Media / Talk of the trade: New, and old too

THE IMAGE problem for the new ITV companies, which take up their franchises on 1 January, is how to persuade viewers they are fresh but that programmes will remain the same. Meridian's answer is to run two commercials on TVS, which it will replace. One shows new local programming; the other concentrates on three ITV network favourites - Poirot, Maigret and Morse.