ITV to quit analogue broadcasting?

net1

ITV is threatening to hand back its broadcasting licence and make all its programmes, available only to digital viewers, according to a report in the Mail on Sunday. The broadcaster is in dispute with industry regulator Ofcom, wanting to end its obligation to pay the Government £200 million a year for its analogue licence. It also has to spend £250 million each year on public service broadcasting, including a commitment to regional and religious programming.

Under radical plans reportedly being drawn up by CEO Charles Allen, millions of viewers would no longer be able to see many of their favourite shows. ITV would lose almost half its audience - but would save £450 million in costs.

ITV's licence allows it to broadcast to all viewers, including those without digital television, in England and Wales. Without it, ITV would be carried only by BSkyB, cable TV operators and Freeview.

Allen is now understood to have told Ofcom that unless the burden of the licence and the public sector broadcasting commitments are substantially reduced or eliminated, he will regard it as uneconomic to continue as an analogue broadcaster.

The licences will be reviewed from December when Ofcom will offer terms to broadcasters rather than putting them out to tender. No such offer to a licensee has ever been rejected.

easysat

If ITV don't want the licences maybe ATV, Thames TV, London Weekend, Southern TV etc will make a comeback :-)

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loftyj

Or just maybe Ofcom will come to its sences and remove ITV licence to broadcast in
digital as well.

rolfw

Perhaps Sky may want to take them up.

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martinw01908

Sounds like a publicity stunt to highlight how much running a terrestrial TV channel costs in the UK... ie LOADS. Its about time ITV, Channel 5 and 4 were available FTA on sat. Perhaps they will do this they withdraw from analogue, let hope!

PaulR

What about ABC, Associated Redifusion and TWW?

PaulR

easysat

And I thought I was old

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