Public Perception

The other night, my mother took me completely by surprise by informing me that "The Grinch is on Meridian". Normally in our house, 'Meridian' is never mentioned, 'ITV1' is never mentioned, 'ITV' is occasionally mentioned and 'Channel 3' is used most often, most likely because my parents have lived through Southern, TVS and Meridian, and it's got a bit confusing for them. My friends all say 'ITV' (or 'Shîte-TV'), and the '1' is always omitted.

In my experience, people just don't bother (and aren't interested in) looking at what ITV1, or any TV channel or indeed any company, chooses to call itself, and simply refer to it in the same way as the people around them do. For example, do you know anyone who referred to the Royal Mail as 'Consignia' during that short period after it rebranded itself? I certainly don't.

So, respond to my poll if you like, and if possible, try to explain why the people you know refer to ITV1 in the way that they do.

Note: If it varies, post here to explain how it varies. If it's a regional name, post here to say which region it is - it would be interesting to see which region enforced its brand most effectively.

Round here it's always ITV. Used to be Thames quite a lot, not so often LWT and obviously never Carlton.

My mum always refers to it as ITV or channel 3. She doesn't use the one either - but then again she hasn't been 'exposed' to digital TV very much; the main TV is analogue only, and the set top box lives in my room.

I've always referred to ITV1 as ITV or channel 3 as well, but then again, is probably because we didn't have any form of digital TV until about 2 years ago. I still refer it to ITV, and never use ITV1 or Carlton/LWT. I do call ITV2, ITV2 for obvious reasons. If myself and friends are browsing through the TV section in the papers at lunch whilst eating or during free period we sometimes refer to it as 'shyteteevee1' (as with the OPs way but with a one on the end) .

Ever since I was young, I always wondered what "LWT" was. It thought it was some sort of TV channel that took over ITV on the weekend. To this day I have always wondered why they had such a set-up - any ideas?

I call ITV "The Channel I Never Watch"!

I'm from a rather primitive part of Norwich. I'd be surprised if anyone around here even knows a third channel exists, let alone knowing what they refer to it as.

[edit] I voted ITV1 because that's what I call it, and that's what Dad calls it too... religiously. He gets quite upset when someone refers to ITV1 as Anglia or ITV. "ITV1... you mean ITV1. Not Anglia, not ITV. It's ITV1 now."

But sometimes he gets mixed up when he reads out the TV listings. For example Wife Swap on ITV Channel 4 at 9, Most Haunted on LivingTV+10 at 1, then 2DTV on 3TV1 at 10:30+2. Don't even get me started on UKTV. "Confusing" doesn't quite say it, which is why I've asked him to stop buying TV guides.

Mum sticks with Anglia, as do most of the family I think. Anglia 2 is never mentioned though, that's always ITV2.

In my household it has always been "ITV" or "Yorkshire", but "ITV" the most. My neighbours usually refer to it as "Channel 3" but never "Yorkshire" - though I still do hear the odd "Granada" from my elder relatives. Hmm ...(?)

I'm surprised by the high percentage of "Regional Name" responses - could those who have voted that way please elaborate on this?

broadly speaking most people around here i know (even lecturers and employees in the industry) call it "central".

what more is there to say?

Well, I guess that figures. I doubt any regional brand was ever as strong as Central's, even though it lasted only 16 years.

Everyone I know refers to it as "Channel" Much easier to say than ITV1 plus the regional name still exists very strongly, so why not call it Channel?

My dad has started calling it ITV, although he does still call it central or channel 3.
My gran normally calls it channel 3 as well...
ITV2 & ITV3 are called as they are normally.
Until I grew up I always thought Central was called central because of its location in the channels, I always thought of Channel 3 as the "center" channel (Well technically it wasn't when there were 4 channels, but I still thought of it like it) and thats where I used to think it got the name... didn't realise it was to do with regions until a few years ago...

I work at Royal Mail, on letter sorting machines....

Royal mail was never changed to "Cosignia"!

Three things: (1) Royal Mail, (2) Parcel Force, and (3) Post Office, were changed from being a "state" thing, to being under an umbrella company . That company was initially called Consignia.

So, because us general public only deal with RM/PF/PO at the "bottom end" (e.g. actual PO branches; pillar boxes; etc), we were never really effected by the "Consignia" name. If the likes of BBC Watchdog had never mentioned "Consignia", you and I would probably have never heard of it.

It is only companies / businesses etc that have to deal with RM/PF/PO at the "business end", so only they would have ever dealt with Consignia.

Consignia is now called "Royal Mail Group plc". And us general public still don't deal with them.