ITV executive chairman Michael Grade believes a free market is a better market and says he wants to tear up the terms of trade and deal with independent producers in the same way that Tesco deals with its suppliers.

Of course as there are ongoing concerns about how "free" that market really is, given that - as in the broadcasting business - there are only a handful of food retailers that really matter to suppliers. But given ITV's dire straits at the moment, perhaps it is time for producers to be thinking about how to bypass the big broadcasters altogether. This seems to be the message behind some recent link-ups between more traditional indies and more new-media-style companies as they search for new funding models.

Look at the partnership between So Television and CogApp (no prizes for which is the new media-style company). Together they want to develop an online talent format that will be "consumer-facing and funded by advertising", ie no broadcaster involved.

The critical issue is money, and principally how much can be raised in this way, at this time. Ofcom's 2008 Communications Market Report says the number of viewers watching TV online has doubled from 8% to 17% in the last year. A lot of what is being watched is TV transferred to the web but this is starting to change as advertisers follow audiences.

There may well be more money going toward made-for-the-web content - the question is where is the tipping point?

If Grade's desire to rewrite the terms of trade is realised, it may be sooner than many indies think.