Grade set a target of 38.5% commercial impacts for all ITV channels in 2012, compared with 42.2% in 2006.
He also expressed his goal of establishing ITV as the UK’s favourite source of free entertainment by 2012 – while announcing that ITV1’s programming budget would remain flat. A new peak-time strategy for 2008 aimed at improving performance in the weekday 9pm slot, as well as increasing ITV1’s share of "light viewers" and ABC1 adults, would mean that the channel could achieve its objectives without extra cash, Grade said. Director of television Simon Shaps is to lead the peak-time push.
Digital channel ITV2 is to receive a £20m boost in 2008, however, with the express aim of overtaking Five to become the third most popular commercial channel for the 16-34 age group.
Grade described the strategy as “a content-led growth plan, built on ITV's creation and ownership of the UK's most valuable programmes”.
He said: "This is a plan rooted in self-help. Our priority is to put our own house in order, making our assets work better, harder and more in tune with each other."
ITV’s growth over the next five years would come from the content and online business, he added. The plan was to double content revenues to £1.2 billion by 2012, with online contributing £150m by 2010 – 75% of that coming from online display.
ITV’s Q3 estimates looked promising, with ad revenues for ITV1 rising by 2% and by 5% for the group as a whole, and ITV1’s decline in commercial impacts slowing to just 3.4%, compared with 10.5% in 2006.
He also expressed his goal of establishing ITV as the UK’s favourite source of free entertainment by 2012 – while announcing that ITV1’s programming budget would remain flat. A new peak-time strategy for 2008 aimed at improving performance in the weekday 9pm slot, as well as increasing ITV1’s share of "light viewers" and ABC1 adults, would mean that the channel could achieve its objectives without extra cash, Grade said. Director of television Simon Shaps is to lead the peak-time push.
Digital channel ITV2 is to receive a £20m boost in 2008, however, with the express aim of overtaking Five to become the third most popular commercial channel for the 16-34 age group.
Grade described the strategy as “a content-led growth plan, built on ITV's creation and ownership of the UK's most valuable programmes”.
He said: "This is a plan rooted in self-help. Our priority is to put our own house in order, making our assets work better, harder and more in tune with each other."
ITV’s growth over the next five years would come from the content and online business, he added. The plan was to double content revenues to £1.2 billion by 2012, with online contributing £150m by 2010 – 75% of that coming from online display.
ITV’s Q3 estimates looked promising, with ad revenues for ITV1 rising by 2% and by 5% for the group as a whole, and ITV1’s decline in commercial impacts slowing to just 3.4%, compared with 10.5% in 2006.
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