GMTV
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Good Morning Television (GMTV) is a national British breakfast television station owned by ITV plc (75%) and The Walt Disney Company (25%). It has held the license for the breakfast Channel 3 franchise since 1993, when it outbid the previous 6am-9.25am Channel 3 license-holder, TV-am. It was first intended to be called Sunrise Television but as Sky News's Breakfast Programming also went by that name (and still does to this day), Sky protested, resulting in the change of name. SMG, the owner of the two Channel 3 regional licences for Scotland (Scottish TV and Grampian TV) previously owned 25% of the company; however, this stake was purchased by ITV plc for £31 million in 2004.
GMTV broadcasts from Studio 5 at The London Studios on the South Bank; as of 2005 the station claims to have the highest breakfast-time audience in Europe.
The station reaches approximately 10 million viewers a week [1], transmitting daily from 6am until the regional Channel 3 franchises (the ITV Network) take over at 9.25am. Since the switchover is now practically seamless and the station is 'surrounded' on both sides by ITV Network continuity, most viewers perceive GMTV simply as a programme on ITV1; however, due to Disney's minority stake in the station it essentially remains an independent broadcaster with its own newsgathering operation, sales and management teams and in-house production facilities. Very occasionally, in the event of a major sporting fixture or suchlike occurring early in the morning, the ITV Network may seek permission from the regulator, Ofcom, to broadcast in GMTV airtime, although GMTV always reclaims such time from ITV (normally on the Sunday following such an event).
GMTV's programming is designed to reach a large cross-section of the viewing public. On weekday mornings the station attracts a largely female audience; following the Newshour from 6am-7am, the daily magazine show, GMTV Today, airs, featuring a combination of news, human interest and showbiz items as well as competitions; Lorraine Kelly usually takes over at 8.35am (Mon-Thu) with fashion and celebrity items, and Entertainment Today (Fri) with Ben Shephard and Jenni Falconer. At weekends the focus moves to children, with a preschool 'Wakey! Wakey!' strand followed by Toonattik for older kids. As a nationally available analogue terrestrial station, GMTV is required by the terms of its license to fulfil various public service commitments including substantial broadcast of news and current affairs output, as well as the aforementioned children's programmes, and also party political broadcasts over election periods.
As a Channel 3 licensee GMTV also has the right to broadcast during the same slot alongside ITV's digital channels; its sister service GMTV2 follows the same broadcast slot with mostly children's programming on the same channel number as ITVplc-owned digital channel ITV2. The company also has broadcasting rights on the same frequency as ITV3 (and even holds a 'GMTV3' license) but has so far foregone its chance to launch a third station, preferring to sell its airtime to ITV plc to allow ITV3 to broadcast around the clock.
Most recently, GMTV has acquired a further channel slot in the form of the CITV Channel, whose programming between 6am and 9.25am is simulcasted with that of GMTV's children's output on its other two stations: on GMTV2 throughout the week and on GMTV1 at weekends. GMTV also sells advertising time for the entire output of the new channel. Since its involvement with the CITV Channel, GMTV has adopted CITV branding on all its CITV-simulcast children's output over GMTV1 and 2 in order to simplify the simulcasts, leading to the disappearance of any on-screen reference to GMTV during these times.
Its main rivals include BBC Breakfast which is more news oriented, Sky News Sunrise and Channel 4's morning schedule which includes Friends. Due to its part-Disney ownership it also occasionally finds itself in conflict with its own majority owner, however; for example, it was reported that ITV plc's year-long negotiations to launch a children's channel with Nickelodeon were ultimately thwarted by GMTV, who felt that the viewing figures for its own children's programming would be threatened by such a venture. The plans were scrapped, and ITV instead launched the CITV Channel in partnership with GMTV. ITV plc has attempted to buy out Disney's stake in GMTV in order to secure 24-hour control of Channel 3, but has so far been unsuccessful.
In 2005 anchor presenter Eamonn Holmes decided not to renew his contract because he considered GMTV to be "celebrity oriented" and stated that the channel did not broadcast sufficient news and current affairs output. He supposedly disagreed with how the directors ran the programmes. He joined Sky News Sunrise in October 2005.
Current GMTV1 Schedule
Weekdays
6am-7am Newshour presented by John Stapleton and Penny Smith
7am-8.35am GMTV Today presented by Fiona Phillips, Kate Garraway (currently on maternity leave), Ben Shephard, Andrew Castle, and now Penny Smith
8.35am-9.25am (Mon-Thur) LK Today presented by Lorraine Kelly
8.35am-9.25am (Fri) Entertainment Today presented by Jenni Falconer and Ben Shephard with Michael Underwood and Carla Romano
Saturdays (simulcast entirely on the CITV Channel)
6am-7.25am Wakey! Wakey! - early morning fun for preschool viewers
7.25am-9.25am Toonattik - wall-to-wall cartoons and studio guests with Jamie Rickers and Anna Williamson
Sundays
6am-7.25am The Sunday Programme - Steve Richards presents the weekly current affairs round-up
7.25am-9.25am Toonattik - simulcast on the CITV Channel
External links
| ITV British television | Channels |
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Regions
North Scotland: Grampian TV |
Central Scotland: Scottish TV |
Scottish/English Border: Border |
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Breakfast: TV-am, GMTV | Teletext: ORACLE, Teletext Ltd | News: ITN, ITV News |
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ITA |
IBA |
ITC |
Ofcom |
It completely FUCKS YOUR MIND.