Associated Television

ATV Network
	The ATV region before its renaming as Central Independent Television in 1982.
Type	Region of television network
Branding	ATV
Country	United Kingdom
First air date	24 September 1955, in London; 17 February 1956 in the Midlands; All week in the Midlands from 29 July 1968
TV transmitters	Sutton Coldfield; Waltham; Ridge Hill; The Wrekin; Croydon; Lichfield; Membury;
Headquarters	Alpha Tower, Birmingham; London; Elstree;
Broadcast area	London (weekends, 1955 to 1968); Midlands (weekdays, 1956 to 1968; all week, 1968 to 1982);
Owner	Associated Communications Corporation; ITC Entertainment;
Dissolved	29 July 1968 (after 12 years, 309 days, London); 1 January 1982 at 12.34 a.m. (after 25 years, 318 days, Midlands)
Former names	ABC (Associated Broadcasting Company) before 8 October 1955; Associated Television (1955–1966);
Picture format	625- and 405-line
Affiliation(s)	ITV
Language	English
Replaced	ABC Weekend TV in the Midlands on weekends from 1968
Replaced by	Central Independent Television in the Midlands from 1982; London Weekend Television in London from 1968;
Subsidiary	ATV Music Publishing

Associated Television was the original name of the British broadcaster ATV, part of the Independent Television (ITV) network. It provided a service to London at weekends from 1955 to 1968, to the Midlands on weekdays from 1956 to 1968, and to the Midlands all week from 1968 to 1982. It was one of the "Big Four" until 1968, and the "Big Five" after 1968, that between them produced the majority of ITV networked programmes. In 1982, ATV was restructured and rebranded as Central Independent Television, under which name it continued to provide the service for the Midlands.

ATV was awarded its first franchise by the Independent Television Authority (ITA) to provide the Independent Television service at weekends for the London region. This service started on Saturday, 24 September 1955, the second ITA franchise to go on air, and was extended until Sunday, 28 July 1968. ATV was also awarded the franchise to provide the weekdays Independent Television service for the Midlands region. This service started on Friday, 17 February 1956, the third ITA franchisee to go on air, and was extended until Monday, 29 July 1968.

Subsequent to the changes made by the ITA to the regional structure of the Independent Television service, ATV lost its London franchise, but was awarded the franchise to provide a seven-day service for the Midlands region which started on Tuesday, 30 July 1968 and was finally extended until 00:34 on Friday, 1 January 1982.