ITV restructuring CITV - Boss faces the axe

Actually, Pop was moved to COM6 - giving it 90% coverage. Kix was launched on the Local multiplex.

I would love to see more original content on CITV - and given more exposure on ITV just as what Thunderbirds Are Go is getting, which is nice to hear. Also have a steady stream of imports such as Pokémon, levelling it out with the original content, rather than have too much of it to be fair.

Did ITV wriggle out of its PBS ties to Kids programming? I thought CITV channel ticked that box? There cant use Breakslot as a trick can their? or it would mean STV are not covering its share.

ITV in public service broadcasting commitments shocker.

It feels to me that, unlike in the early days of heading towards a single ITV when the programming was all over the place and the priority was presumably to get people in who could do deals, ITV isn't one for shirking its PSB commitments these days when it feels there's a point to them and they will do something for the company's brand.

So their commitment isn't there for children's programming - they're not going to get a ton of credit for doing that and it's hopefully for advertising; it's not there for vast amounts of regional programming because there's a huge amount of duplication in doing regional shows for every single area, most of which people wouldn't watch in this multi-channel era.

However, it gets that news programming is good for the brand, it now gets that regional news is important (after years of trying to get away with doing as little as humanly possible) and it gets the difference between nations and regions (hence the good reports I've heard from Wales, the clever treatment of when England and Wales both played at the same time recently, and the fact they haven't barged in and completely killed off UTV immediately - although it's hard to imagine the UTV brand has long to live, it shows some degree of sensitivity). And it gets that it has to invest in big shows to get viewers, build reputation and also to have shows it can sell to other countries.

It's not perfect, but we're a long way away from Celebrity Wrestling and Denise Van Outen sitcoms. The BBC could do worse than look at what ITV now isn't providing and ask itself whether it could step in on some of them.

There are several questions that need answering:

1. What sort of children's programmes should ITV show?

2. What sort of children's programmes do kids want to watch today?

3. Would it be better for CITV to be spun off as a separate company complete with the back catalogue of children's programmes from ITV, then ITV no longer bothers with children's programmes?

4. What do indie producers of children's programmes in Britain want?

Seeing as I was in their target demo just a few years ago, I can probably answer that.

If you look at CBBC, their most popular shows are dramas (The Dumping Ground, Wolfblood), animated (Danger Mouse, The Deep) and factual shows (Operation Ouch, Blue Peter). Junior Bake Off has done especially well recently.

CITV over-relies on animation way too much, which means that live-action shows like Bear Grylls Survival School look out of place. They have Scrambled as their weekend morning programme, but they really need one that's live and more energetic. They should also air older shows, there are a lot of shows from the 2000s on CITV that could easily pass a new shows. My younger brother (11) loves watching repeats of My Parents Are Aliens.

Its also about what childrens TV can provide for them in the future. If we'd been in this situation in the 90s there would be no Ant and Dec, and ITV without Ant and Dec over the last 15 years would have been a far inferior product.

Not sue what that question is aiming to elicit?

Presumably indies want commissions, money to make them, and production deals that allow them to retain rights for overseas (and future UK) sales?

Honestly, the fact that CITV is no where near where most of the pay-TV kids channels are, like CN, Nickelodeon and Disney, yet it still gets a lot of viewers is quite surprising. The variety of CITV's shows is dry, unlike what it was a few years ago. If you look at TCC, it had almost everything. Live presenters, idents which are playful, and a strand for little ones called Tiny TCC. (which CITV had Mini CITV until that was cut.) If ITV want to compete with all the other networks, it's probably best to add other cartoons and live-action from pay-TV channels.

What is CITV like now? it cant be anywhere near as good like the early 90s, so much quality programming back then it was a joy to come back from school to watch so many great shows and cartoons,

I'd say the same thing, but I'm also conscious of the fact that CITV is no longer aimed at people my age. I have nothing to back this theory up with, but I can't imagine many children consume as much "kids TV" as people like us used to given how many other distractions there are nowadays.

These questions really don't need answering, the market has decided.

For those unhappy with that, it's why we pay quite a bit of money for a licence fee - so the BBC can continue to fund this programming.