Interesting that two people of senior position are both 'stepping down'. I read that as ITV has paid them off to get new management in. If only they could make GMTV a bit more like what it was back in the late 90's. Seemed to have better programme strands and flow then, it just seemed to work if that makes sense, it's ok now but needs a bit of work and may be gap the advert breaks a bit better.
Considering that over the last 6 years management have consistently cut between 500k and £1m from the production budget every year, I doubt it.
The programme currently runs bare bones, with production staff berated for buying in £100 photographs or running commercial music over VTs at a cost. Foreign reporting has all but disappeared on cost grounds. The Scottish bureau shut down on cost grounds. Three and a half hours of live Michael Jackson coverage, or flooding in Cockermouth still must be done - creatively, with little money, no access to archive, just good enthusiastic and journalistic staff.
For a UK national broadcaster to have no reporter or satellite truck coverage in Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland pains production staff deeply. It also means when stories happen they're covered at a hugely inflated price (freelance equipment at short notice) with no local contacts on the ground.
So, no, the programme will never return to how it used to be, but production staff are very excited by the clear-out of old thinkers and injection of new blood.
