TV-am, also known as Television-am, was a British breakfast television station that aired from 1983 to 1992. It was the first commercial breakfast television station in the United Kingdom and aimed to provide a more lively, informal, and entertaining alternative to the traditional BBC and ITV morning programming.
TV-am was founded by Canadian businessman Ted Rogers and was owned by his company, Rogers Communications. The station initially faced many challenges, including low viewership and financial difficulties. However, through innovative programming and hosting personalities like Anne Diamond, Nick Owen, and Roland Rat, TV-am gradually gained popularity and became a fixture in British morning television.
The station was noted for its coverage of major news events, such as the Hillsborough disaster and the fall of the Berlin Wall. It also pioneered the use of the breakfast television format in the UK, which has since become a staple of morning television programming.
Despite its success, TV-am faced increasing competition from other breakfast television stations, such as Sky News and BBC Breakfast, and struggled financially. In 1992, it lost its ITV franchise to GMTV, and TV-am ceased broadcasting.
Overall, TV-am played an important role in the evolution of British television and helped pave the way for the modern breakfast television format.
