MEDIA: THE ITV AUTUMN SCHEDULE PRESENTATION - AN EXPERT'S VIEW Chris Boothby was encouraged by ITV's autumn schedule, but wished the BBC had a mention.(Brief Article)

For more years than I care to remember, any ITV programme presentation was an excuse for the cynical buying fraternity to turn up and then moan about the network's lack of imagination in churning out the same old predictable programme schedule.

This autumn's offering has a large percentage of what they term 'banker' programming. However, there were encouraging signs that ITV has woken up to the need to show significant improvements in performance.

In its marketing director, Jim Hytner, ITV had someone who publicly admitted that it had made mistakes and who, in his approach to marketing the channel, lends credibility and a belief in building a modern and more sophisticated relationship with viewers.

Then there were Mick Desmond and Clive Jones, the ITV Network Centre heads, promising that Carlton and Granada (and SMG) would support significant levels of programme and marketing investment.

Thirdly, David Liddiment's presentation of the autumn schedule acknowledged that ITV's performance this year was unacceptable and, on the evidence of what we saw, he has made genuine attempts to reinvigorate the schedule.

Blind Date has been revamped with new ideas such as 'date or ditch' and celebrity dates, which are welcome innovations. Pop Idol becomes Popstars - The Rivals where boy and girl bands will be chosen. Harry Hill's TV Burp, in which he reviews the week's TV, looks promising whereas Home on their Own - a copycat version of the BBC's Changing Rooms - where kids do the ...