March 2008}}</ref> As a consequence of the sale, ''[[Anglia News]]'' moved back to a new state-of-the-art facility at Anglia House.
==Identity== [[File:Knight crop.JPG|thumb|110px|The Anglia knight, used from 1959 to 1988.]] Anglia's original [[television ident|ident]] was the [[Anglia knight]], a silver statue of a knight on horseback.<ref name=TVARKidents>{{cite web|last=Barnes|first=Steve|title=Idents|url=http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/itveast/idents.html|work=Anglia Television|publisher=TVARK|access-date=3 September 2011|url-status=usurped|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401122748/http://www2.tv-ark.org.uk/itveast/idents.html|archive-date=1 April 2012}} Contains videos of Anglia Television's idents received from VHS recordings and from the company itself.</ref><ref name="elenangliabfi">{{Cite web |last=Elen |first=Richard G. |title=Anglia Television |url=http://www.screenonline.org.uk/tv/id/558806/index.html |access-date=2025-07-30 |website=BFI Screenonline}}</ref> At the end, the camera zoomed in on the [[pennon]] atop the knight's lance, which showed the station's name. An arrangement by [[Malcolm Sargent]], of the ''Alla Hornpipe'' movement of Handel's ''[[Water Music (Handel)|Water Music]]'' was played over the film.<ref name=TVARKidents/> The Anglia knight [[logo]] became so closely identified with the station that when Anglia produced a book to mark its fortieth anniversary in 1999, it was entitled ''A Knight On The Box''. Before the ident, the channel's start-up music was Ralph Vaughan Williams' ''[[Sea Songs]]'', which was used from 1959 until the early 1980s.<ref name=TVARKidents/> With the introduction of [[colour television]] on ITV in November 1969 (although not in the Anglia region until October 1970), the ident was remade with constant lighting, and the knight constantly rotating on a turntable – a longer version of the ident was used at the start of the day's transmission until the mid 1980s.<ref name=TVARKidents/>
[[File:Anglia Television.svg|thumb|200px|left|The Anglia 'A' logo introduced in March 1988.]] On Monday 21 March 1988, the knight was replaced by a new identity a quasi-heraldic stylised 'A' made of triangles, designed by [[Superunion|Robinson Lambie-Nairn]] at a cost of £500,000.<ref>(Norfolk) Evening Star. Tuesday 22 March 1988 "Exit the knight who has had his day..."</ref> The ident was accompanied by a deep sombre jingle composed by Nic Rowley<ref name=TVARKidents/> and remained in use until 8 November 1999, when (along with most other ITV companies), Anglia took the [[History of ITV television idents#November 1999 – October 2002|Hearts idents]], which featured the stylised "A" – though in a square rather than a flag – and were used until 2002.
On 28 October 2002, Anglia lost its on-screen identity in favour of the [[ITV1]] brand, with regional idents only before regional programming. This regional ident featured the Anglia name below the ITV1 logo against a blue background covering half of the screen, with a celebrity covering the other half. The Anglia logo could still be seen on screen as part of the news service and on the purple end boards used by the [[Granada plc|Granada]] companies introduced in 2001. In 2004, with all English and Welsh-based companies now owned by [[ITV plc]], the station lost its separate identity. The station was officially branded as ITV Anglia, and the stylised 'A' logo was dropped as the company logo, with the on-screen name used less and less, and dropped entirely by 2006.<ref name=TVARKidents/>
==Programmes== Much of Anglia's back catalogue is now held and preserved at the East Anglian Film Archive. A number of Anglia Television's productions including ''The Way We Were'', ''Bygones'' and ''Anglia At War'' have been released on DVD. A compilation of the first years of Anglia TV's local news, ''Here Was the News'' was also released in 2009.
