0 s . ▁ ▁I TV ▁was ▁established ▁as ▁a ▁public ▁service ▁broad c aster ▁with ▁various ▁requirements ▁placed ▁upon ▁it ▁affect ing ▁the ▁nature ▁of ▁broadcast ▁content , ▁mand atory ▁programming , ▁daily ▁limits ▁on ▁broadcast ▁hours , ▁strict ▁controls ▁on ▁advert ising ▁practices ▁and ▁the ▁process ▁by ▁which ▁franch ises ▁were ▁awarded . ▁ ▁Vari ous ▁relax ations ▁on ▁these ▁requirements ▁and ▁restrictions ▁were ▁made ▁throughout ▁its ▁history , ▁with ▁a ▁substantial ▁set ▁of ▁der eg ulation ▁taking ▁place ▁upon ▁the ▁implementation ▁of ▁the ▁Broadcast ing ▁Act ▁ 1 9 9 0 . ▁L ifting ▁of ▁ownership ▁restrictions ▁resulting ▁from ▁this ▁act ▁and ▁subsequent ▁acts ▁resulted ▁in ▁a ▁single ▁I TV ▁pl c ▁ow ning ▁and ▁operating ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁franch ises ▁by ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 0 s , ▁with ▁a ▁common ▁identity ▁as ▁' IT V '. ▁Three ▁exceptions ▁remain ; ▁ST V ▁Group ▁pl c , ▁own s ▁two ▁franch ises ▁in ▁Scotland ▁broadcast ing ▁as ▁ST V ▁whilst ▁U TV ▁broadcast s ▁to ▁Northern ▁Ireland ▁under ▁that ▁name . ▁ ▁Other ▁relax ations ▁have ▁substantial ly ▁reduced ▁the ▁requirement ▁for ▁I TV ▁to ▁air ▁particular ▁types ▁of ▁program mes , ▁though ▁requirements ▁such ▁as ▁local ▁and ▁national ▁news ▁provision ▁remain . ▁ ▁The ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁act ▁formally ▁introduced ▁the ▁legal ▁title ▁of ▁' Channel ▁ 3 ', ▁though ▁with ▁limited ▁exceptions ▁this ▁has ▁never ▁been ▁used ▁on - screen . ▁ ▁For ▁many ▁years , ▁the ▁I TA , ▁I BA ▁and