Harlech Television was awarded the contract to take over the ITV region covering South Wales and the West of England in the contract reshuffle of 1967. The existing station Television Wales and the West (TWW), outraged at their treatment by the Independent Television Authority (ITA), dropped out of their franchise early and sold the remaining months of their contract which had been due to expire at the end of July 1968 to Harlech for just under half a million pounds. Their last transmission day was 3rd March 1968 but since Harlech's facilities were not yet ready to take over ITV coverage in the region the ITA set up the interim Independent Television Service for Wales and the West which ran from 4th March to 20th May 1968 after which Harlech properly took over (TWW continued to contribute