HTV

HTV

Type	Region of television network
Branding	ITV1
Country	United Kingdom
First air date	29 August 1968 (1968-08-29)
TV transmitters	Wenvoe, Carmel, Preseli, Blaenplwyf, Llanddona, Moel-y-Parc, Long Mountain, Kilvey Hill
Headquarters	Broadcasting Centre, Cardiff
Broadcast area	Wales
Owner	ITV plc
Key people	#Staff
Picture format	1080i (HDTV)
Affiliation	ITV
Official website	www.itv.com/wales/
Language	English
Subsidiary	HTV News HTV Sports HTV Jr.

Search HTV on Amazon.ITV Cymru Wales, previously known as Harlech Television (HTV), has been the ITV franchise for Wales since July 1968. The National Library of Wales archives now store 200,000 ITV (HTV) film and video items dating from 1958.

History

Harlech Television was awarded its contract by the Independent Television Authority in July 1967, replacing the incumbent TWW. While no official reason was given for the decision, it was believed TWW's preference to base its corporate headquarters in London, rather than within the region, was a key factor. Harlech pledged to locate its headquarters within the transmission area, based at TWW's former studios at Pontcanna in Cardiff, and at Bath Road in Bristol. TWW refused to purchase shares in the new consortium and opted to cease broadcasting early on Monday 4 March 1968, selling its remaining airtime to Harlech for £500,000. As the new service was not ready to launch, an unbranded emergency service was provided by former TWW staff until Harlech's launch on 29 July 1968. The opening night was marked by a networked variety special.

The station initially used the name Harlech Television (after the head of the company Lord Harlech), but from the introduction of colour on 6 April 1970, this was dropped in favor of the initialism HTV, although the registered name continued as Harlech Television Limited. Other than being simpler, this also largely ended concerns from the West of England that the 'Harlech' branding was only associated with the Welsh part of the dual region. The initial Harlech board of directors boasted a high-profile line-up including several people who would later go onto the boards of international fame. In Wales, there was an additional requirement to provide a quota of programmes in the Welsh language. HTV Cymru Wales' nightly news programme Y Dydd aired each weeknight in a 6 pm timeslot shared with its English counterpart Report Wales. Alongside current affairs, features and entertainment programming, the company pioneered a wide range of Welsh output for children and young people. HTV West was particularly successful in producing high-quality children's TV series, often sold internationally. It established the 'HTV Junior Drama Workshop' in Bristol, which auditioned and trained young actors and from which it cast roles for both its own productions, and for other companies seeking young talent.

In addition to networked and locally-produced programming, HTV also broadcast imported output and was the first British broadcaster to air Sesame Street as part of an IBA pilot in 1971 (the programme had been rejected by the BBC). HTV Wales produced far less drama output, although they were contracted to make the ten-part Return to Treasure Island for The Disney Channel in 1985. In November 1982, the new Welsh-language channel S4C was launched. HTV no longer broadcast Welsh-language programmes, but instead produced such programmes for S4C (along with the BBC and independent producers). The increased demand for programmes in the medium of Welsh encouraged an expansion of HTV's resources. HTV also began to supply local commercial playout for both S4C and the new Channel 4, which at that time, carried regional advertising in the West. The Pontcanna premises were eventually upgraded after sometime of denial. Further technical innovation was implemented in 1988, when HTV opened a new presentation facility at Culverhouse Cross, becoming the first UK broadcaster to install Sony Library Management Systems which allowed the automated playout of cassette tapes. Three LMS machines were installed, one each to play transmission tapes into the Wales and West services, with the third used for commercials playout and compilation for S4C in Wales and Channel 4 in the West. HTV also began 24-hour broadcasting when it launched its overnight Night Club service on 22 August 1988.

During the same 1991 ITV franchise round, the ITC had initially considered disqualifying HTV's bid because of its business plan, but it was ultimately allowed to proceed. HTV won with a bid of £20.5 million, beating three other companies. Due to the size of the bid for the franchise, the company had to make considerable savings in order to cover the increased cost of the licence. The company made a £5 million loss for the first six months of its licence in 1993, following a cut in the levy paid to the Government. Draconian cost-cutting measures took effect – including a wage freeze, the cancellation of annual bonus payments and further substantial job cuts, beyond the job cuts which had already halved staff numbers to 460. The station also revamped its on-screen image, replacing the long-serving Aerial logo and phasing out the use of in-vision continuity except for occasional events.

