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Time Warner eyes up ITV?

(July 2005)

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Adam
boring_user_name posted:
Judging TimeWarner's ability to provide programming by the content broadcast by Boomerang, CNN and TCM, I welcome their takeover of ITV.
The prospect of a TimeWarner takover raises an interesting question: if the merger happened, would CNN London and ITN be integrated? I hope so; as long as CNN would take control of ITN rather than the reverse.


But ITV Plc. only own about 40% of ITN...
LU
Luke
Indeed. Some people can't get their head round that on this place.
TV
tvarksouthwest
Isonstine posted:
That's from Media Guardian, and it's being reported elsewhere too - Sky interestingly ends with the line of "OFCOM is believed to be broadly sympathetic to Mr Allen's point of view." Woe betide us.

That being a response to Charles Allen's whingeings that ITV is at a disadvantage over Sky and C5 because it has to produce public service programming. What a moron he is.

Well in that case, perhaps all major broadcasters should be required to produce PSP, not just token efforts "to shut the regulator up" but of a certain standard. If all or most channels had to provide "quality" programmes, a lot of stations (which frankly don't need to be there) would fall off the EPG.

When will governments realise that broadcasting legislation must benefit the viewers, NOT Rupert Murdoch.
PE
Pete Founding member
Hopefully Allen and Pickard will be first for the chop if they do take over the station.
TV
tvarksouthwest
It baffles me why Allen hasn't already been axed.
SE
Square Eyes Founding member
tvarksouthwest posted:
It baffles me why Allen hasn't already been axed.


Because he's delivering what the shareholders want, millions of pounds in efficiency savings, the sale of non-core assets ahead of schedule and concessions from the regulator.

It's not about the viewers and making good telly you know.
TV
tvarksouthwest
Square Eyes posted:
It's not about the viewers and making good telly you know.

But if he doesn't make good telly, the channel will haemorrhage viewers. It's already happening in fact; BBC2 got a higher audience share on Saturday night. And dwindling audiences mean advertising revenue goes down, meaning lower profits and a reduced ability to perform.

It's unlikely ITV would go to the wall, but without an audience there's nothing for the shareholders.
AN
Andrew Founding member
tvarksouthwest posted:
Square Eyes posted:
It's not about the viewers and making good telly you know.

But if he doesn't make good telly, the channel will haemorrhage viewers. It's already happening in fact; BBC2 got a higher audience share on Saturday night.

BBC2 is actually the channel losing viewers the fastest. They saw the biggest drop 2004 v 2003. I haven't got the stats now but I may have later.

The fact is. no controller of programmes or anyone behind the scenes in a senior position is ever liked as they dare not to provide all your favourite programmes every night of the week.
PO
Pootle5
Andrew posted:
tvarksouthwest posted:
Square Eyes posted:
It's not about the viewers and making good telly you know.

But if he doesn't make good telly, the channel will haemorrhage viewers. It's already happening in fact; BBC2 got a higher audience share on Saturday night.

BBC2 is actually the channel losing viewers the fastest. They saw the biggest drop 2004 v 2003. I haven't got the stats now but I may have later.


The fact is. no controller of programmes or anyone behind the scenes in a senior position is ever liked as they dare not to provide all your favourite programmes every night of the week.


I'd like to know if the removal of "comedy night" on a Monday has played a part in the ratings decline on BBC2. On a Monday it was great to chill infront of an hour or so of comedy, with an established show leading into new ones. With comedy now sprinkled in relitavely random ways across the week, I've barely watched any recent shows as I do other things on other nights and forget when things are on!
MD
Mr D'Arcy
Quote:
I'd like to know if the removal of "comedy night" on a Monday has played a part in the ratings decline on BBC2. On a Monday it was great to chill infront of an hour or so of comedy, with an established show leading into new ones. With comedy now sprinkled in relitavely random ways across the week, I've barely watched any recent shows as I do other things on other nights and forget when things are on!


I agree that I used to watch BBC2 from 9pm to 10.30pm every Monday, I think I missed most of the last Dead Ringers series and also Never Mind The Buzzcocks.
PE
Pete Founding member
BBC2 has lost all it's structure. It seems to be worried that 3 and 4 have pinched it's youth and brainy remits respectivly however if it just put it's shows on in a better order it would be good.

I think Roly Poly took a little while to get BBC4 working so maybe the same will occur with 2.

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