MGEITF 2004: ITV Reveals Plans To Launch Range Of New Channels
ITV chief executive Charles Allen has revealed ambitious plans to launch a raft of new channels over the next five years in an effort to compete more effectively against the BBC in the burgeoning multi-channel environment.
The UK’s largest commercial broadcaster currently has one digital channel in the form of ITV2 and is planning to launch ITV3 for older upmarket viewers later this year. However, Allen claimed this would not be enough to ensure the broadcaster’s survival in the digital age.
He said: “I see ITV developing into a package of channels over the next five years, in some ways very similar to the BBC, but funded from a commercial perspective. The days of the BBC and ITV thinking their main role is to kill each other are over.”
Allen remained tight-lipped about what form the new channels might take, but revealed to delegates gathered at this year’s Edinburgh International Television Festival that one could be a children’s offering launched in conjunction with an American broadcaster.
He said: “I think we’ll see much more collaboration, particularly in the area of children’s television. I do see us forming relationships with international partners to get more money and a better quality of programming on screen. We’re talking to everybody at the moment.”
Allen emphasised that ITV would need to strengthen its multi-channel strategy in order to compete against the likes of BSkyB and Flextech. He claimed that the broadcaster would have a varied portfolio of channels to rival the BBC’s eight digital services by the end of the decade.
However, the television boss made it clear that he would not be in a position to make any significant decisions for at least the next year, as he works to deliver significant cost savings following the merger of Carlton and Granada to form a single ITV.
As well as launching a range of new digital channels, Allen revealed that he would be interested in buying the remaining ITV licences owned by Scottish Media Group and Ulster TV. He said: “We are interested in these assets, but at the moment it’s a matter of price, rather than timing.”
The ITV chief also confirmed that buying the remaining 60% stake in ITN, currently joint owned by United Business Media, Reuters and the Daily Mail & General Trust, is still very much on the agenda. He said: “We are very clear that we want to own our news operation. Again, if the price was right that would be an attractive asset to us.”
ITV has had a rough ride over the last few months with the success of the Channel 4’s Big Brother and the BBC’s Olympic coverage taking their toll on ratings. However, Allen revealed that the broadcaster would announce advertising revenue growth of 4.5%, the biggest rise since the height of the dotcom boom, when it publishes its annual results.
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