Granada Chief Denies ITV's "Structural Decline"
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Granada's chief executive, Steve Morrison, has dismissed speculation that ITV1 is in "structural decline" but has refused to comment on the future of ITV Digital.
Speaking this morning at ISBA's Annual Advertising Conference in central London, Morrison said that the ITV companies were determined to "take our destiny into our own hands." However, with regard to the troubled digital platform, he would only say: "ITV1 will continue to outperform other commercial channels in digital homes, whatever the platform."
Morrison set out for the conference what he sees as the three key factors in ITV's future success. Firstly he said that investment in programming would be sustained throughout 2002 and that as the market got stronger so the money put into programming would rise. He also struck a positive note regarding the BBC's encroachment on ITV1's audience share, saying that although the corporation's more commercial approach had "undoubtedly had an effect on ITV1" audience share had stabilised since the beginning of this year and that the gap was widening in ITV's favour.
His second key point was with regard to the consolidation of ITV into a single company. "For advertisers to have an effective route to consumers they must have strong free-to-air terrestrial channels, and this means a single ITV." he said. "It's a miracle that ITV1 has maintained the scale it has with two separate ITV companies." He went on to claim that "everyone" agrees that this would be a positive move, enabling ITV to make stronger programmes and take on competition.
The third part of the ITV plan for future success is, according to Morrison, interactivity, which he predicts will become increasingly important for viewers and advertisers alike. Promising more development of digital programming for the benefit of both, he said that interactivity would "define ITV in the digital future."
ISBA: 020 7499 7502 www.isba.org.uk ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.co.uk
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