ITV Considers Shift For Late Evening News

Reports this morning claim that ITV plans to move its late evening news, shifting the 10:30pm bulletin to a later slot of 11pm in order to free up peaktime airspace for higher rating shows.

However, such a move would break Ofcom’s current regulations, which oblige ITV to screen 30 minutes of news between 6:30 and 10:30, and would require approval from the watchdog.

ITV is believed to have the airspace currently occupied by the news earmarked for more big-budget dramas and entertainment, although senior executives are reported to be considering several options, with a move for the news part of a “melting pot” of ideas.

Speaking at the Edinburgh International Television Festival last weekend, ITV’s director of programmes, Nigel Pickard, conceded that ratings for the late evening news have not been as high as expected, currently averaging 2.5 million compared to the 4 million target set by the broadcaster at the programme’s relaunch in 2004 (see ITV To Relaunch News Programming For Upmarket Viewers).

ITV refused to comment on the programme’s future, although concerns have been raised in the past that the broadcaster may seek to drop its public service commitments in the run up to digital switchover. Such a move would enable ITV to air more ratings-driven programming, an in turn attract more lucrative advertisers (see ITV Welcomes Loosened PSB Requirements).

The broadcaster has already been allowed to reduce its non-news regional output, making more space for revenue-generating commercial programming, with Ofcom now requiring just half an hour of non-news regional programming in England per week (see ITV To Cut Non-News Broadcast By Half).

ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.com