Television Wales and the West
| Company type | Independent Television franchise holder |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | 1956-10-26 |
| Defunct | 1968 |
| Fate | Lost franchise to Harlech Television; operations ended early in protest |
| Headquarters | Pontcanna, Cardiff and Bristol , United Kingdom |
Area served | South Wales and the West of England; later most of Wales (after acquisition of Teledu Cymru) |
Key people | Lord Derby (chairman), Sir Ifan ab Owen Edwards (programming director), Alfred Francis, Bruce Lewis (chief continuity announcer) |
| Products | Television broadcasting, regional programming including Welsh and English language content |
Television Wales and the West (TWW) served as the British Independent Television franchise holder for South Wales and the West of England. The franchise was granted on 26 October 1956, with TWW commencing broadcasts on 14 January 1958, becoming the eighth ITV franchise to go on air.
Initially, TWW transmitted via a single VHF transmitter that covered southeast Wales along with the west of England. In 1964, the company expanded its reach by acquiring Teledu Cymru, which broadened coverage to most of Wales and allowed for distinct programming tailored to both Welsh and English viewers within the dual-region franchise.
Following the loss of its franchise to Harlech in 1967, TWW terminated its operations prematurely in protest, prior to Harlech’s readiness to assume control. Consequently, the Independent Television Authority arranged an emergency interim service, managed by Harlech but utilizing TWW’s personnel, content, and facilities.
Inception
Broadcasting from 4:45 pm on 14 January 1958, Television Wales and the West officially launched with a live ceremony led by station chairman Lord Derby, programming director Sir Ifan ab Owen Edwards, and Alfred Francis. Bruce Lewis, the chief continuity announcer, acted as master of ceremonies.
The first programme aired at 6:00 pm was Youth Wants to Know, a children’s interview show produced by Granada Television featuring Lady Megan Lloyd George and Raymond Gower responding to questions from Welsh schoolchildren. At 6:30 pm, ITN’s early evening news was broadcast from TWW’s Pontcanna studios with Huw Thomas presenting.
The flagship opening event at 7:00 pm was The Stars Rise in the West, a filmed special introduced by Jack Train. Created in collaboration with ITN, it showcased prominent performers such as Ralph Richardson, Stanley Baker (who later co-founded Harlech Television), Naunton Wayne, Donald Sinden, Tessie O'Shea, Donald Houston, Petula Clark, Tommy Cooper, Ralph Reader, and Harry Secombe performing Nessun Dorma.
Acquisition of WWN
Wales West and North Television (WWN), operating under the name Teledu Cymru, held the franchise for a larger yet more sparsely populated region in Wales. In January 1964, WWN became the sole ITV company to face financial collapse. TWW then assumed control of WWN’s franchise, running it as an independent service branded Teledu Cymru, TWW Network for Wales. These operations were subsequently consolidated into a unified Wales and West franchise.
Loss of Franchise
Despite delivering strong regional content, TWW lost its franchise during the 1967 review to the Harlech Consortium, which promised high-profile entertainment alongside quality documentary programming.
No formal explanation was provided for this decision; however, TWW’s choice to maintain its corporate headquarters in London rather than relocating within the region likely influenced the outcome. Although there was speculation about government reprisal against TWW’s principal shareholder, the News of the World, due to its critical stance on Prime Minister Harold Wilson, this is generally dismissed given the Independent Television Authority’s autonomy.
In protest, TWW ended its contract ahead of schedule and sold the remaining five months of its licence to Harlech for £500,000 before Harlech was prepared to launch broadcasts. The Independent Television Authority then established a temporary service—the Independent Television Service for Wales and the West—staffed by former TWW employees at Pontcanna studios until Harlech (later renamed HTV) commenced transmissions on 20 May 1968.
Closure
The final evening of broadcasts from the station predominantly showcased in-house productions. These included Live Like A Lord, a music and comedy variety featuring TWW personalities Ivor Emmanuel and Clive Dunn, the youth-oriented music program Discs a Go-Go—which starred future Radio Caroline and United DJs presenter Tony Prince—and the musical film Sing Me A Fantasy. The pinnacle of the night was TWW’s second-to-last production, All Good Things, a late-night variety special hosted by Bernard Braden. This show featured performances by Tessie O'Shea, Stan Stennett, Ivor Emmanuel, Manfred Mann, Clifford Evans, Anita Harris, and the duo Morecambe & Wise. The program commenced with an opening from company chairman Lord Derby.
