ITV Steps For The Future – Greg Dyke

LWT’s group chief executive Greg Dyke, also speaking at O&M’s TV fair today, examined the steps ITV needs to take to remain successful in the face of increasing competition.

He began by describing the period between the 1950s and late 1980s as a stable and dull environment for television. In contrast the years between 1990 and 2010 will see massive expansion with hundreds of new channels and the introduction of interactive television.

Dyke suggested that subscription channels will eventually provide as much revenue as advertising. By thelate 1990s television revenue will be more evenly derived from licenses, subscriptions and advertising.

By 2002 at least 50% of homes will have access to cable and satellite. However, Dyke warned that more channels does not necessarily mean more viewers and that the more educated the population becomes, the less likely it is to watch television.

ITV’s current 42% share of viewing is certain to drop, Dyke hopes that the late 1990s will see a share somewhere between the mid to high 30s. He warned that ITV should be ready for change. He also said that while lastyear’s franchise auction was a disaster it did at least open the eyes of the television companies.