UTV
Encyclopedia
UTV is a television channel
based in the UK region of Northern Ireland
. The channel is the Channel 3 or Independent Television (ITV
) licensee for Northern Ireland and is operated by UTV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media.
The main transmitters which broadcast UTV's analogue and digital signals are based at Divis
outside Belfast
, Limavady
in County Londonderry
and Brougher Mountain in County Tyrone
. Each transmitter has a series of relay stations.
Although UTV is licensed to broadcast in the Northern Ireland
region, UTV's terrestrial broadcasts can be received in parts of the Republic of Ireland
(mainly in the Northern and Midland areas), South West Scotland
, the Isle of Man
, North Wales
and North West England
.
, ITV London
and Tyne Tees Television
, UTV will be one of the last ITV
regions to have its analogue signals turned off. UTV's analogue broadcasts will cease on 24 October that year.
network, the Independent Television Authority
, first advertised the franchise for Northern Ireland in September 1958. Two consortia applied for the franchise; one led by the Duke of Abercorn
and supported by The Belfast Telegraph
and The Northern Whig newspapers, the other led by the Earl of Antrim
and supported by The News Letter
and Sir Laurence Olivier
. The ITA eventually persuaded both applicants to merge their bids to obtain the new franchise, on the provision that a greater stake of investment in the station was offered to Catholic sources.
With the ITA request met, the group, under the name Ulster Television Limited, set out their plans for broadcasting; initially, the station would try to provide 20 minutes of locally-sourced programmes per day, and the company arranged with ABC Television
to sell advertising time and to maintain their studio premises at a former hemstitching warehouse in Havelock House
on the Ormeau Road
in Belfast.
Ulster Television went on air at 4.45pm on Saturday 31 October 1959. The station's opening was overseen by Lord Wakehurst, then Governor of Northern Ireland
, and Sir Laurence Olivier introduced the opening ceremony. The station's first night of programming, introduced by duty announcer Adrienne McGuill, featured networked series such as The Adventures of Robin Hood
and 77 Sunset Strip
, two news bulletins from ITN and the 1949 feature film Task Force
. Sir Laurence Olivier delivered the station's first epilogue, an excerpt from Joseph Addison
's "The Spacious Firmament".
The following evening, UTV contributed a play to the Armchair Theatre
series, A Shilling for the Evil Day, produced in association with ABC Television. Earlier in the day, the station broadcast its first unofficial colour production - a film of images from across Northern Ireland was broadcast entitled Ulster Rich and Rare, produced by Lord Wakehurst.
At launch, Ulster Television employed a staff of 100 people including six presenters: Ivor Mills and Anne Gregg
were chosen as the presenters of local magazine programme Roundabout, Adrienne McGuill, James Greene and Brian Durkin were the first continuity announcers, and former rugby union international Ernest Strathdee was recruited as the station's sports presenter.
Initially, Ulster Television's programmes would only be available to viewers served by the Black Mountain
transmitter. However, it was reported on the station's first night of programmes that Dublin residents had called the station to report poor picture reception. Coverage of UTV spread to Western areas of Northern Ireland when the Strabane
transmitter opened in February 1963.
Ulster Television's UHF PAL
colour service was launched with the opening of the UHF transmitter Divis
in September 1970. This was followed by two additional transmitters at Limavady (opened in 1975) and Brougher Mountain
(in 1978). The station was the last in the ITV network to begin 24-hour transmission in 1988.
At the company's annual general meeting
in Belfast on 26 May 2006, the registered company name was changed from 'Ulster Television plc' to 'UTV plc'. The company believed that the existing name no longer reflected the full scope of the company's business. In a further change in October 2007, UTV underwent a corporate reorganisation which saw UTV shareholders swap their shares for shares in a new holding company, UTV Media plc, which took over UTV plc's shareholdings in the new media and radio subsidiaries. UTV Ltd. - the original Ulster Television Limited, now a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media - has returned to being solely the operating company for the ITV franchise.
UTV is the only company in the ITV network to still broadcast in-vision continuity announcements, where the announcer appears in front of the camera to introduce the evening's programmes. Ballantine, Browne, Neill and Porter also present UTV Live news bulletins.
of UTV in high-definition
, launched on Virgin Media
channel 113 on 5 October 2010. UTV are hopeful that the channel will be on Sky by 2011. There is not sufficient capacity on the Freeview service in Northern Ireland until the digital switchover
takes place, which is not due to happen until 2012.
Currently UTV's acquisition and presentation infrastructure is SD only; all HD content is line-fed to UTV in Belfast from Technicolor Network Services' transmission facility at Chiswick Park, with UTV's presentation and local content being upscaled and switched into the transmission chain for UTV HD using a simple A/B switcher.
