ITV Boss Slams Media Coverage

The Executive Chairman of ITV, Michael Grade has hit out at media coverage over the broadcaster's difficulties in recruiting two senior executives.
The outgoing ITV boss is insisting that the broadcaster is merely going through the typical "ups and downs" of senior recruitment.
Speaking to a House of Lords Communications Committee he claimed that he was "unconcerned" by the stories that have appeared in the media since he announced his plans to stand down from his top role seven months ago.
Referring to the media coverage describing ITV as a 'broadcaster in crisis' after talks with an agreed new Chief Executive, Tony Ball collapsed over pay demands, and Michael Grade himslef announced he was to leave, he said the coverage was "febrile" and branded reports of ITV's downward spiral as mere speculation.
The reportage followed ITV's so-far unsuccessful search for a new Chief Executive - which dramatically collapsed last month when the ITV board called a halt to negotiations with former BSkyB boss Tony Ball.
THis was amid angry wrangling over his multimillion-pound pay expectations and his demand that he have the power to veto Michael Grade's successor as Chairman.
Speculation then turned to the remaining candidates as Chief Executive and to two widely touted candidates to replace Grade as Chairman - Sir Crispin Davis and Sir Michael Bishop - after both ruled themselves out in mid October.
What is known is that once ITV appoints someone as non-executive Chairman, Grade will leave and Chief Operating Officer John Cresswell will become interim Chief Executive. Cresswell will then leave ITV once a permanent top- executive is found.
Grade told the committee: "In any succession process, you go through all kinds of ups and downs, and this is no different.
"What's different is that there is round-by-round commentary going on because the media is utterly self-obsessed. All this febrile speculation and hypothesis is rumour presented as fact," he insisted, noting that the leadership battle was "a sideshow that would make no difference to viewers".
See: ITV Boss's Pay Deal Refused
(BMcC/GK)