Fincham To Replace Shaps At ITV

ITV has hired former BBC One controller Peter Fincham to take over from Simon Shaps as director of television.

ITV has also announced that Michael Grade has agreed to stay in post as executive chairman until the end of 2010, one year longer than his original three-year term.

Shaps, who has headed ITV’s channels division since 2005, will stay on until the spring to ensure a smooth hand over to Fincham.

In addition to appointing a new director of television, Dawn Airey, managing director of global content and Rupert Howell, managing director of ITV brand and commercial, have been appointed as executive directors on the main board with immediate effect.

The board moves will also see the splitting of the roles of COO and group finance director – currently held by John Cresswell – who will now commence recruitment of a group finance director.

Fincham resigned from the BBC last October following the publication of the Wyatt Report, which said there were “misjudgments, poor practice and ineffective systems” in the production of the documentary A Year With The Queen (see Fincham Quits Following Queen Doco Shocker).

Grade said of the departing Shaps: “Simon bows out on a high, having delivered ITV’s best year-on-year broadcast performance for many years.”

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