ITV1 Schedule

With 'ITV Day' launching soon with a modified schedule, I think now is the time for ITV to be thinking about schedule changes to it's 'Peaktime'. And no, I don't think it should be renamed to 'ITV Peak'

How about this:

3.30pm CITV
4.30pm Paul O'Grady
5.30pm News
6.30pm Regional Programming
7.00pm Soap
8.00pm The Bill (Wed/Thur), Trevor McD (Mon)
8.30pm As above if 1 hour or Current Affairs/Documentary
9.00pm News
9.15pm Drama/Film/Documentary

I think Regional Programming should not be allowed to die, so a daily slot dedicated to the regions would be a welcome change. Let's face it, ITV are not going to drop soap episodes so I suppose the schedule has to revolve around them, I've let CStreet and Emmerdale dominate the hour of 7. The News at 10.30pm is proving a waste of time, drawing mediocre ratings and causing films to be slashed in 2. Also, many argue it's too late. With the lunchtime news being extended, a shorter late bulletin at 9pm means that the News is short and concise, covering the days events etc. 9.15pm isn't too late for a Drama/Film/Documentary to air.

Any views?

That schedule would be significantly worse than the current one. A 15 minute news bulletin at 9pm is also totally unrealistic for ITV.

Care to explain?

ITV is not going to put the news on at 9pm for 15minutes every night and give people the opportunity to turn over whilst every other channel is starting hour long programmes. In ratings terms it would be a disaster for anything you have planned for 9.15. Currently Mondays at 9 struggle to hold the audience they inherit at 9 from Coronation Street- which was put there to boost the the 9pm hour- why would they want to plonk a news bulletin right in the middle of a drama line up.

If the programming is strong enough at 9.15, people will tune in to the quick News update.

If the 9pm news was so successful don't you think that BBC ONE would have kept theirs?

If you look at the majority of channels in this country - 9pm is one of the common junctions.
It's the best place for drama due to the fact it's the watershed cut-off and is right bang in the middle of the 'primetime' schedule, where the commercial channels make more money as they have the vast audiences.

ITV will never do a 15mins news bully there.

Hmm true but if a good film was on at 9.15pm after the News on ITV and another show was on at 9.00pm on another channel, I would watch the quick news and then the film.

5.30 - Regional News
6.00 - ITV Evening News with Mark and Mary
7.00 - Emmerdale
7.30 - Coronation St. / Regional Programming
8.00 - The Bill / Tonight / Regional Programming
9.00 - ITV News with Andrea Catherwood
9.15 - Drama / Film

I quite like the idea of the 15 minute news programme at 9, then a film or drama. I would have an hour long Evening News, a bit similar to C4 News in terms of content and analysis. Then a quick 15 minute round - up at 9, including a quick bulletin from the regions.

Personally I would like to see the idea of a Nine O'Clock News on Terrestrial TV, but frankly ITV1 would not be the right channel to do so. ITV wouldn't give up one of the best performing slots in order to commit to a public service. It would be like moving Coronation Street so the News could be on at 7.30pm. Though I'd like the idea of having a summary before 9pm, or do what S4C do and stick a short bulletin on at 8.50pm or 8.55pm. But in reality it wouldn't happen.

If there was any channel to have a 9pm News, the best would be BBC1, as that is where it used to be for 30 years, but in recent years it has come out as one of the BBC's best performing slots, same goes for the Ten O'Clock News, which gets higher ratings than the Six most night, so if it ain't broke why fix it.

Or try pointing your Aerial west and picking up RTÉ One is all I can suggest, as I don't think they'll move their Nine O'Clock News.

I don't know about you, but I would wait till 9.15pm if the drama on ITV was one worth watching.

If trailed well enough, viewers will watch the news, adopting the attitude of 'I might as well get up to date, it's only 10 minutes or so', and then the following drama/film whatever.

ITV should stop chasing ratings and start letting the ratings chase them. Work on being independent, having a versatile schedule, not one that suits other channels.

I think ITV should rebrand the news as The ITV Late Night News, it would still go out at 10.30pm, but it would be given a more warm, and professional look, attracting more viewers. It would have new graphics and a new studio. ITV would run two short promos, one at 9pm, and one at 10pm, with the prsenter (Trevor or whoever is presenting) giving a brief look at the headlines, then say 'Join us here, for the ITV Late Night News, at 10.30pm.' It should also be extended to 40 minutes, 30 minutes for the national news, then 5 to 10 minutes for regional news, then a brief look at the papers, then the weather. Just an idea.

I hate the ITV News being at 10.30pm, it gives no room for 2-hour dramas or films.