ITV reports improved revenues, confirms pay-TV plans

UK commercial broadcaster ITV reported overall revenues of £987m (€1.2bn) compared with £909m in the first half of 2009. EBITA profit for the period was £165m compared with £46m a year earlier.

TV CEO Adam Crozier said that building a stronger and more international content business was one of four key objectives as he seeks to ‘transform’ ITV. “For the past decade ITV has not faced up to the challenges presented by the rise of internet-based platforms, the continuing growth of pay-TV and subscription services and the globalisation of content,” Crozier said.

Having launched its ITV1 HD channel in April, Crozier announced that ITV2, 3 and 4 HD will roll out exclusively on BSkyB’s pay-TV platform. He also added that having bought Disney out of breakfast programmer GMTV, GMTV will be rebranded Daybreak and fronted by Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley, the presenting duo ITV recently poached from the BBC.