ITV is restructuring kids channel CITV in a move that could see the departure of kids chief Jamila Metran.
The broadcaster is scrapping the head of programming role for the kids channel, while nine roles in its creative marketing and promotional team are at risk of redundancy.
Head of digital channels Rosemary Newell will take ownership of the channel, supported by a head of scheduling, while ITV’s genre commissioning and acquisitions teams will take charge of its programming.
Metran has spent more than ten years at ITV. She joined the business in 2004 as CITV administrator, before working on the launch of the channel in 2006, ahead of becoming its programme manager.
The channel has commissioned a number of original series in recent years including Broadcast Awards-shortlisted Bear Grylls’ Survival School, produced by Potato and Bear Grylls Ventures, The Foundation’s live-action series Scrambled and ITV Studios and Pukeko Pictures’ Thunderbirds Are Go reboot.
It also recently partnered with Netflix on ITVS and Kidscave Entertainment animated co-pro Robozuna.
ITV will continue to commission a “limited amount” of original content, although a number of producers have expressed fears to Broadcast that it will move towards an increasing amount of acquisitions.
An ITV spokesperson told Broadcast: “We regularly review our operations across the business to ensure that we are structured as efficiently and effectively as possible. We are proposing to bring CITV in line with the way that the other ITV digital channels are run, which would mean the commissioning and acquisition of children’s programming being carried out by the existing genre teams.”
The work carried out by CITV’s nine-strong Manchester-based creative operation will be taken on by the London-based ITV Creative team.
It is offering the existing staff the opportunity to apply for roles in London.
The move follows Adam Crozier’s bid to make £25m of cuts in the wake of the EU referendum. In November the broadcaster warned it expects its advertising revenue to slip 7% in the final three months of 2016.
TBH, why do they still bother with it? Given that what Crozier asks for he gets, why not demand from the government that children's shows should be outside of their remit from now on?
TBH, why do they still bother with it? Given that what Crozier asks for he gets, why not demand from the government that children's shows should be outside of their remit from now on?
Because children are equally as deserving of good quality programmes as adults.
TBH, why do they still bother with it? Given that what Crozier asks for he gets, why not demand from the government that children's shows should be outside of their remit from now on?
I believe it outside their remit these days, aside from ITV Breakfast's quota of childrens programming (weekend CITV slot, bascially).
Such a shame though, fallen so far from what it once was - although it is interesting they quote a "limited amount" of original programmes will still be commissioned. Does this mean it wil be the same as now, or even less?
TBH, why do they still bother with it? Given that what Crozier asks for he gets, why not demand from the government that children's shows should be outside of their remit from now on?
It already is outside their remit, the digital channels have no PSB responsibilities.
TBH, why do they still bother with it? Given that what Crozier asks for he gets, why not demand from the government that children's shows should be outside of their remit from now on?
I believe it outside their remit these days, aside from ITV Breakfast's quota of childrens programming (weekend CITV slot, bascially).
Such a shame though, fallen so far from what it once was - although it is interesting they quote a "limited amount" of original programmes will still be commissioned. Does this mean it wil be the same as now, or even less?
Adam Woodgate, a research manager for Dubit (a kids digital entertainment company) posted this on Twitter:
From our research there is an opportunity for a big Saturday AM kids show - follow me for more insights on kids media
TBH, why do they still bother with it? Given that what Crozier asks for he gets, why not demand from the government that children's shows should be outside of their remit from now on?
I believe it outside their remit these days, aside from ITV Breakfast's quota of childrens programming (weekend CITV slot, bascially).
Such a shame though, fallen so far from what it once was - although it is interesting they quote a "limited amount" of original programmes will still be commissioned. Does this mean it wil be the same as now, or even less?
It was pretty obvious from the chain of events ten or so years ago when ITV closed the children's production department at Leeds, then moved the entire operation to Manchester that their heart wasn't in the CITV Channel. It never really has been - it launched late (was due in 2001, then 2002, then finally launched in 2006) into an already crowded market. It's not bottom of the pile by any stretch of the imagination but is outviewed by the likes of POP, Cartoon Network and CBBC.
Commissions wise, again it's nowhere near as high as it was in the 1980s and 1990s but that's fairly understandable as the channel won't have the reach it had as a strand on the main channel.
It may only be CBBC that's regularly commissioning significant amounts of new programming, most of which appears to be fairly successful and gets multi-series runs. CITV used to do that - Woof and T-Bag both ran for nine years, Art Attack for 17, Knightmare and Aliens both for eight, Mike & Angelo 12 years... Nothing on modern CITV can claim a long run (Horrid Henry doesn't count, as its only racked up four series in ten years) which is a shame really.
TBH, why do they still bother with it? Given that what Crozier asks for he gets, why not demand from the government that children's shows should be outside of their remit from now on?
I believe it outside their remit these days, aside from ITV Breakfast's quota of childrens programming (weekend CITV slot, bascially).
Such a shame though, fallen so far from what it once was - although it is interesting they quote a "limited amount" of original programmes will still be commissioned. Does this mean it wil be the same as now, or even less?
It's not bottom of the pile by any stretch of the imagination but is outviewed by the likes of POP, Cartoon Network and CBBC.
But there we go.
It is outviewed by CBBC. But looking at this and previous week's ratings, CITV has had generally higher ratings than CN and Pop.
As it should, considering CN isn't on Freeview at all and Pop isn't available on Freeview in areas without a local TV station.
What they need to do, is make some decent shows that all the family can enjoy... and actually promote them on the main ITV channel. They're doing just that with Thunderbirds Are Go, which was trailed regularly and had a couple of episodes on the main channel for series 1, and has earned a regular Saturday afternoon slot for series 2.