ITV And C4 To End Cross-Promotions

The ITC has announced that from 1 January 1999 ITV and Channel 4 will no longer be required to cross-promote each other’s programmes.

The Commission said that the practice was open to question due to the phasing out of the Channel 4 funding formula, which will also end next year. All respondents to an earlier ITC consultation, with the exception of S4C, were in favour of ending the arrangement.

While the ITC said it had considered S4C’s arguments carefully, it believed that it would be inequitable to require HTV to continue cross-promoting the channel while the rest of ITV was relieved of the requirement.

Sarah Thane, ITC director of programmes and cable, commented: “Cross-promotions between ITV and Channel 4 became licence conditions when Channel 4 started selling its own advertising air time and it was thought that it would need promotional support. However, Channel 4 is now well-established, with a substantial and steady income stream, and it is sensible to drop the requirement at the same time as the funding formula is being phased out.”

ITC: 0171 255 3000