ITV4 on the way 

1 April 2005 tbs.pm/435

Media Guardian: ITV lands Freeview contract

So it’s finally official – ITV have got one of the new extra Freeview slots, reportedly paying between £5m and £6.

And the programming that will fill this space? Likely to be a new look Men and Motors.

Ever since ITV plc bought out Sky from GSkyB, and immediately closed down Plus, Men and Motors has been working in a limbo world – it’s future even more uncertain when the small production unit which produced programmes for it, was shut down by Granada.

Men and Motors’ current line up includes such quality programmes as Superbike School, and Eastern European women stripping on screen. Nothing like a good bit of stereotypical programming for the lads eh? Phoaaarrr. Maybe. But the later especially is unlikely to be the kind of programming that ITV will want associated with it’s brand.

Whatever happens, it will be ITV’s fifth channel on the free to air platform, and shows continued faith by broadcasters, in the number of Freeview users ever increasing as digital switchoff gets ever closer.

A Transdiffusion Presentation

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Liverpool, Friday 29 March 2024