Meridian

Just out of interest does anyone know the origins of the "Sun Face" logo and name 'Meridian' for the south franchise?

I understand the meridian line passes through the region, but it's something you associate with Greenwich not Kent. and why the unusual logo?

Thanks
Steve

IIRC the Meridian name came exactly from the Greenwich Mean Time thing and that the sun logo came first and they picked the name and looked it up in a dictionary and happy with what they found it meant.

I'm sure others can provide more information.

Well, this is the Collins Dictionary definition of Meridian:

[1. Circle of the earth passing through poles.
2. Imaginary circle in sky passing through celestial poles.
3. Highest point reached by star etc.
3. period reached by star.
5. of meridian.
6. at peak of something.

I remember reading in another dictionary about the face part sometime ago, but I cant remember which one.

Hope this helps!

Didn't Lord Hollick design the logo, or is that a myth?

They made a programme a few years ago, following the Greenwich Meridian from Greenwich down to the south coast.

Also to try to be different, Meridian called their station "Meridian Broadcasting". Everyone else is ".... Television"

Yep and no mention of Southern or South in the title either.

wasn't "central independent television plc" changed to "central broadcasting" at around the same time?

No, the reason they are '....broadcasting' and not '... television' is because they they are a publisher-broadcaster. The same with Central, the production arm got absorbed into Carltons other productions and Central became just a broadcaster.

Well, anyone who's been to the Greenwich Maritime Museum and the Royal Observatory will note that the two things sailors needed to pinpoint their ship's latitude and longitude were the position of the sun and a prime Meridian from which to measure time. Many sextants and sundials would have decorative faces showing suns, moons, angels, etc. and of course the sun would invariably have a face on it.

IIRC it was called 'On The Meridian Line and it was presented by Alan Titchmarsh

Crossover TV has the answer, but is currently offline.

In my own words: Meridian's region includes the Greenwich Meridian, and the dictionary says it translates as "to the or of the South"