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Friday, 3 Sep 2010

Inside ITV

My ITV

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Michael Grade backs Ofcom proposal for independently funded regional news

30th April 2009

ITV Executive chairman Michael Grade added his backing to Ofcom’s call this week for independently funded news consortia to deliver regional services, but stressed that decisions need to be taken quickly to preserve high-quality news at a local level.
 
Speaking at the Voice of the Listener & Viewer Spring Conference, Grade supported Culture Secretary Andy Burnham’s recent comments that it is vital that the final Digital Britain report comes up with specific proposals to encourage the continuation of high-quality news at not only a regional, but also a local level.

“I agree entirely – it is vital. It is also very urgent,” he said. “The new system should be introduced as simply and quickly as possible, comprehensively across the whole of the UK and not just in a pilot area. I believe that it could – and should – be put in place next year.”

Grade also set out four other key principles needed to underpin the new arrangements:

    * The quality of content provided remains at least as good as that enjoyed by ITV viewers today and continues to serve the public to a high standard, not least regarding impartiality
    * This high standard is guaranteed, and is consistent across the nations and regions
    * It is innovative across all platforms, not just on television
    * It must provide the best possible value for money

He stressed that as with national news – which will remain a key element of ITV’s schedules – it was crucial that in the future the public had a guaranteed choice of high-quality, impartial regional news programming.

“It cannot and should not be left to the BBC alone,” he explained. “That’s not just our own position; it’s something that is recognised across the political spectrum. It’s now fully understood that ITV can no longer guarantee the future of a competitive regional news service, and that urgent steps must be taken to ensure the continuation of plurality of provision.

“We are fully supportive of Ofcom’s proposal for independently funded news consortia to deliver local and regional news services. And more than that, we will make our own contribution to its success. We have made clear we are prepared to make peak-time slots available for local and regional news on ITV1, where there is the greatest audience reach.”