Daytime: the new peak time?

Maggie Brown of The Guardian chaired a discussion about the importance of daytime programming, as viewers' expectations become ever higher.

In attendance were:
Nikki Cheetham, MD Cheetah Television
Jay Hunt, Controller of Daytime, BBC
Liam Keelan, Head of Daytime ITV
Adam MacDonald, Head of Daytime C4

The highlights:

Brown took the opportunity to ask Cheetham whether ITV had been the first to stake a claim on Deal Or No Deal. She explained that it had been offered to ITV in both 2003 and 2005 but was turned down.

On the shelf-life of teatime favourite Ready Steady Cook, Jay Hunt explained: "It's been going strong foor many many years and yet any time we move it around the schedule we're inundated with people complaining...you kill [it] off at your peril." However, she said that she'd be surprised if it appeared in the same format and slot in five years' time.

Asked about ITV's controversial endeavours to reduce its children's programming, Keelan admitted: "It's no secret that we're talking to OFCOM...so, that's where we are with that...Having seen the figures, it's just not working, that slot, in terms of the audience and in terms of a commercial proposition."

Asked whether the BBC will follow suit in moving children's output to digital, Hunt responded: "No, don't have any immediate plans to do that whatsoever. I think we are constantly looking at how effective kids' programming...There may come a point where we have to rationalise our children's output across two channels [BBC One and BBC Two]...but I have absolutely no plans in the short to medium-term of moving it to digital."

Of new David Dickinson antiques show Speculation, Keenan said: "The format is set in an auction house but with a studio in the auction house, so it will feel like an entertainment show, hopefully. I think it's an interesting format."

MacDonald spoke about the qualities the host of Deal Or No Deal would have needed, saying that they would need the skills of "a DJ or a stand-up comedian". He explained that Noel Edmonds was averse to the idea of the show at first. "It took us quite a while to kind of hook him, reel him in."