TVS (Television South) - Final closedown & handover to Meridian TV (December 31, 1992)

© 1992-2022 TVS Television Ltd & ITV plc
TVS (Television South) was an ITV franchise holder for the South and Southeast area of England from 1st January 1982 until 31st December 1992, replacing Southern Television, and on 1st January 1993, TVS was closed and Meridian began broadcasting after the former's closure.
Timestamps:
00:25 Last few minutes of "Goodbye To All That"
03:33 TVS ident 1987 (with last message) & closedown from TVS
04:04 Flash-cut to Big Ben (12 midnight chimes to New Year 1993)
04:33 First startup and programming from Meridian TV
"Copyright Disclaimer under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for “fair use” for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, education and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use."

[@speakfreeley4473]

Southern TV loyalists must have been thrilled watching this.

[@zarielcolon3126]

TVS: Goodbye to All That Meridian TV: The First Ten Minutes

[@97channel]

I'm wondering how there doesn't seem to be a moment where the TVS transmission ends and Meridian takes over. I don't think it occurs where the sound dips out during the chimes of Big Ben, because the picture remains entirely stable and there's one continuous shot of the clock. The only thing I can think, forgive my lack of knowledge on whether this is right or not, is that TVS and Meridian were sharing the same TX facility and there was no need for one signal to switch off and another on.

[@Jessica_Kirk]

Let's face it, TVS did the opposite of what their predessesors, Southern, did.

[@woking1970]

Southern's farewell was like going to a funeral. At least TVS bowed out with style

[@adultmoshifan87]

@@woking1970I was born in 1987 but had I been around for when Southern were about to be replaced by TVS, I would’ve tuned into Southern’s farewell broadcast to make fun of them for a bit, before turning over to the BBC for whatever they did for New Year on that occasion!

[@paulburton9386]

TVS was a brilliant company and are much-missed. Thank goodness their old Maidstone Studios have survived and are being well-run.

[@rtc9063]

Shaw Taylor at the end of 1981 sitting there commenting on the (unnecessary)closure of ATV and there 11 years to see the end of TVS.

[@romanaii]

Keep em peeled

[@Over_Sky]

Notice how those that lost their franchise had the letter 'T' at the beginning of their names. Thames, TSW, TV-AM and TVS.

[@scottpeacock5492]

Tyne Tees Television could have join the list, that begin with T, but with three T's

[@Robbiewa-bg4lu]

Good spot though as has been said Tyne Tees kept their franchise.3 T’s though.

[@nottimhortons]

T was and still is the most common consonant of the English language. So it isn’t hardly surprising. Especially since T is in Television, which is seen in 3/4 in the beginning of the companies names.

[@andrewsmith2757]

Does you or anyone else have the whole show? I watched it all that night.

[@Dommer1973]

Its just dawned on me, Fred Dinenage is a jinx!😂

[@markcrosby5393]

HOW!? (See what I did there?) 🙂

[@rtc9063]

Firstly, TVS paid some extremely stupid people who told them to bid nearly £60million a year but none of those franchises were fair. The money TVS invested into those Maidstone studios and then they were only on air for just under 11 years. It was the same with Central - there was never a need for a massive studio complex in Nottingham when a news centre was all it ever needed

[@roblancs]

Why does she mention Meridian covering the Channel Islands at 5:28 ?

[@Nightingale1000]

Signal spillage perhaps?

[@DanBmthUK]

Meridian handled Channels overnight programmes. This had already started under the Late Night Late brand produced by and for TVS, following their move to full 24hr broadcasting on 30th May 1988.

[@scottpeacock5492]

See you on the otherside Fred Dinage 2:35 as you survive 3 ITV local South Franchises, Southern Television South and Meridian, I spent my life travelling down South from the East of England during trip to the Isle of Wight staying in a Holiday Caravan with family during school holiday in the 1980's, i watch Southern Television South and plus Meridian at my ex girlfriend place in Kent in early 2000's and now i can pick up Meridian tv in HD from Sandy Heath transmitter in Bedfordshire thanks to Digital Morden Freeview television techonolgy.

[@dooplissanimate]

TVS lost its broadcast license by 1992. It had to change its name and programming format to Meridian.

[@leediffusion]

How good natured compared to Southern's TV's closedown show.

[@Robbiewa-bg4lu]

And something else to note and that is all the stations in the North just like in 1981 kept their franchises.

[@tylerfraser5019]

guessing December 31 1992 was doomsday for most ITV regions

[@peterwilliamskelhorn6675]

@tylerfraser5019 it was for TV-AM Thames. TVS + TSW

[@rajnirvan3336]

Much different to what we had here in London when Thames signed off

[@OurUSSRTEAM]

3:35 The End/Started Meridian

[@S1LLY__P1LL0W_L0V3RR]

0:05:41 AAAH

[@gypsyman1939]

Lou diamond philps singing la bamba

[@idelsagil9129]

Sad Part 3:40

[@Robbiewa-bg4lu]

Well TVS got a taste of their own medicine after 💩on Southern TV. Karma is a bitch🤣🤣🤣🤣from the North West where Granada kept their franchise along with though not my region Border.

[@MultiAstraTVVI]

Please refrain from using profane language here. Thx.

[@alexander9703]

How was that a taste of their own medicine? It was an opening bidding process which TVS was as entitled to bit for as Southern, or Meridian. Also bitch isn't profane language @MultiAstraTVVI, stop being such a prude.

[@DavidBrown-ec2jm]

They didn’t, it was an emoji!