ITV

I've never really like Adam Crozier, I don't know the guy obviously but he has always seemed to grind my shit with everything he's done. But yesterday, he talked some sense.

He and the chairman of ITV basically came out and said they make TV targeted at the lowest common denominator so more people will watch, otherwise advertisers wont pay up. Prime examples of this are 'reality' TV shows such as I'm a celebrity..., X-Factor etc. Due to falls in revenue they no longer have the cash to create a diverse portfolio of programs so pump what cash they have in to rating certainties.

Sad as it is, you can't blame them for a second. But lets now be overly harsh on some of the people watching, firstly I believe the X-Factor has 2 distinct audiences, there's people who watch it to hear people sing and maybe a bit of a freak show too (myself included), and there's the people who suddenly feel these wannabes are their friend and will do anything to defend them. You hear stories of people voting multiple times for their favourite, downloading the singles as soon as they are available in the belief that they're helping their 'boys' (interchangeable)

These people get involved with the sob stories the newspaper articles saying how hard they've had it. What I really hope people realise is that they don't know them, just because they see a portrayed image of these people in various media, a no doubt very carefully arranged image at that. Ever media outlet wants to cover X-Factor but they also have to tow the Syco line to be allowed too. Why else did the leaked finalist list, I had weeks before it was announced not make it into a paper? I mean if I can lay my hands on it....

I'm a Celebrity..., well that's just voyeurism!

The biggest losers from all this are no dead programs such as the South Bank Show. Honestly not something I watched with any regularity, but it was a high quality arts program, and for its audience, perfect. But as it's audience was relatively small, it was no longer cost effective and so was binned.

What I don't understand it what ITV hope to gain from this revelation? Just because they've admitted what much of us suspected isn't going to magic up more revenue. Their requests for more flexible advertising rates have already been rejected. The programming isn't going to change, it almost feels like a pre-emptive 'not my fault guv'. But it still took some guts to say!

Personally I'm in favour of the licence fee being split. The BBC produces that type of program as well, but does it with guaranteed public funding. Which frees them up to give comedians, sitcoms, dramas a chance, although increasingly tucked away on BBC 3 or 4 as the beeb also strives for ratings (Strictly?).

Sure to God channels should present an alternative to each other, not try and install themselves as the one and only (or with multiple channels the only 4 or 5).

Speaking of the BBC, I have now watched Film 2010 twice, and what a shell of a once great program it is. Please come back wossy for the love of god. Last night, from what I saw, basically had the woman, Claudia Winkleman saying how great everything was, while Danny Leigh (who??) was very sceptical about everything. Not exactly great on screen chemistry for a duo, but equally not very informative about the films!

Ross was the perfect replacement for the sublime Barry Norman, but now... they may have flushed it.

Any I'm on route to get my annual free ill-cos-your defective-and-may-die-if-you-get-it-nasty flu jab. Wish me luck!