ITV schedule change looks like a winner

We’ve always been frank about the fact that viewers would take time to relax with the new ITV schedule, and indeed that it would also take time for us to learn how best to use it.

Despite this, the evidence so far shows that the move is working.

I’m surprised that you should quote a flaky Sunday Times article, whose schoolboy analysis used seven-day data for a programme which runs five days, and which compared pre and post figures without recognising the seasonal high in our ratings in the first quarter.

ITV has just had the best May for six years, and its peak share is 39.9 per cent ­ ahead of target for 1999. On balance, not a bad result so far.

Richard Eyre

ITV Network

London WC1