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A former member
ITV chief executive Charles Allen is to launch up to five new digital channels to rival the BBC in an effort to stay ahead in the multichannel world.
The network currently operates two channels and is about to launch a third, ITV3, but Mr Allen said this wasn't enough to ensure ITV remained a force in an all-digital TV age.
He refused to say what the new channels would be but hinted that one could be a children's service in conjunction with a US broadcaster.
"We'll see much more collaboration, particularly in the area of children's. I do see us partnering with international partners to get more money onscreen. We're talking to everybody," said Mr Allen.
The ITV chief executive is currently working on a disposal programme to reduce the company's £700m debt that it inherited from Carlton after the merger with Granada TV.
This has restricted the expansion of the network and its ability to grow through acquisition. Mr Allen said it will be interested in buying properties that come on the market, including elements of the BBC's commercial operations that may come up for sale following a review by the corporation's chief operating officer, John Smith.
However, he admitted he would not be in a position to make any moves for about a year because of the debt situation.
It is also not clear if two of the five new channels - which will be launched over the next five years - will be rebranded versions of Granada's joint venture channels with BSkyB, Men & Motors and golden oldie station Granada Plus
Mr Allen said that within five years ITV would have a portfolio of digital channels to rival the BBC's eight services. The corporation has six digital channels in addition to BBC1 and BBC2, including youth service BBC3, arts channel BBC4 and children's channels CBeebies and CBBC.
He said that the broadcaster, which has been hit recently by poor summer ratings and a falling share price, needed to expand its portfolio if it was to retain a strong position in an all-digital market.
Its decision to launch more channels comes two and a half years after the £1bn-plus digital TV fiasco and the shaky start of ITV2, which has recently seen its viewing share grow thanks to spin-off shows to big hits such as I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!.
As take-up of digital TV continues to rise in the run-up to the digital switchover expected in 2012, ITV will continue to lose viewers and so hopes to make up the difference by launching its own spin-off channels.
The ITV managing director, Mick Desmond, confirmed the broadcaster was already in serious discussions over the nature of the new channels, but said they would not be announced until ITV3 had been launched.
Mr Allen said that, as well as launching more ITV branded channels, the broadcaster would continue to run GSB, its joint venture with BSkyB that broadcasts channels such as Granada Plus and Men & Motors. "GSB has been successful and we will continue to run it," he insisted.
ITV3, aimed at a 35-plus audience and featuring reruns of archive shows between one and five years old, will launch this autumn.
The broadcaster announced earlier this year it would pour an extra £36m a year into its digital strategy and set a new target of making £150m a year from advertising on the channels by 2005.
Speaking at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International TV Festival, Mr Allen also renewed his lobbying campaign to persuade Ofcom to drop its public service commitments to religion, children's and regional non-news programming.
The broadcaster is also campaigning for a reduction in the £200m in licence fees it pays to the Treasury.
"We haven't had the debate. What do we want it to be in the digital world going forward? The two things I'm putting on the table are our regional programming and national and international news," Mr Allen said.
"We're principally a drama channel - drama and major events. You'll see us focusing on drama, on factual and on big events."
Despite admitting the broadcaster had endured "a tough six weeks", during which its audience share dipped to record lows, Mr Allen promised ratings would come back strongly in the autumn.
"We've had a tough six weeks. We've had the Olympics, we didn't expect Big Brother to be as big as it was," he said. In the autumn, the channel will launch a big marketing push behind four or five big shows that Mr Allen hopes will be the cornerstone of the schedule.
Ahead of the company's annual results, Mr Allen said it would unveil advertising revenue growth of 4.5%, the biggest rise since the dotcom boom in 2000. He said the full year would see growth of between 4.5% and 5%.
The network currently operates two channels and is about to launch a third, ITV3, but Mr Allen said this wasn't enough to ensure ITV remained a force in an all-digital TV age.
He refused to say what the new channels would be but hinted that one could be a children's service in conjunction with a US broadcaster.
"We'll see much more collaboration, particularly in the area of children's. I do see us partnering with international partners to get more money onscreen. We're talking to everybody," said Mr Allen.
The ITV chief executive is currently working on a disposal programme to reduce the company's £700m debt that it inherited from Carlton after the merger with Granada TV.
This has restricted the expansion of the network and its ability to grow through acquisition. Mr Allen said it will be interested in buying properties that come on the market, including elements of the BBC's commercial operations that may come up for sale following a review by the corporation's chief operating officer, John Smith.
However, he admitted he would not be in a position to make any moves for about a year because of the debt situation.
It is also not clear if two of the five new channels - which will be launched over the next five years - will be rebranded versions of Granada's joint venture channels with BSkyB, Men & Motors and golden oldie station Granada Plus
Mr Allen said that within five years ITV would have a portfolio of digital channels to rival the BBC's eight services. The corporation has six digital channels in addition to BBC1 and BBC2, including youth service BBC3, arts channel BBC4 and children's channels CBeebies and CBBC.
He said that the broadcaster, which has been hit recently by poor summer ratings and a falling share price, needed to expand its portfolio if it was to retain a strong position in an all-digital market.
Its decision to launch more channels comes two and a half years after the £1bn-plus digital TV fiasco and the shaky start of ITV2, which has recently seen its viewing share grow thanks to spin-off shows to big hits such as I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!.
As take-up of digital TV continues to rise in the run-up to the digital switchover expected in 2012, ITV will continue to lose viewers and so hopes to make up the difference by launching its own spin-off channels.
The ITV managing director, Mick Desmond, confirmed the broadcaster was already in serious discussions over the nature of the new channels, but said they would not be announced until ITV3 had been launched.
Mr Allen said that, as well as launching more ITV branded channels, the broadcaster would continue to run GSB, its joint venture with BSkyB that broadcasts channels such as Granada Plus and Men & Motors. "GSB has been successful and we will continue to run it," he insisted.
ITV3, aimed at a 35-plus audience and featuring reruns of archive shows between one and five years old, will launch this autumn.
The broadcaster announced earlier this year it would pour an extra £36m a year into its digital strategy and set a new target of making £150m a year from advertising on the channels by 2005.
Speaking at the MediaGuardian Edinburgh International TV Festival, Mr Allen also renewed his lobbying campaign to persuade Ofcom to drop its public service commitments to religion, children's and regional non-news programming.
The broadcaster is also campaigning for a reduction in the £200m in licence fees it pays to the Treasury.
"We haven't had the debate. What do we want it to be in the digital world going forward? The two things I'm putting on the table are our regional programming and national and international news," Mr Allen said.
"We're principally a drama channel - drama and major events. You'll see us focusing on drama, on factual and on big events."
Despite admitting the broadcaster had endured "a tough six weeks", during which its audience share dipped to record lows, Mr Allen promised ratings would come back strongly in the autumn.
"We've had a tough six weeks. We've had the Olympics, we didn't expect Big Brother to be as big as it was," he said. In the autumn, the channel will launch a big marketing push behind four or five big shows that Mr Allen hopes will be the cornerstone of the schedule.
Ahead of the company's annual results, Mr Allen said it would unveil advertising revenue growth of 4.5%, the biggest rise since the dotcom boom in 2000. He said the full year would see growth of between 4.5% and 5%.
