Changing the Channel

There was excitement for the 156,000 residents of the Channel Islands yesterday when news broke that its TV station is being snapped up by ITV for an "undisclosed sum". An exiled islander breathlessly told Diary the Channel Television deal "is worth more than £10m". The excitement is not shared at ITV. A source close to ITV's senior management said: "The company sees this as a tidying-up exercise. Very small beer," and adding,"With all respect to Channel."