STV (TV channel)

This article is about the Scottish television network. For STV (disambiguation), see STV (TV channel) (disambiguation).

Template:Infobox ITV franchisee STV is the brand used by both ITV licensees in Northern and Central Scotland, formerly known as Grampian TV (now legally STV North Ltd.) and Scottish TV (now legally STV Central Ltd.) respectively. The brand was adopted on Tuesday, 30 May 2006 replacing both franchises' identities, similar to that of ITV1. Its positioning, identity and brand guidelines were developed by Elmwood Design's Edinburgh office. Both licensees are owned by SMG plc, which also owns such other brands as Virgin Radio and Ginger Productions.

The STV studios in Glasgow were located on Renfield Street in Cowcaddens since its launch in 1957, but have since moved to new studios in Pacific Quay in July 2006, alongside BBC Scotland and the Glasgow Science Centre. STV's Aberdeen studios moved to a new purpose-built site in the city's Tullos area in 2003, vacating a converted tram shed that had been used since Grampian's launch in 1961. STV also has broadcasting centres in Edinburgh, Dundee, Inverness and Stornoway.

Programming

The two licences still produce regional programmes, although the only difference between them is the respective news programmes: North Tonight covering Northern Scotland and Scotland Today covering Central Scotland. There is no "STV (South)" as Southern Scotland is part of the Border Television region (Border being owned by ITV plc) and programmes are presented there under the ITV1 Border brand. Emphasising the fact that STV is essentially one channel across Scotland, there is now a single director of programmes (Derrick Thomson - former managing director of Grampian TV) and, from September 2007, a single head of news (Gordon MacMillan - former head of news of Scottish TV). Terms in the renewed licences for both STV Central and STV North also mean that regional non-news programmes are shared (and identically scheduled) across both licences.

STV produces current affairs and political programming, including Politics Now and Sunday Live. One of STV's best known brands is Scotsport, the world's longest running sports television programme, that heads STV's sports coverage. The channel also produces many Gaelic programmes. Whilst a lot of STV's output is for its own broadcast area, some programmes are also broadcast to the Scottish part of the Border Television area and some across the whole of the United Kingdom. One of STV's most famous exports is the long-running crime drama Taggart, set in Glasgow (credited as SMG Productions).

More recent STV programmes include the popular Beyond Explanation, presented by Dundonian actor Brian Cox. The programme looked at mysterious sightings across Scotland over the last few centuries. The channel also produce crime show Unsolved: Getting Away With Murder which covered past unsolved criminal cases in Scotland. The programme was shown across Scotland and drew high viewing figures while increasing the number of calls made to the Police by witnesses of various incidents who saw the show. STV have also recently show the Scottish dating show Club Cupid, which was filmed in Dundee.

Previous TV programming includes the dramas Take the High Road, Garnock Way and High Living, gameshows Now You See It and Wheel of Fortune, crime series Crimedesk with Bill Knox, long-running documentary series Weir's Way, lifestyle show Room at the Top, and Glen Michael's Cartoon Cavalcade, which lasted 26 years.

All on-screen presentation carries the STV logo, which now has the website address on them: stv.tv.

50th Birthday

File:Stv logo-1-.gif

STV's special 50th Birthday logo

On 25 August, 2007 STV began using a special logo on all idents, promotions, breakbumpers and the STV website, in the run-up to the station's birthday on 31 August. The phrase "entertaining Scotland for 50 years" was also added to the idents. The special look airs in both Central and Northern Scotland, although STV has been broadcasting only in Central Scotland for 50 years, whereas the ITV franchise in Northern Scotland (STV North, previously Grampian Television) began in 1961.

Channels and Frequencies

STV is broadcast on the following main transmitters (and their dependent relays):

• Channel 43 (650MHz) on the Black Hill transmitter
• Channel 24 (498MHz) on the Craigkelly transmitter
• Channel 23 (490MHz) on the Darvel transmitter
• Channel 61 (794MHz) on the Rosneath transmitter
• Channel 25 (506MHz) on the Torosay transmitter
• Channel 60 (783MHz) on the Angus transmitter
• Channel 25 (506MHz) on the Durris transmitter
• Channel 25 (506MHz) on the Bressay transmitter
• on the Knock More transmitter
• on the Rosemarkie transmitter
• on the Rumster Forest transmitter
• on the Eitshal transmitter
• on the Keelylang Hill transmitter

Retaining identity

STV, together with its counterpart UTV in Northern Ireland, has resisted adopting the generic ITV1 branding that is now commonplace throughout the ITV plc regions in the southern Scottish borders, England and Wales and the Channel Islands, although it has now adopted a single Scottish identity for both its franchises.

stv.tv

Main article: stv.tv

[1] The website of STV. Currently offers the usual sections of News, Sport, Entertainment, Weather, Competitions, Forums and STV programme information, with TV listings. It also offers other specialised services such as online dating and gaming.

STV Mobile

STV Mobile will be a 24/7 proposition which allows advertisers to interact with consumers, using all media channels.

See also

• Scottish Broadcasting Commission

External links

• stv.tv
• Scotland on TV - An SMG website showcasing programmes taken from STV's archives