For Broadcast March 05, 2008

Michael Grade is sending out an "all's well" message to anyone who will listen, even though behind-the-scenes machinations at the UK's biggest commercial broadcaster suggest otherwise. He may now be staying with the company until 2010, but the race to succeed him has officially begun.

Appointing both director of global content Dawn Airey and managing director of brand and commercial Rupert Howell to the ITV board puts them in the same league as Jon Cresswell, who will continue as chief operating officer but with a finance director hired to cover that part of his existing role.

Airey and Howell are seen as the frontrunners to succeed Grade because, although Cresswell is talented, he lacks the showmanship that Grade would want in his successor.

But Airey and Howell face very different, very difficult challenges. Can Airey make a success of having to produce content with broad global appeal to exploit overseas markets and hit the 75% target for ITV1 content?

Fincham is bound to have his own ideas about what will make the network work and Airey's first test will be to quickly strike up a good working relationship. Howell is facing arguably an even harder task. He needs to work out how best to sell ITV to advertisers as digital switchover nears and competition from online players gets more intense.

Whichever of this pair can provide the most answers will be in pole position to take over from Grade.