ITV drops dividend and outlook as pandemic hits advertising March 23, 2020 ITV today ditched its dividend and outlook for the year as the coronavirus outbreak continues to decimate advertising revenue. The broadcaster said it would no longer propose a 5.4p per share dividend for 2019 at its upcoming annual general meeting, nor its 8p full-year payout for 2020. ITV said its decision to scrap the dividend [...]
ITV’s Saturday Night Takeaway bags record 9.5m viewers as Brits flock to traditional TV March 22, 2020 ITV’s Saturday Night Takeaway pulled in a record 9.5m viewers last night as housebound Brits flock to traditional broadcasters during the coronavirus outbreak. The hit sketch show secured 45 per cent of all live TV viewers as hosts Ant and Dec presented the programme without a studio audience for the first time as a result [...]
Coronavirus: Broadcaster viewing figures surge as Brits flock to TV news March 19, 2020 The UK’s public service broadcasters have reported a huge surge in viewer numbers as Brits flock to TV news to find out the latest information on the coronavirus outbreak. Almost 8.7m people tuned into the BBC Six O’Clock News last night — the highest figure recorded since Christmas Day 2008 and more than twice the [...]
Coronavirus: BBC overhauls broadcast plans to tackle outbreak March 18, 2020 The BBC today unveiled a raft of new measures aimed at keeping the public informed during the “unprecedented” coronavirus outbreak. Director general Tony Hall said the public service broadcaster would launch special programming on TV and radio to provide audiences with the latest information on the Covid-19 pandemic. As part of the wide-ranging changes, the [...]
ITV shares drop despite £50m saving from Euro 2020 cancellation March 17, 2020 ITV today said the cancellation of the Euro 2020 due to the coronavirus outbreak will save the broadcaster as much as £50m. Uefa this morning announced that its flagship national football competition will be pushed back by a year due to health concerns. ITV, which jointly holds the rights to the tournament alongside the BBC, [...]
Ofcom draws up new rules to protect reality TV stars March 15, 2020 Ofcom has laid out a revised set of rules aimed at protecting participants in TV and radio programmes. The regulator’s intervention comes after the deaths of two former Love Island contestants and host Caroline Flack, as well as a former guest on the now-cancelled Jeremy Kyle Show. Ofcom said it had also seen a “steady [...]
Coronavirus: ITV shares fall as travel firms pull advertising March 5, 2020 Coronavirus has hurt 2020 demand for ITV advertising as travel operators stopped booking ads with the broadcaster, but it has posted better than expected earnings for 2019. MGM and Universal’s decision yesterday to delay the release of the next James Bond movie, No Time To Die, from April to November due to the coronavirus outbreak, [...]
Spitting Image to return after 24 years following Britbox commission March 4, 2020 Spitting Image will return to UK screens 24 years after it was taken off air, as streaming service Britbox named the hit puppet show as its first original commission. The Bafta award-winning TV show, which first appeared in 1984, has earmarked a string of contemporary targets for its satire, including the Duke and Duchess of [...]
ITV holds talks with BT as it eyes Champions League broadcast rights January 12, 2020 ITV is said to be in discussions with rival BT as it looks to secure broadcast rights to Champions League football matches. The public service broadcaster is eyeing up a bid for a package of games held by the telecoms giant after losing out in an auction in November, the Sunday Times reported. Read more: [...]
Kantar poaches former ITV exec Ian Griffiths as new finance director January 7, 2020 Market research firm Kantar today said it has appointed ex-ITV bigwig Ian Griffiths as its new chief financial officer. Griffiths, who has served as chief operating officer and chief financial officer at the broadcaster before announcing his departure in 2018 , will take up the new role on 16 January. Read more: Kantar boss to [...]