[Rdd]

That’s exactly what’s happened with UTV under ITV ownership really, it’s ITV1 branding except for news and on trailers for local programmes. (And UTV Life).

At least under the old networking arrangements UTV and STV were as entitled to use the ITV brand as any other Channel 3 licensee, they simply chose not to. ITV branded promos did air on UTV up to June 1993 when they were banished when the station rebranded from Ulster Television. I suspect the settlement which brought about the affiliation arrangements probably involved vesting ITV plc with ultimate ownership of the brand. The argument is moot in UTV’s case now anyways, since they are owned by ITV plc.