Grade: Ofcom should intervene less

ITV executive chairman Michael Grade has said that commercial broadcasters should be given more freedom by the regulator, or ITV's regional programming could be for the chop.

Speaking at Ofcom's Nations and Regions conference in Cardiff today, Grade said that following digital switchover, ITV will be left with a commercial choice between streamlining its UK network and replacing regional programmes with network content, or creating a new generation of national and regional services.

Grade said he favoured the latter option, with brand new services being "fit for purpose in today's ultra competitive world." The former BBC chairman said that less intervention - in terms of legislation, targets or quotas - would mean the network would be better able to compete.

"We can then trust commercial self-interest to see that that money is spent on delivering viewers the best ideas from the best producers – regardless of race or creed, passport or postcode...ITV also needs the freedom to modernise an analogue system of national and regional services for the digital era," he said.

Grade also hit out at the advertising regulations imposed on it by Ofcom. He said: "We are still told how many minutes of airtime we can and can't sell to advertisers. Why can digital channels have nine minutes and we can only have seven? We should be left absolutely free on how many minutes we want," he added.