e.tv wants prime time free of news

1 Nov 2016

Free-to-air channel e.tv is holding thumbs that regulatory board Icasa will grant it permission to move its 6.30pm news bulletin out of the prime-time slot.

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The channel applied to the regulatory board on Tuesday last week to amend clause 6.2 of its individual commercial television broadcasting service licence, which states that at least 30 minutes of news should be carried during prime time.

e.tv has pointed to a "drop of viewership" as its motivation for requesting the change. In 2013 its bulletins peaked at three million viewers but those numbers have dropped to just above 500000. Prime time is from 6pm to 8.30pm.

e.tv's chief operating officer, Mark Rosin, said the application was brought at the beginning of 2016 but was only heard last week.

He said: "The application was to change our English bulletin from 6.30pm. It wasn't to offer less news.

"If permitted, we will broadcast a bulletin outside of prime time at 10.30pm. We are confident that this revised bulletin will draw an audience for this time slot. In addition, we will look to offer a headline bulletin at 6pm."

Source: The Times

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