Commercial Broadcaster ITV To Go Off Air For Sports Campaign

ITV, Britain's largest commercial broadcaster, "will turn off all seven of its channels for one hour in aid of the 'I Am Team GB' sports campaign," according to Toby Hood of RTS. On Aug. 27, 2,000 sports clubs across the country will open their doors to the public in celebration of the U.K.'s biggest ever sports day "as regular couch potatoes are urged to go outside and get some exercise." Viewers who turn over to an ITV channel will be greeted with the message, "We've gone running -- why don't you join us?" as the network switches off for the first time in 30 years. Working in partnership with The National Lottery, ITV "roped in the help of Olympic athletes such as Greg Rutherford to promote the event and will be turning the film sets of soaps Emmerdale and Coronation Street" into activity centers (RTS, 8/18).