ITV in change

Thought I'd make a thread as this is going to be big news for the next few months.

"The ITV board will next week decide whether to offer Andy Duncan the job of chief executive – without going through a competitive recruitment process.

The Channel 4 chief executive is expected to move to ITV if he is offered the job, according to sources close to the recruitment process.

Duncan publicly ruled himself out of the high-profile job in August but pressure for him to reconsider has grown in the past two weeks."

ITV's dream team

Greg Dyke – Chairman
Has a close relationship with Andy Duncan. As BBC director general he appointed him as director of marketing and worked closely with him on launching Freeview. Dyke put Duncan's name forward to become the chief executive of C4.

Andy Duncan - Chief executive
Has succeeded in helping reinvigorate the C4 brand and business. Has proven credentials in brand marketing and digital strategy and has impressed by delivering a clear vision for C4's digital future.

Kevin Lygo - Director of television
Has worked effectively with Duncan at C4. Lygo's creative successes include Jamie's School Dinners, Shameless and Elizabeth I. Has made it clear that he's more likely to say "deal" than "no deal" to an offer from ITV.

Source: Broadcastnow

I personally feel that with Dyke, Duncan and Lygo, ITV could really be restored to a brilliant position. Either way, and whatever happens, there will be lots of news from Monday onwards.

Gred Dyke would certainly turn the main channel around as Chairman. Andy Duncan would also be a good choice as CE. That would certainly be a good team!!

Agreed... I feel they would be really ruthless in their decisions and turn ITV around.

ITV's board meets today to come up with a short list of potential new chief executives amid growing concerns from shareholders and advertisers about the slow progress of the search and the company's vulnerability to a potential takeover.
Confidence in the board was further shaken last week when it took the unprecedented step of denying reports that it had approached one of the rumoured candidates, Andy Duncan, chief executive of Channel 4.

The intervention fuelled the City's doubts about the process, which has taken almost three months since Charles Allen announced he would be stepping down at Britain's biggest commercial broadcaster. "This seems an incredible shambles to me - the board is at sixes and sevens," said one media insider. "And it seems to be taking so long: Charles's departure was on the cards for months."

It is understood that ITV's board will come up with a four-person short list today from a long list compiled by its headhunters, Zygos. Two understood to be on the list are Stephen Carter, who stood down as chief executive of Ofcom in July, and Stewart Till, the chief executive of United International Pictures.

Although ITV insiders stress the process is "progressing well", senior media executives and shareholders are desperate for the broadcaster to appoint someone to get on with the task of tackling falling ratings and advertising revenues.

More at MediaGuardian.

Wow.

Cable firm NTL Telewest has scheduled an "initial conversation" with ITV to explore a range of potential options that could include a full merger of the two media companies.
The US-based company was responding to MediaGuardian.co.uk's exclusive story earlier today that the two companies were in contact about a possible merger.

The board of ITV also put out a statement today confirming it had "very recently received" a "highly tentative" expression of interest from NTL.

http://media.guardian.co.uk/broadcast/story/0,,1943698,00.html

ITV's share price has risen dramatically today.

Isnt NTL owned by Virgin? So it's be Vitv it'd be good for mobile tv though

NTL is rebranding "Virgin Media" next year so who knows what this would mean if NTL did merge with ITV.

In other news, "ITV is believed to be considering the launch of a movies channel on Freeview showing content obtained through its multi-million-pound deal with Warner Bros and through a deal with MGM for the James Bond back catalogue.

ITV4 controller Steve Arnell is believed to developing the ITV Movies project."

Not as such. Post-the Virgin Mobile takeover, Branson's company has a 14% stake in ntl:telewest.

Interesting. Source?

Where would they put it - can't see them ditching ITV Play!

I could very easily see it taking ITV4's place - which certainly hasn't lived up to ITV's expectations.

God help ITV if they merge with NTHell.