S2 (TV channel)

S2 was a television station broadcast throughout the Scottish and Grampian ITV regions by SMG plc, the holder of the Scottish and Grampian region ITV franchises. S2, which aired on the digital terrestrial platform (branded ONdigital, at the time), was launched 30 April 1999 and closed just over two years later — as part of a deal with ITV Digital — on 27 July 2001. The channel was also broadcast on cable television services NTL and Telewest.

Not to be confused with the later "second channel" run by the same parent company, STV2.

S2
CountryScotland
Broadcast areaScotland
(Central and Northern)
HeadquartersGlasgow, Scotland, UK
Programming
Language(s)English
Picture format576i (SDTV)
Ownership
OwnerSMG plc
Sister channelsScottish TV,
Grampian TV
History
Launched30 April 1999 (30 April 1999)
Closed27 July 2001 (27 July 2001)
Replaced byITV2, ITV Sport Channel
Links
Websitestv.tv
Availability
(at time of closure)
Terrestrial
ITV DigitalChannel 6

At launch, S2 was on air between 4 pm and 2 am, seven days a week, with its target audience being 16- to 34-year-olds. S2 Live, an entertainment show was S2's flagship show, and aired every night, presented by Sarah Heaney. The channel also repeated drama and documentary programmes, originally shown on Scottish/Grampian. S2 also broadcast sports coverage, including Scottish rugby.[1]

By the end of its life, it had lost nearly all of its Scottish programmes and mainly simulcast ITV2, but covered the ITV2 graphic with an opaque S2 graphic.[2] This caused controversy and forced the broadcaster further into removing the channel.

Although S2 initially had great ambitions for the station, it closed in 2001 as part of a deal with ITV Digital.[3] The channel capacity was first replaced by the now defunct ITV Sport Channel and then ITV2.

The Grampian and Scottish franchises have operated together as STV since 2006.

See also

References
  1. "STV to launch digital service aimed at youthful audience". Media Week. 9 April 1999. Retrieved 27 June 2011.
  2. "S2, Readers' Wives?". 625, Dog Watch. 6 February 2003. Retrieved 5 June 2006.
  3. "S2 dropped for ITV2". Neil Wilkes, Digital Spy. 6 February 2003. Retrieved 5 June 2006.


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