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ABOUT ATV NETWORK LIMITED
 ATV Network Limited originally launched in 1966 as the seven-days-a-week broadcaster for ITV in the Midlands region of the UK. The company had been formerly known as Associated Television Limited and had provided a television production and broadcast service to ITV in the Capital at weekends and weekdays in the Midlands. The company was known as ATV London and ATV Midlands in its respective transmission areas. A sister production arm, ITC Entertainment, also provided programming for ITV and television stations in the USA.
Over the years ATV Network was involved in many of television's biggest productions including: In 1981 ATV Network Limited ceased as a broadcaster; however our then parent company continued to have shares in the new ITV station for the Midland region, Central Independent Television, for some time after the change on-screen. ATV Network Limited was dissolved entirely into the ITC Entertainment company in 1992. A year later and PolyGram Television bought up the company archive - operating as ITC Distribution in America and as PolyGram TV in the UK. ATV PolyGram continued to produce programming [as ITC], licence classic productions for repeats around the world and, more so, began releasing programming to the public on VHS - which was becoming increasingly popular as home videos took off. In 2000 there were several changes, which resulted in the ATV Network and ITC Entertainment archive being bought up by Carlton International.  In 2004, as Carlton International merged with Granada International to form what is now known as ITV Global - and as Central Independent Television closed down as a producer of network programming, ATV Network as a brand was to be revived.
Central in the Midlands has since 2004 produced only local programming and regional news. The large studios in Birmingham and Nottingham have long ceased operation. With the closure of such establishments former ATV Network documents, photographs and other archive items were scheduled to be destroyed. As the studios closed, and before a public auction, ATV Archive [none motion] was obtained from Carlton International's base at the Lenton Lane Centre in Nottingham. Protos Productions, a theatre company based in London - which has previously had assistance from ATV and the BBC in the past - also became involved with the new era of ATV Network providing storage and headquaters for the company. Former ATV and Central staff, along with the current bosses of ATV Network Limited, united to revive the company and create an archive for the ATV documents which otherwise would have been possibly lost forever. In 2005, with the archive built, the company was re-launched as an independent producer. The moving image archive continues to be part of the ITV Global network. Regional footage is cared for by MACE, however is also controlled by the 'Global' company. Items in the ATV collection include: - Publicity Documents, including for the opening of ATV Centre
- Programme Library Documents and Books
- Studio Centre Layouts and some Studio Set Plans
- Awards and publicity stills
- Music Master Tapes for 'Crossroads''
The current logo for ATV Network Limited is a registered trademark and is based on an original logo which the company used on its cameras, transmission trucks, production vans and cars in the 1970s and early 80s. Part of the logo was also used in the 1969-1981 ATV broadcast animation for the Midlands station.
ABOUT THE NEWS SITE  ATV Network News was originally launched in 2001 as 'NewsZone' - a website that provided stories on the latest soap opera news. In the same year the Brookside Appreciation Society and Crossroads Fan Club hired NewsZone to provide the new stories for their sites.
In November 2004 NewsZone expanded to cover television news and sci-fi stories, this later saw the soap section gain its own site, SoapZone. The NewsZone team and site was taken over by ATV Network Limited in January 2006. In January 2008 NewsZone and SoapZone were returned back into one site, and the whole news service was re-branded as ATV Network Today, produced by ATV Network News. Since 2006 the team has also expanded into new areas, such as adding many features. We have been proud to bring on board Radio Presenter 'Mikey K', columnists 'Ashley', and 'Gossip Boi' and popular agony aunts 'Queenie and Vivian'. The 'ATV Network Newsteam' is made up of a wide range of ages and backgrounds - meaning we have more scope to cover news that matters to all age ranges rather than just focus on a central group. All our lead reporters have studied, and gained qualifications, in media and/or journalism. ATV Network Today is about giving you the facts straight and providing the bare information - not the media spin. Our brutal honesty and no-nonsense attitude is what makes us popular and our forthright opinions has won much praise from our readers. We aren't afraid to take on the likes of the Daily Mail and the Daily Express and say exactly what we think; our motto is 'Praise where it is due and criticism where criticism is deserved'. While others pander to production companies for pointless 'exclusives' we're happy to stick to the facts, stick to the main news and not indulge in fancy gimmicks.  Our news values also make us a alternative news destination from the trashy and celebrity obsessed tabloids and other media outlets; we don't report on the daily goings-on in reality television and we don't report on the tiresome ins-and-outs of various z-list celebrities.
We are very proud of the fact that many of our original ideas and sections have been 'borrowed' by other news sites. It proves undoubtedly that we are doing something right, however while imitation may be a form of flattery - it very often isn't as good as the original. ATV Network News was the first to launch a full and varied GaySpy section. This continues today as 'Bi-Weekly'. We were also the first to bring you audio 'sessions' with un-signed bands in our 'Shine Radio' section. We were the first to do 'ATV Soap Awards' with realistic and honest catagories and we are proud to be often first with the meaningful news stories of the day. 
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