ITV Telethon

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The ITV Telethons were three charity telethons organised and televised in the UK by the ITV network. They took place in 1988, 1990 and 1992. Each lasted for 27 hours and all were hosted by Michael Aspel.

1 Thames Telethon
2 ITV Telethon
3 Criticism and the end of ITV Telethon
4 External links

[edit] Thames Telethon

The ITV Telethon originated from the 10-hour 'Thames Telethon', which ran in the London ITV region only, on October 2, 1980. Thames broadcast another Telethon in 1985.

[edit] ITV Telethon

The US-style continuous broadcast raised £1.25 million, and was considered such a success that a 27-hour marathon was broadcast across the entire network in 1988, involving participation and input from all of the regional broadcasters around the country.^{[citation needed]} It had the aim of raising money for disability charities across the United Kingdom.

A further two ITV Telethons followed in 1990 and 1992, the latter raising £15m. Michael Aspel was the frontman for all three. Telethon has helped thousands of charities in the UK. Many local ITV companies like TVS and TSW contributed from company profits.

In the TVS region alone the TVS Trust donated £1 Million pounds from its own charity the TVS Trust in 1990.^{[citation needed]}

Like the telethons in the US, the ITV Telethons also offered regional cut-ins by ITV companies all over the country, featuring personalities and local celebrities from that region such as Richard Whiteley for Yorkshire Television or Fred Dinenage for TVS, Ruth Madoc for HTV Wales for example. The cut-ins from TVS were voted best on the network.^{[citation needed]}

Also the ITV telethon was the only programme on ITV prior to 2006's emergence of ITV Productions to have been branded as an Independent Television Production.

[edit] Criticism and the end of ITV Telethon

The plug was pulled after the 1992 telethon due to protests from a group of disability rights activists from the actvist group CAT (Campaign for Accessible Transport) which later became known as DAN (Direct Action Network) who claimed the event had depicted the disabled in the ITV Telethon broadcasts in a patronising fashion [1].

This had included a demonstration outside of LWT's Kent House where the main broadcast was located during the 1992 Telethon and two demonstrators had intruded on the studio when the broadcast took place[2].

Other factors which have contributed to the ending of this event had possibly included the then recession which resulted in the ITV Telethon raising less money in 1992 than in 1990 and the culture change seen to ITV following the 1993 franchise changes.