Television Act 1954

Last updated

Television Act 1954 [1]
Act of Parliament
Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (variant 1, 1952-2022).svg
Long title An Act to make provision for television broadcasting services in addition to those provided by the British Broadcasting Corporation, and to set up a special authority for that purpose; to make provision as to the constitution, powers, duties and financial resources of that authority and as to the position and obligations of persons contracting with that authority for the provision of programmes and parts of programmes; and for purposes connected with the matters aforesaid.
Citation 2 & 3 Eliz. 2. c. 55
Territorial extent 
Dates
Royal assent 30 July 1954
Other legislation
Repealed by Television Act 1964
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted
Television Act 1954 (Isle of Man) Order 1957
Statutory Instrument
Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (variant 1, 1952-2022).svg
Citation SI 1957/602
Dates
Made5 April 1957
Commencement 5 April 1957
Other legislation
Made underTelevision Act 1954
Revoked by Television Act 1964 (Isle of Man) Order 1965
Status: Revoked
Television Act 1954 (Channel Islands) Order 1961
Statutory Instrument
Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (variant 1, 1952-2022).svg
Citation SI 1961/2039
Other legislation
Made underTelevision Act 1954
Revoked by Television Act 1964 (Channel Islands) Order 1964
Status: Revoked

The Television Act 1954 [1] (2 & 3 Eliz. 2. c. 55) was a British law which permitted the creation of the first commercial television network in the United Kingdom, ITV.

Until the early 1950s, the only television service in Britain was operated as a monopoly by the British Broadcasting Corporation, and financed by the annual television licence fee payable by each household which contained one or more television sets. The new Conservative government elected in 1951 wanted to create a commercial television channel, but this was a controversial subject—the only other examples of commercial television were to be found in the United States, and it was widely considered that the commercial television found there was "vulgar".

The solution to the problem was to create the Independent Television Authority which would closely regulate the new commercial channel in the interests of good taste, and award franchises to commercial companies for fixed terms.

The first commercial franchises were awarded in 1954, and commercial television started broadcasting in stages between 1955 and 1962. The first advertisement aired by ITV promoted Gibbs SR toothpaste at 8:12pm on 22 September 1955. Household cleaners were the most frequently advertised products over the 1955–1960 period.[ citation needed ]

The act was extended to the Isle of Man by the Television Act 1954 (Isle of Man) Order 1957 (SI 1957/602) and to the Channel Islands by the Television Act 1954 (Channel Islands) Order 1961 (SI 1961/2039).

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITV (TV network)</span> TV network in the United Kingdom

ITV, legally known as Channel 3, is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network. It is branded as ITV1 in most of the UK except for central and northern Scotland, where it is branded as STV. It was launched in 1955 as Independent Television to provide competition, eliminating what had hitherto been the monopoly of BBC Television. ITV is the oldest commercial network in the UK. Since the passing of the Broadcasting Act 1990, it has been legally known as Channel 3 to distinguish it from the other analogue channels at the time: BBC1, BBC2 and Channel 4.

The following television-related events took place during 1961.

The year 1960 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events during 1960.

The year 1959 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events during 1959.

The year 1958 in television involved some significant events. Below is a list of television-related events during 1958.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Independent Television Authority</span> Regulator of UK commercial television until 1972

The Independent Television Authority (ITA) was an agency created by the Television Act 1954 to supervise the creation of "Independent Television" (ITV), the first commercial television network in the United Kingdom. The ITA existed from 1954 until 1972. It was responsible for determining the location, constructing, building, and operating the transmission stations used by the ITV network, as well as determining the franchise areas and awarding the franchises for each regional commercial broadcaster. The authority began its operations on 4 August 1954, a mere four days after the Television Act 1954 received royal assent, under the chairmanship of Sir Kenneth Clark. The authority's first director general, Sir Robert Fraser was appointed by Clark a month later on 14 September.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITV Channel Television</span> ITV service for the Channel Islands

ITV Channel Television, previously Channel Television, is a British television station which has served as the ITV contractor for the Channel Islands since 1962. It is based in Jersey and broadcasts regional programmes for insertion into the network ITV schedule. Until November 2011, Channel Television was one of four ITV companies independent from ITV plc alongside the two STV regions in Scotland and UTV in Northern Ireland. The station has been owned by ITV plc since 2012 and the licence was transferred to ITV Broadcasting Limited in March 2017.

Television broadcasts in the United Kingdom began in 1932, however, regular broadcasts would only begin four years later. Television began as a public service which was free of advertising, which followed the first demonstration of a transmitted moving image in 1926. Currently, the United Kingdom has a collection of free-to-air, free-to-view and subscription services over a variety of distribution media, through which there are over 480 channels for consumers as well as on-demand content. There are six main channel owners who are responsible for most material viewed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITV1</span> British free-to-air television channel

ITV1 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the British media company ITV plc. It provides the Channel 3 public broadcast service across all of the United Kingdom except for the central and northern areas of Scotland where STV provides the service.

The Crown Dependencies are three offshore island territories in the British Islands that are self-governing possessions of the British Crown: the Bailiwick of Guernsey and the Bailiwick of Jersey, both located in the English Channel and together known as the Channel Islands, and the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea between Great Britain and Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ITV Border</span> ITV region for Cumbria and South Scotland

ITV Border, previously Border Television and commonly referred to as simply Border, is the Channel 3 service provided by ITV Broadcasting Limited for the England/Scotland border region, covering most of Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway, the Scottish Borders and parts of Northumberland. The TV service previously covered the Isle of Man from 26 March 1965 until 15 July 2009.

The history of ITV, the United Kingdom and Crown Dependencies "Independent Television" commercial network, goes back to 1955.

ITV or iTV may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Association of Cinematograph, Television and Allied Technicians</span> Former trade union of the United Kingdom

The Association of Cinematograph, Television and Allied Technicians (ACTT) was a trade union in the United Kingdom which existed between 1933 and 1991.

Analogue terrestrial television in the United Kingdom was originally the method by which the significant majority of viewers in the UK, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man received television. Analogue terrestrial television broadcasts have fully ceased in the UK with Northern Ireland being the last region to have ceased transmission analogue terrestrial television broadcasts. Northern Ireland switched off the last analogue television signals, making all of the United Kingdom only capable of receiving digital television, in the early hours of 24 October, 2012. It has been completely replaced by digital terrestrial television and other non-terrestrial means as of the end of 2012.

The Crown dependency of the Isle of Man does not have any television channels of its own but receives United Kingdom television channels.

This is a list of British television related events from 1956.

In the 1960s and 1970s, an envisioned fourth UK television service was popularly referred to as ITV2, before the launch of Channel 4 in November 1982.

This is a timeline of the history of the British broadcaster Channel Television. It provides the ITV service for the Channel Islands.

This is a timeline of the former British television broadcaster Associated Television (ATV). It provided the ITV service for London at weekends and the Midlands on weekdays from 1955 to 1968, and for the Midlands all week from 1968 to 1982.

References

  1. 1 2 The short title as conferred by section 20 of the act was "Television Act, 1954"; the modern convention for the citation of short titles omits the comma after the word "Act".

Bibliography