ITV Is Making The Effort, But Could Improve, Says ITC
The overall feeling at the Independent Television Commission’s Annual Review press conference this morning, was that whilst ITV is making efforts to redress any short-fallings it might have, the Network’s current output is not quite the Commission’s vision of ideal.
On the one hand, the ITC report notes that: “ITV showed a determination to refresh and revitalise its service in 1998. Past ITC criticism of limited diversity in peak-time was answered by increasing factual material and consequently reducing reliance on drama.” On the other hand, the regulator says that there are shortcoming’s in the broadcaster’s current affairs, comedy and arts output. Sarah Thane, ITC director of programmes and cable, said that whilst ITV has ‘progressed quantitatively’, the range and depth of its programmes is not as good as the Commission might hope for.
Last year saw one of the biggest developments in ITV’s history – the removal of the News At Ten to leave a peak-time schedule wide open for more adult-orientated programming (see ITC Agrees To News At Ten Move). ITV has pinned its peak-time viewing share targets on this new evening schedule and is hoping to achieve a 39% share this year, rising to 40% in 2000.
In the ITC’s view, the new evening schedule is an opportunity for ITV to fill the airwaves with more comedy, arts and documentary programmes – areas which the Network claimed were previously inhibited by the News At Ten. There is a sense that ITV is currently on a probationary period and that it must come up with the goods now that the ITC has allowed it to drop the flagship news programme.
“The ITC will be looking for innovative and high quality programmes, further increasing diversity in peak, following the rescheduling of evening news bulletins,” says the report. The supply of comedy and entertainment programming is an area which ITV should improve, according to the review.
Reacting to the Commission’s report, ITV Network chief executive, Richard Eyre, said: “We are pleased that the ITC has acknowledged the revitalisation of ITV. Our aim has been to remain relevant to the widest breadth of viewers through popular, quality programming: audience results for last year showed a stabilising of our overall share, with growth among lighter TV viewers… Viewers’ response to the new peaktime schedule has been very encouraging.” Indeed, the ITC has only received three letters concerning the new ITV schedule since the News At Ten was dropped.
However, this Sunday’s Observer reported that culture secretary Chris Smith is to tell the ITC that he believes the new ITV schedule is falling short of its requirements to diversity and range of programming. ITC chairman, Sir Robin Biggam, this morning said that there has been no communication between Smith and the Commission so far. Biggam stresses that ITV’s performance post News At Ten, will be assessed over the year, rather than in the first few weeks.
The ITC has been very much in the public eye over the last year, firstly surrounding the News At Ten decision and then during the investigation of Carlton’s faked documentary, The Connection. The regulator subsequently fined Carlton Communications £2 million (see ITC Fines Carlton £2 million For Fake Drugs Documentary). Since this, two Channel 4 documentaries have been accused of being faked in parts. Too Much Too Young: Chickens, which documented Glasgow rent boys, was found to be fake by the ITC in February this year (see Channel Four Documentray Found To Be A Fraud) and Guns On The Street is currently being investigated by both the ITC and Channel 4 itself (see ITC Investigates Claims Of Fake C4 Documentary).
When asked whether these exposés of fraud had weakened the bond of trust between the public and programme producers, Sarah Thane admitted that the trust has been impaired, rather than broken.
In review of Channel 4’s performance, the ITC says that last year’s criticism for lack of innovative drive had been addressed by some promising developments during 1998, particularly in drama and current affairs. The Channel 4 News was praised for “its sustained reputation for serious, measured and high quality reporting, and for its foreign coverage.” Channel 4’s requirements as a provider of alternative and minority programming were generally met, although the ITC considered a number of offerings to have been inaccessibly scheduled.
In its first full year under the Commission’s assessment, Channel 5 caused a stir with its late night erotic programmes. The ITC is concerned that schedules do not become clogged with programming of the same themes – in this case, sex. Thane stressed that the issue with Channel 5 was a diversity, not a quality, issue, although Sir Robin Biggam described the C5 erotic dramas as ‘low quality’.
The report described Channel 5 news as ‘combining lively presentation with quality reporting’, but noted that there was a slight shortfall in the number of original productions appearing on C5. Higher quality in children’s drama and entertainment are also required.
Independent Television Commission: 0171 255 3000