• The Telegraph, Monday, September 11, 2006 11:45 AM

Britain's ITV is facing a meltdown in ad revenue as media buyers worry that its new mass-market approach is driving away wealthier viewers. Indeed, buyers and analysts think that the channel could be down 20 percent for the balance of the year, compared to 2005. The slide comes in the face of a heavy new fall lineup, and the paper notes that fall is typically one of ITV's strongest periods. But a fast desertion of up-market viewers is exacerbating its ratings slide. Says Toby Syfret, a media analyst at Enders Analysis: "The drop in total TV advertising spending in the U.K. is expected to be between 3.5 percent and 6 percent for 2006. If it comes in at 6 percent, then the drop for ITV could be as high as 22 percent." But ITV thinks it is too early for accurate predictions, reporting that it is seeing a lot of "late money month on month."

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