I can see the point he's making though, it does feel a bit like a fixture now in the way few other shows do.

BGT feels much more like an event, or to me it does anyway.
I just wish they'd accept reality and rest it. There's less shame doing that than there is running it into the ground (like I fear they will).

For the benefit of non-subscribers, could you post some of it here?

Wouldn't want to get into trouble by posting the whole thing but here is some of it:


And a bit more:


More at: http://m.broadcastnow.co.uk/5100802.article

I do think there is pressure on them to steady the ship this year though. I think at this point ITV do still need it, but another couple of years of drops like last year and that might not be the case.

Just copy and paste the heading into your search engine.you can read pretty much everything on broadcast for nothing

I think there'll be another Factor deal. ITV literally don't have anything to replace it with, if we assume Voice has been bought to fill the gaping holes in the Jan-Mar schedule, and it's probably still a good way for Cowell to shift singers' albums (not necessarily those of the contestants, but those of other acts he has a financial interest in).

The key is for both sides to approach things realistically. It's likely to be worth a lot less to ITV than before, and less with every subsequent year, so they mustn't pay over the odds, and Cowell needs to remember he doesn't really have anywhere else to take it, because it needs to be on one of the two big channels (in order to flog records), and the other big channel has no interest in it, for various reasons.

If wonder if Leary missed the 2015 series because some of the filming clashed with filming for Getaway Car.

Could it not air on BBC2 or even online only?

I see XF very much on a BB trajectory albeit at higher levels. The lacklustre 4th series leading to everything being thrown at it but this OTT manipulation led to over time to segment of audîence growing weary of it. Action taken but it just plays more to young audience. Chances of getting segment of audience lost - zero.

Shows like SCD and IAC never adopted the dramatics after a few series and benefitted from it longer term. Same with BGT but Ant and Dec said in interview they told Simon changes he wanted were wrong. Perhaps only two who had clout to stand up to him when he was ego central a few years ago.

ITV beaten by Ch4 at 8pm and 9pm. This is a problem that Tuesday is a place thee viewers avoid on ITV now. Most viewers are so not used to watching ITV on Tuesday that most weeks of the year are low.

Even The Inspectors Are Coming which is similar to BBC1 series The Sheriffs are Coming got fewer than 2.5m when the BBC1 series pulls in 4m+. A factual series that viewers will only watch on BBC1.

Happy Valley did well, as did CH4.

Well with Doctor Thorne only following Churchill's Secret that would make sense.

I think ITV will show one ep of Maigreton Easter Monday and the 2nd in Autumn.

Looks like Victoria will be in the DA Sunday slot. The Halycon which I thought would launch in Autumn, I suspect will be held back to launch early January 2017.

It's brave to commission XF for another three years. Dermot going back would look totally desperate on both parties part.

I don't think its brave. TXF still pulls in 7m+ viewers and has some of best demos on any TV show.

TVUk is more of a risk than TXF, because TVUK skews older.

Time will tell I guess. 7 million cant be replaced easily, so from that angle you might as well do it(and lets face it J Ross survives on a comparatively miniscule audience purely because of the demos).

What has been apparent is what feels like an increasing panic as audiences have dropped they have changed judges, tweaked unsuccessfully- culminating in the last year which has been probably the worst so far for various reasons.

Also public interest in star creation has diminished a lot in recent years, there isn't much of a buzz of expectation about who gets churned out at the end which is probably hitting X Factor harder than TVUK (which never had that kind of interest).

I still say the best medicine for X Factor would be a break, SNT did it and came back refreshed. I think many former viewers have just got tired of it. Clearly though there about as much chance of that happening as discovering that the moon really is made of cheese.

Had the show stabilised last year and shown signs that it's over the worst I would agree with you, but it's still losing a substantial amount of its audience every year.

I am not saying ITV are wrong to renew it at all, but it should, if anything, be done on a yearly basis which carries less of a risk. Who knows where it will be 3 years from now? IIRC many episodes last year were actually below 7m exc +1. Cowell has got ITV by the short and curlies by making both shows - XF and the still successful BGT - a package. ITV are throwing more money at XF than ever before but are not getting the same return in terms of viewers.

I'm sick of hearing about the demos to be honest. This isn't America. All XF TPTB seem to do is bring those up in a dig at SCD. In terms of gauging popularity among the youth just looking at the main showing, when a lot of viewers in that demo consume shows online (with BBC iPlayer the best and most used of the online facilities), is misleading.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrit...bc-sex-7435747
I suspect this will eventually cause a few senior bbc Management to resign (Which has programming and ratings effect) especially as a media campaign to reinstate him will no doubt be launched.

Advertisers are advertisers wherever you go. Like it or not, the 16-34 demographic is by far the most important and lucrative for ITV and indeed for all the commercial networks. It doesn't matter to the BBC as they aren't reliant on advertising, but the commercial networks obviously are and the demos are very important to them. Whether you are sick of hearing about them or not is irrelevant. They matter a lot. Of course they bring them up as a dig as SCD, they're playing a PR game, why wouldn't they? It's a legitimately important thing for ITV that XF does well in that demo and it beats Strictly there and that is very much worth noting for ITV.

iPlayer is used a lot but even then it doesn't come close to matching X Factor's 16-34 numbers. Plus if you're lobbing iPlayer in for Strictly you've also got to throw in all the ITV/ITV2 repeats of XF which across the bunch attract 2-3 million each week - significantly more than iPlayer. Also again those YouTube views are also worth mentioning if you're talking about online engagement.

I'm not sure I'd give it a 3 year renewal either, it seems risky. A one or two year renewal would be better, but obviously BGT is significant leverage and ITV wouldn't want to lose either show. It'll be interesting to see how it pans out.

Only way is down for X Factor.

Total shambles last series.

Cheryl isn't the nations Sweetheart no matter how much they suggest she is.
Grimmy I suspect made more people switch off than anything.
As for the new hosts the pair of them whilst nice enough were so wrong for the main gig.

Davina and Dermot would be a good combo worked together in the past, but on a new show if they wanted some safe hands.

Simon Keeps saying year on year how Massive changes will happen, But its the same format, Loads of joke acts then sob stories, Fake Drama that doesn't fool anyone
and a winner that sinks without a trace.

He's got the money I would drop the record deal and actually make a cash prize (with the prospect of a record deal) like the runners up and other performers get. All the focus on getting a record deal means nothing with them all getting dropped the 1st chance the company gets.

Pretty poor the news review of the papers covered every headline,except The Mirror one breaking the Tony Blackburn story.Does not do the BBCs impartiality much good.

The BBC always hides front pages which relates to itself.
Ir wont probably in a few days through once the inevitable Director general resignation occurs. This could be serious enough to be break the BBC if enough of a press storm is whipped up.

Five hours after the news broke,the BBC still not reporting anything,while its all over every news site,very odd,maybe hoping it will all be mixed in with the Savile report tomorrow.

Historically it has been more of a thing in America. ITV didn't obsess over 16-34s in the past with a number of older skewing programmes running for years and being seen as successful. Maybe it has grown in importance here but it gets a bit old seeing XF's woes brushed aside through highlighting of its continued success in that demo. There's a certain level of expectation with XF in terms of total audience and its currently falling short of that IMO.

These statements from Syco executives often read as though they're trying to convince themselves everything is fine more than anything. If everything was fine there would be no need for these sort of defensive statements to be made full stop.

Lead story on BBC Breakfast this morning

Eight hours after every other news organisation in the world,seeing as it is happening 4 floors above the London newsroom not very good I would say.

I very much doubt it was reported on North Korean TV (or even South Korean TV),a ridiculous sweeping statement.