ITV Abandons Performance Target Strategy

ITV will no longer publish commercial performance targets for ITV1 after failing to meet them for the past two years (see ITV To Miss Peak Time Share Target).

ITV’s marketing and commercial director, Jim Hytner, has taken the decision to end the network’s commitment to publishing the targets and will instead present ITV’s ambitions to advertising groups such as ISBA and the IPA.

A spokesman for ITV said that the network had been playing down the importance of public performance targets and claimed that none were published last year. However, an industry source said: “ITV has been publishing targets recently – they just haven’t been as specific as in the past. Richard Eyre introduced the targets in 1997 and since he left increasing competition from BBC1 and various digital channels has meant that ITV has been failing to reach them.”

ITV was beaten by the BBC in the annual ratings last year, with figures for 2001 showing that across all hours more people watched BBC1 than ITV1 (see BBC Claims Ratings Victory Over ITV). BBC1 also attracted more viewers than ITV1 on Christmas Day with unofficial overnight figures from BARB showing that BBC1 had a 40.2% all hours share of viewing compared with 26% for ITV1 (see Interactive Top Of The Pops Is A Hit).

ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.co.uk

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