Television in the Isle of Man
The Crown dependency of the Isle of Man does not have any television channels of its own but receives United Kingdom television channels.
The Isle of Man does not have an island-specific opt-out of the BBC or ITV regional news programmes, in the way that the Channel Islands get their own version of Spotlight and ITV News Channel TV; instead, the Isle of Man is included as part of BBC North West and ITV Granada.
United Kingdom television channels available in the Isle of Man
BBC
Television first reached the Isle of Man from the Holme Moss transmitter in Northern England. This transmitter broadcast the BBC TV service on the VHF 405 line system from 12 October 1951. The signal was strong enough to reach a large part of the Isle of Man, especially the east coast which includes the island's capital, Douglas.In July 1955 the new high-powered Divis transmitter based in Belfast, Northern Ireland came into service, and its signal could easily be received on the west coast of the Isle of Man, bringing the BBC Northern Ireland television service to the island.
BBC TV signals from Sandale transmitter in Cumbria could be received in northern parts of the island since that transmitter started broadcasting in 1956, and signals from the BBC TV Llandonna transmitter in North Wales could be received in southern parts of the island since 1958.
The Isle of Man is covered by BBC North West on BBC One, and receives the local news programme BBC North West Tonight and news bulletins covering the island are included in that programme. The island receives the national England variation of BBC Two. There is no specific island continuity, and the island uses the England-wide continuity for both BBC One and BBC Two. The Isle of Man is part of BBC English Regions. Some viewers receive services from Northern Ireland, Wales and North East & Cumbria rather than from island-based relays.
ITV
Until 1965, ITV television could be received on the Isle of Man from at least four mainland transmitters in the United Kingdom. Winter Hill transmitter in Lancashire broadcast the Granada Television region to a large part of the island, especially the east coast and the capital Douglas since 1956, Black Mountain transmitter in Belfast could be received on the island's west coast since October 1959 when the Ulster Television region launched in Northern Ireland. The Caldbeck transmitter based in Cumbria which broadcast Border Television could be received in the northern parts of the island from 1961, and the southern parts of the island received ITV transmissions from the Arfon transmitter which broadcast the ITV Wales service from 1962.It was not until March 1965 that the broadcasting authorities decided to assign a region to the Isle of Man, and thus the creation of relay transmitters on the island itself.
Commercial television came to the island on 26 March 1965, unlike the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man was included in the large ITV Border franchise based in Carlisle. After it was announced that the ITV Border and ITV Tyne Tees would merge, a survey was taken of Isle of Man viewers in autumn 2008, and coverage of the island was transferred from ITV Border to ITV Granada on Thursday 16 July 2009. The island receives the national ITV1 continuity, and news from the island is featured in Granada Reports, produced by the island's only reporter, Joshua Stokes. Like the BBC, some viewers receive ITV services through their aerials from elsewhere, including Northern Ireland's UTV and ITV Wales, rather than from local relays.