SP
Sput
ITV News: Nothing like it used to be. News on a shoestring budget
Childrens: Being kertailed
Serious documentaries/current affairs (World In Action, Cook Report etc.) are now non-existent.
I guess we shoud brace ourselves for 24 quiz channel fun with Greggles across ITV interspersed with X-Factor and Corrie.
Childrens: Being kertailed
Serious documentaries/current affairs (World In Action, Cook Report etc.) are now non-existent.
I guess we shoud brace ourselves for 24 quiz channel fun with Greggles across ITV interspersed with X-Factor and Corrie.
WO
I haven't watched CITV for years but when I was younger they made some top notch stuff like Knightmare and Press Gang (as well as that one in the kids hospital, but I can't remember what it was called)
Why has Children's TV become such a millstone for ITV? As when I when I was younger it was on every weekday from 3:30 to 5:10 then all of Saturday morning and all morning during the summer.
It is purely down to all the other dedicated children channels?
Why has Children's TV become such a millstone for ITV? As when I when I was younger it was on every weekday from 3:30 to 5:10 then all of Saturday morning and all morning during the summer.
It is purely down to all the other dedicated children channels?
ZS
The Ward I think. They can't get rid of the CITV channel. Its far too young. I suppose we have to blame the World Cup for this news.
SP
Assuming the rumours are true, this really demonstrates how ITV really hasn't got a clue what it's doing at the moment. Is there any planning at all going on? Why bother launching a children's channel, and then a few months later pull out of children's programming? It completely defies sense.
NF
An absoloutely great programme, was Woof!. Loved it to bits. I remember feeling annoyed I missed the 1993 -94 season because of boarding at school. I still haven't seen that season!
I seem to remember they kept changing the cast a fair bit.
James
I seem to remember they kept changing the cast a fair bit.
James
CW
Charlie Wells
Moderator
It's now been confirmed
11:30am update: http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,,1801858,00.html
I would post the content of the article but works' firewall doesn't like it.
11:30am update: http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,,1801858,00.html
I would post the content of the article but works' firewall doesn't like it.
BB
Here:-
Charlie Wells posted:
It's now been confirmed
11:30am update: http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,,1801858,00.html
I would post the content of the article but works' firewall doesn't like it.
11:30am update: http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,,1801858,00.html
I would post the content of the article but works' firewall doesn't like it.
Here:-
Media Guardian posted:
ITV to end kids' TV production
Leigh Holmwood
Tuesday June 20, 2006
ITV has confirmed it will close its inhouse children's programme-making department, saying it hopes to sell it as a going concern.
The broadcaster was forced to bring forward its announcement to staff following MediaGuardian.co.uk's story today that it was planning to get out of children's TV production.
It is the second inhouse production unit ITV has said it will close this week - yesterday, it confirmed its Bristol factual arm would shut, threatening 50 jobs.
The broadcaster has refused to rule out further closures.
An ITV spokesman said the decision affects 19 staff members who work at kids' TV production units in London, Manchester and Leeds.
The division makes shows such as My Parents are Aliens and Engie Bengy.
"We can confirm that we are consulting on the disposal of ITV Productions Kids," the spokesman said.
"The decision is part of [an] ongoing process of restructuring within ITV Productions, and ITV plc more generally, to improve efficiency in the business.
"The ITV Productions Kids unit has been responsible for many great children's programmes, and ITV Productions Kids content will continue to be seen on ITV for some time to come.
"This decision reflects the competitive production environment and is not a reflection of the quality of the unit's work over many years.
"We will of course be consulting fully with employees and unions about the changes, and are looking at the options for selling or disposing of the unit as a going concern."
The spokesman denied ITV intended to ditch children's programming from its schedule, saying the broadcaster was happy with the performance of its kids' channel which launched three months ago.
However, he refused to rule out the prospect of a withdrawal from children's programming in the future.
"This is a production decision, not a scheduling decision," he said.
"CiTV will remain as the home of high-quality kids' programming. Launched in March this year, the CiTV channel is proving hugely popular with kids and has, in three months, already overtaken established channels like Nickelodeon."
Senior sources have told MediaGuardian.co.uk that ITV's eventual plan is to get out of children's programming altogether, particularly because of the forthcoming ban on junk food adverts and the broadcaster's own current poor advertising revenues.
Media regulator Ofcom would have to give the move the green light, although it has previously proved sympathetic to ITV's attempt to cut back on children's programming, recently allowing a reduction of two hours to just eight hours a week.
"I think the writing is on the wall for CiTV," one source told MediaGuardian.co.uk. "The closure of Granada Kids is just the preamble.
"ITV's desperation on ad revenue together with the junk food ad ban means they can do better in other commercial impacts. They believe they will be able to roll Ofcom over. It will be a scandal if that happens."
It is thought ITV commissions around £28m worth of kids' programming a year.
The cuts are part of the continuing clampdown on costs by the ITV chief executive, Charles Allen.
· To contact the MediaGuardian newsdesk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 7239 9857
· If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".
Leigh Holmwood
Tuesday June 20, 2006
ITV has confirmed it will close its inhouse children's programme-making department, saying it hopes to sell it as a going concern.
The broadcaster was forced to bring forward its announcement to staff following MediaGuardian.co.uk's story today that it was planning to get out of children's TV production.
