ITV Shuffles Programming Team

LONDON: ITV’s director of program strategy, David Bergg, is stepping down, to be replaced by Rosemary Newell, the broadcaster’s head of digital channels and acquisitions.

Paul Mortimer, the controller of digital channels, will take over from Newell and will report to her. Bergg will leave in the early part of 2017, following a transition process.

Bergg worked in sales research roles for a number of regional ITV companies starting from 1985. He moved to the BBC in 1994 and was part of the Channel 5 launch team in the mid-’90s. He rejoined ITV in 1997 as director of program strategy, and went on to run Sky 1 in 2000 before coming back to ITV in 2001.

Kevin Lygo, ITV’s director of television, said: “The spotlight invariably falls on the commissioning team when a show is a success, but scheduling is often the unsung hero when it comes to helping to create those hits. David has been building brilliant schedules at ITV since 1997 and is not only a genius at finding the right spot for new programs, but his experience and expertise has also helped shape the shows which have gone on to become ratings winners.

“I will personally miss David very much; his wise counsel when I arrived as director of television earlier this year helped me greatly and I wish him every success in whatever he chooses to do next.

“He will be a tough act to follow, but there’s no doubt that Rosemary, who was responsible for program strategy and scheduling at both the BBC and Channel 4, is absolutely the right person to take on the tall order of keeping our schedules in rude health. And I’m very pleased that Paul is stepping up to run our digital channels. He has demonstrated that he knows what makes our audiences tick, ranging from the 16 to 34s watching ITV2, through to the sports fans tuning into ITV4 or the young mums who turn on ITVBe.”

Bergg said: “The time has come for me to move on and do something different and I’m delighted to be passing on the baton to Rosemary. Readers of a certain age may remember that Ro and I jointly ran the BBC scheduling team from an office on the sixth floor of TV Centre in 1996. There’s no one in the industry as experienced and capable as Ro is at delivering success for ITV in the coming years. I wish her, Kevin, Paul and all of my colleagues at ITV the very best for the future.”

Newell commented: “I wish David all the very best for the future. His are very big shoes to fill, but I am delighted to be taking on this great new challenge. I have loved looking after the digital channels and acquisitions for the past five months and I’m thrilled that Paul will hold the reins now. It’s also great news that we will continue to work together in creating a single channels team across the portfolio.”

Mortimer added: “David hired me to work with him 20 years ago at Channel 5. We go way back, so inevitably I will miss him and I wish him all the best for the future. It is an exciting time to be taking on fuller responsibility for the digital channels and acquisitions at ITV, and I look forward to working with Kevin and Ro to continue the portfolio’s upward ratings momentum.”