LO
Of course ITV aren't required to provide the service, and as such they could shut it down completely whenever they wish, but that doesn't mean that there wouldn't be a political reaction to such a move in the light of the wider debate about the future of ITV and its commitment to national and regional news, and PSB in general.
martinDTanderson posted:
There can be no political ramifications unless they had a remit to provide 24hour news
Of course ITV aren't required to provide the service, and as such they could shut it down completely whenever they wish, but that doesn't mean that there wouldn't be a political reaction to such a move in the light of the wider debate about the future of ITV and its commitment to national and regional news, and PSB in general.
ST
I don't imagine that many people would have a sleepless night over the thought of the ITVNC closing. ITV plc effectively signed its death warrant when they bought the majority share-holding and changed the name.
ITN was an internationally recognised brand, which had considerable status. By significantly reducing funding for the channel they have ensured it would look bad against N24 and Sky News, and therefore provide them with a "good financial" reason for closing it.
ITN was an internationally recognised brand, which had considerable status. By significantly reducing funding for the channel they have ensured it would look bad against N24 and Sky News, and therefore provide them with a "good financial" reason for closing it.
LU
what a load of nonsense - as i said above - the ITNNC would have closed had ITV not decided to buy it out and re-name it. It was losing money hand over fist and viewing figures below ten thousand on some days.
ITN may be an internationally recognised brand but that didn't stop it's channel being appalling (although it had an admittedly nice set and graphics package)
StuartPlymouth posted:
I don't imagine that many people would have a sleepless night over the thought of the ITVNC closing. ITV plc effectively signed its death warrant when they bought the majority share-holding and changed the name.
ITN was an internationally recognised brand, which had considerable status. By significantly reducing funding for the channel they have ensured it would look bad against N24 and Sky News, and therefore provide them with a "good financial" reason for closing it.
ITN was an internationally recognised brand, which had considerable status. By significantly reducing funding for the channel they have ensured it would look bad against N24 and Sky News, and therefore provide them with a "good financial" reason for closing it.
what a load of nonsense - as i said above - the ITNNC would have closed had ITV not decided to buy it out and re-name it. It was losing money hand over fist and viewing figures below ten thousand on some days.
ITN may be an internationally recognised brand but that didn't stop it's channel being appalling (although it had an admittedly nice set and graphics package)
DV
I'm annoyed at this - but seeing as I've not had the ITV NC since last October I won't miss it completely.
Chris
Chris
AN
I'm sorry but all that is just your opinion and isn't based on any facts. You are forgetting that ITV3 was one of the most successful channel launches ever and ITV2 is one of the highest rating channels. You say they are rushing out channels, how do you know what is going on behind the scenes, if anything it was the BBC rushing when they launched loads of digital services (including Digital Radio) every few weeks a few years ago, and then there is UKTV who are constantly expanding with more and more pointless channels. It is important to ITV to have a large portfolio of channels now as as more and more people turn to digital channels, the more ITV channels, the more likely they are watch an ITV channel which are better than at least 100 other channels on Sky at the moment.
Of course taking the ITV NC off Freeview wouldn't be good for the channel but this is a decision being made by the bosses of ITV PLC, I expect the team in charge of the ITV NC arn't exactly happy about it. There's nothing in the article that says the ITV NC would close, it operates at a loss now anyway so I don't see how that would change.
Finally, Broadcast have only said they are considering it, I wouldn't be surprised if they announced a few days later that they've decided not to take it off, after all none of us knew about this reduced screen idea that they have apparantly dropped, so who's to say.
Andrew
Founding member
Alexia posted:
What a minefield.
The MM issue
MM and ITV4 are basically aimed at the same market. True MM is a massive TV brand, very recognisable, but the channel is no-where near what it touts itself to be. How many young 18-35 men are interested in wall-to-wall New Zealand traffic cop shows? Or sitting through an hour of The Sweeney? This channel became so watered down when it hit Freeview it became virtually unrecognisable from its former self.
The ITV4 Issue
ITV PLC are literally throwing everything at their multi-channel aspirations. Their main aim seems to be to get as many channels as the BBC regardless of quality. They've rush released ITV4 and ITV Kids without really dealing with ITV2's problems and haven't really capitalised on the success of ITV3. And they consciously ripped off the "i" idea from the BBC for its interactive service.
The ITV News Issue
Taken off Freeview for 9 months, their news channel is part-live, part simulcast and part-endless repeat. Their pitch as "Britain's trusted faces" / "breaking news for Britain" fell flat on its face, as did their theatre of news concept. BBC showed that big isn't better, and Sky showed that big doesn't mean loss of atmosphere. Plus its politics, right-of-centre, and its graphics, yucky to put it mildly, and its presenters, Mark Austin in particular, lead this channel down the road of self destruction.
My verdict: Take ITV News off Freeview. Give MM its laddish edge back instead of making it ITV3 for middle aged single men. Make sure ITV4 lives up to its promises. Give ITV2 some decent programming.
And finally, a word for the ITVPLC fat cats: stop trying to play with the big boys without the money or the programming. Just cos BBC has 8 channels, and Sky has 20-odd, doesn't mean you have to.
The MM issue
MM and ITV4 are basically aimed at the same market. True MM is a massive TV brand, very recognisable, but the channel is no-where near what it touts itself to be. How many young 18-35 men are interested in wall-to-wall New Zealand traffic cop shows? Or sitting through an hour of The Sweeney? This channel became so watered down when it hit Freeview it became virtually unrecognisable from its former self.
The ITV4 Issue
ITV PLC are literally throwing everything at their multi-channel aspirations. Their main aim seems to be to get as many channels as the BBC regardless of quality. They've rush released ITV4 and ITV Kids without really dealing with ITV2's problems and haven't really capitalised on the success of ITV3. And they consciously ripped off the "i" idea from the BBC for its interactive service.
