APPENDIX 3
Memorandum submitted by the Campaign for
Press and Broadcasting Freedom
In response to the ITC's public consultation
on ITV's weekday evening schedule held in October 1998 we pointed
out to them that the then proposals to replace News at Ten
and the early evening news at 17.40 raised important questions
about the commitment of the ITV to its public service remit laid
down in the Television Act 1954 that created the ITA. The ITA
was, as you are aware, obliged to inform, educate and entertain
and impose those values upon contracting companies including ITV.
The Broadcasting Act 1990 required Channel 3 "to broadcast
... news programmes of high quality dealing with national and
international matters ... at intervals ... and in particular ...
at peak viewing times" (ie 18.00—22.30 as defined by
the ITC).
We also pointed out that if the changes were
made, they would result in the only full-length news programme
between 20.00 and 23.00 would be provided by the BBC. The spectrum
of news programming available to viewers throughout the evening
on different channels has been lost.
In addition, the changes implemented by ITV
are part of a well-established trend to downgrade news and current
affairs. The ITC highlighted the situation in 1996 and 1997 in
its Performance Reviews when it pointed out that the ITV commitment
to serious documentary and arts coverage was in question. A report
by Steven Barnett and Emily Seymour published last September entitled
"A shrinking iceberg moving south" published by the
Campaign for Quality Television supported this finding, namely
that there is less peak-time current affairs on ITV than ever
before.
In terms of ratings ITV admits that the 23.00
ITV news is one million viewers down on News at Ten (Broadcast
4 February 2000—Watching the Clock by Tara Conlan). Conlan
goes on to explain that since the change on 8 March 1999 independent
ad agency figures available so far for the 22.00 slot, reveals
a rise in younger downmarket viewers, but a fall in older upmarket
viewers (source BARB data analysed by CIA MediaLab). ITV was concerned
about the continuing fall in its share of the peak-time audience
down to 38.8 per cent from 44.3 per cent (ITV press notice 2 September
1998).
ITV promised to provide more range and diversity
in the 22.00 slot including more factual programmes, including
a new regular documentary strand at peak viewing time and a topical
60 minute current affairs programme in collaboration with ITN.
There would also be more comedy and drama concerned with "challenging
themes" suitable for transmission after the 21.00 watershed.
Tonight with Trevor McDonald, 22.00—23.00
on Thursdays is a demeaning replacement for World in Action.
In its choice of topics and the treatment of them, the programme
makers have taken a deliberate turn towards a formula, which is
designed to attract a younger male audience. These decisions have
more to do with commercial imperatives, such as providing the
right demographic profile for advertisers—they have little
to do with providing challenging current affairs programming.
The ending of News at Ten and the cessation
of World in Action have not, in our view, led to the development
of better alternatives, but a reduction in the range and quality
of news and current affairs reporting. Whilst it may be possible
to reinstate a News at Ten in one form or another, drawing
on the still substantial expertise and resources of ITN, the people
who were part of the World in Action current affairs tradition
are now scattered to the four winds.
We consider that these changes are not surface
or minor changes in the ITV schedule, but indicate a retreat from
public service obligations towards more clearly commercial considerations
and are therefore to be both regretted and challenged.
February 2000
| 
