 The first six franchises were awarded in 1954 for London, the Midlands and the North of England, with separate franchises for Weekdays and Weekends.The first ITV network to launch was London's Associated-Rediffusion on 22 September 1955, with the Midlands and North services launching in February 1956 and May 1956 respectively.Following these launches, the ITA awarded more franchises until the whole country was covered by fourteen regional stations, all launched by 1962.