Southern Television

The late Charles Wilson, Chairman of Southern Television, famously declared the company to be “a fine company, a very fine company” at a farewell staff dinner. Despite his admiration for the organisation, Wilson was known to express frustration with both the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) and TVS. Southern Television had a rich history, having launched on August 30th, 1958, and providing coverage to regions spanning from Kent to South Somerset, East Dorset, the Thames Valley, and the Isle of Wight.

Southern were pioneers in regional programming, offering distinct broadcasts from their Dover and Southampton studios. The company also had a noteworthy impact on children’s programming with shows such as ‘Runaround’, ‘Worzel Gummidge’, and ‘Freewheelers’, as well as popular dramas and comedies like ‘Armchair Thriller’ and ‘Take a Letter Mr Jones’.

During the 1980 franchise round, Southern submitted a 16-page application, but the IBA requested a more comprehensive submission, which the board felt was a result of their complacency. Unfortunately, Southern lost the franchise to TVS, an outcome that greatly displeased the company’s leadership. The rest is just Portakabin TV!