Associated Television - Studios

Studios

ATV's headquarters and main studios were based at Elstree, London and were the home to both Midlands and London divisions. It was here that the majority of ATV's earlier programming was made and distributed.

Meanwhile, ATV's studios in the Midlands were located in Aston, Birmingham and were jointly owned by ATV and ABC under the banner Alpha Television. These studios supplied both ATV and ABC, and supplemented production from Elstree. In readiness for colour television, a large new 'state of the art' television studio was built by ATV, known as ATV Centre and located off Broad Street, near the centre of Birmingham. The site replaced the Aston studios, which were disposed of. The Broad Street site was in use until 1997 although two of the production studios had been 'mothballed' in the early 1990s as demand for production studios fell. The former ATV Centre is currently in the process of being demolished to be replaced by the Arena Central development. The Alpha Tower will survive as it is a listed building.

A documentary about the Broad Street studios complex has been in production since early 2007. Entitled 'From ATVLand In Colour' (referring to the nickname used on Tiswas, and the building being purpose-built for colour broadcasting), the documentary features presenters, actors, announcers and behind-the-scenes staff talking about their time working in the studios, and the programmes that were made there. Contributors include Chris Tarrant, Shaw Taylor, Jane Rossington and Bob Carolgees. The documentary series will be released by Mace - Media Archive for Central England on Monday 19 September 2011

In the 1981 franchise review, the IBA ordered that if ATV Midlands were to keep the franchise, the Elstree centre would be sold and that a new studio centre be built in the East of the region. ATV Midlands, now renamed Central Independent Television, needed an immediate start for separate East and West Midlands facilities. The new East site was chosen for Lenton Lane, Nottingham and the land had been bought while ATV was still in control. However, planning issues delayed construction at the Nottingham site so Central purchased an independent production studio in the city (at Giltbrook) to act as its East Midlands newsroom. Industrial action prevented this centre from being used however, with the new studios ready by the time it was resolved.

In 1983 the Elstree centre was sold to the BBC for an undisclosed sum, and the centre remains in their possession and is now the famous home of the soap EastEnders. In 1984 the East Midlands Television Centre in Lenton Lane, Nottingham was opened by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. The studio was eventually sold off to the University of Nottingham as an independent facility and as the home of the Media Archive for Central England, where ironically most of ATV's and Central's programmes were acquired.