ITV and the ITC have today reached an agreement regarding the rescheduling of the ITV Nightly News. From New Year 2001 a 10pm news bulletin will be restored on the network from Monday to Thursdays, with more flexibility in news programming permitted on Fridays.
The decision ends months of disagreement between the two sides after slumping viewing figures for ITV news slots led the ITC to issue a directive to reschedule the Nightly News programme, currently broadcast at 11pm. After ITV refused, a date was set for a judicial review to solve the problem (see ITV Granted Judicial Review Of ITC News Direction).
At this year’s Edinburgh Television Festival however, Charles Allen, chairman of Granada, and Patricia Hodgson, head of ITC, expressed their desire to resolve the issue out of court (see ONdigital Prepares For Float, Denies Detailed Agreement With NTL). The ITC has now withdrawn its direction to ITV to move the Nightly News and the ITV has withdrawn its judicial review proceedings against the ITC.
Today’s measures allow a degree of flexibility to ITV news scheduling while restoring the popular 10pm bulletin. Nightly News will return to the 10pm slot; on Friday evenings the weekend news pattern will be followed, with a news bulletin immediately following longer-format programmes, but shown no later than 11.15pm.
The ITC has agreed to grant ITV flexibility in weekday news scheduling which will allow feature-length drama, films, live sport and entertainment to continue uninterrupted by news, as long as viewers are well aware of changes to the schedule.
The Nightly News at 10pm will continue to be a 20-minute bulletin. The late regional news on ITV will maintain its existing slot at 11.20pm and will be preceded by network programmes at 10.20pm delivering a strong audience inheritance.
Sir Robin Biggam, ITC chairman, said: “The key to this settlement is allowing ITV the flexibility to fight its corner in an increasingly competitive market place, set against the need for them to provide news at an accessible time in the late evening.”
David Liddiment, ITV director of programmes, said: “This is an imaginative solution on both sides which reflects the beginning of a new relationship between ITV and the ITC.”
The ITV companies have also promised an increase in investment of £42m in the network programme budget to strengthen their new schedule, bringing the total budget for 2001 to £747m.
And the ITC has agreed a series of modifications to its rules on advertising breaks which will provide ITV with additional revenue to invest in programmes. These changes include an addition of 2.5 minutes to the limit on advertising during peak time, although the total amount of advertising during the day will be unchanged. These changes will also apply to Channel 4 and Channel 5.
ITC: 020 7306 7743 ITV: 020 7843 8000
