Imperial College Television

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Imperial College Television (ICTV), originally known as STOIC (Student Television of Imperial College), was the student TV station for Imperial College London from 1969 to 2021. It began in January 1969 when the college planned to provide cameras for the 20-Minute Talks. By October that year STOIC was formed, and the first IC Newsreel was broadcast on 17 February 1970. It mainly produced news, with Trevor Philips later moving into professional television. In 1979 the station got its first portable cameras for outside shoots and began contributing to the ILEA Educational Television Service, gaining attention for celebrity interviews. In the summer of 1979 it bought colour equipment and began broadcasting in colour, with the studio updated for the U‑Matic tape system; colour broadcasts started on IC News presented by James Miller. In 1998 the production unit was renamed SiCTV. ICTV began streaming online in January 2002, becoming the first UK student station to do so. In 2006 a review by The Independent praised its advanced facilities, noting it produced twice-weekly news bulletins and sketch shows. In 2021 ICTV shut down; in 2023 it was revealed this was due to lingering effects of the pandemic and a shortage of core staff for the 2022–23 year, with only about three staff members since 2018, making it hard to attract new viewers. ICTV left a lasting legacy in student broadcasting, including pioneering online streaming and notable interviews.