The point is though it is still very important to have a showcase for their best children's programmes, rather than having them lost in the world of digital TV. If they'd have axed the kids programming they should have been made to axe the ITV Play programming too!
But it's not a showcase of the best is it ? It's repeating the same few programmes ad nauseum. If they're not going to commission anything new and just pay lip service to the requirement, I'd rather the slot gave way to some other kind of original programming, and no I don't mean Heartbeat repeats.
But ITV are unlikely to take this lying down. The last time the regulator stood up to ITV - ordering them to return the late news to 10pm - ITV threatened court action. So the ITC was forced to rethink and the result was the "news at when?" arrangement whereby the 10pm slot was only followed for part of the week.
This deals a serious blow for Charles' Allen's monkey management but is a victory of sorts for children. Unfortunately I don't see ITV conceding defeat.
This deals a serious blow for Charles' Allen's monkey management but is a victory of sorts for children. Unfortunately I don't see ITV conceding defeat.
Well it does buy the kids TV some time at least, and don't forget the monkey swings right out of Network Centre very soon...
The point is though it is still very important to have a showcase for their best children's programmes, rather than having them lost in the world of digital TV. If they'd have axed the kids programming they should have been made to axe the ITV Play programming too!
But it's not a showcase of the best is it ? It's repeating the same few programmes ad nauseum. If they're not going to commission anything new and just pay lip service to the requirement, I'd rather the slot gave way to some other kind of original programming, and no I don't mean Heartbeat repeats.
As you say though - it doesn't. If the CITV hour is all repeats then ITV is all repeats from 2pm-5pm.
It is thought ITV wanted to add to its own current stable of shows such as The Price is Right and The Sharon Osbourne Show which air between 4pm and 6pm with more quizzes and gameshows in the earlier slot.
Non-broadcast pilots had been made for at least three new quizshows, including two from Deal or No Deal-producer Endemol - Set for Life, which revolves around players competing to win a monthly cash payment for life; and Show Me the Money, in which contestants answer trivia questions while taking chances to rack up prize money.
Production company 12 Yard piloted The Rich List, fronted by Eamonn Holmes, earlier this summer, which sees a group of strangers thrown together to form teams and outwit their opponents.
The broadcaster has yet to make a decision on whether to order full series of the programmes, and it was thought it was waiting until the Ofcom announcement on its kids' output first.
An ITV spokeswoman was still optimistic some change could eventually happen to its afternoon schedule.
So they wern't expecting to rely on repeats all the time
I think I'd rather ITV1 had something worth watching in the afternoons, rather than kids TV which can be found on about 50 channels on digital TV. Why do people assume afternoon = kids TV time? Because it always has been? Does that make it right? The audience figures suggest not.
The Rich List has been commissioned by Fox in the US - and for some reason they've taken Eamonn Holmes too!
Show Me the Money - same name, completly different show but the C4 lunchtime share price gameshow wasn't a bad little show a couple of years ago!
As for Set for Life - I'm always suspicious of things that offer you money for the rest of your life! ITV would probably have a few hitman on standby when things become financially stretched!
Anyhow, it all points towards immitation rather than innovation - which just about sums up ITV!
The majority of programmes that ITV have commisioned for afternoons have been flops - apart from Loose Women which has now found a home at 12.30pm. The might as well keep CITV on in the afternoons if they cant come up with anything better.
The majority of programmes that ITV have commisioned for afternoons have been flops - apart from Loose Women which has now found a home at 12.30pm. The might as well keep CITV on in the afternoons if they cant come up with anything better.
Even a flop gets more viewers than CITV though as adult ratings are in millions, with kids tv it's in hundreds of thousands
It's quite shocking that Five becomes the 3rd most watched channel around 3.30/4pm every afternoon
Kids today don't care about a worthy home grown series on the terrestrial networks, or shows like Art Attack or How 2, they'll just watch some dodgy american sitcom on Disney or Nick
I think I'd rather ITV1 had something worth watching in the afternoons, rather than kids TV which can be found on about 50 channels on digital TV. Why do people assume afternoon = kids TV time? Because it always has been? Does that make it right? The audience figures suggest not.
Indeed, it hasn't always been, a block of childrens programmes in the afternoon has only been around since the early 80's. Before then there was normally only one kids programme on at 4:30ish.
The present situation is very much a return to the 70's
I don't what ITV's obligations are for public service broadcasting these days-- but doesn't children's programming in weekday afternoons fall under PSB obligations?
This may help explain why CITV was saved.... although this argument has saved a lot of regional programming for ITV