In May 2011, however, it is planned to upgrade the presentation infrastructure to become fully HD-capable in readiness for the digital switchover in 2012.
services, STV +1 and UTV +1 in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively. UTV later confirmed that it would launch UTV +1 at 8pm on 11 January 2011. The channel is available to Freeview viewers on channel 33 and Virgin Media
cable customers on channel 114. The channel is not officially available on the Freesat
and Sky satellite services but may be manually tuned in.
Television channel
A television channel is a physical or virtual channel over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the broadcast or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with carrier frequencies of 55.25 MHz for NTSC analog video and...
based in the UK region of Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. The channel is the Channel 3 or Independent Television (ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
) licensee for Northern Ireland and is operated by UTV Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media.
Terrestrial
- AnalogueAnalog televisionAnalog television is the analog transmission that involves the broadcasting of encoded analog audio and analog video signal: one in which the message conveyed by the broadcast signal is a function of deliberate variations in the amplitude and/or frequency of the signal...
: Normally tuned to 3 (Northern Ireland only) - Freeview (United Kingdom): 3 (Northern Ireland only) via 16:9 SDTVStandard-definition televisionSorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as...
- Freeview (United Kingdom): 33 (+1) (Northern Ireland only) via 16:9 SDTVStandard-definition televisionSorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as...
The main transmitters which broadcast UTV's analogue and digital signals are based at Divis
Divis
Divis is a large mountain and area of sprawling moorland to the north-west of Belfast in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The mountain is 478 m tall, making it the highest of the Belfast Hills...
outside Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Limavady
Limavady
Limavady is a market town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland, with Binevenagh as a backdrop. It lies east of Derry and south west of Coleraine. It had a population of 12,135 people in the 2001 Census, an increase of some 17% compared to 1991...
in County Londonderry
County Londonderry
The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
and Brougher Mountain in County Tyrone
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
. Each transmitter has a series of relay stations.
Although UTV is licensed to broadcast in the Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
region, UTV's terrestrial broadcasts can be received in parts of the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
(mainly in the Northern and Midland areas), South West Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, the Isle of Man
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
, North Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and North West England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Satellite
- FreesatFreesatFreesat is a free-to-air digital satellite television joint venture between the BBC and ITV plc, serving the United Kingdom. The service was formed as a memorandum in 2007 and has been marketed since 6 May 2008...
: 103 via 16:9 SDTVStandard-definition televisionSorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as... - Sky: 103
[Northern Ireland only, manual tuning required for rest of UK and the Republic of Ireland] via 16:9 SDTVStandard-definition televisionSorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as... - Astra 2DAstra 2DAstra 2D is one of a group of Astra communications satellites operated by SES, located at 28.2° east in the Clarke Belt. It is a Hughes HS-376 craft, and was launched from the Guiana Space Centre in December 2000....
: 10906 GHz, vertical polarisation, 22000 SR, 5/6 FEC via 16:9 SDTVStandard-definition televisionSorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as... - Astra 2DAstra 2DAstra 2D is one of a group of Astra communications satellites operated by SES, located at 28.2° east in the Clarke Belt. It is a Hughes HS-376 craft, and was launched from the Guiana Space Centre in December 2000....
: 10891 GHz, vertical polarisation, 22000 SR, 5/6 FEC (+1) via 16:9 SDTVStandard-definition televisionSorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as...
Cable and MMDS
- Virgin MediaVirgin MediaVirgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
: 103 via 16:9 SDTVStandard-definition televisionSorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as...
(Northern Ireland only) - Virgin MediaVirgin MediaVirgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
: 113 (HD) via 1080i1080i1080i is the shorthand name for a high-definition television mode. The i means interlaced video; 1080i differs from 1080p, in which the p stands for progressive scan. The term 1080i assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a frame size of 1920×1080 pixels...
HDTVHigh-definition televisionHigh-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
(Northern Ireland only) - Virgin MediaVirgin MediaVirgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
: 114 (+1) via 16:9 SDTVStandard-definition televisionSorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as...
(Northern Ireland only) - UPC IrelandUPC IrelandUPC Ireland is Liberty Global Europe's telecommunications operation in Ireland. UPC Ireland is the largest digital cable television provider within the Republic of Ireland. As of September 2010 the company offers broadband internet, digital television and digital telephony to over 531,000 customers...
: 110 via 16:9 SDTVStandard-definition televisionSorete-definition television is a television system that uses a resolution that is not considered to be either enhanced-definition television or high-definition television . The term is usually used in reference to digital television, in particular when broadcasting at the same resolution as...
