Tony Ball in final talks with ITV about chief exec role

Former BSkyB chief Tony Ball is thought to be in exclusive talks with ITV to agree the terms of his contract to replace Michael Grade.

Ball is currently negotiating the final details with the  ITV board after being offered the job last week, according to a report in The Times today.

Ball, who worked for Sky between 1999 and 2003, only became the front runner for the position after the favourite candidate Simon Fox, HMV’s chief executive, withdrew from the process.

Last week, reports suggested that Ball’s appointment would instigate a major shake-up of ITV’s senior management team, with the broadcaster’s director of television and online Peter Fincham expected to leave for Channel 4.

The current Channel 4 chief executive Andy Duncan is likely to leave the channel by the end of the year, it emerged at the MGEITF, and it is thought that Fincham isn’t keen to stay on at ITV following Ball’s appointment.

There has also been speculation that ITV’s current chief exec Sir Michael Grade, who will carry on as a non-executive chairman once Ball starts, may struggle to work with the former BSkyB front-man.