Media Week understands that furniture retailer Harveys, sponsor of Coronation Street, and Airwick, sponsor of Emmerdale, are extremely concerned about schedule changes. They could demand free airtime or other compensation if the broadcaster does not deliver audiences.
They are awaiting the return of Gary Knight, ITV brand sponsorships director, who was on holiday and then went off sick as the new schedule was announced last week.
Emmerdale’s move to an hour-long programme on Tuesdays means the programme will go head to head with BBC soap EastEnders and about 12 episodes are likely to be dropped on Champions League Tuesdays.
Stuart Garvie, media manager at Reckitt Benckiser, parent company of the Airwick brand, said he was “not too concerned” about the new time slot: “Whenever Emmerdale has gone up against EastEnders in the past, it has done pretty well.”
But he would not be drawn on discussions with ITV over Airwick’s concerns about a reduction in the number of episodes aired. Airwick and media agency OMD are expected to encourage ITV to support more centre break bumpers.
ITV is also dropping Coronation Street from Sundays and a second episode of the soap will air on Friday at 8.30pm, followed by comedy and soap programmes, Moving Wallpaper, Echo Beach and Al Murray’s Happy Hour.
Sources close to Harveys said brand managers were “very annoyed” about schedule changes as a Sunday night audience offered a “broader church of viewers” and higher numbers than on a Friday night. One source said: “There will be issues with the sponsor and I would expect them to try to get some sort of compensation from ITV. Sunday is a particularly good web driver for Harveys.”
Another concern for Harveys and its media agency Starcom is that the show replacing Corrie on Sundays, Dancing on Ice, is sponsored by furniture rival DFS.
They are awaiting the return of Gary Knight, ITV brand sponsorships director, who was on holiday and then went off sick as the new schedule was announced last week.
Emmerdale’s move to an hour-long programme on Tuesdays means the programme will go head to head with BBC soap EastEnders and about 12 episodes are likely to be dropped on Champions League Tuesdays.
Stuart Garvie, media manager at Reckitt Benckiser, parent company of the Airwick brand, said he was “not too concerned” about the new time slot: “Whenever Emmerdale has gone up against EastEnders in the past, it has done pretty well.”
But he would not be drawn on discussions with ITV over Airwick’s concerns about a reduction in the number of episodes aired. Airwick and media agency OMD are expected to encourage ITV to support more centre break bumpers.
ITV is also dropping Coronation Street from Sundays and a second episode of the soap will air on Friday at 8.30pm, followed by comedy and soap programmes, Moving Wallpaper, Echo Beach and Al Murray’s Happy Hour.
Sources close to Harveys said brand managers were “very annoyed” about schedule changes as a Sunday night audience offered a “broader church of viewers” and higher numbers than on a Friday night. One source said: “There will be issues with the sponsor and I would expect them to try to get some sort of compensation from ITV. Sunday is a particularly good web driver for Harveys.”
Another concern for Harveys and its media agency Starcom is that the show replacing Corrie on Sundays, Dancing on Ice, is sponsored by furniture rival DFS.
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