GMTV

GMTV

Ownership
Owner	75% ITV plc, 25% Disney

Good Morning Television (GMTV) is the national breakfast television franchise of the British ITV network. The TV Station began broadcasting in 1993, outbidding the previous 6am-9.25am ITV Contractor, TV-am. It was first intended to be called Sunrise Television but as Sky News's Breakfast Programming also went by that name (and still does to this day), Sky protested, resulting in the change of name.

The franchise reaches approximately 10 million viewers a week [1], transmitting daily from 6am until the regional ITV franchises take over at 9.25am.

GMTV's programming is designed to reach a large cross-section of the viewing public - ranging from children's programming to entertainment news and in-depth reporting on the previous day's news stories.

Its sister service GMTV2 follows the same broadcast slot with mostly childrens programming on the same channel number as ITVplc-owned digital channel ITV2.

Its main rivals include BBC Breakfast which is more news oriented, Sky News Sunrise and Channel 4's Morning Schedule which includes Friends.

The company is 75% owned by ITV plc and 25% owned by Disney, who produce its children's television output on ITV1 on the weekends and on GMTV2 throughout the week.

SMG, the owner of the two ITV licences for Scotland (Scottish TV and Grampian TV) owned 25% of the company, this stake was purchased by ITV plc for £31million in 2004. A bid for the Disney shareholding by ITVplc was also brought forward but Disney rejected.

As of 2005 the show claims to have the highest breakfast show audience in Europe.

The current presenters on the show include, Fiona Phillips, Ben Shephard, Kate Garraway, Andrew Castle, Jenni Falconer and Penny Smith. The main daily weather presenters are Andrea McLean and Clare Nasir.

In 2005 Anchor presenter Eamonn Holmes decided not to renew his contract because he considered the Channel 3 Licence Holder to be "Celebrity Oriented" and stated that the channel did not have enough News and Current Affairs. He supposedly disagreed with how the Directors ran the programmes. He joined Sky News Sunrise and commenced presenting when Sky News had a makeover in October 2005.

GMTV broadcasts from Studio 5 at The London Studios on the South Bank.

Current GMTV Schedule

Weekdays

6am-6.58am Newshour presented by John Stapleton and Penny Smith

6.58am-8.35am GMTV Today presented by Fiona Phillips, Kate Garraway (currently on maternity leave), Ben Shephard and Andrew Castle

8.35am-9.25am (Mon-Thur) LK Today presented by Lorraine Kelly

8.35am-9.25am (Fri) Entertainment Today presented by Jenni Falconer and Ben Shephard with Michael Underwood and Carla Romano

External links

• The GMTV website