ITV to Cut Amount of Religious Programming

The hit ITV show "Footballers' Wives" which is watched by seven million viewers each week has been claimed by the Archbishop of Canterbury as being immoral. However, the series which has contained scenes of murder, drug taking and adultery has been defended by Nigel Pickard, ITV' s Director of Programmes. Pickard also stated that he wanted to cut the amount of religious programming on the channel.

Dr Rowan Williams commented that the series was a parable of all that was wrong with morality in Britain today. Pickard responded through the Broadcasting Press Guild, "I'm delighted that the Archbishop is broadening the programme’s audience but the series is not aimed at him".

Williams also advised viewers to reject a world in which "charity, generosity and a sense of perspective about ourselves are all swept aside".

Mr Pickard said, "The series is geared to a younger audience, and programmes which appeal to one set of viewers will probably not appeal to another. There is a balance across the schedule but the archbishop is not the intended audience for this series".

Mr Pickard has said that ITV' s obligation to broadcast 104 hours of religious programming a year has become outdated, and has asking Ofcom, the broadcasting regulator, to reduce ITV's religious requirement.
He said, "We are broadcasting in a very competitive environment and we have to ask whether 104 hours of religion is excessive. Not even the BBC is obliged to show an act of worship a week as we are. We are asking whether these rather arcane regulations are something we want to be stuck with."