ITV digital shake-up

ITV has announced a shake-up of its digital channels, with ITV4 becoming a 24-hour channel and CITV – which currently shares a Freeview slot with ITV4 – moving to its own Freeview slot.
Trade paper Broadcast reports that ITV4 is reorienting in response to the success of UKTV’s Dave channel, with a cash injection allowing for more original programming to air in peaktime; tellingly, the channel is looking for “Top Gear-style shows”. Archive shows such as Minder will be relegated to daytime hours, with peak-time programming set to include “Action-packed, escapist programming for men,” according to channel controller Dave Fewings. CITV, meanwhile, will also benefit from an injection of commissioning cash for new programmes.

Jonathan Rogers, ITV’s Director of Operations, noted that, “These changes are a direct response to the success of the ITV digital channels portfolio. They reflect our strong commitment to this growth area of the business and offer an opportunity to further expand the depth and breadth of programming across the board.”