TV dreaming

I have bemoaned the death of local radio in the UK on this blog, but years ago we also used to have distinct ITV regions. They were proud to produce proper local programming (not just localish news) and some of the local idents became as memorable as any programme that followed them.  The businesses produced better quality television because there was competition.  We have lost all of that now. Nowadays, ITV programming is dumbed down for the masses and gone are the quality dramas and documentaries, with only a couple of exceptions.  Now, they just try and copy the BBC and usually fail.  If you took the the time of the viewing into account, you somehow you had a good idea of what you were going to see just by seeing the ITV logo and (in most cases) animation and few seconds of music.

        
ATV (which became Central) meant Crossroads was about start. TVS in the evenings indicated some good entertainment show. Tyne Tees would be some low budget rubbish and Border TV had only one programme I remember... Mr and Mrs. The weird music of HTV West usually led to some strange programme about farmers.
      

          
Before our local transmitter was changed in 1981, we received ITV from London.  The weekdays were Thames TV (with that awful logo and ident that people around the world associate with Benny Hill) and then, at 5.15 on a Friday evening LWT took over... the weekend started here!  I get a good feeling when I think back to those days... all based on a TV station logo.

          

             And when TVS came along in the early 80's, they acted like a big company despite not being one of the 'Big 5'. They worked hard to build a TV community in the south and made some great local and national programmes. So here is their ident...