ITV anounce management team for interactive operation

ITV have announced the creation of ITV Interactive, a new unified home for their interactive strategy and product development.
The new operation will be headed by Jane Marshall, who takes the title ITV Interactive Controller.
Formerly Chief Executive of Carlton Active, Marshall has named her senior management team as Andrew Kearney, who becomes Head of Creative and Content, and Clive Malcher who becomes Head of Technology. Further appointments will be made in due course.
ITV Interactive will work with genre and channel controllers and producers to integrate interactivity into the network’s output and will drive the development of interactive advertising opportunities. It brings together Carlton and Granada’s existing interactive operations working across all digital platforms and covering all ITV branded channels. ITV Interactive will have a small core team, with production work outsourced to the market.
Clive Jones, Joint Managing Director, ITV said: “The creation of this new division will result in a more coherent interactive focus for ITV. It is a direct benefit of closer co-operation between Carlton and Granada and signifies a more streamlined and effective approach.”
Building on the work of both Carlton Active and Granada Interactive, ITV Interactive will focus on three main areas of development - programme enhancements, interactive advertising and gaming. In February ITV signed a major agreement with BSkyB enabling the launch of a range of ITV interactive services on the digital satellite platform.
Enhanced programming on ITV1 includes 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire', now available in over 6 million Sky Digital homes, and interactive applications for ITV’s football programming and entertainment events such as the Brit Awards.
Interactive advertising, a new revenue stream for ITV, will offer clients new ways to engage with viewers to provide more information on products and services and obtain immediate feedback and sales leads.
Gaming and betting services are the third area of focus based on ITV’s partnership with Littlewoods Leisure to develop services linked to ITV programming, particularly sport.
Jane Marshall said: “I’m delighted to be leading ITV’s interactive operation into the next phase. ITV is uniquely placed to lead the commercial market in mass appeal, interactive extensions to its programming and to drive the interactive advertising market. The foundations are in place for an exciting growth business for ITV and I look forward to taking the operation forward.”
(GB)