[Republic of Ireland only] on digital cable and MMDS services, various frequencies on analogue cable services
Analogue terrestrial switch-off
In 2012, UTV will cease broadcasting on the analogue transmitter network. Along with Meridian BroadcastingMeridian Broadcasting
Meridian Broadcasting is the holder of the ITV franchise for the South and South East of England. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting Limited....
, ITV London
ITV London
ITV London is the on-air brand name used by ITV Broadcasting Limited for the two Channel 3 broadcast franchises, Carlton Television and London Weekend Television in the London ITV region.-History:...
and Tyne Tees Television
Tyne Tees Television
Tyne Tees Television is the ITV television franchise for North East England and parts of North Yorkshire. As of 2009, it forms part of a non-franchise ITV Tyne Tees & Border region, shared with the ITV Border region...
, UTV will be one of the last ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
regions to have its analogue signals turned off. UTV's analogue broadcasts will cease on 24 October that year.
History
The governing body of the Independent TelevisionITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
network, the Independent Television Authority
Independent Television Authority
The Independent Television Authority was an agency created by the Television Act 1954 to supervise the creation of "Independent Television" , the first commercial television network in the United Kingdom...
, first advertised the franchise for Northern Ireland in September 1958. Two consortia applied for the franchise; one led by the Duke of Abercorn
James Hamilton, 4th Duke of Abercorn
James Edward Hamilton, 4th Duke of Abercorn . He was the son of James Hamilton, 3rd Duke of Abercorn and Lady Rosalind Cecilia Caroline Bingham...
and supported by The Belfast Telegraph
The Belfast Telegraph
The Belfast Telegraph is a daily evening newspaper published in Belfast, Northern Ireland by Independent News & Media.It was first published as the Belfast Evening Telegraph on 1 September 1870 by brothers William and George Baird...
and The Northern Whig newspapers, the other led by the Earl of Antrim
Earl of Antrim
Earl of Antrim is a title that has been created twice, both times in the Peerage of Ireland and both times for members of the MacDonnell family, originally of Scottish origins. This family descends from Sorley Boy MacDonnell, who established the family in County Antrim...
and supported by The News Letter
The News Letter
The News Letter is one of Northern Ireland's main daily newspapers, published Monday to Saturday. It is the oldest English language general daily newspaper still in publication in the world, having first been printed in 1737....
and Sir Laurence Olivier
Laurence Olivier
Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier, OM was an English actor, director, and producer. He was one of the most famous and revered actors of the 20th century. He married three times, to fellow actors Jill Esmond, Vivien Leigh, and Joan Plowright...
. The ITA eventually persuaded both applicants to merge their bids to obtain the new franchise, on the provision that a greater stake of investment in the station was offered to Catholic sources.
With the ITA request met, the group, under the name Ulster Television Limited, set out their plans for broadcasting; initially, the station would try to provide 20 minutes of locally-sourced programmes per day, and the company arranged with ABC Television
Associated British Corporation
Associated British Corporation was one of a number of commercial television companies established in the United Kingdom during the 1950s by cinema chain companies in an attempt to safeguard their business by becoming involved with television which was taking away their cinema audiences.In this...
to sell advertising time and to maintain their studio premises at a former hemstitching warehouse in Havelock House
Havelock House, Belfast
Havelock House, located on the Ormeau Road in Belfast, is the current headquarters of UTV Media plc . The building is home to the company's television and local radio services UTV and U105, and Internet service provider, UTV Internet...
on the Ormeau Road
Ormeau Road
The Ormeau Road is a road in south Belfast, Northern Ireland. Ormeau Park is adjacent to it. It forms part of the A24.-History:Having previously been the home of George Chichester, 2nd Marquess of Donegall, a road was first built in 1815, when it was known more commonly as the New Ballynafeigh Road...
in Belfast.
Ulster Television went on air at 4.45pm on Saturday 31 October 1959. The station's opening was overseen by Lord Wakehurst, then Governor of Northern Ireland
Governor of Northern Ireland
The Governor of Northern Ireland was the principal officer and representative in Northern Ireland of the British monarch. The office was established on 9 December 1922 and abolished on 18 July 1973.-Overview:...
, and Sir Laurence Olivier introduced the opening ceremony. The station's first night of programming, introduced by duty announcer Adrienne McGuill, featured networked series such as The Adventures of Robin Hood
The Adventures of Robin Hood (TV series)
The Adventures of Robin Hood is a popular British television series comprising 143 half-hour, black and white episodes. It starred Richard Greene as the outlaw Robin Hood and Alan Wheatley as his nemesis, the Sheriff of Nottingham. The show aired weekly between 1955 and 1959 on ITV in London in the...
and 77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip
77 Sunset Strip is an hour-length American television private detective series created by Roy Huggins and starring Efrem Zimbalist, Jr., Roger Smith, and Edd Byrnes....
