Claim: Emma has been broadcast on a television channel.

ITV is a commercial TV network in the United Kingdom . Launched in 1955 as Independent Television under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority -LRB- ITA , then after the Sound Broadcasting Act 1972 , Independent Broadcasting Authority , now Ofcom -RRB- to provide competition to the long established BBC , it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK . Since the passing of the Broadcasting Act 1990 its legal name has been Channel 3 , to distinguish it from the other analogue channels at the time , namely BBC 1 , BBC 2 and Channel 4 . In part , the number 3 was assigned as television sets would usually be tuned so that the regional ITV station would be on the third button , with the other stations being allocated to the number within their name .   ITV is a network of television channels that operate regional television services as well as sharing programmes between each other to be displayed on the entire network . In recent years , several of these companies have merged so currently the fifteen franchises are in the hands of two companies .   The ITV network is to be distinguished from ITV plc , the company that resulted from the merger of Granada plc and Carlton Communications in 2004 and which holds the Channel 3 broadcasting licences in England , Wales , southern Scotland , the Isle of Man , the Channel Islands and Northern Ireland . With the exception of Northern Ireland , the ITV brand is the brand used by ITV plc for the Channel 3 service in these areas . In Northern Ireland , ITV plc uses the brand name UTV . STV Group plc , uses the STV brand for its two franchises of central and northern Scotland .