ITV3

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ITV3
ITV3 logo 2013.svg
The keeper of ITV's treasured and timeless drama
CountryUnited Kingdom
Programming
Picture format1080i HDTV
(downscaled to 16:9 576i for the SDTV feed)
Timeshift serviceITV3 +1
Ownership
OwnerITV Digital Channels
(ITV plc)
Sister channelsITV
ITV2
ITV4
ITVBe
CITV
History
Launched1 November 2004; 17 years ago (2004-11-01)
ReplacedPlus
Links
Websitewww.itv.com/hub/itv3
Availability
Terrestrial
FreeviewChannel 10
Channel 58 (+1)
Cable
Virgin Media (UK)Channel 117
Channel 174 (+1)
Channel 177 (HD)
Virgin Media (Ireland)Channel 131
UPC
(Switzerland)		Channel 207
Citycable
(Switzerland)		Channel 407
WightFibreChannel 7
Satellite
FreesatChannel 115
Channel 116 (+1)
Sky
(UK only)		Channel 119 (SD/HD)
Channel 219 (+1)
Channel 817 (SD)
Astra 2E (28.2°E)10906 V 22000 5/6
Astra 2G (28.2°E)11097 V 23000 3/4 (HD)
IPTV
SwisscomTV
(Switzerland)		Channel arbitrary
Streaming media
ITV HubWatch live (UK only)
TVPlayerWatch live (UK only)
Sky GoWatch live (UK only)
Virgin TV GoWatch live (UK only)
Watch live (Ireland only)

ITV3 is a British free-to-air television channel owned by ITV Digital Channels, a division of ITV plc. The channel was first launched on Monday 1 November 2004 at 9pm, replacing Granada Plus. ITV3 is the sixth-largest UK television channel by audience share and the largest after the five main terrestrial services, the position which was previously held by its sister station ITV2.[1] The channel is known for UK dramas, movies, US dramas, and including sequential reruns of Agatha Christie's Poirot, Classic Coronation Street, Classic Emmerdale, Heartbeat and Inspector Morse, amongst others. Most of these dramas were originally broadcast on ITV or originated from ITV Studios.

History[]

ITV3 was launched on the terrestrial (Freeview), cable (Virgin Media) and digital satellite (Sky) on 1 November 2004 at 9:00pm, with the UKTV premiere of Ian Rankin's Rebus. It is also available on TalkTalk TV IPTV and Freesat. ITV3 came about when ITV took full control of Granada Sky Broadcasting, and ceased broadcasting the Granada Plus channel, thereby allowing ITV3 to take the channel number and bandwidth, meaning all platforms could receive the channel from launch. ITV3 was also the only channel in the ITV brand not to simulcast CITV breakfast, until ITV launched two channels in 2014, ITVBe and ITV Encore.

The channel had been available from launch on UPC Ireland, but was withdrawn on 22 March 2006. This is believed[by whom?] to have been at the request of ITV plc, which had previously barred Irish newspapers from publishing details of ITV channels and regions other than UTV and Men & Motors. The channel had already been (and remains) available to Irish viewers on free-to-air satellite for some time, however it has not been listed in the Sky electronic programme guide since its removal on 25 January 2006. ITV3 returned to UPC Ireland in the Republic of Ireland on 4 January 2010.

As Freeview announced plans for a retune on 30 September 2009, ITV3 moved to an alternative multiplex. Viewers in areas that have completed switchover who receive their signal from a local relay transmitter not carrying the commercial multiplexes were no longer be able to receive ITV3.[2] It was moved back on 28 March 2018.

