ITV2 – Not Entirely A Different View

At an extremely packed Network Centre this morning, ITV officially launched its second channel ITV2. The channel, which will start transmitting from 7pm on 7 December, will be primarily aimed at a younger male orientated audience. To quote Brian Barwick, Director of Programmes for ITV2: “ITV2 with its younger skew, will sit comfortably as the younger brother or sister of the senior ITV channel. It’ll still be ‘TV from the heart’ – but skipping to a younger beat.”

The new national channel will be free to air but there will not be any regional opt-outs like the ones in operation on ITV. Around 30 new programmes have been commissioned to provide 1100 hours of airtime in the channel’s first year. However a large chunk of ITV2‘s output will consist of programmes currently already featured on ITV, which seems to contridict ITV’s claim that the channel will be newer and younger and not a ‘golden oldies’ channel.

ITV2 can be seen throughout England and Wales on digital terrestrial television via either a set-top box or a new integrated television set. Following the link with Cable & Wireless the channel will also be able to be seen on the cable network. There will be separate digital services for the Scottish and Northern Ireland areas, as well as GMTV2 a complimentary service to the existing GMTV.

Andrew Chowns, ITV2‘s project director says: “Independent research suggests that half a million homes will be able to receive ITV2 via digital transmissions by the end of the year, with between five and six million homes predicted by the year 2003. This figure does not include the potential for a further 2.5 million people to view in cable homes.

ITV also unveiled the logo for ITV2, which has been created by English + Pocket; it features the main ITV logo crowned by the figure ‘2’ in four different colour variations.

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