ITV Discussion Thread

And a kick in the teeth for the Meridian region who have already had a long established show since the 1980s called Country Ways (which has now been axed).

may as well bring back About Britain to fill the autumn gap when Countryways is not on!

Does this mean that Krypton factor will be back next year (i.e. Spring season)?

How has Kryppton Factor performed?

They're inviting applications for new contestants, so I guess it's returning. As it's advertiser funded I guess it's SAGE's call rather than ITV's.

ITV poised to sell Freeview Slots

ITV may give up its lucrative business as a landlord for television channel slots on Freeview as it seeks to raise cash to combat a severe slide in advertising income.

Michael Grade, the broadcaster’s executive chairman, is considering the sale of SDN, a division that rents capacity to Five, QVC and Discovery. Aside from ITV’s core channels and production business, it is viewed internally as its most saleable non-core asset and could raise more than £200m.

However, no final decision has been made ahead of full-year results on March 4. That hinges on the advertising outlook. Analysts say TV advertising income will fall 15% in the first three months of 2009.

Times Online

ITV considers selling Freeview business

ITV is considering selling SDN, the broadcaster's little-known but profitable business that leases space on Freeview.

While a sale of SDN was not believed to have been raised at a meeting with advisers two weeks ago – when talks were held about selling Friends Reunited and other online assets – it has been discussed since.

No decision has been taken on whether to sell SDN, which ITV bought for £134m in cash in 2005. However, it is believed that ITV will be open to offers as it comes under pressure to dispose of non-core assets as the economic downturn takes its toll.

While analysts estimate that SDN, which operates on about 10 Digital Terrestrial TV ( DTT) channels, could be worth at least £200m, it is understood that some ITV executives and advisers are sceptical about whether the current climate is the right time to sell. But others believe it is a good business and, with Freeview's popularity growing, there will be interest.

Sunday Telegraph

this is one thing i never understand about business people and plc types.

what is the point of selling off your profitable "non-core" business if your core business is doing crap. why not shore up your core business with the good one until you get it working properly again.

Because a quick short-term sale will raise the necessary capital to help pay the shareholders their dividends and most importantly shore up the books to make it looks as though the company is an erstwhile investment for any other investors

As well as raising money it also means that they'll be concentrating on their core business and not spreading themselves too thinly. there are many examples of businesses that have fallen into problems because they've diversified too much and taken their eye off the ball.

Personally I reckon SDN is worth keeping hold of as demand for 'Freeview' slots will increase. However what is now the SDN MUX won't be one of the universal MUXs post switchover

And I thought they were clinging on to that so they could remain on Freeview and ditch their PSB status.

I imagine they'd sell the space currently used by ITV2 +1.

A further update has been published by The Telegraph tonight, which contains this element ....

However, the broadcaster could be reluctant to part with SDN, since the business renting digital terrestrial channels to Five, QVC and Discovery makes a quarter of its revenues.

full article ...

Telegraph

And assuming those revenues outweigh the costs (which I'm sure they would), it does seem stupid to sell unless ITV really do need a short term cash injection more than a long term revenue stream.

Why, when ITV are pissing and moaning about not having any money and that the advertising isn't generating any revenue, do they go and show programmes in primetime without ANY commercials?

I've just been watching Piers Morgan's Life Stories, and there were breaks, but with only network promotion. I've seen this happen many times before - but why, when they're trying to make so many cutbacks, are they deliberatly not using lucrative advertising space?