This is a timeline of the history of ITN (Independent Television News), a British production company providing news programmes for British broadcasters.
1950s
1955
January – A consortium of the initial four Independent Television broadcasting companies launch ITN, which will provide ITV with its news service. 22 September – The first ITN news bulletin is broadcast at 10pm on ITV’s launch night.
1956
No events.
1957
No events.
1958
No events.
1959
8 October – ITN broadcasts its first election results programme to provide ITV with live coverage of the results of the 1959 United Kingdom general election.
1960s
1960 to 1966
No events.
1967
3 July – News at Ten is launched as a 13-week trial of a nightly 30 minute bulletin. The programme is an immediate success with the audience and is soon made permanent.
1968
No events.
1969
August – ITN moves to ITN House at 48 Wells Street, close to the BBC's Broadcasting House.
1970s
1970
No events.
1971
No events.
1972
16 October – Following a law change which removed all restrictions on broadcasting hours, ITV is able to launch an afternoon service. As part of the new service ITV's first lunchtime news programme, First Report, is shown.
1973
No events.
1974
7 September – First Report is moved to a 1pm start time.
1975
No events.
1976
6 September – News at One replaces First Report and the teatime news bulletin programme is extended by five minutes and renamed News at 5.45.
1977
No events.
1978
ITV's teletext service ORACLE launches with ITN providing the news pages.
1979
No events.
1980s
1980
No events.
1981
No events.
1982
2 November – On the day of the launch of Channel 4, Channel 4 News is broadcast for the first time with ITN as the programme's producer. The 60-minute programme is broadcast each weeknight at 7pm. At the weekend, the only news is a single two-minute summary broadcast at teatime.
1983
No events.
1984
No events.
1985
No events.
1986
No events.
1987
ITN World News is launched as part of the launch of pan-European Super Channel. 20 July – The lunchtime news programme moves to 12:30pm and is renamed accordingly. 7 September – ITV launches a full morning programme schedule, with advertising, for the first time. The new service includes regular five-minute national news bulletins.
1988
15 February – An early morning 60-minute news programme – ITN Early Morning News – is launched but is only available in areas which have 24-hour broadcasting. The first 30 minutes of the programme includes a full broadcast of ITN's international news bulletin ITN World News. In addition, brief news summaries are broadcast at various points through the night. 7 March – The lunchtime news returns to the 1pm slot.
1989
3 April – The Channel 4 Daily launches with ITN providing the news input into the new breakfast service.
1990s
1990
No events.
1991
7 January – The lunchtime news returns to the 12:30pm slot. 16 January–2 March – ITN provides ITV with extensive live coverage of the Gulf War, both in terms of extended news bulletins and special programmes, including a daily bulletin at 9:25am and all-night coverage during the initial stages of the War. 3 March – Following the conclusion of the Gulf War, the ITN Early Morning News is halved in length and now goes on air at 5:30am. From this point, the ITN World News is no longer broadcast as part of the bulletin. ITN moves its headquarters to 200 Gray's Inn Road.
1992
2 March – The News at 5.40 is renamed ITN Early Evening News. 25 September – The Channel 4 Daily is broadcast for the final time. 28 September – Channel 4's new breakfast programme The Big Breakfast launches. ITN provides the news updates for the replacement programme The Big Breakfast which sees one-minute headline summaries every 20 minutes with extended bulletins at 7am and 8am. 5 October – ITN replaces LBC as the operator of Independent Radio News.
1993
No events.
1994
No events.
1995
No events.
1996
London News Radio, in which ITN holds a stake, is formed and buys London Radio Services which operates the two London news licenses - London News 97.3FM and London News Talk 1152AM. 14 November – London News 97.3 is relaunched as News Direct 97.3 following the move of the station to ITN's headquarters.