On 1 April 2011, ITV3 was removed from UPC Ireland along with ITV2 and ITV4 due to the expiry of a carriage agreement between UPC and ITV.[3] UPC Ireland claim that ITV is not in a position to renegotiate the deal because ITV had struck a deal with another channel provider to provide it with exclusive rights to air certain content from the channels. Conversely, UPC Ireland also claims to have been in discussions right up to the last moment in order to continue broadcasting the channels.[4] ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4 were restored to the UPC Ireland line-up on 20 December 2011. TV3 and its sister channel 3e already hold carriage agreement to air certain ITV content within the Republic of Ireland,[5] alternatively UTV is available within the Republic. ITV2 is available along with ITV3 and ITV4 within Switzerland, all three channels are available on SwisscomTV and UPC Cablecom.[6] ITV3 is registered to broadcast within the European Union/EEA through ALIA in Luxembourg.[7][8]

It was announced by ITV on 20 September 2017 that reruns of classic episodes of Coronation Street will air twice on weekdays.[9] The repeat run began on 2 October 2017 with the episodes originally broadcast on 15 and 20 January 1986. The episodes air from 2:40 pm on weekday afternoons and are repeated at 6:00 am the following day (except Friday's episodes, which are repeated on the following Monday). To mark the 60th Anniversary of Coronation Street between 7 and 11 December 2020 at 10:00pm-11:05 pm ITV3 re-aired special episodes of the soap including: Episode 1 (Coronation Street), the tenth anniversary episode from December 1970, two episodes from the twentieth anniversary in December 1980, two episodes from the thirtieth anniversary in December 1990, the Coronation Street Live (2000 episode) from the fortieth anniversary in December 2000, and the fiftieth anniversary episode Coronation Street Live (2010 episode) which was re-transmitted after a repeat of The Road to Coronation Street.[10]

It was announced by ITV on 5 January 2019 that reruns of classic episodes of Emmerdale will air twice on weekdays. Two classic episodes were retransmitted between Mondays to Fridays at 1:45 pm until 2:40 pm from 21 January 2019.They are repeated at 7:00 am the following day (except Friday's episodes, which are repeated on the following Monday) The reruns began with episode 1403 (originally shown on 14 November 1989) which was when the title changed from Emmerdale Farm to Emmerdale.[11]

Crime Thriller Awards[]

The ITV3 Crime Thriller Awards were first held on 3 October 2008, and were broadcast on ITV3 three days later. ITV3 controller Emma Tennant devised the awards to "cement ITV3's reputation as the home of great storytelling and, in particular, great crime thrillers".[12] In 2009, the awards were merged with the Crime Writers' Association Daggers.

Subsidiary channels[]

ITV3 +1[]

ITV launched a one-hour timeshift channel of ITV3 on Monday 30 October 2006, it was allocated channel number 213 on Sky. This is now used by Channel W.[13] ITV2 +1 was launched on the same day.[14]

This channel is often unable to broadcast certain programmes "for legal reasons", but the programme in question might still be listed on the EPG. The channel launched on Freeview on 15 October 2013 using downtime from ITV-owned shopping channel The Store. Initially on Freeview, ITV3 +1 broadcast from 01:00 till 06:00 – these hours were extended and brought forward in February 2014, now airing from 18:00 till 00:00 in the higher EPG slot of channel 34. On 25 August 2015, ITV3 +1 extended its hours on Freeview to 18:00 till 06:00 and then in March 2016 it went back to closing at midnight. Due to the launch of new channel Merit, ITV3 +1 moved to channel 58 on Freeview swapping with ITVBe +1 which moved to channel 97.

ITV3 HD[]

A high-definition simulcast of ITV3, ITV3 HD, was launched on 15 November 2010 on Sky.[15][16] The channel was initially available through Sky's pay subscription service in a non-exclusive deal,[17][18] before being added to Virgin Media's service on 14 March 2013.[19] ITV3 HD offers most of the ITV3 catalogue of recent drama in high definition, including Lewis and Agatha Christie's Marple and factual series such as Joanna Lumley's Nile and Martin Clunes' Islands of Britain.

Branding[]

2013 rebranding[]

In line with the corporate rebranding of ITV, ITV3 received a new look on 14 January 2013. The channel was described as the "keeper of ITV's treasured and timeless drama", with a new "midnight blue" logo and idents that feature stories told in shadow-puppet style animation inside glass bell jars.[20]

Viewership and programming[]

The channel is mainly aimed at the over-35 audience, and much of its output consists of reruns of older ITV drama series, soap operas and sitcoms. The company are hoping to use it, and extra investment into its ITV2 channel, to triple non-terrestrial revenue within five years and this has led to the network purchasing the exclusive terrestrial television rights to a number of newer and in some cases popular US drama series, such as NUMB3RS and more recently Law & Order: Trial by Jury.

