Michael Grade - Should He Go From ITV?

In a way NBC are only doing what ITV did by bringing back News at Ten, which was as much about cutting half an hour off prime-time than the bulletin itself really.

Here's an interesting article that will shed some light on what NBC are up to.



Its impossible to say with any certainty what will happen next, as there are suggestions being seriously mooted now that would have been unthinkable a handful of years ago.

I would speculate that even Grade has no firm idea of ITV's direction when their financial outlook is so grim.

Liquidating your assets doesn't exactly bode well - but perhaps there is greater thinking afoot of which we are unaware.

No they shouldn't get rid of him as anyone else new brought it would do exactly the same, and at least Grade has a TV background unlike Charles Allen

Plus Grade seems a much better public figure, you can imagine him actually watching ITV and he did well in his reaction to the Football advert fiasco the other week. I can't imagine Charles Allen going on the ITV Lunchtime News in the same way

I guess the only comparable figure around would be Greg Dyke, but I doubt he'd turn around ITV's fortunes with any less casualties either.

How do you work that one out, Granada weren't the first company to merge or take over another ITV company. Yorkshire and Tyne tees merged in 1992... in fact they virtually merged in the 70's too

I think while regional news mergers are sad, there is something far bigger at stake if ITV doesn't cut costs and attempt to stay profitable. ITV invests a large percentage of its programme budget in original UK production, and if that were to be threatened, you'd be left with only the BBC and Channel 4 where you could really see quality television produced in the UK.

Why not just contract the local news out, Ie say we will keep the 6pm slot and you can have it for free, ( well there was never any ad around that time anyways) and see if other even those LOCAL tv stations could provide a news service >

And how are local news providers going to make a programme with no money? You're saying ITV won't pay for it, a lack of ads suggests there's not much revenue to make there... so who will pay for it?

Will there all these people saying there could do a better job, let them try

Fair point. He was responsible though for the scrapping of ITV's regional identities.