ITV Choice
Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox television channel
ITV Choice (formerly Granada UKTV, Granada TV and ITV Granada) was a British-based television channel owned and operated by ITV plc.
HistoryEdit
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The channel was launched in 1997 by Granada Media under the name Granada UKTV, and offered cable and satellite services in Middle East, Malta and Asia.<ref>Aviation Week & Space Technology, Volume 156, Issues 1-5, Penton Media, 2002, page 241</ref> It was also carried by Sky Network Television in New Zealand between 1999 and 2002.<ref name="NZ">New Year Programme Changes For Sky Television, 10 December 2001</ref>
The service was expanded and relaunched as Granada TV during 2008, when ITV announced plans to offer the channel to cable and satellite operators in Asia.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
On 1 November 2010, it was rebranded as ITV Granada.<ref>GRANADA TV rebrands to ITV GRANADA, C+T, 3 November 2010</ref> The channel was renamed again as ITV Choice on 25 March 2013.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
On 20 August 2019, it suddenly ceased broadcasting in many markets across the Middle East, Malta and Asia, while transmission in South Africa was unaffected.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On 18 March 2020, it was announced that the channel would cease broadcasting in Africa on 4 June of that year.<ref name="channel24.co.za">ITV Choice will no longer be available on DStv from 4 June, 18 March 2020</ref> Tipping Point was the last programme to be broadcast on the channel before closure in Africa.
In December 2022, an ITV Choice branded FAST channel was launched on the Samsung TV Plus platform in Australia in December 2022, which airs various ITV Studios-owned programmes.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In October 2023, it was renamed as Entertain by ITV Studios.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
ProgrammingEdit
It primarily carried ITV and other UK programming, produced by ITV Studios and other independent production companies. Key programmes include Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, Dancing on Ice, I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, The Jonathan Ross Show, Doc Martin, The Chase, Tipping Point, among others.
AvailabilityEdit
- Asia and Middle East on Measat 3<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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- Australia on Samsung TV Plus<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
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|CitationClass=web }}</ref> until 16 January 2017)Template:Citation needed
- New Zealand on Sky Television (from January 1999 until 1 January 2002)<ref name="NZ"/>
- Taiwan on Chunghwa Telecom (channel 82, from 6 December 2010)Template:Citation needed
- Malta on GO Channel 305 and Melita Cable (channel 309)Template:Citation needed
- The Middle East on Star TV's Star Select service, Orbit Showtime Network OSN channel 47 and Arab Digital DistributionTemplate:Citation needed
- Hong Kong on now TV (channel 517, from 7 September 2010) and Star TV (from January 1997 until 1 January 2002)Template:Citation needed
- Indonesia on Skynindo (channel 27) and TelkomVision (channel 503)Template:Citation needed
- India on Airtel digital TV (from 5 January 2012)Template:Citation needed
- Singapore on mio TV (channel 23, from 15 July 2009 until 25 March 2013), StarHub TV (channel 523, from 1 December 2009 until 30 December 2013)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref> and Singtel TV (channel 337, from 1 July 2015 until 19 August 2019)<ref>ITV re-launches channel in Singapore, Digital TV Europe, 1 July 2015</ref>
- Thailand through Cable Thai Holding.Template:Citation needed
- Africa on DStv (from 5 May 2015 until 4 June 2020)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation
|CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="channel24.co.za"/>
ReferencesEdit
External linksEdit
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