Channel 4 will shortly announce an annual profit after making redundancies last year because of heavy losses in 2001.The “core values” message resembles Mr Dyke’s six-point pledge to BBC executives in January, when he spelt out a new “culture of positivity” The pledge was issued to all BBC employees. It said: “The BBC will be honest and staff maintain each other’s trust. The BBC will put audiences first and at the heart of what it does. The BBC will always strive for the highest quality and encourage fresh thinking Creativity is the lifeblood of the organisation. BBC staff should respect their colleagues and reach out and celebrate our diversity while recruiting from the widest range of people. The BBC will be a more collaborative organisation working to create One BBC.”Mr Thompson has run an internal “aims and values” review and is determined that the channel should strengthen its reputation for “investing in creative talent”.The station is concerned by Channel 5’s attempts to brand itself as a champion of the arts, previously one of Channel 4’s strong suits. It is also anxious that Big Brother does not dominate its programming.

“We would like it to be a fixture in the schedule but with slightly less hysteria so that there is not this circus around the programme,” the source said.Although Mr Thompson has told his senior staff that ratings are not his sole concern, the channel’s executives will be disappointed by the poor initial response to Boys and Girls, the Saturday night show produced by Chris Evans. It costs £500,000 an episode but has attracted only 1.3 million viewers. The station’s breakfast programme Ri:se has been a ratings failure but the imminent arrival of The Simpsons is expected to boost the channel’s audience share substantially and free resources for more radical programming.. Working class youngsters, unable to break into television because of inadequate salaries for runners and research assistants, are to be offered a lifeline by some of the industry’s biggest names.

This means only young people whose parents subsidise them can afford to take up what might be their big break. The scheme is an extension of Television and Young People (TVYP), the educational arm of the Edinburgh International Television Festival.Anne Mensah, who works in drama commissioning for the BBC and is backing the scheme, said: “You can’t do these jobs unless your parents are willing for you to live at home or to support you. That cuts out swathes of people who might be brilliant but can’t afford the first leap.”The candidates will be chosen from 150 people aged from 18 to 21 who attend the TVYP festival of workshops and masterclasses which takes place alongside the main Edinburgh Television Festival in August. Anyone who can demonstrate a passion for television will be able to apply through the website. Twelve six-month placements, all at typical starting salaries, will be offered with production companies who will also offer training. Eight candidates, chosen by means test, will have their rent paid.. An attempt to give a whole new meaning to the phrase “dog’s breath” created a commercial that has provoked a record number of complaints.

The advert features a man who wakes up on the sofa after what appears to have been a rough night out.As he retches, a paw comes out of his mouth, followed by a scruffy grey dog It disappears when he has a piece of gum. An ITC spokeswoman said: “We have been flooded with complaints and the total is rising all the time. Parents have been complaining that their children are scared and some of the adults have said they were actually sick themselves.”The ITC said it was investigating whether the commercial breached advertising guidelines. Wrigley’s apologised for the advertisement and moved it to a slot after the 9pm watershed..