Perdita
22-01-2009, 06:46
TELLY stars Ant and Dec may have to accept a takeaway from their pay as ITV’s fortunes plummet.
The pint-sized favourites will start negotiating new deals with the network in April.
But the Geordie pals, who signed a deal worth £20million each in 2007, are unlikely to get cheques that size again.
ITV chiefs, hit by falling advertising revenue, are embroiled in an “efficiency review” — signalling cost cuts and job losses to pay for keeping hold of hit shows.
An insider at the network, which shed 1,000 jobs just before Christmas, warned: “We are trying to maintain our on-screen investment.”
That means Ant and Dec, both 33, the stars of hits such as Saturday Night Takeaway, I’m A Celebrity... and Britain’s Got Talent, may not stay at ITV exclusively.
A source close to the duo said: “Ant and Dec are not stuck up about cash — they realise there is a credit crunch.
“They love ITV, but they really want to produce more of their own shows with their company Gallowgate.”
X Factor boss Simon Cowell’s £20million deal with ITV also ends in December at the same time as Ant and Dec’s.
CHANNEL 4 was yesterday told it has to raise cash it had hoped to receive from the Government. TV watchdog Ofcom suggested C4 should merge with BBC Worldwide or Five to secure its future.
I think those deals of £20million each are obscene, nobody is worth that kind of money :banned:
The pint-sized favourites will start negotiating new deals with the network in April.
But the Geordie pals, who signed a deal worth £20million each in 2007, are unlikely to get cheques that size again.
ITV chiefs, hit by falling advertising revenue, are embroiled in an “efficiency review” — signalling cost cuts and job losses to pay for keeping hold of hit shows.
An insider at the network, which shed 1,000 jobs just before Christmas, warned: “We are trying to maintain our on-screen investment.”
That means Ant and Dec, both 33, the stars of hits such as Saturday Night Takeaway, I’m A Celebrity... and Britain’s Got Talent, may not stay at ITV exclusively.
A source close to the duo said: “Ant and Dec are not stuck up about cash — they realise there is a credit crunch.
“They love ITV, but they really want to produce more of their own shows with their company Gallowgate.”
X Factor boss Simon Cowell’s £20million deal with ITV also ends in December at the same time as Ant and Dec’s.
CHANNEL 4 was yesterday told it has to raise cash it had hoped to receive from the Government. TV watchdog Ofcom suggested C4 should merge with BBC Worldwide or Five to secure its future.
I think those deals of £20million each are obscene, nobody is worth that kind of money :banned: