Central Sheduling Deadline Approaches

The ITVA is believed to have been unable to agree on the structure of the central scheduling system, and looks set to miss the ITC’s deadline at the end of the week.

The new TV licences, issued last October, included a requirement that the foundations of the central commissioning structure be in place by 31 January. The ITC today acknowledged that it is still awaiting notification from the ITVA about the system.

A draft arrangement drawn up by the ITVA and presented to the ITC earlier this month was rejected by the Commission. The ITC believes that independent producers should have the right to approach the central scheduler directly. The producers themselves are lobbying for right of access to the new networking system, and have found that ITV programme directors have stopped commissioning from them until agreement has been reached.

Paul Bonner, director of programming at the ITVA refused to comment on the delays this morning.

The ITC has the right to impose its own commissioning system if the ITV companies can not agree by the dead- line. ITVA proposals are now not expected to come before the ITC until its next meeting on 20 February.

ITC: 071 584 7011

ITVA: 071 612 8000