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ITV Nightscreen | |
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Country of origin | United Kingdom |
Original language | English |
Production | |
Running time | 240 minutes (1998–2005) 180 minutes (2005–2007) 120 minutes (2007–2010) 90 minutes (2010–2013) 75 minutes (2013–2021) 60 minutes (2021) |
Production company | Gower Creative Communications |
Original release | |
Network | ITV, ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, ITVBe |
Release | 14 January 1998 1 October 2021 | –
Related | |
Infobox instructions (only shown in preview) |
ITV Nightscreen was a scheduled programme on the ITV television network that was broadcast from 1998 to 2021. It consisted of a sequence of animated pages of information about ITV's upcoming programmes, features and special events, with easy listening music in the background. The programme was used to fill the station's overnight downtime, where a closedown would have once been used at the end of programmes. The programme was generally shown seven days a week with the typical weekday show airing from 4:05 am to 5:05 am daily. However, on ITV's digital channels, the amount of Teleshopping affects how much Nightscreen is broadcast. The programme was also broadcast on all of ITV's +1 channels.
At Christmas and weekends, an additional 55 minutes was broadcast from 5:00 am – 6:00 am as no other programmes were shown. Very occasionally was is not broadcast due to live events and other programming filling its hour.
It was first broadcast on 14 January 1998, and consisted of teletext pages taken from the ITV regional teletext services, with interstitial teletext-based animations in a similar style to the former 4-Tel On View.[2] Since 2003 the screens have been produced using Scala InfoChannel3. In early 2009, updated systems were installed with the latest version of Scala5, with a dual redundant system to counter any issues of service. In April 2012, the system was upgraded again to a newer version of Scala5. This, amongst other minor presentational changes, allowed compatibility of the service to be transmitted in 16:9 widescreen for the first time, as opposed to 4:3.
As well as providing focus on upcoming programmes, films and TV listings, it also used to offers some news from the world of entertainment. In the past it also offered sports news and even on some occasions cooking tips, recipes and also fact files of characters from famous ITV shows such as Emmerdale and Coronation Street.
The Scala system was provided by Beaver Group, and the programme was produced by Gower Creative Communications[3] with soundtracks provided by KPM Music and BMG Production Music.
In October 2021, the programme was replaced by Unwind with ITV (branded as Unwind with STV on STV in Central Scotland and North of Scotland).[3]