ITC Licensee Performance Reviews For 1994
The Independent Television Commission today published its annual review of the performance of TV franchise holders for the year 1994. The report covers 18 licensees: the 15 regional ITV companies, Channel 4, GMTV, and Teletext.
It is the second annual review, reporting on the second full year of the current 10 year licenses. In a marked contrast to last year’s highly critical opening salvo, this year’s review sets a quieter tone and seems well satisfied with performance and progress.
Across the licensees in general, the Commission notes increased profits, increasing ratings, strong drama, good news coverage, and diversity of programming. There have also been noted improvements in most areas criticised by last year’s report.
Where criticisms have been made, the ITC has taken a softly softly approach, trying to act more in guidance than censure. Probably the biggest criticism that the Commission had, was with the lack of innovation or courage in scheduling and commissioning by the Channel 3 companies. In particular, mention was made of the frightened decision to pull the strong ‘World in Action’ without giving it the chance of a fight, as soon as the BBC put out the new third-weekly ‘Eastenders’. The Commission feels that with ITV’s remarkable financial success despite increasing competition, with ITV drama currently putting BBC drama to shame, and with ITV stealing a real march in the ratings, Channel 3 programmers can afford to be a little more confident in themselves, and a little more adventurous in their scheduling and in the commissioning of new programmes.
Criticisms were also levelled at religious programming across the network, as programmes were shifted to the fringes of the schedules, and as output fell to levels well below those promised in original franchise applications.
The watershed, not unexpectedly, provoked comment, after complaints that too much adult material is appearing too soon after the 9pm mark. The ITC reminded its licensees that the watershed was never intended to be a straight switch-over point, but was always meant to be a gradual lead into more adult programming.
On the related subject of TV violence, however, the Commission was actually quite complimentary of the licensees’ record. According to ITC research, the number of programmes containing any violence had increased, but the number showing particularly strong or graphic violence had remained low at only around 7% of ITV output – with all of that contained in the post-watershed period. A special note was made of ‘Cracker’ which had provoked many viewer complaints, even in its post-9pm slot, but which the ITC felt was of such high quality that it deserved as large an audience as possible, and should not be obscured in a later slot.
Also criticised was last year’s very public problem with over-prominence of commercial products during programmes, following Granada’s fine for plugs on ‘This Morning’. The ITC feels strongly that free adverts during programmes stops money coming in at the top of the programme which could be used to finance new material. However, again in concilliatory mood, the Commission emphasised that improvements were evident, and that it was confident there would be no recurrence.
Amongst the individual licensees singled out for comment, were all those that had been heavily criticised last year: Carlton, GMTV, and Teletext. All had shown improvement in 1994. GMTV had bounced back from a formal warning to receive a quite favourable review. Teletext had increased its audience by a satisfactory 10%. Carlton was also given credit for improvements, but still more was expected in 1995. The Commission pointed out that in each of these cases the franchise-holders were new in 1993, and put down the poor starts to teething problems which were already visibly improving.
Channel 4 was publically picked up on certain stunts in ‘The Word’ that were less than good tatse. As the current series is still in progress, the ITC is still reviewing, so no sanctions (as yet) will be taken. The high profile given to this complaint seems odd as it distracts from what would otherwise be a ringing endorsement of a bouyant Channel.
The press conference to launch the 1994 review was led by Sir George Russell, chairman of the ITC, with David Glencross, chief executive, Robin Duval, deputy director of programming, and Sarah Thane, controller of public affairs.
The performance reviews cover the content of programmes, as well as compliance with license requirements, compliance with ITC codes, breaches of franchise appllications, and other matters such as technical standards, quality of training, equal opportunities, and provisions for the deaf and hard of hearing