Daybreak was disappointing, says ITV chief, but profits soar
ITV bosses admitted for the first time today that the launch of its new breakfast TV show Daybreak had been a "disappointing" flop.
Chief executive Adam Crozier promised changes and more investment in the replacement for GMTV, which is fronted by Adrian Chiles and Christine Bleakley.
He said: "Clearly it has had a difficult introduction. It's not a case of wholesale changes. It is bringing in a younger audience and the programme has got better over the last few months." Mr Crozier also announced that ITV profits have almost trebled to £321 million.
Daybreak launched in September after poaching the BBC's One Show presenter Chiles on a £6 million four-year contract. In Daybreak's first months the audience slumped to less than 700,000 though it has recovered to about 800,000. The show was singled out in ITV's financial results, which otherwise celebrated ratings hits such as Downton Abbey and X Factor.
ITV's statement said: "Certain slots in the schedule have been disappointing. Daybreak has not performed as we would have hoped and the 9pm slot, particularly on a Friday, remains a challenge for ITV."