Richard Branson

Cable operator NTL ditched plans for an audacious GBP4.7bn bid for ITV, following BSkyB's James Murdoch's surprise purchase of nearly 20per cent of ITV, scuppering Branson's hopes of building a realistic challenger to BSkyB's dominance of the commercial broadcasting sector.

Channel Five

The troubled network's "all hours share" dropped 11per cent in November compared with a year ago. The station's big hopes in the winter schedule's, Perfect Day and Tripping Over - both originally scripted programmes - disappeared without a trace in the ratings.