Timeline: How ITV got where it is today

1979 ITV suffers a devastating technicians' strike, just as Margaret Thatcher comes to power. The unions win huge pay rises, exposing the profligacy of a system rooted in monopoly advertising.

1980 ITV loses the argument to control the fourth channel, which would have become ITV2, to balance the BBC.

1982 Channel 4 is set up as a publisher broadcaster, supplied by a new sector, independent producers, aggressive and entrepreneurial. But ITV holds on to its advertising monopoly until 1992, selling Channel 4's airtime. However, until 1986, Thatcher's main broadcasting target for taming remains the BBC. ITV creates some memorable programmes, including Jewel in the Crown, Brideshead Revisited, World in Action, all from Granada: This Week and the Bill from Thames: First Tuesday, cutting edge documentaries, from Yorkshire. ITN runs a buccaneering news service. Anglia is the home of wildlife programmes that challenge the BBC Natural History Unit.

1982 Government encourages rival cable television networks to invest, but this flounders, after tax breaks are withdrawn.

1987 Thatcher describes ITV as "the last bastion of restrictive practices" at a Downing Street seminar on broadcasting, declaring war.

TV-AM, the breakfast service, sacks its unionised workforce, and trains up new entrants as multi-skilled operators.

ITV's largest companies launch a half-hearted satellite service, called Super Channel, the first indication they would fail to exploit the dawning multi-channel age.

1988 Government relations turn frigid when Thames Television broadcast Death on the Rock, which produces evidence to show three unarmed IRA terrorists had been shot dead by the SAS in Gibraltar. Asked if she is furious Thatcher replies "deeper than that". This is widely believed to have sealed the fate of the regulator, the Independent Broadcasting Authority, which had a responsibility for what was broadcast.

1989 Launch of Sky Television. Although unlicensed in the UK, because it uses satellites operated from Luxembourg, not unlike pirate radio, it is allowed to start unchallenged. It disrupts the delayed start of British Satellite Broadcasting, in which Granada Television has a large investment. BSkyB emerges as the victor of pay television, and controller of the new platform.

1990 Broadcasting Act profoundly destabilises ITV system by introducing blind bidding for the 16 licences, a move that is never repeated. Independents are handed a statutory production quota of 25%.

1991 Four ITV franchises change hands – Thames, TVS, TV South West and TV-AM. Three franchises – Yorkshire TV, Tyne Tees, and newcomer GMTV – are won on unsustainable high bids. In contrast Central Television bids just £2,000 a year for its contract. Carlton Television, run by entrepreneur Michael Green, which ousted Thames, also bids high on the premise of being a publisher broadcaster. Lord Clive Hollick heads Meridian, which replaces TVS. Result: The ITV federal system that emerges in 1993 is divided and unstable, with many of the companies' interests in conflict.

1991 Granada Group, owners of Granada Television, suppliers of most of ITV's memorable programmes, appoints outsider Gerry Robinson as chief executive and, with Charles Allen, demands heavy cuts and economies in the television service.

1992 David Plowright, chairman and champion of Granada Television is ousted after bitter clashes. This accelerated the trend of businessmen replacing professional broadcasters. However, during the 1990s Granada and others continued to make acclaimed programmes such as Cracker, The Darling Buds of May and period dramas Oliver Twist and Moll Flanders.

1993 ITV formally loses monopoly over terrestrial TV advertising, and Channel 4 sets up a rival sales team. It succeeds, exposing ITV's reliance on mass market audiences.

1993 onwards – takeovers are allowed. It is a question of being eaten up by a rival, or doing the eating. Result: ITV Network, already destabilised, is carved up in a messy consolidation. Carlton seizes Central, Granada takes over LWT after a bitter battle, breaking up a top TV management team led by Christopher Bland and Greg Dyke. It then adds Yorkshire and Tyne Tees. Meridian seizes Anglia. There is a drift of power to London, and the start of the decline in regional production, including Granada's famous base in Manchester.

1996 Broadcasting Act creates a digital terrestrial broadcasting regime.

1997 Channel Five launches, the smallest, weakest of the free-to-air broadcasters, creating further stress on the advertising market. Granada sells stake in BSkyB.

1998 OnDigital is launched by Carlton and Granada as a pay rival to BSkyB. It is forced to give away receivers, to battle against BSkyB's digital expansion. ITV nails its colours to UK-produced domestic drama, including Cold Feet, and new wave of entertainment, Who Wants to Be A Millionaire, Pop Stars, Pop Idol.

1999 News at Ten moves to 11pm. World in Action becomes Tonight with Trevor McDonald.

2001 BBC1 overtakes ITV1 as nation's most popular channel, after moving its 9pm news to 10pm slot vacated by ITV.

2002 Desperately weakened Granada and Carlton pull out of the renamed ITV Digital, having lost at least £1.2bn, one of UK's biggest media disasters. Life blood drains out of ITV and BSkyB emerges as the outright winner. ITV is now distracted by Channel 4 programmes, headed by Big Brother, stealing younger and upmarket viewers, and attempts to counter this unsuccessfully, with strands such as Celebrity Love Island.

2002/3 Rise of Freeview. ITV at first refuses to join BBC-led rescue. Charles Allen lobbies government for full merger of Granada and Carlton, effectively all the ITV regional franchises in England and Wales.

2003 Communications Act sets up new converged regulator, Ofcom, and a three-tier system of public service broadcasting which offers little to no protection for key strands such as children's and religion.

2003 Merger of Carlton and Granada is allowed after split decision by Competition Commission. The condition is contract rights renewal, overseen by Ofcom, to counter advertising dominance of 46% of market. This remedy sets ITV1 on a downward revenue spiral. ITV accelerates retreat from regional programmes, religious and children's, with swift regulatory gains waved through by Ofcom.

2004/2005 ITV belatedly revives digital strategy, with ITV2, ITV3 and ITV4. Network director Nigel Pickard is ousted and Simon Shaps takes over with a team from ITV head office. ITV tries to fill a huge gap in internet strategy by buying Friends Reunited for £120m and DTT multiplex operator SDN, reversing coolness towards Freeview. ITV Local is launched.

2006 Takeover bid from Greg Dyke-advised consortium of private equity operators is rebuffed by ITV board, at 130 pence per share.

2006 In September Charles Allen leaves, due to disquiet at share price, after savaging Channel 4's retreat from public service. BSkyB pounces on 17.9 per cent stake, at 135 pence per share, costing £920m, blocking a potential bid from Virgin.

2007 In January Michael Grade joins as executive chairman.In September he launches a turn-around strategy based on growth in ITV Productions, which fails to materialise, and campaigns to free ITV from regulatory burdens, above all CRR. Revelations of endemic premium phone line scandals, from Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway to The Comedy Awards rock ITV (and other broadcasters).

2008 News at Ten reinstated. A new generation of dramas mostly fail, with Peter Fincham recruited as director of television. Dawn Airey, director of global content, resigns after six months, pointing out the target of ITV productions supplying 75% of ITV programming is unachievable. Boston Consulting group identifies 1,000 job cuts, including a heavy reduction in ITV regional news network. ITV pulls out of formula one racing and the Boat Race. Advertising market collapses as recession arrives.

2009 ITV proposes merger with Channel 4 and Channel Five to create advertising-funded operation to counter the BBC and BSkyB, and sale of assets, including Friends Reunited, SDN, cutbacks in studios, programme budget and payments to stars.