"Politics is dead" on ITV - Sunday Edition axed

Why is ITV on channel 3 again?

I don't think ITV *has* to broadcast politics. BBC1 and ITV1 attract slightly different audiences, and the type that are attracted to ITV1 couldn't really give 2 f**ks about politics, and there are plenty of politics shows on BBC1 for those who want to watch them. OK so Ofcom regulations say that ITV have to broadcast x amount of political news, but at the end of the day ITV is a business just like any other and they look at ways to make maximum money, not what a small number of people want. Yes, they could have advertised it more and put it in a fixed time slot. Would it have boosted the ratings? A bit yes. Would it still be unsuccessful and axed? Probably.

250,000 is a ridiculously low figure. I wonder what sort of share this is

The variable slot can't have helped but due to the Formula 1, there are never two Sunday's the same so it's impossible to have a fixed time slot

Hmmm...

The thing is, why does ITV attract that sort of viewer?

Could it be that ITV for some time now has put out nothing but LCD crap that has turned away the more discerning viewer?



Unless OFCOM have relented on this one as well, politics is an essential PSB requirement.

For me the most important thing here is about plurality. I am not a BBC basher but I think it is healthy that there should be a credible mainstream alternative in news, politics and current affairs. It keeps everyone on their toes.

Apparantly politics coverage on the news more than covers this. There's no specific requirement for a politics dicussion show AFAIK

Did you purposely skip the part of my post about Ofcom regulations?

ITV1 aims itself mainly towards for housewives and the 16-34 market who may not be particularly interested in politics. The bulk of the output on BBC1 is aimed at older people and middle class people, the type who may be interested in politics.

So what exactly will ITV fill the slot with - an extra hour of CITV so they can get a bit closer to the 5 hours a week they're supposed to show.


Religious programmes gone, most of CITV, now the political programme and from next year, they're Championship coverage too.


So what exactly are they going to show on Sunday mornings then?



The only way I can see any form of Sunday political show remaining is if they can convince Trevor McDonald to host it - as he of course is the solution to all of ITV's problems!

How about Jeremy Kyle's Sunday Politics? With special guests Lorraine Kelly and Antony Worrall Thompson?

Don't jest....

So why is it that the majority of people I know who watch, for example, IACGMOOH are older?

Younger people turn their noses up at it.

This is not aiming at the 16-34 market -- this is aiming at the bottom of the barrel market.

Well I feel so much better about myself now