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ITV has slammed the BBC's decision to pit Fame Academy in the same slot as Pop Idol.
Both shows will be returning for their second series within a month.. but both will air on Saturday nights, in the same timeslot.
Fame Academy will begin on Saturday 26 July at 6.30pm, with Pop Idol kicking off a fortnight later, Saturday 9 August, at 7pm.
ITV is said to be "livid" by the corporation's scheduling move as it had expected Fame Academy to go out Fridays at 9pm like last year.
"Scheduling Fame Academy head to head with Pop Idol is clearly not in viewers’ interests. We’re disappointed the BBC has deliberately gone down this route," said an ITV spokeswoman today.
ITV's director of programmes Nigel Pickard was believed to have asked his former colleague, BBC1 controller Lorraine Heggessey, to use a less competitive 5.30pm or 6pm slot for the show so that viewers could watch both.
A BBC spokeswoman said that the series could no longer go out on Friday nights as that was now being used as a launchpad for new comedies such as Eyes Down. She went on to say that the 6.30pm slot on Saturdays was chosen because "we have limited room to manoeuvre on Saturday nights. Millions know and regularly tune into the National Lottery (at 19.30) and Casualty (at 20.15) which are fixed in the early evening schedule."
"We’re hoping that ITV will go before or after the hour slot we’re occupying with Fame Academy. Fame Academy is more suited to Saturday nights and provided ITV doesn’t schedule head to head, there should be room for both."
ITV said it had no plans to move because it had already sold advertising based on scheduling in the 7pm slot, however remained confident it would triumph in the ratings battle. "These are very different shows," the ITV spokeswoman added. "Pop Idol was the highest rated entertainment show of last year, dominated the front pages, became a national talking point and launched several music careers
Both shows will be returning for their second series within a month.. but both will air on Saturday nights, in the same timeslot.
Fame Academy will begin on Saturday 26 July at 6.30pm, with Pop Idol kicking off a fortnight later, Saturday 9 August, at 7pm.
ITV is said to be "livid" by the corporation's scheduling move as it had expected Fame Academy to go out Fridays at 9pm like last year.
"Scheduling Fame Academy head to head with Pop Idol is clearly not in viewers’ interests. We’re disappointed the BBC has deliberately gone down this route," said an ITV spokeswoman today.
ITV's director of programmes Nigel Pickard was believed to have asked his former colleague, BBC1 controller Lorraine Heggessey, to use a less competitive 5.30pm or 6pm slot for the show so that viewers could watch both.
A BBC spokeswoman said that the series could no longer go out on Friday nights as that was now being used as a launchpad for new comedies such as Eyes Down. She went on to say that the 6.30pm slot on Saturdays was chosen because "we have limited room to manoeuvre on Saturday nights. Millions know and regularly tune into the National Lottery (at 19.30) and Casualty (at 20.15) which are fixed in the early evening schedule."
"We’re hoping that ITV will go before or after the hour slot we’re occupying with Fame Academy. Fame Academy is more suited to Saturday nights and provided ITV doesn’t schedule head to head, there should be room for both."
ITV said it had no plans to move because it had already sold advertising based on scheduling in the 7pm slot, however remained confident it would triumph in the ratings battle. "These are very different shows," the ITV spokeswoman added. "Pop Idol was the highest rated entertainment show of last year, dominated the front pages, became a national talking point and launched several music careers
