ITV franchises 2024

[Jexedback]

The ITV ‘Channel 3 ‘ licences are due to expire in 2024.

Already the CEO Carolyn McCall is talking about the future of PSB and the need for changes to regulation.
There’s already talk about them giving up their PSB status.

I say, let them give up their PSB status become a fully fledged ‘commercial’ broadcaster without constraints.
Let Ofcom re-advertise the Channel 3 licences. Despite everything, I think there’d still be value in bidding for the licences considering the guaranteed high EPG slot and prominence.
The benefits are the Government could receive much needed post-covid income from the auction, the new network would not be constrained by legacy with a business plan including the limited return of non-news regional programmes.

I’ve never really understood why ITV in its various guises have been allowed free reign without challenge since 1991.

[Neil Jones]

ITV throwing in the towel PSB wise comes up every time the licences are due for renewal. It'll just be a bit of hot air, a bit of debate, some give and take and we'll be as you were.

Not convinced returning to a pre 1991 model would do anybody any good. The whole point of moving towards ITV plc was because that model wasn't sustainable. If it had been there wouldn't have any point in ITV plc, surely? Okay the ownership might have still consolidated but the end result would have still been the same I feel.

[Brekkie]

As much as we get nostalgic for the franchises retendering them could set the network back 30-40 years. ITV is probably in the strongest position it has been in now since the formation of ITV Plc and it wouldn't benefits consumers or the industry to rock that boat too much.

[Humphrey Hacker]

It simply won't happen. Every discussion of the license is Groundhog Day. "local ITV" is about news and As I said in a similar thread there are plenty of options in 2021 to get news from.

[Jexedback]

I’m not arguing the renewal auction would be in the guise of 1991. Nor am I nostalgic for the past in this regard.

ITV is very successful, and could be even more so without news and PSB options.
ITV would not disappear, it would just move EPG slot and carry on regardless.

A franchise auction would test the market, raise some cash and provide some of the things we often complain about that Ofcom have let ITV drop over the years.

Consider the bidders for running ITV regional news when Michael Grade was considering tendering it. It would also suit the out of London ‘levelling up’ agenda favoured by the current Government, giving opportunity to independent production companies.

If Channel 4 is up for grabs in the post-covid world, why should the Channel 3 licence be immune?

[Neil Jones]

If I understand the argument correctly, Channel 4 is only up for grabs because its state owned. ITV isn't. The concept of flogging Channel 4 comes up semi-regularly but so far its never happened.

[technologist]

Can I also point out that both OFCOM and DCMS are consulting about the future of PSB(M)
That should inform whether how and for how long itv etc licenses will be renewed ….
And if the levy will be re imposed …

[James Martin]

I think it would be highly unlikely that we saw a franchise round in the format of 1991. I assume ITV and STV are still making a number of annual payments to the treasury?

I doubt there'd be much challenge or interest anyway - Local TV has been a complete disaster and even STV haven't been able to make it work.

[eyeTV]

When Ofcom just auto-renewed the licenses for ITV & C5 in 2014, they determined then that any potential new licensee wouldn't be prepared to make financial payments as well as incur costs for PSB programming. So the value of the licences were set at £10k each per annum.

So ITV pay about £140k per annum for their licences, C5 pay £10K per annum.

So Ofcom themselves don't see the Channel 3 or any PSB licence being a big money spinner any more.

[L1]

So Ofcom themselves don't see the Channel 3 or any PSB licence being a big money spinner any more.

And that is why retendering/ITV giving up Ch3 licences would be a disaster. We can all look back and moan about ITV dropping certain things but it is the reality of todays world. They had a monopoly in the past, they don't now.

It is surely the BBC and Channel 4 which need to be looking at their PSB roles and question if they are living up them. The BBC scaling back Inside Out, for example, while pumping millions into stuff we see on the other 300 channels can not be right in my view, and I don't mean by that they should not do popular programmes - but that example sticks in the throat IMO

[From The North]

Yes, ITV always seems to throw up the threat *yawn* of throwing the towel in to gain something or sustain what it wants come renewal. What should never have happened is allowing them to get this far throwing away all commitments other than News, and even that is a pretty dire box tick exercise now. Instead, the regulator should have stayed strong, allow ITV to throw its' licences in and go as a fully commercial nonPSB broadcaster if it desired and use some of the licence fee to support a new regional model (which clearly serves a good purpose - regional jobs, programmes, a local voice, chance for grassroots training and development of talent) instead of throwing money at the terrible Local TV project.

[RegularCapital]

Step 1. ITV throws a hissy fit about PSB requirements.
Step 2. DCMS waters down PSB requirements, Ofcom renews licences.
Step 3. Rinse and repeat every ten years, until ITV can keep Channel 3 without any PSB requirements.

[Brekkie]

Was the last renewal when the regional news programmes were merged?

[James Martin]

Was the last renewal when the regional news programmes were merged?

Think it might have even been when some of those changes got reversed with the permission of pre-recs.

Which I'm not bothered by - the chance of something major breaking whilst on air ifms fairly negligble.