The ITV News Issue
Taken off Freeview for 9 months, their news channel is part-live, part simulcast and part-endless repeat. Their pitch as "Britain's trusted faces" / "breaking news for Britain" fell flat on its face, as did their theatre of news concept. BBC showed that big isn't better, and Sky showed that big doesn't mean loss of atmosphere. Plus its politics, right-of-centre, and its graphics, yucky to put it mildly, and its presenters, Mark Austin in particular, lead this channel down the road of self destruction.
My verdict: Take ITV News off Freeview. Give MM its laddish edge back instead of making it ITV3 for middle aged single men. Make sure ITV4 lives up to its promises. Give ITV2 some decent programming.
And finally, a word for the ITVPLC fat cats: stop trying to play with the big boys without the money or the programming. Just cos BBC has 8 channels, and Sky has 20-odd, doesn't mean you have to.
I'm sorry but all that is just your opinion and isn't based on any facts. You are forgetting that ITV3 was one of the most successful channel launches ever and ITV2 is one of the highest rating channels. You say they are rushing out channels, how do you know what is going on behind the scenes, if anything it was the BBC rushing when they launched loads of digital services (including Digital Radio) every few weeks a few years ago, and then there is UKTV who are constantly expanding with more and more pointless channels. It is important to ITV to have a large portfolio of channels now as as more and more people turn to digital channels, the more ITV channels, the more likely they are watch an ITV channel which are better than at least 100 other channels on Sky at the moment.
Of course taking the ITV NC off Freeview wouldn't be good for the channel but this is a decision being made by the bosses of ITV PLC, I expect the team in charge of the ITV NC arn't exactly happy about it. There's nothing in the article that says the ITV NC would close, it operates at a loss now anyway so I don't see how that would change.
Finally, Broadcast have only said they are considering it, I wouldn't be surprised if they announced a few days later that they've decided not to take it off, after all none of us knew about this reduced screen idea that they have apparantly dropped, so who's to say.
AD
The MM issue
How many young 18-35 men are interested in wall-to-wall New Zealand traffic cop shows? Or sitting through an hour of The Sweeney?
You've got a very good point. In fact, the only person I know who watches MM is an old lady called Alice who lives up the road from my grandmother...
Alexia posted:
The MM issue
How many young 18-35 men are interested in wall-to-wall New Zealand traffic cop shows? Or sitting through an hour of The Sweeney?
You've got a very good point. In fact, the only person I know who watches MM is an old lady called Alice who lives up the road from my grandmother...
MI
Ah so you know what a discussion forum is about then? Well done.
Well this whole thread is speculative, isn't it?
No I'm not: I said:
It's one thing rush-launching a TV channel which relies on hours of prepared programming, it's another "rush"-launching 6 radio stations which rely on live presenters like 6Music, or on just simply an additional football game - 5Live Sports Xtra.
Well sure if you're going to stick endless omnibus editions of Corrie, and Emmerdale on it, and broadcast live Champions League football. It's not unusual to see two or three instances of Corrie on in a day on ITV2.
I agree that Style Gardens and Bright Ideas may be pointless, as I would say splitting Horizons in 2 was nutty, but I'd say the rest have a fair reason for existing, esp Gold, Food and History.
You really feel people are this brain dead? They don't watch a channel, they watch programmes . Any disagreement I have with ITV News' politics doesn't stop me watching the F1 on ITV1. I'm anti-Murdoch, but choose Jeff Stelling on SSN on a Saturday over Ray Stubbs on Score I. BBC Three has some lame documentaries sometimes, doesn't mean I won't stop watching Monkey Dust. People will see stuff they like on ITV4 and watch it, doesn't mean they'll stick around for Kojak.
Andrew posted:
I'm sorry but all that is just your opinion
Ah so you know what a discussion forum is about then? Well done.
Andrew posted:
and isn't based on any facts.
Well this whole thread is speculative, isn't it?
Andrew posted:
You are forgetting that ITV3 was one of the most successful channel launches ever.
No I'm not: I said:
Alexia posted:
they haven't really capitalised on the success of ITV3.
Andrew posted:
if anything it was the BBC rushing when they launched loads of digital services (including Digital Radio) every few weeks a few years ago
It's one thing rush-launching a TV channel which relies on hours of prepared programming, it's another "rush"-launching 6 radio stations which rely on live presenters like 6Music, or on just simply an additional football game - 5Live Sports Xtra.
Andrew posted:
ITV2 is one of the highest rating channels.
Well sure if you're going to stick endless omnibus editions of Corrie, and Emmerdale on it, and broadcast live Champions League football. It's not unusual to see two or three instances of Corrie on in a day on ITV2.
Andrew posted:
and then there is UKTV who are constantly expanding with more and more pointless channels.
I agree that Style Gardens and Bright Ideas may be pointless, as I would say splitting Horizons in 2 was nutty, but I'd say the rest have a fair reason for existing, esp Gold, Food and History.
Andrew posted:
It is important to ITV to have a large portfolio of channels now as as more and more people turn to digital channels, the more ITV channels, the more likely they are watch an ITV channel which are better than at least 100 other channels on Sky at the moment.
You really feel people are this brain dead? They don't watch a channel, they watch programmes . Any disagreement I have with ITV News' politics doesn't stop me watching the F1 on ITV1. I'm anti-Murdoch, but choose Jeff Stelling on SSN on a Saturday over Ray Stubbs on Score I. BBC Three has some lame documentaries sometimes, doesn't mean I won't stop watching Monkey Dust. People will see stuff they like on ITV4 and watch it, doesn't mean they'll stick around for Kojak.