During the 2007 Rugby World Cup, ITV3 broadcast some of the matches while ITV1 (now ITV) and ITV4 were showing live European football matches which were being played at the same time and in the days when ITV4 was an evenings only service, ITV3 broadcast live weekend coverage of the Tour de France, and more recently, the ITV Racing.[21]

Current programming[]

Former programming[]

Most watched programmes[]

The following is a list of the ten most watched broadcasts on ITV3 since launch, based on Live +7 data supplied by BARB.[22]

Rank Programme Number of Viewers Date
1 Foyle's War 1,710,000 23 March 2013
2 Lewis 1,504,000 14 July 2012
3 1,486,000 16 July 2012
4 Foyle's War 1,473,000 14 January 2012
5 1,467,000 21 January 2012
6 Lewis 1,429,000 1 July 2012
7 Midsomer Murders 1,425,000 4 July 2014
8 1,414,000 8 January 2011
9 Foyle's War 1,405,000 4 February 2012
10 1,346,000 13 February 2011

On-air identity[]

  • First ITV3 logo, used from 1 November 2004 to 15 January 2006

  • Second ITV3 logo, used from 16 January 2006 to 13 January 2013

  • Third and current ITV3 logo used since 14 January 2013

References[]

  1. ^ "Monthly Total Viewing Summary". BARB. 9 August 2012. Archived from the original on 17 December 2012.
  2. ^ "Digital UK – Retuning instructions". www.digitaluk.co.uk. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
  3. ^ "Bad news for fans of Poirot: UPC is losing ITV2, 3 and 4". Business ETC. 31 March 2011.
  4. ^ "ITV2, ITV3, & ITV4 channels are no longer available". UPC Ireland. 1 April 2011. Archived from the original on 17 July 2012.
  5. ^ "UPC lose ITV's digital channels". TheAirwaves. 1 April 2011. Archived from the original on 6 September 2011.
  6. ^ "Channels – Television". UPC Cablecom. Retrieved 5 May 2013.
  7. ^ "Supervisory activities". 7 November 2021.
  8. ^ https://www.alia.lu/assets/upload/files/2021-03-17Liste-des-services-de-television-maj-mars-2021_site-ALIA.pdf
  9. ^ Anderton, Joe (20 September 2017). "Coronation Street Classic episodes are coming to ITV 3 Next Month". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 20 September 2017.
  10. ^ Seddon, Dan (7 December 2020). "Coronation Street to air more classic episodes this week – including three live editions". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
  11. ^ Warner, Sam (5 January 2019). "Emmerdale classic episodes will start airing on ITV3 later this month". Digital Spy. Hearst Magazines UK. Retrieved 6 January 2019.
  12. ^ West, Dave (3 May 2008). "ITV3 plans crime drama awards, season". Digital Spy. Retrieved 7 October 2008.
  13. ^ Shelley, Darren (10 October 2006). "Timeshifts planned for ITV2, ITV3". Digital Spy. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  14. ^ Oatts, Joanne (25 October 2006). "Updated: ITV launches +1 channels". Digital Spy. Retrieved 29 September 2013.
  15. ^ "ITV plc 2010 Interim Results & Sky deal". ITV plc. 3 August 2010. Archived from the original on 12 July 2014.
  16. ^ "ITV3 HD and ITV4 HD go live on Sky". Digital Spy. 15 November 2010.
  17. ^ Sweney, Mark (2 March 2011). "ITV earmarks £12m to hire new talent to break international hit drought". The Guardian. London.
  18. ^ Sweney, Mark (3 August 2010). "ITV unveils pay-TV push". The Guardian. London.
  19. ^ "Virgin Media introduces HDelightful ITV channels". Virgin Media. 14 March 2013. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 14 March 2013.
  20. ^ Laughlin, Andrew (16 November 2012). "ITV1 to become 'ITV' in major corporate rebrand". Digital Spy. Retrieved 9 December 2012.
  21. ^ "ITV3". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  22. ^ "Weekly Top 10 Programmes". Barb.co.uk. 23 October 2017.

External links[]

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