, two news bulletins from ITN and the 1949 feature film Task Force
Task Force (film)
Task Force is a war film filmed in black and white with some Technicolor sequences about the development of U.S. aircraft carriers from the USS Langley to the USS Franklin . The film stars Gary Cooper, Jane Wyatt, Walter Brennan, Wayne Morris, Julie London, and Jack Holt.-Plot:Depicted as a 1917...
. Sir Laurence Olivier delivered the station's first epilogue, an excerpt from Joseph Addison
Joseph Addison
Joseph Addison was an English essayist, poet, playwright and politician. He was a man of letters, eldest son of Lancelot Addison...
's "The Spacious Firmament".
The following evening, UTV contributed a play to the Armchair Theatre
Armchair Theatre
Armchair Theatre is a British television drama anthology series, which ran on the ITV network from 1956 to 1974. It was originally produced by Associated British Corporation, and later by Thames Television after 1968....
series, A Shilling for the Evil Day, produced in association with ABC Television. Earlier in the day, the station broadcast its first unofficial colour production - a film of images from across Northern Ireland was broadcast entitled Ulster Rich and Rare, produced by Lord Wakehurst.
At launch, Ulster Television employed a staff of 100 people including six presenters: Ivor Mills and Anne Gregg
Anne Gregg
Anne Deirdre Gregg was a travel writer and TV presenter from Northern Ireland. She is perhaps best known for presenting the BBC's travel programme Holiday throughout the 1980s. She was one of the first people from Northern Ireland to become a national British television personality.-Early...
were chosen as the presenters of local magazine programme Roundabout, Adrienne McGuill, James Greene and Brian Durkin were the first continuity announcers, and former rugby union international Ernest Strathdee was recruited as the station's sports presenter.
Initially, Ulster Television's programmes would only be available to viewers served by the Black Mountain
Black Mountain transmitting station
The Black Mountain transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility, situated on land 301 metres above Ordnance Datum to the west of the city of Belfast, in Northern Ireland . It includes a guyed steel lattice mast which is 228.6 metres in height...
transmitter. However, it was reported on the station's first night of programmes that Dublin residents had called the station to report poor picture reception. Coverage of UTV spread to Western areas of Northern Ireland when the Strabane
Strabane transmitting station
The Strabane transmitting station is a broadcasting and telecommunications facility located at Legfordrum and situated very close to the town of Strabane, in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland . It is owned and operated by Arqiva.It includes a high guyed steel lattice mast, which is the tallest...
transmitter opened in February 1963.
Ulster Television's UHF PAL
PAL
PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...
colour service was launched with the opening of the UHF transmitter Divis
Divis
Divis is a large mountain and area of sprawling moorland to the north-west of Belfast in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The mountain is 478 m tall, making it the highest of the Belfast Hills...
in September 1970. This was followed by two additional transmitters at Limavady (opened in 1975) and Brougher Mountain
Brougher Mountain transmitting station
Brougher Mountain transmitting station is a major transmitting station in Northern Ireland. It is located between County Tyrone and County Fermanagh, on top of a 317-meter high hill called Brougher Mountain....
(in 1978). The station was the last in the ITV network to begin 24-hour transmission in 1988.
At the company's annual general meeting
Annual general meeting
An annual general meeting is a meeting that official bodies, and associations involving the public , are often required by law to hold...
in Belfast on 26 May 2006, the registered company name was changed from 'Ulster Television plc' to 'UTV plc'. The company believed that the existing name no longer reflected the full scope of the company's business. In a further change in October 2007, UTV underwent a corporate reorganisation which saw UTV shareholders swap their shares for shares in a new holding company, UTV Media plc, which took over UTV plc's shareholdings in the new media and radio subsidiaries. UTV Ltd. - the original Ulster Television Limited, now a wholly owned subsidiary of UTV Media - has returned to being solely the operating company for the ITV franchise.
Current/upcoming series
- UTV LiveUTV LiveUTV Live is the name of the regional news service broadcast on UTV, the ITV region in Northern Ireland. The first edition of the programme was transmitted on Monday 4 January 1993.-Weekday bulletins:*13:55...
- UTV Live TonightUTV LiveUTV Live is the name of the regional news service broadcast on UTV, the ITV region in Northern Ireland. The first edition of the programme was transmitted on Monday 4 January 1993.-Weekday bulletins:*13:55...
