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How would you improve ITV1?

(February 2007)

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JE
Jez Founding member
Andrew posted:
Brekkie Boy posted:
Saturday night is the obvious success story - and basically the success of that has arguably all been down to Dancing on Ice and the way programmes have been scheduled around it, meaning ITV have maintained a decent, above average, audience share for most of the evening for most of the week.

ITV are possibly in a situation now of having the strongest Saturday night stable of programmes of any channel


But with Dancing on Ice coming to a close and only 2 episodes of Primeval left, how long will they have a strong schedule?
LU
Luke
Jez posted:
The Bill should be once a week though.


why?
JE
Jez Founding member
Luke posted:
Jez posted:
The Bill should be once a week though.


why?


Because having it twice means it hard to keep up with.
LU
Luke
don't agree with that at all. if you're a fan of the programme it shouldn't be too much of an effort to keep up with 2 episodes a week, and they are also repeated on ITV3.
it gets around 5-6m viewers who seem quite happy with it being on twice a week.
BR
Brekkie
Jez posted:
How can you say Emmerdale isnt clogging up the schedule? Its on 6 nights a week which in itself if ridiculous. The Bill is only one twice, although for 1 hour, but still less than Emmerdale and Corrie. The Bill should be once a week though.



It is on far too much, but is tucked away at 7pm.

8pm IMO is the crucial hour where ITV need to concentrate to improve their primetime line up - if you can get the viewers at 8pm, it's easier to keep them around at 9pm.
JE
Jez Founding member
Luke posted:
don't agree with that at all. if you're a fan of the programme it shouldn't be too much of an effort to keep up with 2 episodes a week, and they are also repeated on ITV3.
it gets around 5-6m viewers who seem quite happy with it being on twice a week.


It depends on how much time you have to watch it and what other stuff you watch also. ITV show so many soaps/dramas its impossible to keep up with Emmerdale/The Bill and Corrie every week. I choose Corrie out of the three.

Well we will have to disagree then.
CO
Connews
I think Michael Grade has been reading TV Forum! Razz

This from MediaGuardian.co.uk...

Quote:
The ITV executive chairman, Michael Grade, said today the broadcaster's programming lacked innovation as the company reported a fall in annual profits.
He blamed a ratings-driven culture and the advertising regime imposed on ITV when it merged to become one company three years ago.

"There is a lack of innovation in our programming, partly resulting from a fear of ratings failure and the punitive consequences that follow under the Contract Rights Renewal (CRR) remedy," Mr Grade said in a results statement today.

"My immediate priorities are developing the strength of our programming and new media businesses, and working to reduce overly onerous regulatory constraints."

He said ITV had to raise its "creative ambition". "We must be more innovative and take more risks. We must be more relevant and we must be ahead of audience tastes," he added.

"In particular we must regain our pre-eminence in drama series on ITV1 at 9pm. I am definitely encouraged by what I have heard and seen so far from the new commissioning team headed by Simon Shaps.

"They have already started to cull some of the older programmes which were past their sell-by date, and we are introducing a range of new programmes in 2007."

He said ITV's business depended on "high quality, home produced, popular content that attracts the mass audiences".

Mr Grade said it was too soon for him to make definitive conclusions about ITV's business after just two months in the job, but that so far he had developed "more positive impressions than negative ones".

ITV reported a 19% fall in underlying pre-tax profits to £364m on the back of tough advertising conditions. Total revenue was better than expected at £2.18bn, fractionally down on the year before.

The company's total national advertising revenue was down 8% to £1.49bn, reflecting a £181m drop at ITV1 on the year before.

The problems at the flagship channel were offset by growth of £46m - to £157m - in the national advertising revenue for the rest of the company's family of channels - ITV2, ITV3, ITV4, Men and Motors and Children's ITV.

ITV also registered its first note of concern about BSkyB's acquisition of a 17.9% stake in November, a transaction that is now being investigated by watchdogs on public interest and competition grounds.

"ITV has made submissions in response to the authorities, at their request, and has noted the concern that BSkyB (as a competitor) may be able, with the size of its holding and given historic voting patterns, to block a shareholder resolution requiring a 75% majority and that this may not be in the interest of ITV's shareholders as a whole," the company said today.

"The authorities will consider whether there should be any form of restriction on BSkyB in respect of their holding in the company. The board will continue to act in the interests of all shareholders."
PA
pad
"Rick Mitz has joined ITV's acquisitions team as senior vice president of American programming for ITV channels.

Mitz, based in Los Angeles, moves to Jay Kandola's acquisitions unit from Channel 4 where he has been US consultant for the last 13 years - a role for which he was hired by Michael Grade. During his tenure at Channel 4, the channel picked up shows ranging from ER to Lost.

"I am very excited about the challenge of helping ITV enhance their current crop of American programmes and to help increase their American profile both in the US and the UK," said Mitz. "I've been very happy at Channel 4, where I have been working since the 'pioneer days' when the Channel had very few American programmes, and it's been exciting to help Channel 4 grow. Now I hope to do the same for ITV.

"I worked with Jay Kandola when she was head of series television at Channel 4, and we developed a very good shorthand together, so although this will be a new adventure for me, I'm working with a familiar cast of characters. When Michael Grade also arrived at ITV I couldn't say no."

Simon Shaps, ITV's director of television, said that "acquired programming plays an increasingly important role across ITV's family of channels" and added that Mitz "knows what makes a quality programme."


More US imports is a good thing IMO, if they are scheduled well.
CO
Connews
pad posted:
More US imports is a good thing IMO, if they are scheduled well.


Definitely, if they go to ITV1 first instead of being funnelled through ITV2 and then put on ITV1 at silly o'clock.

*cough* Entourage...
OH
ohwhatanight Founding member
Connews posted:
pad posted:
More US imports is a good thing IMO, if they are scheduled well.


Definitely, if they go to ITV1 first instead of being funnelled through ITV2 and then put on ITV1 at silly o'clock.

*cough* Entourage...


And Supernatural!
SE
Square Eyes Founding member
Connews posted:
pad posted:
More US imports is a good thing IMO, if they are scheduled well.


Definitely, if they go to ITV1 first instead of being funnelled through ITV2 and then put on ITV1 at silly o'clock.

*cough* Entourage...


I don't think you'll find many US imports on primetime ITV1, Michael Grade has said today that he see's the focus for ITV1 on "original high quality, home produced, popular content".

ITV2 / 3 / 4 are another matter, and original US series would work well for those channels.
MC
mccanmat
There has been a few American series over the last few years I bet ITV wished they had brought.... Lost, Prison Break, Bones, House, Resue Me, 24.

To improve ITV... get rid of the interactive phone in quiz crap off the night TV. Put on some decent films from 11pm.. Espesh Fri and Sats. Have some extra news during the night. Maybe one gameshow peak time during the week. make it feel more personal to the viewers... CA announcings????

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