Back in 2006, when Jonathan Ross signed an £18 million deal to tie him to the BBC until 2010, becoming Britain’s highest-paid presenter, he was hailed as irreplaceable. In the face of uproar as to the sheer size of the deal, the corporation explained that ITV and Channel 4 had each offered him £15 million and they had no choice but to increase their original £12.5 million offer. When he returns next year to seek to extend the deal, he may be in for a shock. Outside the BBC, insulated by the £3.4 billion it receives via the licence fee, commercial broadcasters are suffering at the hands of a brutal advertising downturn. ITV has cut 1,000 jobs as revenues have slumped, with Channel 4 making 150 staff redundant. Analysts gave warning that the advertising market could fall by as much as 10 per cent next year as companies cut...
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