Archie Norman begins ITV transformation

New ITV chairman Archie Norman has said that the commercial broadcaster must be "a very different business in three years' time", it has emerged.

In a leaked email sent out to ITV staff, Norman said that he will launch a strategy review this month to "define the journey ahead".

The former Asda chief executive praised ITV's strong closing period in 2009, but warned that 2010 will be "another difficult year", reports The Guardian.

Even before his reign as Michael Grade's successor officially began on Monday, Norman had already conducted discussions with senior executives and programme makers about their plans going forward.

In his first message to employees, Norman said that ITV will be rejuvenated to "not just survive but prosper in the new media world".

He told staff that they are "now embarking on a programme to accelerate the transformation of ITV", which will build on its strong brand and content to become "once again a growth business".

Norman expressed pride in the massive popularity of the The X Factor, along with critical acclaim for sitcom Benidorm and drama series Collision.

However, he stressed that radical change is essential for the broadcaster as it struggles to deal with a sluggish advertising market and new challenges in the digital world.

"We know that ITV cannot remain as it is. 'No change' is not an option. We need to be a very different business in three years' time," he said. "We need to continue to improve our content while living within our means on costs."

Meanwhile, GMTV bosses are reportedly expecting cutbacks in the show's presentation team as part of efforts to slash costs by 20% following ITV's full takeover of the breakfast broadcaster in November last year.