Studios

The company originally operated production studios at Pontcanna in Cardiff and at Bath Road in Bristol. Presentation, transmission and back-office staff for both Wales and the West were based largely in Cardiff. The Pontcanna studios remained open until around 1990, by which time, only HTV Wales' news department was based there. During the 1970s and 1980s, the company also ran a North Wales production studio at Theatr Clwyd in Mold. In 1984, HTV opened a new £14 million television centre at Culverhouse Cross, Cardiff to replace the original one at Pontcanna. Transmission continued to originate from Pontcanna until 1988, when this transferred to the new centre. In addition to providing playout for both HTV services, the new centre would, from 1 January 1993, also provide transmission of South West England franchise Westcountry Television. The property eventually passed to United Business Media (then United News and Media) following the takeover of HTV by the group in 1997. However, while HTV changed hands twice more, UBM continued to own the Culverhouse Cross buildings and associated land.

Transmitters

The Wales and West franchise area operated by TWW was originally confined to the West (comprising Bristol, Somerset, Wiltshire and parts of Gloucestershire and Dorset) and south east Wales (broadly as far west as Swansea) and served by a single main VHF transmitter located at St Hilary. TWW later acquired the use of VHF transmitters covering much of the remainder of Wales from WWN (Wales West and North). An additional VHF transmitter (channel 7) was eventually installed at St Hilary in 1965 to carry programmes specifically for Wales, allowing the separation of Wales and West services. However, St Hilary was never used as part of the replacement UHF network and TV transmission from it ceased when VHF services were switched off in 1985. The mast continues to be used for communications and radio broadcasting. The UHF transmitter network was designed to replicate the separation of programme services to Wales and the West achieved with the VHF network it replaced. Prior to digital broadcasting, the transmitter distribution system continued to permit the sub-grouping of west and north Wales, echoing the historic VHF regional configuration. However, it was not particularly useful for programme purposes but was sometimes exploited for the transmission of commercials.

Programmes

ITV Cymru Wales produces around six hours a week of national news, current affairs and features programming in English – its flagship programme Wales at Six broadcasts each weeknight at 6pm with shorter ITV News Cymru Wales bulletins throughout the day and during the weekend. The news service is supplemented by regular current affairs programmes including Newsweek Wales on Sunday lunchtimes, the long-running Wales This Week and the political review Sharp End on Monday nights. Several feature series also broadcast throughout the year – including rural feature series Coast and Country, interview series Face to Face, archive series Wales on TV and documentaries such as Crime Files (also produced in Welsh as Y Ditectif). Since 1982, ITV Wales has also produced Welsh language output for S4C – in the fields of current affairs, features, drama and entertainment. Two of its flagship titles figure among S4C's longest-running and most popular programmes – the rural documentary series Cefn Gwlad with Dai Jones and the investigative current affairs programme Y Byd ar Bedwar. In recent years, ITV Cymru Wales has returned to producing factual output for the ITV network, including occasional editions of the current affairs programme Tonight and documentaries such as feature series The Harbour, My Grandfather Dylan and the RTS award-winning The Aberfan Young Wives Club. It also produced Cymru Sesame.

Staff

• Directors: Abby Shanahan, Alan Littler, Alex Neekilappappy, Anthony Bianco, Beverly Omere, Cody Taylor, Collin Rosales, Corrado Santacroce, Diana Agostino, Donald Iheonu, Elijah Odjokoh, Ethan Coyle, Evan Ledda, Fitsum Gebrekirstos, Fiona Yohanns, Gareth Farwe, Hailey Cordner, James Rzeznik, Jasmine Olwen, Jay Costea, Jhaleya Black, Johnny A. Serber, Junjie Xiong, Kezya Seko, Laurice Viscarra, Lewis Wynford, Melissa Dinha, Michelle Agostino, Mischa Mallari, Neil Quirk, Oreo Nahid, Peter Grosdanof, Phillip Semanic, Praveen Srisegar, Robert Falk, Roger Nebret, Ryan Ormsby, Sameer Nadeem, Shaheem Hutchinson, Shayle Valentine, Sofia Drusian, Thomas Faween, Tyme Peanut, Yannick Newell

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