ITV Channel Television
A British ITV regional television service serving the Channel Islands with local news and other regional programming.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
ITV Channel Television is the ITV regional television service for the Channel Islands. Historically known simply as Channel Television, it was awarded the islands' ITV franchise in 1960 and began broadcasting on 1 September 1962. The station was created to provide a dedicated television service for Jersey, Guernsey and the smaller islands, which were not originally covered by the legislation establishing the ITV network. A special legal order extended the relevant broadcasting arrangements to the islands, while a microwave relay through Alderney connected the service with the wider ITV system. The station has always occupied an unusual position within British commercial television. It served the smallest population of any ITV contractor, yet it was required to maintain a full regional operation, including news gathering, presentation and local production. Its core editorial role has been to report island politics, public affairs, emergencies, community life, business, sport and culture. Its principal continuing programme is the regional news service now branded within the ITV regional structure, while network programming is supplied through ITV's national schedule. The BBC is its main broadcast competitor, principally through BBC Spotlight programming from the South West of England with Channel Islands opt-outs. Channel developed its technical and editorial capabilities gradually. It established stronger programme-sharing arrangements with neighbouring South West and southern ITV companies, introduced local teletext information in the early 1980s, computerized its newsroom, and became an early adopter of electronic news gathering. The station converted to colour in 1976, later introduced local subtitling, moved to widescreen broadcasting in 2008 and completed the Channel Islands' transition from analogue to digital television in 2010. Its ownership history reflects the consolidation of the ITV industry. Channel remained independent through several rounds of regional consolidation, including the creation of ITV plc in 2004. It was acquired by the Yattendon Investment Trust in 2001 and subsequently purchased by ITV plc from the Yattendon Group in 2011; the transaction was completed in November of that year. This ended its status as one of the last independent ITV franchise companies. Following ITV's 2013 corporate rebrand, the station's presentation and news branding were aligned more closely with other ITV regions, although regional output continued. In addition to broadcasting, Channel historically performed a network compliance function for independently produced ITV programmes. It reviewed whether certain programmes complied with Ofcom requirements, including rules concerning broadcasting standards and premium-rate telephone voting. This responsibility made the small regional company relevant to the wider ITV regulatory structure, although it also attracted criticism when the arrangement was portrayed as reducing the potential financial exposure of the larger ITV system. The compliance role was associated with programmes such as The X Factor, Midsomer Murders and the British Comedy Awards before Channel's acquisition by ITV plc. The service operates from a headquarters at Castle Quay on the St Helier waterfront and maintains a Guernsey base at Television House in St Sampson, shared with BBC Radio Guernsey. Its current brand combines the ITV identity with the distinctive editorial and geographic role of a Channel Islands broadcaster.
History
Channel Television's origins lie in the expansion of the ITV system to the Channel Islands. The station was awarded the islands' franchise by the Independent Television Authority in 1960, but the legislation that had established ITV did not initially cover the islands. A subsequent Order in Council created the legal basis for service there. Because the islands were separated from the main ITV transmission network, a microwave relay facility was built through Alderney to connect the Channel Islands with the neighbouring regional contractor. Channel Television began broadcasting on 1 September 1962, becoming the sixteenth ITV station to launch. Its small audience and isolated geography shaped the station's early development. In its first years it served approximately 150,000 people in around 54,000 households, making it especially vulnerable to disruption in the wider ITV system. It avoided the major technicians' strike of 1968 and the extensive ITV strike of 1979, but the energy-saving Three-Day Week of 1973–74 significantly restricted television hours. During the 1979 dispute, Channel maintained a reduced schedule built around films, imported programmes, extended local news and regional material, despite the practical difficulty of transporting film to its Jersey studios. In 1970, Channel formalized programme-sharing arrangements with Westward Television, the ITV contractor for much of South West England. It eventually changed its network source to Television South in 1986, and later carried overnight output from TVS and Meridian rather than creating an entirely separate overnight service. These changes sometimes created continuity problems for imported serials because neighbouring ITV regions were at different points in their schedules. Technical modernization was a recurring theme. Channel introduced a local Oracle teletext service in 1981, developed an early underwater electronic-news-gathering camera for coverage of a Roman shipwreck, and computerized its newsroom. It converted to colour transmission on 26 July 1976, later than every other ITV contractor, because of the expense of upgrading its studios and transmission arrangements. By the following year its local productions were being made in colour. In 1979 it became one of the earliest European television stations to use electronic news gathering for local news, replacing film-based acquisition. The 1991 franchise round placed the station's future at risk. Under the post-Broadcasting Act system, franchises were primarily awarded through competitive bidding subject to a quality threshold. Channel submitted a £1,000 bid, while the CI3 consortium, which included former Channel staff, bid £102,000. CI3 was disqualified for failing the quality test, allowing Channel to retain the franchise beyond 1993. The station also began breakfast-time regional news as part of the new GMTV structure and introduced subtitling for local programmes in 1996. Ownership changed in 2001 when Channel was acquired by the Yattendon Investment Trust. It remained independent during the consolidation that produced ITV plc in 2004 and was one of the few ITV franchise operations outside the major regional groups. During this period, it retained some regional non-news output that disappeared from many other ITV regions. Channel also handled compliance for independently produced ITV programmes, a responsibility that later became controversial following an Ofcom matter involving the British Comedy Awards. ITV plc announced the purchase of Channel from Yattendon in October 2011, subject to approval by the Jersey Competition Regulatory Authority, and completed the acquisition on 23 November 2011. Channel thereafter became part of ITV plc while continuing to provide Channel Islands-focused journalism. It introduced widescreen broadcasting in early 2008, and the islands completed digital switchover in November 2010. The station moved its Jersey headquarters from the La Pouquelaye complex to smaller premises at Castle Quay in June 2015. Its Guernsey operation, which had moved between several locations since launch, is based at Television House in St Sampson.
