(Image: Shutterstock/ Oleg Krugliak)

Caitlin, one of our AV Planner/Buyers, takes a look at 70 years of ITV…

With 22nd September marking the 70th anniversary of ITV, I thought I’d do a little research into the network and I realised just how innovative the launch really was.

• ITV was the UK’s first commercial network (1955) funded by advertising and private companies. At the time, the only other broadcaster was the BBC, financed by the public through television licence fees.

• Aiming to be “the people’s channel” it gave viewers true entertainment, with Take Your Pick! (1955) the first British quiz show to offer prizes and Crackerjack (1955) which gave pencils to the winners and cabbages to the losers… not sure I would’ve participated on that one.

• One of ITV’s flagship originals, Coronation Street, holds the Guinness World Record as the longest-running TV soap opera in the world! (1960–present)

• Mr Bates vs The Post Office (2024, another ITV original) is a real story about subpostmasters wrongfully convicted of theft and false accounting due to errors in the Horizon IT system. The show sparked parliamentary action to revoke the wrongful convictions and provide compensation, with a settlement worth £56.75 million agreed. The power of TV can be incredible.

• Lastly for the fellow sports fans, ITV (and the BBC) have secured a new four-year deal for the Men’s Six Nations to remain free-to-air until 2029, which means I’ll definitely be tuning into plenty of ITV for the next 4 years!

Mostly Media has enjoyed a long and successful partnership with ITV, and we’re always impressed by the creativity and quality they deliver. We look forward to continuing this partnership and celebrating many more of ITV’s birthdays together!

Credit: Caitlin Blue, AV Planner/Buyer