London Weekend Television

Until 1968, the weekend programming for ITV in London was provided by ATV, which held the franchise from Friday evenings through Sunday nights. However, ATV’s output was widely considered insufficiently engaging, a view shared by BBC personality David Frost. In response to a franchise round advertised by the Independent Television Authority (ITA), Frost rallied a group of wealthy, influential, and intellectually oriented colleagues to form the London Television Consortium and submit a bid. The ITA was impressed by the consortium’s proposal, which included a blend of contemporary entertainment, intellectually stimulating dramas, and arts programmes, and awarded the franchise to the consortium.

London Weekend Television (LWT) went on air in 1968, originally broadcasting from the former studios of Associated Rediffusion in Wembley. In 1972, the company relocated to purpose-built facilities on the South Bank, which were later renamed The London Studios in 1992.