Ant and Dec Forced to Pre-Record 'Live' Show to Beat ITV Strike

Ant and Dec Forced to Pre-Record 'Live' Show to Beat ITV Strike

LONDON, April 6/PRNewswire/ -- A strike by broadcasting unions Amicus and BECTU at ITV's main production
centres is forcing Ant and Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway to be pre-recorded
on Thursday rather than being broadcast in its' usual Saturday night live
slot.

Amicus and BECTU say that members due to start a 36-hour strike over pay
at 7 am on Friday have been asked to work overtime to ensure the programme is
rehearsed on Wednesday and pre-filmed on Thursday, in a departure from the
programme's live Saturday night slot.

The action to be taken by Amicus and BECTU members at London Weekend
Television, Yorkshire TV, 3sixtymedia and Granada will start strike action at
7 am on Friday 8th April through to 7 pm on Saturday 9th April, disrupting
ITV productions in London, Manchester and Leeds causing delays and
cancellations in the filming schedules of Emmerdale, Heartbeat and Coronation
Street.

The unions say that the strike at the LWT studios on London's South Bank
will also disrupt the filming of Parkinson on Thursday evening and perhaps
the This Morning broadcast on Friday morning as staff will be asked not to
cross the union picket line.

BECTU members at ITV Central (Nottingham and Birmingham), ITV Anglia in
Norwich and at the company's Southern Transmission Centre in London will also
take part in a two-hour stoppage from 12 noon to 2 pm on Friday 8 April.

Mike Smallwood, Amicus' National Officer for the broadcast industry,
said: "Our members have effectively suffered year on year pay cuts while ITV
executives and shareholders have been generously rewarded. We want a higher
than inflation pay rise for our members that will begin to improve their
living standards and recognises our members' contribution to what is a very
successful company. The fact that ITV companies are now having to pay our
members overtime rates to ensure programming is ironic."

Sharon Elliot, BECTU Supervisory Official for Independent Broadcasting,
said: "The support we are receiving from members, non-members and the
freelancers ahead of the action is overwhelming. Our cause is just and we
look to management to engage with us positively to resolve this dispute."

Both unions will be taking further action at LWT starting again at 7 am
on Friday 15th April.

The two unions have condemned boardroom pay at ITV plc where Chief
Executive Charles Allen, has received a bumper remuneration package of
GBP8.7m. ITV's Finance Director is also reported to be paid GBP1m a year.

Union picket lines will be in place at LWT's London studio, Leed's YTV
main studio on Kirkstall Road and the Emmerdale studio in Eccup and Granada
studios in Manchester from 7am on Friday 8th April.

Source: Amicus

For further information please call Catherine Bithell in the Amicus press office on +44-207-420-8909 or +44-7958-473-224 or Sharon Elliott at BECTU on +44-207-346-0900

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