ITV drama as ratings plummet

13 April 2012

ITV1 has recorded its worst ratings figures since records began. The network could even be forced to hand back £100m to advertisers after failing to draw the viewers it promised.

The channel suffered a double blow after registering its smallest ever weekly and monthly audience share. Last week, the worst in July, its audience share plunged to 19.9%, the first time it has dropped below 20%. It also reached a new monthly ratings low in July, scoring just 21.1%.

ITV shares also fell to an all-time low yesterday as a major UK investor offloaded a large chunk. They fell 1/2p to 102 1/2p, having sunk as low as 97 3/4p during the day, with a hefty 73m shares traded. American long-term investors were the main buyers.

A combination of underperforming shows such as Simply The Best plus high ratings for rival offerings on Channel 4 including Big Brother and Test cricket has caused ITV1's summer slide.

ITV1's average share of TV audiences for the year so far is 22.7% - down on 23.4% last year. It is also below BBC1's average of 24.7%. In its heyday a decade or so ago ITV could comfortably win around 30% share.

The poor figures for ITV1 could prove costly. The channel's boss Charles Allen agreed a deal that means it has to start returning money to advertisers in December if its prime-time ratings for 2004 have fallen below last year's.

The advertising buyers Media Planning Group predict that on ITV1's current performance it will have to pay back around £100m to advertisers if audiences continue declining.

That would wipe out the savings made by merging TV companies Granada and Carlton earlier this year.

Andrew Canter, head of broadcast at Media Planning Group, said: 'It's a pretty tough time for ITV right now. There's a need for it to get back to delivering some decent numbers. The channel's programming is its lifeblood and it's got to get it right.'

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