- The Fabulous Food Adventure
- Glorious Gardens
- Lesser Spotted Ulster
- RPM
- The Seven Thirty Show
- Ultimate Ulster
Contributions to series on the ITV network
- About Britain
- Comedy Playhouse (Sailortown; co-production with Central TelevisionCentral Independent TelevisionCentral Independent Television, more commonly known as Central is the Independent Television contractor for the Midlands, created following the restructuring of ATV and commencing broadcast on 1 January 1982. The station is owned and operated by ITV plc, under the licensee of ITV Broadcasting...
and Carlton TelevisionCarlton TelevisionCarlton Television was the ITV franchise holder for London and the surrounding counties including the cities of Solihull and Coventry of the West Midlands, south Suffolk, middle and east Hampshire, Oxfordshire, south Bedfordshire, south Northamptonshire, parts of Herefordshire & Worcestershire,...
, 20 April 1993) - DramaramaDramarama (TV series)Dramarama is the name of a British children's' anthology series broadcast on ITV between 1983 and 1989. It tended to feature drama of a science fiction or supernatural bent. The programme was administered by Tyne Tees Television in Newcastle, who had a track-record for organising cross-franchise...
(Undertow of the Armada, 15 June 1987) - Get FreshGet FreshGet Fresh was a children's television programme that ran from 1986 to 1988 in the United Kingdom.-Premise:Broadcast on the Children's ITV network, the show starred Gareth Jones , Charlotte Hindle, and a puppet named Gilbert the Alien...
- Ghost TrainGhost Train (TV series)Ghost Train was a children's television programme broadcast on ITV, between 1989 and 1991, produced by Tyne Tees Television in association with various ITV regional stations including Border Television, Television South West, Ulster Television, Channel Television and Grampian...
- HighwayHighway (TV series)Highway is a British television series broadcast from 1983 until 1993. Presented by Sir Harry Secombe, the show was a mixture of hymns and chat from various locations across Britain, produced by their respective regional ITV franchise holders...
- ITV Playhouse (Boatman Do Not Tarry, 8 July 1968)
- Morning Worship
- Sounds of Britain
- The Time, The PlaceThe Time, The PlaceThe Time, The Place was a British audience participation talk show that was produced by Central Independent Television, later Anglia Television and broadcast live on ITV from 1987-1998. TTTP was presented by Mike Scott from 1987-1993 and by John Stapleton from 1991-1998...
- Treasures in Store
Notable programmes shown on Channel 4
- The Irish R.M.The Irish R.M.The Irish R.M. refers to a series of books by the Anglo-Irish novelists Somerville and Ross, and the television comedy-drama series based on them...
(co-production with RTÉ; 1983–1985, 3 series) - Ulster Landscapes (1983)
- Trauma (1983)
- Make It Pay (1983–1985)
- A Seat Among the Stars: The Cinema in Ireland (1984)
- How Does Your Garden Grow? (1986–1992)
- The Last of a Dyin' Race (one-off drama; 1987)
- God's Frontiermen (4 part drama series; 1989)
Notable regional programmes
- All Mixed Up
- Counterpoint
- Farming Ulster
- (UTV Live) Insight
- Jenny BristowJenny BristowJenny Bristow is a Northern Irish cook and cookery writer. She is best known for her cookery television series produced by UTV.-Personal life:...
cookery series - KellyKelly (TV show)Kelly was a talk and variety show that was hosted by broadcaster Gerry Kelly and was broadcast on UTV, between September 1989 till December 2005.-History:...
- McGilloway's Way
- McKeever
- School Around the Corner - created by the show's original presenter Paddy CrosbiePaddy CrosbiePaddy Crosbie ,was the Irish creator of the radio and television programes The School Around The Corner and Back To School.-Life:...
- UTV Life
- UTV School Choir of the Year
Regional news programmes
- Roundabout (1959–1964)
- Newsview (1964–1969)
- UTV Reports/Reports (1969–1978)
- Good Evening Ulster (1979–1987)
- Six Tonight/Ulster Newstime (1987–1992)
- UTV LiveUTV LiveUTV Live is the name of the regional news service broadcast on UTV, the ITV region in Northern Ireland. The first edition of the programme was transmitted on Monday 4 January 1993.-Weekday bulletins:*13:55...
(1993 to date)
Idents
Since 1959, Ulster Television have used different logos, or idents on-screen:- 1959 The station's first on-screen logo was an oscilloscopeOscilloscopeAn oscilloscope is a type of electronic test instrument that allows observation of constantly varying signal voltages, usually as a two-dimensional graph of one or more electrical potential differences using the vertical or 'Y' axis, plotted as a function of time,...
pattern made up of seven dots joined together by six lines. The logo animated to a jingle based on the local folk tune The Mountains of Mourne. According to UTV's website, the original logo was designed as part of a competition, and the winner among over 450 entrants was Mr Roy Irwin of Ballycarry. - 1970 With the imminent launch of UHF colour broadcasts, Ulster Television redesigned its first logo. - the oscilloscope pattern was retained; but the dots were removed, and the lines were encased in a television-screen shape. Monochrome and colour versions of this ident were produced, the colour using a yellow logo and text on a blue background, which were adopted as the station's colour scheme. UTV's ident at this time did not animate and was not accompanied by a jingle. The logo type introduced on this ident was retained until 1993.
