ITV4 to extend broadcasting hours

ITV has confirmed that ITV4 will extend its broadcast hours from next month and drop the early morning simulcast of GMTV2.

From June 7, the digital channel will increase its broadcast hours to include the 6am to 9.25am slot currently held by GMTV2 .

ITV4+1, which is currently available on Virgin Media, will offer an hour timeshift of the extended schedule.

Following the changes, GMTV2 will only be available on the CITV channel from 6am to 9.25am. On Saturdays and Sundays, CITV's early morning slot will continue to run a simulcast of GMTV1.

According to ITV, the move is designed to gear ITV4 towards being a "genuine 24-hour channel with its own appropriate content".

The broadcaster also said that the previous scheduling arrangement was "not an efficient use of our bandwidth".

Instead of GMTV2, ITV4 will instead carry a range of replacement programming in the early morning slot, which will most likely be existing content rather than new commissions.

Despite not confirming any scheduling arrangements, ITV said that the programming will be "appropriate" for ITV4's audience.

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Regardless of ITV4's target audience, I wouldn't be surprised if this "replacement programming" is ... Teleshopping!