Strictly Business

Going head to head with a close competitor is not always the best strategy and even the mighty sometimes have to compromise. APA spotted this perfect example in this week’s press:

Simon Cowell has said he hopes to persuade ITV to move The X Factor so the Saturday night clash with the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing show does not continue. Cowell said it was "crazy" that the two popular shows were pitched against each other. Writing in the Sun newspaper, he said it was unfair to force TV licence fee payers to choose which one to watch.

The two shows have occasionally had up to half an hour's overlap, although during the last series ‘Strictly’ usually finished before its ITV1 rival began. ITV was said to be "disappointed" at the BBC's "aggressively competitive scheduling," although the BBC said the later time slot was down to a new series of Merlin.

Cowell, a friend of ‘Strictly’ judge Bruno Tonioli, said putting them on at different times would benefit both channels, in the same way that EastEnders was not screened at the same time as Coronation Street. He was surprised that the BBC, which does not need to attract advertising, had prompted the clash and said licence-payers wanted quality TV not a ratings war. "I'll try to persuade ITV to move it (The X Factor) back or forward, whatever they need to do," he said. "I'm prepared to do everything to give the public what they want."

APA

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