Hour of news and Corrie going head-to-head with EastEnders: ITV rips up evening schedule in battle with BBC
- ITV will pit Coronation Street and Emmerdale directly against BBC’s EastEnders
- Hour-long news will run from 6.30pm to 7.30pm when it is introduced in March
- Coronation Street will move to hour-long episodes at 8pm on Mon, Wed and Fri
- Emmerdale will move to a daily 7.30pm slot amid changes likely to irritate BBC
ITV is overhauling its schedule to extend its evening news bulletin and pit its top soaps Coronation Street and Emmerdale directly against the BBC’s EastEnders.
The revamped hour-long national and international news will run from 6.30pm to 7.30pm when it is introduced in March.
The broadcaster said the change would bring more live coverage and a greater focus on national reporting from outside London to reflect the whole of the country.
At the same time, Coronation Street will move to hour-long episodes at 8pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday, while Emmerdale will move to a daily 7.30pm slot.
The schedule changes are likely to irritate executives at the BBC as they will mean that ITV’s soaps will clash directly with EastEnders, which is usually shown on Mondays at 8.05pm, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7.30pm and Fridays at 8pm.
The hour-long news programme on ITV will continue to be presented by Mary Nightingale
The revamped ITV hour-long national and international news will run from 6.30pm to 7.30pm
BBC1 has struggled in the soap ratings battle recently, with Emmerdale and Coronation Street pulling in millions more viewers than EastEnders.
The hour-long news programme will expand on the current 30-minute slot and continue to be presented by Mary Nightingale.
Under the new schedule, ITV will broadcast 90 minutes of continuous news with regional shows still being broadcast at 6pm before the main programme.
The channel is recruiting new staff to help with the expansion, including 27 journalists, producers and multi-skilled camera operators/video editors.
Coronation Street will move to hour-long episodes at 8pm on Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Emmerdale will move to a daily 7.30pm slot as part of the programming changes on ITV
ITV said the changes would ‘bolster the key programmes in its pre-9pm schedule’.
Managing director of media and entertainment Kevin Lygo said: ‘We are excited to be announcing this investment in… high-quality, impartial, trusted broadcast journalism at a time when it could not be more important.’
He added: ‘The nation’s two most popular continuing dramas, Coronation Street and Emmerdale, are fundamental to the success of ITV and we know… viewers increasingly watch them whenever and however they choose.
‘The new scheduling means viewers can watch them live on TV in one go in a continuous soap fix, as well as on ITV Hub.’
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