Robert Peston’s Sunday politics show is moving to Wednesday nights, in direction competition with the BBC’s Newsnight.
Peston on Sunday will be re-named Peston and go out on ITV after the News at Ten.
ITV is hoping to be the ratings winner, capitalising on Newsnight’s long-term ratings decline. The BBC Two show has lost viewers since Jeremy Paxman’s departure in 2014 and currently draws an audience of around 500,000.
When ITV put a current affairs show, After the News, in the same slot last autumn, it beat Newsnight in the ratings.
Peston on Sunday has attracted more viewers in its late-night repeat slot on Sunday nights than its original Monday broadcast, prompting the decision to move it.
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