ITV sales chief brands C4 a 'one-show channel'

ITV has accused Channel 4 of relying on too few show formats to bolster its audience share.

Gary Digby, managing director of ITV Sales, made the claims to media
agencies during the current 'upfront' agency presentations, which
precede the annual round of TV negotiations.

He claimed that Deal or No Deal, which accounts for 10% of C4's impacts,

has dragged the channel's profile downmarket. Mike Parker, head of

strategic sales for C4, admitted that some programmes delivered a
disproportionate volume of impacts, but said that the channel had a
diverse schedule.

Digby also claimed that new programmes have caused Channel 4's share to
plummet this autumn. Star Stories was singled out as the
worst-performing show ever in the 9pm Friday night slot.

Separately, ITV has denied that head of advertiser relationships Mark
Trinder is leaving the company. He joined ITV in 2004 from Woolworths,
where he was head of marketing communications. Two client services
directors have joined at the same level as Trinder following a
restructure.

Blown out of proportion, page 21.