In response to perceived grievances with the ITA, TWW concluded its tenure with a poignant epilogue titled Come To An End, featuring John Betjeman, who had previously created several films for the station. Betjeman honored TWW’s staff, programming, and accomplishments, affectionately referring to it as Tellywelly. Filmed at London's Granville Theatre, his closing remarks were:
The new company, Harlech, which will be based in Cardiff, must establish its own identity. Tellywelly, you had a warm, friendly, and inspiring character. Like many others, I am deeply thankful to you. I regret your departure. It feels like losing an old friend.
As Betjeman exited the stage and the credits began rolling, the camera lingered on an "EXIT" sign—symbolizing TWW’s final broadcast. Following this, an interim service known as the Independent Television Service for Wales and the West took over, operated by TWW on behalf of the incoming Harlech Television.
Studios
TWW’s operations were based at two principal locations: a repurposed farm in Pontcanna, near Cardiff (now replaced by residential development), and facilities situated on Bath Road in Bristol.
Although TWW initially inherited Teledu Cymru’s studios on Western Avenue in Cardiff, these were sold to focus resources on Pontcanna. To accommodate dual presentation requirements and increased production following their franchise acquisition, a £2 million investment was made to enhance Pontcanna’s studios. This upgrade included constructing a new studio and establishing separate transmission control rooms.
TWW played a role in advancing 625-line colour broadcasting for ITV. While most experiments were conducted at ABC’s Teddington Studios under the direction of the Independent Television Authority (ITA), in 1966 TWW leased two prototype EMI colour cameras and conducted internal trials by transmitting shows over their in-house network for staff viewing.
Transmitters and sub-regions
Prior to 1965, viewers across south east Wales and parts of the English West received ITV broadcasts via VHF channel 10 from the ITA transmitter located at St Hilary near Cowbridge. This single transmitter provided a unified service covering both Welsh and English areas within the franchise. Despite maintaining studios in Cardiff and Bristol, TWW combined their output at Cardiff into one programme feed for St Hilary, alternating local news segments between the two studios.
Other VHF transmitters serving west and north Wales carried an independent Welsh service branded as Teledu Cymru after TWW assumed control of that licence following WWN’s commercial collapse.
In 1965, an additional VHF transmitter on channel 7 was installed at St Hilary to extend Teledu Cymru’s reach into south east Wales. This enabled dedicated Welsh programming while preserving a separate schedule for English-speaking audiences on channel 10. Consequently, during its final years, TWW operated as a 'dual region' broadcaster.
Identity
The initial visual branding for TWW on screen showcased a circular emblem featuring a prominent central 'T' accompanied by smaller 'W's on each side. This static design was eventually replaced by an animated logo consisting of a rotating box with shifting letters, accompanied by a twelve-note musical fanfare.
Following the acquisition of WWN, TWW integrated the Teledu Cymru identity for the North and West Wales regions, positioning the TWW emblem beneath the Teledu Cymru dragon and including the tagline 'Network for Wales'.
Programmes
While TWW contributed relatively few programmes to the ITV network, it earned acclaim for its widely viewed monthly Welsh music series Land of Song (1958–64) as well as its distinguished news reporting, particularly coverage of the Aberfan Disaster.
The Welsh-language magazine programme Amser Te ('Tea Time') featured cooking segments presented by Myfanwy Howell, alongside the music show Gwlad y Gan.
TWW was instrumental in launching several careers: John Humphrys, Claire Rayner, and Adge Cutler—whose performances on 'The Cider Apple' helped inspire the formation of The Wurzels. Michael Palin served as presenter for the pop music programme 'NOW!'. Bruce Lewis, a principal news anchor, later authored books recounting his experiences during World War II and his broadcasting career; his son Peter Lewis hosted Movie Magazine and worked with TWW, HTV West, and LWT.
See also
External links
- Harlech House of Graphics (unofficial history site)
- Animated TWW Channel 10 logo, 1960s, from 625.uk.com
- Animated TWW/Teledu Cymru ident, 1964, from 625.uk.com