ITV chief looks beyond X Factor for next 'shiny floor' hit shows

http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/feb/29/itv-hunts-next-x-factor

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Adam Crozier, the chief executive of ITV, has branded BBC1 talent show the Voice "derivative", but admitted the broadcaster needs to look beyond the ageing X Factor at fresh entertainment formats for the future.

Crozier said ITV "is famous for and very good at … shiny floor [entertainment] shows" and wanted to step up development of formats in this area.

He has earmarked about 50% of a £25m strategic investment for ITV Studios to develop pilots with a focus on finding the next big entertainment hits for ITV1.

Crozier said the X Factor, which last year recorded its first year-on-year audience decline since launching in 2004, was one of a number of ITV's ageing entertainment franchises .It was imperative to keep developing new formats.

ITV1's lineup includes I'm a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! (debut: 2002), Dancing on Ice (2006) and Britain's Got Talent (2007). No entertainment show the broadcaster has launched in the past five years has matched these shows in ratings terms.

"Of course Britain's Got Talent and X Factor are important programmes on the entertainment side," said Crozier, in a conference call with journalists on Wednesday. "A lot of these shows have been running for some time and it is sensible to look at new ideas. The last two or three years there really hasn't been anything new around. Probably only the Voice and even that is a derivative of some of the shows around."

ITV, which said a turnaround in its production division helped fuel investor-pleasing results for 2011, has earmarked £25m in extra investment this year across its online, content and technology operations.

The broadcaster spent a similar amount in 2010 with ITV Studios, the broadcaster's production arm, receiving £12m for talent development and pilots. It is thought that about 50% of this year's £25m will be spent on programme development.

"In the last 10 to 15 years there has not been that many breakthrough ideas," Crozier said. "It is the way you craft things and put them together that makes the difference."

Crozier defended Red or Black? – the big budget co-production with Simon Cowell's Syco which critics say underperformed on its 2011 ITV1 debut. He said an average viewing figure of about 5 million across the series was perfectly respectable for a fledgling gameshow.

He pointed out that the X Factor and Britain's Got Talent have turned into enormous ratings winners but at launch each only managed a similar level of viewing.

Crozier said established entertainment formats "take up a lot of time in the schedule and a lot of budget", which can make it difficult for small, new shows to be given space and time to become established.

ITV has not yet recommissioned Red or Black? and is in negotiations with Syco about a scaled down version.

In ITV's 2011 results presentation Crozier admitted I'm A Celebrity … and the X Factor underperformed last year but said the broadcaster was "continually looking at ways of refreshing them to improve their on-screen performance".

Despite its dip the X Factor retained its crown as the largest entertainment show on British television in 2011.

ITV said it will maintain its programming budget at about £1bn this year, with about £800m to be spent on ITV1.

Crozier said it was highly unlikely that ITV would bid for any Premier League TV rights when they come up for auction later this year. Rights holders BSkyB, ESPN and the BBC are expected to bid and could be joined by new contenders including al-Jazeera.

"We always look at all sports rights," he said. "But I doubt it, it is unlikely that it would pay for us."

ITV had acquired a significant amount of sports rights recently and made about £35m in savings on deals for the Champion's League and FA Cup from 2013, which may be reinvested in the programme budget.