- 1980 To celebrate their 21st anniversary, UTV commissioned a new ident featuring a model the station logo embedded on four faces of a cube, coated in silver with a pole skewering the top and bottom of the cube. This model was then filmed on video with a black cloth background as it revolved on a turntable. When it appeared on screen, it was accompanied by a synthesised jingle, and the words "Ulster Television" wiped on screen in yellow text. The ident made its on-screen debut on 31 October 1980, and was used until c. September 1988.
- 1987 In c. September 1987, to coincide with the launch of the stations's new evening magazine programme, Six Tonight, a new ident was used to introduce the programme, featuring a computer animated silver station logo on a blue/green backdrop. After five seconds, the logo faded into the background as the titles of Six Tonight began. This ident, UTV's first attempt at a CGI ident, was later adapted as a temporary station ident in the last few months of 1988, with a video freeze used as the logo sank into the background.
- 1988 The 1980 ident was eventually replaced by a new ident using computer animationComputer animationComputer animation is the process used for generating animated images by using computer graphics. The more general term computer generated imagery encompasses both static scenes and dynamic images, while computer animation only refers to moving images....
, the last to feature the logo first seen in 1970 and the "Ulster Television" name. The ident began with a panning shot over a grey and white plate, with a light blue background at the back. The Ulster Television logo rises out from the plate, and the lines of the oscilloscope pattern are formed with a wipe. In this ident, the lines of the oscilloscope are yellow, with the rest of the logo (the television screen shape) in blue. When the lines are formed, the logo turns and reveals on screen, as a grey banner flies in underneath bearing the words "Ulster Television" and settles underneath the station logo. This ident was accompanied by a new jingle, and was used until 4 June 1993.
- 1993 At 18.00 on 4 June 1993, UTV officially unveiled a new logo. This consisted of an italicised Times Roman capital U forming on screen from different component parts, settling on a blue and yellow plate with "TV" written in italicised red Futura Condensed text. A new jingle was also introduced with a distinct Celtic sound. Since the start of 1993, continuity announcements and trailers referred increasingly to "UTV", and the station's news service was rebranded as UTV LiveUTV LiveUTV Live is the name of the regional news service broadcast on UTV, the ITV region in Northern Ireland. The first edition of the programme was transmitted on Monday 4 January 1993.-Weekday bulletins:*13:55...
. With the new logo, the use of "Ulster Television" to identify the station was consigned to history. - 1996 UTV introduced a new series of idents in October 1996, which showcased scenic locations in Northern Ireland. These include the Giant's CausewayGiant's CausewayThe Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is located in County Antrim on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles northeast of the town of Bushmills...
, a waterfall at Glenarriff, and PortaferryPortaferryPortaferry is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland, at the southern end of the Ards Peninsula, near the Narrows at the entrance to Strangford Lough. It had a population of 2,467 people in the 2001 Census. It has an aquarium and is well-known for the annual Galway Hookers Regatta. It hosts...
harbour. These are supplemented in 1998 with a set of idents featuring people playing the UTV jingle on various musical instruments. Some of the idents featured UTV personalities. - 2000 On 1 July 2000, the day when programme presentation and commercials shown on the four main UK television channels switched from the 4:3 aspect ratio to 14:914:914:9 is a compromise aspect ratio of 1.56:1. It is used to create an acceptable picture on both 4:3 and 16:9 televisions, conceived following audience tests conducted by the BBC...
on analogue broadcasts and 16:916:916:9 is an aspect ratio with a width of 16 units and height of 9. Since 2009, it has become the most common aspect ratio for sold televisions and computer monitors and is also the international standard format of HDTV, Full HD, non-HD digital television and analog widescreen television ...
on digital broadcasts, UTV introduced a new set of idents using footage from the 1996 "landscape" idents, the break filler films used on its short-lived sister channel TV YouITV2ITV2 is a 24 hour, free-to-air entertainment television channel in the United Kingdom owned by ITV Digital Channels Ltd, a division of ITV plc. It was launched on 7 December 1998, and is available on digital television via satellite, cable, IPTV and terrestrial platforms. The channel has the...
