The Stage

Pickard latest victim of ITV’s revolving door

Published Tuesday 10 January 2006 at 12:45 by Liz Thomas

ITV director of programmes Nigel Pickard is set to quit this week, becoming the latest casualty in the overhaul of the network’s commissioning structure.

Pickard, who is on a one-year rolling contract due for renewal at the end of February, has been expected to resign ever since former Granada chief executive Simon Shaps was parachuted in above him as director of television in September.

As the paper went to press, Pickard was being tipped to take up a senior role at Wife Swap producer RDF Media. An insider told The Stage that final confirmation of his plans was expected on Wednesday.

Industry expert Maggie Brown explained: “Nigel is good with talent, the stars like him and independent production companies are looking for outside investment. There are very few big names with bankable track records around in what remains a pretty small sector. He could certainly run an independent or part of one.”

Pickard took up the post of ITV’s director of programmes in 2003 after three years as controller of CBBC, where he launched digital children’s channels CBBC and CBeebies. Prior to that, he was controller of children’s and youth programmes at the network and is credited with rediscovering Ant and Dec through popular Saturday morning shows SM:TV and CD:UK.

But in the past year, both he and ITV have come under fire for the quality of its programming, with high profile flops such as Celebrity Wrestling heavily criticised. However, the broadcaster has had a strong autumn schedule and boosted ratings with popular productions including Ant and Dec’s Gameshow Marathon, The X Factor and I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!

The move is the latest in what is being described as a revolving door at the terrestrial broadcaster, as Shaps continues to restructure the central commissioning team. Last week, ITV daytime editor Nick Thorogood left the network and in December controller of entertainment Claudia Rosencrantz resigned after ten years in the post. Former BBC1 scheduler Liam Keelan has been appointed Thorogood’s successor. Keelan will report to daytime and factual director Alison Sharmon, who only recently left her role as controller of CBBC to join ITV.

Former BBC entertainment controller Paul Jackson, who now heads the network’s production interests in America, is understood to be in the running for Rosencrantz’s position.

As The Stage went to press, ITV had made no official comment on proceedings.

• Maggie Brown examines the ITV situation in depth in next week’s Media View column and Broadcasting Feature.