) ▁would ▁choose ▁the ▁companies ▁lic ensed ▁to ▁broadcast ▁on ▁a ▁periodic ▁basis . ▁Each ▁company ▁would ▁be ▁( and ▁nomin ally ▁still ▁is ) ▁afford ed ▁a ▁' f ranch ise ' ▁to ▁broadcast ▁to ▁a ▁specific ▁coverage ▁area ▁of ▁the ▁UK , ▁with ▁larger ▁areas ▁sometimes ▁having ▁two ▁broad c aster s ▁' time - sh aring ' ▁a ▁channel ▁between ▁week days ▁and ▁week ends . ▁A ▁separate ▁nation wide ▁' break fast ' ▁franch ise ▁also ▁began ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 3 . ▁ ▁Most ▁view ers ▁would ▁only ▁receive ▁one ▁service ▁( unless ▁they ▁happened ▁to ▁receive ▁signals ▁from ▁two ▁transmit ters ▁in ▁different ▁areas ). ▁Each ▁regional ▁' f ranch ise e ' ▁would ▁broadcast ▁a ▁combination ▁of ▁unique ▁regional ▁program mes ▁and ▁shared ▁' network ed ' ▁content ▁a ired ▁nation wide ; ▁the ▁latter ▁practice ▁becoming ▁ever ▁more ▁common place ▁throughout ▁the ▁network ' s ▁history . ▁Origin ally ▁each ▁company ▁would ▁broadcast ▁with ▁their ▁own , ▁unique ▁station ▁name , ▁such ▁as ▁" Y ork shire ▁Television " ▁or ▁" Associ ated - Red iff usion "; ▁with ▁separate ▁continu ity ▁announ cers ▁and ▁on - screen ▁presentation . ▁It ▁was ▁not ▁until ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁that ▁popular ▁use ▁of ▁the ▁name ▁" IT V " ▁was ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁major ▁on - screen ▁brand , ▁a ▁practice ▁which ▁did ▁not ▁become ▁universal ▁in ▁the ▁I TV ▁pl c ▁owned ▁regions ▁until ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 0