, and a UTV corporate advertisement where a shoal of fish grouped together to form the UTV logo. This collection of idents were the first to be created and transmitted in 16:9 aspect ratio, on digital terrestrial and digital cableDigital cableDigital cable is a generic term for any type of cable television distribution using digital video compression or distribution. The technology was originally developed by Motorola.-Background:...
providers. This was the last set of idents which used the 1993 logo, and they were phased out shortly before Christmas 2000. - 2000 The 1993 logo is replaced with a similar flatter and wider logo. The "U" is rendered in yellow on a blue oblong, with the "TV" in red on a yellow oblong contained inside the blue oblong. This remains the present station logo. Its first use was in UTV's Christmas ident in 2000. In January 2001, a new series of idents shot at various locations across Northern Ireland, including the Silent Valley ReservoirSilent Valley ReservoirThe Silent Valley Reservoir is a reservoir located in the Mourne Mountains near Kilkeel, County Down in Northern Ireland. It supplies most of the water for County Down, surrounding counties and most of Belfast. It is owned and maintained by Northern Ireland Water Limited...
in County Down, Great Victoria Street in Belfast and the Hands Across the Divide sculpture at the Craigavon BridgeCraigavon BridgeThe Craigavon Bridge is one of three bridges in Derry, Northern Ireland. It crosses the River Foyle further south than the Foyle Bridge and Peace Bridge. It is one of only a few double-decker road bridges in Europe. It was named after Lord Craigavon, the first Prime Minister of Northern Ireland.The...
, Derry. This was complemented by further idents in 2002 featuring people walking towards the camera and touching the screen with their fingers to make the UTV logo appear. - 2002 On 28 October 2002, most of the regional ITV companies adopted a common look with the ITV1 brand replacing the various station logos. This was marked with a series of idents showing actors, presenters and newsreaders associated with ITV appearing in idents. At the same time, UTV decided to adopt these idents, but replaced the ITV logo with their own station logo. The soundtrack used on these idents was identical to those heard on the ITV network versions. This is the nearest that UTV have come to using identical idents to the rest of the ITV network. Around Christmas 2002, UTV broadcast a similar collection of idents showcasing their own presenting talent, shown in addition to the national idents. By early 2003, the network and local celebrity idents were phased out, and a generic ident showing the UTV logo on an animated blue background was used in all junctions.
- 2003 UTV replaces its network-inspired graphics in November 2003 with a series landscape films of Northern Ireland in their idents, in the form of a panoramaPanoramaA panorama is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film/video, or a three-dimensional model....
shot as the camera revolved around a location. Among the scenes used in this series of UTV idents included the Mourne Mountains, EnniskillenEnniskillenEnniskillen is a town in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It is located almost exactly in the centre of the county between the Upper and Lower sections of Lough Erne. It had a population of 13,599 in the 2001 Census...
and LurganLurganLurgan is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town is near the southern shore of Lough Neagh and in the north-eastern corner of the county. Part of the Craigavon Borough Council area, Lurgan is about 18 miles south-west of Belfast and is linked to the city by both the M1 motorway...
Park. These idents primarily used one of the ident jingles until 3 November 2005, when UTV reprised its 1993-2002 station jingle. - 2006 To coincide with the introduction of a new identity across ITV plc stations on Monday 16 January 2006, UTV replaced its 2003 idents with a brand new set. The new idents featured newly-recorded films shot across Northern Ireland, again in the form of panoramas. The landscape films used in these idents were updated in July 2007 and October 2008, with the background of each ident changing from black to white in December 2008. Special variations of the UTV idents were used to promote the 2006 North West 200 event, 2006 Special Olympics, the 2007 Rugby World Cup and the UTV Rewind series. Further updates to this collection of idents have seen new landscape films and changes in the background design.
Current announcers
- Pamela BallantinePamela BallantinePamela Ballantine is a freelance Northern Irish television presenter, best known for her 27 year career at UTV.-Broadcasting career:...
- Aidan BrowneAidan BrowneAidan Browne is a Northern Irish television presenter and actor.-Broadcasting career:Browne has been a freelance continuity announcer and newsreader at UTV since 1993...
- Jenny Gouk
- Rose NeillRose Neill-Early life:She boarded at a quaker school in York England The Mount School, York and went on to study Dispensing Optics at the City of East London College.-Broadcasting career:...
- Gillian PorterGillian PorterGillian Porter is a Northern Irish television presenter. She is best known as a continuity announcer and newsreader at UTV, where she has appeared since 1993.-Broadcasting career:...
- Julian SimmonsJulian SimmonsJulian Lynus Simmons is a Northern Irish television presenter, best known as a continuity announcer on UTV, mainly covering weekend evenings.-Present role:...
