In the week that the decision over News At Ten’s future is finally
made, almost half the British public remain firmly opposed to moving the
ITN flagship programme, according to exclusive research commissioned by
Marketing.
In the survey, 49% of the 1001 people questioned by NOP last weekend
were against moving News At Ten, while 30% were in favour and 21% did
not care.
Older, more affluent people were most happy with the status quo, with
57% of 55- to 64-year-olds and 54% of ABs against change.
Conversely, 43% of 15- to 24-year-olds supported the move. People in the
North-east were the strongest supporters of change, with 44% backing the
shift.
The findings are strikingly similar to NOP research carried out in early
September, which found that 50% of people polled opposed a move.
A final decision on ITV’s proposal is due from the Independent
Television Commission on Thursday.
The ITC has come under intense pressure from the political establishment
to block the move.
The Commons Media Select Committee unanimously rejected the move, and
chairman Gerald Kaufman described ITV’s arguments as patronising and
offensive.
ITV wants the flexibility to run feature films without the disruption of
the news break in order to attract more viewers to the network. It has
identified News At Ten, fronted by Trevor McDonald, as a major
stumbling-block in its efforts to hit its target of 40% of peak-time
audiences by 2000.
A previous attempt to shift the show in 1993 was torpedoed after then
Prime Minister John Major intervened.
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