A blessing or a curse?

ITV what’s the long game?

ITV results have come out today largely in line with expectations profits are down around 19% but turnover is slightly better than predicted nearly holding to the previous year, Michael Grade has a strategy centred around content and an improved New media performance.

Now is this correct? If it is then ITV should probably consider a split along transmission and origination lines, there are still some costs that can be cut in both these centres (some distribution costs have already been addressed ) this would release funds for improvements, on content in producing more and better content and in distribution in improving the margins.

My feeling is that there are deals to be done with the content library that ITV has, content is the future and the chosen distribution method is not that significant to the consumer/viewer.

The other angle which needs to be exercising ITV’s collective mind is how can they make themselves attractive to a larger media conglomerate? The Sky holding is likely to act against any deal and even if Sky wasn’t stopping a deal with the former NTL (Virgin Media) then this would clearly not be a deal made in heaven, getting out of this fix is not an easy one unless the Darling intervention (the UK minister rather than a theatrical one) comes through.

BBC to take on iTunes
Rather confusingly it’s the BBC that continues to act in an entrepreneurial fashion and is looking at setting up a competitor to iTunes, not sure that the timing or the nature of the UK state broadcaster means this makes any sense whatsoever but along with other initiatives is makes me wonder if the licence fee settlement wasn’t a touch too generous to the Beeb.

Man with a cross
Oddly enough on my journey back from the centre of London yesterday on the Central line I was literally blessed.

A relatively smart OAP type figure (without being ageist) who was working his way through the compartment I was in was holding an ornamental cross and blessing all the travellers (I think) in a relatively measured way- I don’t think it caused offence but it made me recall another odd religious experience I suffered in Roma which I’ll relate on another occasion. (and I did get home safely last night)