MPs Push For Return Of News At Ten

The Commons Select Committee for culture, media and sport yesterday called for the return to the ITV evening schedule of News At Ten. This increases the pressure on the Independent Television Commission (ITC) to oppose the new schedule when it produces its report on the changes in May. The Select Committee is led by Gerald Kaufman, who has long opposed the changes to ITV’s peaktime schedule which took effect a year ago (see First ITV Evening News Gains 7.2m Viewers).

The ITC has been somewhat goaded by Kaufman who suggested that when it comes down to it the TV watchdog does not really have any teeth with which to take action. If the Commission believes, however, that changes to the ITV evening schedule have been substantially against the public interest it could force ITV to restore the News At Ten bulletin. Chris Smith, culture secretary, has himself urged that the ITC perform a ‘rigorous’ review of ITV’s performance since the changes took place (see Smith Urges ITC To Perform Rigorous Review Of New ITV Schedule).

The Committee’s Whatever Happened To News At Ten report claims that the new schedule has caused ITV to shed viewers. The figures show that ITV evening news bulletins have lost around two million viewers, dropping to an average audience of 9.4 million. This compares to 11.7 million viewers for the BBC’s two evening news programmes, the Committee said. However, ITV claims that ratings have improved since the schedule was changed.

The ITC is to begin its review now, but the results will not be announced until May. The Commission is not obliged to follow the advice of the Select Committee in deciding the effects of ITV’s new schedule, although it will be taken into consideration.

Independent Television Commission: 020 7255 3000 ITV Network Centre: 020 7843 8000