Meridian Broadcasting

The South and South East of England franchise was awarded to a consortium consisting of Mills & Allen International, Selectv, and Central, the franchise holder for the Midlands region. Although Meridian was not the highest bidder with a bid of £36.5 million compared to TVS’s £59.8 million, the Independent Television Commission (ITC) favoured Meridian due to TVS’s inadequate business plan. Meridian adopted a distinctive approach from its predecessors by opting to commission programmes rather than producing them in-house. The company divided the region into three segments, each with its own local news programme.

In 1994, MAI acquired Anglia, and the following year, it became a major shareholder in the winning bid for Channel 5. In 1996, Meridian and Anglia merged with United Newspapers to form United News and Media (UNM). UNM then sold its part ownership in Yorkshire and Tyne Tees to Granada and took over HTV in 1997. Eventually, two of the three franchises were acquired by Granada, with HTV being sold to Carlton. In 2004, Meridian sold its Northam studios and relocated to smaller premises in Whiteley.