10/06/2010

GMTV Name To Be Dropped

ITV have announced plans to drop the GMTV name and brand, spending up to £1.5m on a relaunch of the morning flagship show.

The rebrand was described as "the biggest change" in its 17-year history by Alison Sharman, ITV Director of Factual and Daytime.

New graphics and title music are planned along with a location move to overlook the River Thames. The new studio will include the latest technology for high-definition broadcasts.

The move comes as a result of viewer research, which indicated that a new identity would play a key role in the show's future success. ITV have not yet decided on a new name for the show.

The rebrand will also see a shake up in the ranks at GMTV. After almost 18 years running GMTV's output, Deputy Editor Malcolm Douglas will be stepping down. New Editor Ian Rumsey and Deputy Editor Paul Connolly met on Monday.

It was not specified if Christine Bleakley would be joining GMTV front-man Adrian Chiles.

LK Today will also see changes. Currently filmed live on Monday and Tuesday, while Wednesday and Thursday's editions are pre-recorded, ITV is now considering airing every episode live.

As part of the ITV integration review, almost one in five GMTV staff took voluntary redundancy or had their jobs placed at risk.

(BMcN/BMCC)

Related UK National News Stories
Click here for the latest headlines.

13 May 2004
SMG settles differences with ITV over digital rights
Following the recent sale of the Scottish Media Group's (SMG) 25% GMTV stake to ITV plc, the two companies have reached an agreement on the use of the ITV brand name and the use by ITV plc of SMG's digital spectrum in Scotland.
26 November 2009
ITV Secures GMTV Ownership
ITV plc has announced that it has now achieved full ownership of GMTV Limited. The national breakfast-time Channel 3 licensee acquired the remaining 25% equity stake in the business from the Walt Disney Company Limited and one of its subsidiaries.
21 November 2006
ITV rejects merger approach by NTL
The Board of ITV has rejected a merger proposal from NTL as one with "little strategic logic." In a statement, the Board said it believed that "whereas there is obvious appeal to NTL in gaining control of ITV's substantial and successful business, from ITV's perspective there is little, if any, strategic logic for ITV to combine with NTL.
30 October 2009
New Look For ITN
ITV News will unveil a new look across all of its national programmes from Monday, which will be supported by a major on and off-air marketing campaign promoting news throughout the schedule.
23 April 2007
GMTV viewers defrauded in competitions, documentary claims
Millions of people who attempted to enter premium-rate phone competitions on GMTV have been defrauded out of money, according to a BBC documentary. According to the 'Panorama' programme, GMTV's phone operator Opera had been finalising shortlists of potential winners "long before" phone lines closed, over the past four years.