Media Panel Denounces ITC’s Handling Of The News At Ten Affair

When asked whether it matters what time that news is on ITV at Media Question Time last night, a panel of key media industry figures was unanimous in denouncing the Independent Television Commission’s decision to force ITV to move the news back to 10pm.

Speaking to the BBC Radio Theatre audience, C5 marketing director Jim Hytner called it “ludicrous”; particularly, he said, after the BBC made the “brave” decision to move into the vacated 10pm slot. “News reporting is not a scarce commodity”, said Hytner. “You can find it on Sky, on WAP phones and on the internet. ITV made a conscious decision to move away from 10pm. Once [the BBC had] moved there was absolutely no need for the ITC to continue debating the issue with ITV”.

Emily Bell agreed: “The whole thing, frankly, is ridiculous. ITV was wrong to move it in the first place when they had nothing to put its place. I don’t care when you put the news on, just put something good around it.”

Both Marie Oldham and David Mansfield said that it was viewers which had lost out due to meddling by the ITC. “We’ve all lost sight of what the consumer wants and that’s where the focus should be placed,” Oldham said.

Fran Cassidy from Carlton, one of the chief ITV companies, responded by saying that the resinstated 10pm news programme on ITV is doing well. “We’re happy with the results as regards the news and we hope it maintains its position,” she said.