Emmerdale and Coronation Street schedules face cut backs

ITV boss Kevin Lygo stated the change is “viewer-led” and can make the soaps extra “streaming-friendly”.

Performing arts union Fairness stated the transfer, which comes after the cancellation of BBC cleaning soap Docs and adjustments to Channel 4’s Hollyoaks schedule, offers it “additional trigger for concern”, however added that ITV has stated it “won’t straight affect the solid or end in adjustments to pay or contracts”.

Lygo added: “In a world the place there may be a lot competitors for viewers’ time and a focus, and viewing habits proceed to vary, we consider that is the correct quantity of episodes that followers can match into their viewing schedule, to maintain updated with the reveals.

He acknowledged that going from the present six hours per week to 5 will “have an effect for the individuals who work on the soaps group”.

“We’ll assist our colleagues in ITV Studios as they work via these adjustments, and can do what we will to mitigate the affect on our individuals,” he stated.

“These adjustments are motivated by doing what we consider is greatest for the persevering with success of those vital programmes in the long run.

“In addition they create headroom within the general programme price range for funding in programming that may assist ITV develop attain in a really, very aggressive market.”

Emmerdale and Coronation Road have gone via a number of schedule adjustments over time. Each started with solely two episodes per week earlier than rising to 6 weekly episodes in later years.