Some of Anglia's best-known programmes were: {{Div col|colwidth=30em}} * ''[[Survival (TV series)|Survival]]'' (1961–2001) * ''[[Bygones (TV series)|Bygones]]'' (1967–89) * ''[[Sale of the Century (British game show)|Sale of the Century]]'' (1971–83) * ''[[Gambit (British game show)|Gambit]]'' (1975–85, 1995) * ''[[Backs to the Land]]'' (1977–78) * ''[[Tales of the Unexpected (TV series)|Tales of the Unexpected]]'' (1979–88) * ''Birthday Club'' (1980–2002) * ''[[Miss Morison's Ghosts]]'' (1981) * Ten adaptations of the [[Adam Dalgliesh]] novels of [[P. D. James]] (1983–98) * ''[[The Zodiac Game]]'' (1984–85) * ''[[Marjorie and Men]]'' (1985) * ''Inside Story'' (1986) * ''[[A Killing on the Exchange]]'' (1987) * ''[[Cause Célèbre (play)|Cause Célèbre]]'' (1987) * ''[[Knightmare (TV series)|Knightmare]]'' (1987–94) * ''Menace Unseen'' (1988) * ''[[Lucky Ladders]]'' (1988–1993) * ''A Quiet Conspiracy'' (1989) * ''[[Anything More Would Be Greedy]]'' (1989) * ''[[Goldeneye (1989 film)|Goldeneye]]'' (1989) * ''[[The Chief (1990s TV series)|The Chief]]'' (1990–95) * ''[[Jumble (British game show)|Jumble]]'' (1991–92) * ''[[Chimera (British TV series)|Chimera]]'' (1991) * ''[[Growing Rich]]'' (1992) * ''[[A Dangerous Man: Lawrence After Arabia]]'' (1992) * ''[[Framed (TV series)|Framed]]'' (1992) * ''[[Riders (1993 film)|Jilly Cooper's Riders]]'' (1993) * ''[[My Good Friend]]'' (1995–96) * ''[[The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous (film)|Jilly Cooper's The Man Who Made Husbands Jealous]]'' (1997) * ''[[Bring Me the Head of Light Entertainment]]'' (1997–2000) * ''[[Where the Heart Is (British TV series)|Where the Heart Is]]'' (1997–2001) * ''[[Touching Evil]]'' (1997–99) * ''[[Ain't Misbehavin' (miniseries)|Ain't Misbehavin']]'' (1997) * ''[[Trisha Goddard (TV series)|Trisha]]'' (1998–2004) * ''[[Animal Cops]]'' (2002–2018) * ''[[A Line in the Sand (TV series)|A Line in the Sand]]'' (2004) {{Div col end}}
==See also== * [[ITV (TV channel)]] * [[ITV plc]] * [[ITV London]] * [[ITV Central]] * [[ITV Yorkshire]] * [[East Anglia]]
==Further information== * ''A Knight On The Box'', {{ISBN|0-906836-40-9}}
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==External links== *{{itv.com|id=anglia|title=ITV Anglia}}
{{s-start}} {{s-other|[[ITV (TV network)|ITV]] regional service | #00C0C0 }} {{s-break}} {{s-non | rows=2 | reason=New service | reason2=as '''Anglia Television''' }} {{s-ttl | title=Lincolnshire, East Yorkshire<br />& North Norfolk coast | years=20 December 1965 – 31 December 1973}} {{s-aft | after=[[Yorkshire Television]]}} {{s-break}} {{s-ttl | title=East of England | years=27 October 1959 – present}} {{s-non | rows=2 | reason = Current provider | reason2=as '''ITV Anglia''' }} {{s-break}} {{s-bef | before=[[Yorkshire Television]]}} {{s-ttl | title=North Norfolk coast| years=25 January 1980 – present}} {{s-end}}
{{ITV}} {{authority control}} [[Category:ITV franchisees]] [[Category:Mass media companies of the United Kingdom]] [[Category:Television in England|Anglia]] [[Category:Television channels and stations established in 1959]] [[Category:Companies based in Norwich]] [[Category:Mass media in Norwich]] [[Category:1959 establishments in England]]