ITV & ITC AGREE ON NEWS AT TEN

THE Independent Television Commission (ITC) have agreed to the restoration of a 10pm news bulletin on ITV as part of a package put forward by ITV.
The new format to be introduced in the New Year will see a 20-minute Nightly News will be scheduled at 10pm Monday to Thursday evenings, while Friday evenings will follow the weekend pattern, with a news bulletin immediately following longer format programmes, but not later than 11.15pm.
The new arrangements will allow ITV flexibility to schedule drama, documentaries, sport and films on average of one day a week when the ITV Nightly News will follow the long-format programme.
Robin Biggam, Chairman of the ITC said: “The Commission has accepted ITV’s imaginative proposal to provide viewers with news in the late evening when they are more likely to watch, combined with the flexibility to deliver long form drama, one hour documentaries, current affairs and other programmes to their audiences. The key to this settlement is allowing ITV the flexibility to fight its corner in an increasingly competitive marketplace, set against the need for them to provide news at an accessible time in the late evening.”
The schedule revision means that on most weekday evenings there will be two programmes of national and international news during peak viewing. The ITV network companies have also promised an increase in investment of £42 million in the network programme budget, £21 million of which is new funding, to strengthen their schedule. This brings the total network budget in 2001 to £747 million.
The volume of regional programmes will remain the same. There will be no changes to the 6pm regional news programmes or regional headlines. However, there will be a reduction in peaktime regional programmes as a result of the schedule changes. The late evening regional news bulletins will be preceded by networked programmes starting at 10.20pm, giving them a strong inherited audience. During the next General Election campaign, the ITV Nightly News will be extended to include the late evening regional news.
The ITV companies have reaffirmed their commitment to regional programming in recognition of the unique public service value it delivers to viewers. As a result of the agreement, the ITC has withdrawn its direction requiring ITV to move the Nightly News to an earlier time and in response to this ITV has withdrawn its Judicial Review proceedings made against the ITC.
Patricia Hodgson, Chief Executive of ITC said: “Resolving these issues was vital. We can all concentrate now on the future of commercial television in the digital age.”