UTV is the only company in the ITV network to still broadcast in-vision continuity announcements, where the announcer appears in front of the camera to introduce the evening's programmes. Ballantine, Browne, Neill and Porter also present UTV Live news bulletins.
Previous announcers
- Keith Burnside (c.1980-1997)
- Tina CampbellTina CampbellTina Campbell is a Northern Irish television presenter and journalist. She is currently a presenter and reporter on UTV Live.-Broadcasting career:Tina Campbell was a reporter and newsreader for Downtown Radio...
(1994–1997) - Sarah Clarke (2007–2009)
- Brian Durkin (1959–1968)
- Lynda Fulford (2007–2009)
- James Greene (1959–1965)
- Tracey-Anne Griffiths (1991–1996)
- Marc MallettMarc MallettMarc Mallett is a Northern Irish broadcaster and journalist. He is presently a newsreader and reporter at UTV. .-Broadcasting career:Mallett began his broadcasting career on the hospital radio station at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast...
(2007–2009) - Peter MarshallPeter Marshall (UK broadcaster)Peter Marshall is an Irish broadcaster, educated at St. Columb's College in Derry.-Early life:Having originally intended to train as a teacher, he started his working life as an actor, studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.-Television:In 1967 he became an announcer at...
(1967–1969) - Adrienne McGuill (1959–1969)
- Frank MitchellFrank Mitchell (presenter)Frank 'the Silver Fox' Mitchell Frank 'the Silver Fox' Mitchell Frank 'the Silver Fox' Mitchell (born Francis McClory, 24 July 1963 is a Northern Irish broadcaster and journalist. He is currently a weather presenter on UTV Live and a presenter on the UTV-owned radio station U105. Although his...
(1987–1993) - John O'Hara (1978–1984)
- Barbara Palmer (1980–1992)
- Bill Smyth (1978–1987)
- Robin TaylorRobin TaylorRobin Taylor is a former television presenter and teacher from Northern Ireland.-Broadcasting career:Taylor joined UTV in 1993 as a continuity announcer and newsreader. He also presented weather forecasts in-vision as relief cover for Frank Mitchell or when on duty as a continuity announcer.He...
(1993–2008) - Audra ThomasAudra ThomasAudra Thomas is a Northern Irish television presenter. She is currently a continuity announcer and newsreader on UTV.-Broadcasting career:...
(1997–2007; 2008–2009) - Joanne Woods (late 1970s-c. 1987)
UTV HD
UTV HD, a simulcastSimulcast
Simulcast, shorthand for "simultaneous broadcast", refers to programs or events broadcast across more than one medium, or more than one service on the same medium, at the same time. For example, Absolute Radio is simulcast on both AM and on satellite radio, and the BBC's Prom concerts are often...
of UTV in high-definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
, launched on Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
channel 113 on 5 October 2010. UTV are hopeful that the channel will be on Sky by 2011. There is not sufficient capacity on the Freeview service in Northern Ireland until the digital switchover
Digital television transition
The digital television transition is the process in which analog television broadcasting is converted to and replaced by digital television. This primarily involves both TV stations and over-the-air viewers; however it also involves content providers like TV networks, and cable television...
takes place, which is not due to happen until 2012.
Currently UTV's acquisition and presentation infrastructure is SD only; all HD content is line-fed to UTV in Belfast from Technicolor Network Services' transmission facility at Chiswick Park, with UTV's presentation and local content being upscaled and switched into the transmission chain for UTV HD using a simple A/B switcher.
In May 2011, however, it is planned to upgrade the presentation infrastructure to become fully HD-capable in readiness for the digital switchover in 2012.
UTV +1
On 4 January 2011, Freeview announced details for the launch of ITV1+1, together with the possibility that both STV and UTV will launch their own timeshiftTimeshift channel
A timeshift channel is a television channel carrying a time-delayed rebroadcast of its "parent" channel's output. This channel runs alongside their parent: the term "timeshift" does not refer to a network broadcasting at a later time to reflect a local timezone unless the parent is also available...
services, STV +1 and UTV +1 in Scotland and Northern Ireland respectively. UTV later confirmed that it would launch UTV +1 at 8pm on 11 January 2011. The channel is available to Freeview viewers on channel 33 and Virgin Media
Virgin Media
Virgin Media Inc. is a company which provides fixed and mobile telephone, television and broadband internet services to businesses and consumers in the United Kingdom...
cable customers on channel 114. The channel is not officially available on the Freesat
Freesat
Freesat is a free-to-air digital satellite television joint venture between the BBC and ITV plc, serving the United Kingdom. The service was formed as a memorandum in 2007 and has been marketed since 6 May 2008...
and Sky satellite services but may be manually tuned in.
External links
- u.tv - Official Website