ITV Scraps Plans To Launch Digital Channel For Kids
ITV is understood to have scrapped plans to expand its digital strategy with the launch of a dedicated digital channel for children later this year.
The UK’s largest commercial broadcaster was due to unveil ITV Kids as part of a new channel package to boost its digital presence. However, the launch has been shelved and ITV now plans to open up its schedules to Nickelodeon or Disney in return for a CiTV brand slot on either of their channels.
Industry reports suggest that ITV is attempting to secure a broadcast output deal that would allow Nickelodeon or Disney to make programmes for a specially branded block during CiTV airtime. In return, ITV wants a slot on one of the digital channels in which to play its own children’s programmes.
The move would significantly reduce ITV’s programming costs as it is not planning to pay Nickelodeon or Disney for the content they supply. However, the deal would provide the digital channels with valuable exposure on terrestrial television.
ITV has been looking to beef-up its digital presence for some time and earlier this year announced plans to launch a channel for older, upmarket viewers with an appetite for drama. This was due to be followed by a joint venture for younger viewers (see ITV Enters New Phase With Merger Completion).
However, the broadcaster has since played down the possibility of a standalone channel, saying: “We can confirm that, for some time, we have been talking to a number of potential partners about CiTV, but these discussions have not been about creating a new channel.”
The latest Trends In Television report from the IPA shows that ITV commands a significantly larger share of viewing on Freeview than it does on Sky Digital. The UK’s largest commercial broadcaster has a 27.6% share of viewing on the digital terrestrial platform compared to just 16.9% on the satellite platform (see Freeview Pushes UK Multi-Channel Homes To 11.5 Million).
ITV: 020 7843 8000 www.itv.com
Recent Television Stories from NewsLine BSkyB Initiative Drives Audience Measurement Forward Advertisers Welcome Report On Contract Rights Renewal BSkyB To Launch Free-To-Air Satellite Package
Subscribers can access ten years of media news and analysis in the Archive