Airey Criticises ITV For Being Too Bland
Dawn Airey, chief executive of Channel 5, has claimed that ITV is losing audiences because it is too “bland”.
In an interview in today’s Times, Airey, who is being tipped as the candidate most likely to take over from David Liddiment as ITV’s director of channels, says that more new drama and high-profile entertainment hits are needed to stop ITV “shedding audiences faster than a snake can get rid of its skin.”
In the first six months of this year ITV’s share of viewing was only 23%, compared to 26.4% for BBC1. Airey said: “I just think its bland. It used to be the centre of excellence of popular drama of entertainment. There are some nuggets, Coronation Street when its good, is brilliant. Airline is still a must watch for me. I just don’t go there for drama series in the way that I used to.”
Airey argues that there are too many one-offs in the schedule and series like Peak Practice and Heartbeat, which are becoming outdated. According to the Times, she said: “ITV has had fantastic leverage out of these properties for ten years, but where is the new drama?”
She suggests that the Network needs a couple more major entertainment hits, something more discerning for the late night audience and some new drama franchises to boost its audience figures and stem its falling share.
However, Airey makes no mention of whether she will make the move to ITV, despite speculation at this year’s Guardian Edinburgh International TV Festival that she had been offered the job. Those concerned have remained tight-lipped on the subject but reports suggest Airey is interested if the terms, rumoured to be £3 million over three years, are right.
ITV attracted considerable criticism from rival TV executives at this year’s GEITF, with David Elstein, the former chief executive of Channel 5, claiming that the network has been brought to its knees by a decade of “profound mismanagement” (see GEITF 2002: Former Channel 5 Boss Attacks ITV).
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