- 2015
Jersey headquarters moved to Castle Quay
[1]The station relocated its Jersey operations from La Pouquelaye to premises at Castle Quay on the St Helier waterfront.
- 2011
ITV plc ownership begins
[1]ITV plc completed its acquisition of Channel Television from the Yattendon Group on 23 November.
- 2010
Analogue-to-digital switchover completed
[1]The Channel Islands completed the transition to digital television transmission.
- 2008
Widescreen broadcasting introduced
[1]Channel began broadcasting in 16:9 widescreen format.
- 2001
Acquired by Yattendon Investment Trust
[1]Ownership transferred to the Yattendon Investment Trust.
- 1991
Franchise retained after competitive bidding
[1]Channel retained its franchise after the higher bid from the CI3 consortium failed the quality threshold.
- 1981
Local Oracle teletext service launched
[1]Channel began providing local news and information through an Oracle teletext service.
- 1976
Colour broadcasting introduced
[1]The station began colour transmissions on 26 July after a prolonged studio and equipment upgrade programme.
- 1970
Programme-sharing relationship with Westward formalized
[1]Channel formalized arrangements for greater programme sharing with Westward Television in South West England.
- 1962
Broadcasting begins
[1]Channel Television went on air on 1 September, serving the Channel Islands as an ITV contractor.
Products and positioning
A locally focused ITV service combining national network programming with dedicated journalism and public-service coverage for the Channel Islands.
Regional television news · 1962
ITV Channel Television regional news
The station's central public-service offering is local and regional news for the Channel Islands. Coverage is produced from Jersey with reporting and facilities in Guernsey, and focuses on island government, courts, public services, emergencies, business, sport, culture and community affairs. The service is inserted into ITV's wider regional schedule and competes primarily with the BBC's Channel Islands coverage.
Television programming · 1962
Channel Islands regional programming
Alongside news, Channel has historically produced or transmitted local programmes covering island life, public affairs and community interests. The volume and format of this output have changed as ITV's regional structure evolved, but the station continues to provide programming and presentation tailored to the Channel Islands.
Broadcast compliance
Independent programme compliance service
Before ITV plc acquired the station, Channel performed compliance work for independently produced programmes shown on ITV. Its responsibilities included checking conformity with Ofcom broadcasting requirements. The service covered programmes including The X Factor, Midsomer Murders and the British Comedy Awards, but this historical business role is no longer the station's defining public-facing activity.
Controversies
2008
British Comedy Awards compliance controversy
A reported Ofcom breach involving the 2005 British Comedy Awards raised questions about Channel Television's role as the compliance company for independently produced ITV programmes. An award was presented to the wrong recipient after a phone-in voting issue. Because Channel was treated as the responsible broadcaster for compliance purposes, press coverage argued that the arrangement could reduce the maximum financial penalty relative to ITV's overall advertising income. The episode highlighted the unusual regulatory position of a small regional contractor handling compliance for large network productions.
Brand decisions
2013
Aligned presentation with the ITV networkStrategyBackground
ITV plc introduced a broader corporate and on-air rebrand after bringing Channel into its ownership.
Action taken
Channel's presentation and regional news identity were brought into line with other ITV regions.
Aftermath
The station retained a distinct Channel Islands editorial remit, while its on-air identity became more visibly integrated with ITV.
2011
Accepted acquisition by ITV plcM&ABackground
Channel had remained independent while much of the ITV regional structure consolidated under larger groups.
Action taken
ITV plc announced the purchase from the Yattendon Group in October and completed the transaction on 23 November after regulatory approval.
Aftermath
Channel became part of ITV plc while retaining its regional broadcasting role in the Channel Islands.
1991
Submitted a minimal franchise bid to retain the Channel Islands licenceStrategyBackground
The 1991 franchise process used competitive bidding subject to a quality threshold, creating a challenge for the small regional contractor.
Action taken
Channel bid £1,000, while the competing CI3 consortium bid £102,000. CI3 was disqualified after failing the quality threshold, so Channel retained the franchise.
Aftermath
The station continued broadcasting after 1993 and added breakfast-time regional news within the new GMTV schedule.
1976
Invested in colour transmissionOtherBackground
Channel was the last ITV contractor to adopt colour, partly because of the cost of studio and equipment upgrades and the need for a stronger network feed.
Action taken
The station began colour broadcasting on 26 July 1976 and moved its local production output to colour the following year.
Aftermath
The upgrade brought the station's local production capabilities into line with the rest of the ITV network.
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