Phillips: GMTV ‘Hijacked’ By Sponsorship Deals

Staff – MediaTel NewsLine Breakfast broadcaster GMTV is being “hijacked” by increasingly prevalent sponsorship placements, according to its high profile presenter, Fiona Phillips, who claims the show has become “more about selling than about the content.”

Citing one particular instance, Phillips recalled: “I remember having to break away from an interview with Tony Blair to a sponsored item about Christmas leftovers. We got slated for it.”

The presenter’s complaints follow last month’s unveiling of ITV’s full year results, in which the broadcaster announced rises in advertising revenues across ITV1, ITV2, ITV3, the ITV News Channel and GMTV. The company’s total ad revenues rose by 4.7% year on year, reaching £1,58 billion, with the top five advertiser categories including food, retail, entertainment, cars and finance (see Advertising Revenues Drive ITV Profits Up).

According to Phillips, speaking in today’s MediaGuardian, GMTV has become less of a mouthpiece for the day’s news and talking points, and more of a shop window for advertisers and sponsors. She said: “I regret the increased number of interactive elements: the sponsorship and competitions. Now it has become more about selling everything than about the content. Making money and sponsorship have hijacked the quality of content.”

Phillips’ attack follows the resignation of long-time presenter Eamonn Holmes, who took the decision to end his 12 year career on the famous red sofa earlier this year in order to pursue more journalistic endeavours (see Holmes Quits GMTV After More Than A Decade).

Speaking to the Daily Mirror at the time of his resignation, Holmes also claimed that the focus of GMTV had changed. He said: “The show’s changed a lot since I started out. I was here when we really put the emphasis on journalism, on getting stories, on making sure we got out there and met the people. There’s no scope for that sort of programme-making now and I deeply regret that. The show has utterly changed.

ITV was given the go ahead for its acquisition of the majority stake in GMTV last year, completing the £31 million purchase in order to secure Scottish Media Group’s 25% stake in the broadcaster despite wide-spread concern from the advertising industry (see ITV Gets Go Ahead For £31 Million GMTV Acquisition).

ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.com

Recent News Stories from NewsLine First Rolling Campaign On ATM:ad UK Adspend Forecast To Rise By 4.3% In 2005 Broadband Uptake Fuels Increased Online Activities

Subscribers can access ten years of media news and analysis in the Archive