Grade in pledge to revive ITV

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Mr Grade said he wanted the broadcaster to be the UK's favourite source of free entertainment by 2012 as he unveiled plans for self-funded, "content-led" growth.

ITV said advertising revenues continued to improve in the third quarter - up 2% at flagship channel ITV1 and 5% across the group.

Mr Grade, who is the company's executive chairman, will also phase out ITV Play's call TV programming by the end of the year after the bad publicity over the apparent "duping" of viewers by broadcasters across the industry.

Mr Grade, who rejoined ITV nine months ago after former chief executive Charles Allen resigned last year, said he wanted to "maintain and accelerate" ITV1's recent ratings improvement.

The broadcaster is launching a new peak-time strategy to improve ITV1's performance in the key 9pm weekday slot, although there will be no extra cash for programming.

Mr Grade said: "We believe ITV1's recovery can be achieved within its existing programming budget."

ITV is, however, investing an extra £20 million in fast-growing digital channels, with the target of ITV2 overtaking rival Five as the third most popular commercial network for 16 to 34-year-olds.

The executive chairman reaffirmed the target of the group's network of channels achieving a 38.5% share of commercial impacts - audience share - by 2012.

But Mr Grade is also looking for a doubling of revenues from the group's content business to £1.2 billion by 2012. The division, which makes programmes for ITV channels as well as overseas versions of hits such as I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here!, will achieve the target through a combination of higher sales and growth through acquisitions.