It is the second inhouse production unit ITV has said it will close this week - yesterday, it confirmed its Bristol factual arm would shut, threatening 50 jobs.
The broadcaster has refused to rule out further closures.
An ITV spokesman said the decision affects 19 staff members who work at kids' TV production units in London, Manchester and Leeds.
The division makes shows such as My Parents are Aliens and Engie Bengy.
"We can confirm that we are consulting on the disposal of ITV Productions Kids," the spokesman said.
"The decision is part of [an] ongoing process of restructuring within ITV Productions, and ITV plc more generally, to improve efficiency in the business.
"The ITV Productions Kids unit has been responsible for many great children's programmes, and ITV Productions Kids content will continue to be seen on ITV for some time to come.
"This decision reflects the competitive production environment and is not a reflection of the quality of the unit's work over many years.
"We will of course be consulting fully with employees and unions about the changes, and are looking at the options for selling or disposing of the unit as a going concern."
The spokesman denied ITV intended to ditch children's programming from its schedule, saying the broadcaster was happy with the performance of its kids' channel which launched three months ago.
However, he refused to rule out the prospect of a withdrawal from children's programming in the future.
"This is a production decision, not a scheduling decision," he said.
"CiTV will remain as the home of high-quality kids' programming. Launched in March this year, the CiTV channel is proving hugely popular with kids and has, in three months, already overtaken established channels like Nickelodeon."
Senior sources have told MediaGuardian.co.uk that ITV's eventual plan is to get out of children's programming altogether, particularly because of the forthcoming ban on junk food adverts and the broadcaster's own current poor advertising revenues.
Media regulator Ofcom would have to give the move the green light, although it has previously proved sympathetic to ITV's attempt to cut back on children's programming, recently allowing a reduction of two hours to just eight hours a week.
"I think the writing is on the wall for CiTV," one source told MediaGuardian.co.uk. "The closure of Granada Kids is just the preamble.
"ITV's desperation on ad revenue together with the junk food ad ban means they can do better in other commercial impacts. They believe they will be able to roll Ofcom over. It will be a scandal if that happens."
It is thought ITV commissions around £28m worth of kids' programming a year.
The cuts are part of the continuing clampdown on costs by the ITV chief executive, Charles Allen.
· To contact the MediaGuardian newsdesk email editor@mediaguardian.co.uk or phone 020 7239 9857
· If you are writing a comment for publication, please mark clearly "for publication".
AN
Andrew
Founding member
Nobody has actually read the article have they? The topic title is misleading
ITV arn't closing down CITV, they are selling off the production company Granada Kids as a going concern which makes a few of CITV's programmes.
Quite a lot of CITV's programmes come from indies such as The Foundation anyway
ITV arn't closing down CITV, they are selling off the production company Granada Kids as a going concern which makes a few of CITV's programmes.
Quite a lot of CITV's programmes come from indies such as The Foundation anyway
MI
When you look at it, you wonder what exactly is going on.
1) They failed in running a small-scale PayTV digital network
2) They failed in running a news channel
3) They're about to fail in running a childrens' department
4) They are failing to run a decent #2 channel (ITV2 nowadays is purely soap repeats, often-rerun films, X Factor/I'm a Celebrity/Dancing On Ice-Extra things and Judge Judy)
5) They are failing to run a decent mens' channel - ITV4, apart from the football and boxing, isn't a patch on M&M - original or watered down version post-FTA.
6) Their presentation is appalling - we've had bad ident after bad ident - hearts, celebs, more celebs, giant squares, now unimaginative live action idiocies.
7) They jumped on the bandwagon with their own offering into the abhorred quiz channel genre which will return to bite them on the ass when the fad fades.
They are always trounced in football ratings whenever a game is simulcast on BBC1
9) They took away 48 years of regional voices, names, identities in favour of a bland, uninspired corporate look which involved renaming of some stations as "ITV 1 Serving the West Of England" as opposed to "HTV West"
10) This network is used by shareholders and fat cat executives to launch something like ITV Play (and then simulcast it overnight on ITV1 AND 2) in order for them to make more money, at the expense of quality programmes for the consumer. For all you BBC bashers out there, that's worse than the BBC board of governers.
/rant
1) They failed in running a small-scale PayTV digital network
2) They failed in running a news channel
3) They're about to fail in running a childrens' department
4) They are failing to run a decent #2 channel (ITV2 nowadays is purely soap repeats, often-rerun films, X Factor/I'm a Celebrity/Dancing On Ice-Extra things and Judge Judy)
5) They are failing to run a decent mens' channel - ITV4, apart from the football and boxing, isn't a patch on M&M - original or watered down version post-FTA.
6) Their presentation is appalling - we've had bad ident after bad ident - hearts, celebs, more celebs, giant squares, now unimaginative live action idiocies.
7) They jumped on the bandwagon with their own offering into the abhorred quiz channel genre which will return to bite them on the ass when the fad fades.
They are always trounced in football ratings whenever a game is simulcast on BBC1
9) They took away 48 years of regional voices, names, identities in favour of a bland, uninspired corporate look which involved renaming of some stations as "ITV 1 Serving the West Of England" as opposed to "HTV West"
10) This network is used by shareholders and fat cat executives to launch something like ITV Play (and then simulcast it overnight on ITV1 AND 2) in order for them to make more money, at the expense of quality programmes for the consumer. For all you BBC bashers out there, that's worse than the BBC board of governers.
/rant