('''TSW''') was the
ITV franchise holder for the
South West England region from
1 January 1982 until
31 December 1992 , broadcasting from the former
Westward Television studios in
Plymouth ,
Devon .
Like their predecessor, TSW rarely produced programmes for the ITV Network. Exceptions to this included the game show ''
That's My Dog '' and a series named ''Tube Mice'', a cartoon about mice who lived beneath the London Underground.
TSW specialised in making highbrow programmes for their region. In the arts world, they had some big names who worked with them including
Moura Lympany , who was one of Britain's leading concert pianists at the time, potter
Bernard Leach and sculptor
Barbara Hepworth .
TSW were a notably regional company, declaring themselves as a channel in their own right rather than just being part of the ITV network. ITV network branding would rarely be seen in the region.
On
16th October 1991 , it was announced that TSW had lost their franchise because of an "unrealistic business plan" related to their exceptionally high bid, which was viewed by the
Independent Television Commission (ITC) as being far too high. This triggered TSW to apply for a
Judicial Review against the ITC on the grounds that their bid had been unfairly dismissed. The case went right up to the
House Of Lords but was rejected in
February 1992 . The implications of the court case did change the behaviour of the ITC into being more open with regards to it's business.
At midnight on the night of
31 December 1992 , TSW was replaced by
Westcountry Television
On losing their franchise, the directors of TSW decided to establish a public film and television
Archive based around the back catalogue of Westward and TSW programmes they owned. They created the ''TSW Film and Television Archive'', one of the first and largest of what has now become a network of regional film archives.
The archive is a
Charitable Trust , existing to preserve the region's moving image heritage. It is open to the public and holds film and television recordings from a wide variety of sources including donations from the general public. It is an invaluable source of rare footage reflecting the region's cultural heritage.
TSWFTA (renamed the SWFTA in 2003) holds the entire surviving back catalogue of Westward and TSW programmes, together with several tens of thousands of other items (which all have a connection to the southwest of England) donated by members of the general public.
The SWFTA aims to preserve moving image material as a resource for future generations. With five staff, four of whom came from TSW, they regularly supply material for a wide variety of educational and other uses. They provide community film shows and help anyone with an interest in using or viewing the material that they hold.
After the franchise loss, TSW undertook a
Reverse Takeover with the the White Ward Group, makers of safety footwear and associated articles. The name of the company was changed to UK Safety Ltd, and traded for a number of years before entering
Administrative Receivership .
TSW had three main news programmes over the course of its existence, ''Today South West'', ''Today'' and ''TSW Today''. Presenters included:
