ITV News Channel is jointly owned by Carlton Communications, Granada and NTL. Carlton and Granada bought a 65% stake in 2002 from ITN, which launched the 24-hour news channel in August 2000.
NTL is keen to offload its stake in the channel as it seeks to pull out of non-core business.
With the two ITV companies in full control, they plan to try to take on market leader Sky News and BBC News 24. The ITV News Channel is the smallest of the UK's three main rolling news channels, behind Sky and News 24.
ITC figures recently showed that Sky News had extended its lead over BBC News 24, boosted by coverage of the war on Iraq. Sky News' share was 0.6%, up from 0.4% last quarter, while BBC News 24's was 0.4%, up from 0.3%. Sky News was the most popular news channel during the war on Iraq, which began on March 21. The ITV News Channel scored a 0.1% share, which was flat on last time.
The figures show that the ITV News Channel has a long way to go, but it has recently been relaunched and won praise for the way it is integrating its best-known presenters and reporters from the main daily ITV News bulletins on flagship terrestrial channel ITV1.
ITV has begun making sure that its top presenters, including John Suchet, Mark Austin and Nicholas Owen, are seen on the 24-hour cable and satellite news station.
Unlike BBC News 24, which uses different sets and presenters, the 24-hour ITV News Channel operation is presented from the ITV News set, and uses the same brand, on-screen look and identity as its terrestrial counterpart, including the theme music and, of course, the Big Ben bongs.
Later this week, Carlton and Granada, which are awaiting the outcome of the Competition Commission inquiry into their £2.6bn merger, are set to report interim results.
Carlton is tipped to report a rise in pre-tax profits up to £24m from £19m last time, while Granada is expected to report pre-tax profits of around £67m.
If you have an opinion on this or any other issue raised on Brand Republic, join the debate in the .
.jpg)
.jpg)