This is a timeline of the history of Anglia Television (now known as ITV Anglia), the ITV franchise holder for the East of England.
1950s
1959
27 October – Anglia Television starts broadcasting from Mendlesham transmitting station on VHF channel 11 to Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.
1960s
1960
2 June – About Anglia launches as a twice-weekly programme accompanying the 10-minute regional evening news bulletin on weekdays. Its success prompted it to be extended to four nights a week the following September and then every weeknight.
1961
1 February – The first episode of Anglia's natural history programme Survival is broadcast on ITV, It had been developed from a regional nature programme called Countryman which Anglia had broadcast the previous year.
1962
22 September – Anglia Television becomes the first ITV company to show football highlights on a regular basis when it launches Match of the Week which shows highlights of matches from around East Anglia.
1963
No events.
1964
Anglia is given a three-year extension to its licence. This is later extended by a further year.
1965
5 July – Anglia starts broadcasting on VHF channel 6 from Sandy Heath transmitting station, extending coverage into Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire. Until late 1966, there were no morning broadcasts from this transmitter due to a clash with the Mullard Radio Astronomy Observatory. 20 December – Anglia starts broadcasting on VHF channel 7 from Belmont transmitting station, extending coverage into Lincolnshire, eastern Yorkshire and northern parts of Norfolk.
1966
No events.
1967
The Independent Television Authority renews Anglia's licence for a further seven years.
1968
2 August – A technicians strike forces ITV off the air for several weeks although management manage to launch a temporary ITV Emergency National Service with no regional variations.
1969
7 June – Anglia begins talks with Yorkshire Television about a cost-cutting exercise by sharing equipment and facilities. Neither company planned joint productions or a merger. The reason to form an association was purely down to the costs of the increased levy on the companies advertising revenue by the government and the cost of colour TV. The ITA stated there was no reason why the companies should not have talks about sensible economies that could be made, but would examine all details before any association were to be implemented. November – The Anglia knight ident is remade with constant lighting with the knight constantly rotating on a turntable, a longer version of the ident was used at the start of the day's transmission until the mid-1980s.
1970s
1970
1 January – A warning is given that regionalism would be abandoned and a forced merger between Yorkshire Television and Anglia Television would happen unless the chancellor reduced the levy applied on advertising revenues which the government agreed to a few months later. 1 October – Anglia starts broadcasting in colour on UHF from Sudbury transmitting station to Suffolk and Essex.
1971
18 January – The Sandy Heath transmitter begins transmitting in colour on UHF. 24 May – Anglia starts broadcasting in colour on UHF from Tacolneston transmitting station to Norfolk. On the same day, the Belmont transmitter also begins transmitting in colour on UHF. 9 October – Anglia's long-running game show Sale of the Century airs its first episode.
1972
16 October – Following a law change which removed all restrictions on broadcasting hours, ITV is able to launch an afternoon service.
1973
No events.
1974
30 July – Following the 1974 franchise round, the Belmont transmitter in Lincolnshire is switched from Anglia Television to Yorkshire Television.
1975
No events.
1976
No events.
1977
No events.
1978
No events.
1979
10 August – The ten week ITV strike forces Anglia Television off the air. The strike ends on 24 October.
1980s
1980
25 January – Three new low-powered relay stations carrying Anglia are built in North Norfolk to improve reception in that area following public pressure from 70,000 viewers who since 1974 had been served by Yorkshire Television. Many of these viewers had gone to "considerable trouble and expense" to receive Anglia Television. 28 December – The Independent Broadcasting Authority announces the new contractors to commence on 1 January 1982 and Anglia Television is reawarded its licence. However, there had been a challenger, from East of England Television.