CITV

Before the advent of Children’s ITV and CITV, there was Watch IT! This early brand for children’s programming was developed by the promotions department at ATV. However, the branding was applied inconsistently across different ITV regions, as Watch IT! was broadcast locally rather than on a network-wide basis. By 1982, several ITV stations expressed concerns that Watch IT! had not done enough to address previously raised issues.

In response, Lewis Rudd, Central’s Controller of Children’s Programmes, proposed a revamped approach to the presentation style. Central’s promotions department then conceptualised what would become Children’s ITV.

This reimagined format featured pre-recorded links between shows, presented by hosts who were already familiar faces from the programmes themselves. The networking logistics followed a model similar to that used for educational broadcasts; the links were broadcast from Central, while the individual shows were supplied by their respective production companies.