Why ITVBe Could be One of Best Things to Happen to TV

Now, before I get hung, drawn, and quartered by those who cry casual sexism and turning against sisterhood, I'd like people fast forward from the at-face-value promotion of new channel ITVBe, which is meant to be aimed at 16-34 year old women.

The new channel is the broadcaster's fifth major offering and will be available on Freeview, Sky, and Virgin and "is likely to appeal to a younger, female audience, will also feature acquired content, including the US Real Housewives franchise, which currently airs in daytime on ITV2," says the group.

Since it is aimed at 'young women', naturally, it is going to be riddled with reality TV shows, weight loss shows and of course lashings of other lifestyle programming, right?

But wait? That's ridiculous.

I'm a woman but I like Star Trek, I love playing video games, and Warhammer.

I also simply don't care about any shows that involve cretinous youngsters embarrassing themselves for life, and probably gathering up as many STDs as they do hangovers, for the sake of 5 minutes of fame on camera.

Shock horror.

So why am I not as outraged as others which are mostly crying injustice?

Firstly, it does come down to supply and demand.

As I've had to repeatedly point out before, in articles about the sexism in tech argument, the major flaw that many forget is -you guessed it - supply and demand.

Pink laptops 'for girls' wouldn't be in production if people didn't buy them nor would gossip magazines if women didn't buy them in their millions.

In the same vein, glorified karaoke shows with a side order of humiliation - The X Factor - would also not exist if people just lap up the sob stories and root for some loser who has pinned their future on hoping to make it big on a TV show.

But regardless, of whether you like the programmes or not, TV executives aren't stupid and throw bags of money towards ridiculous shows without doing some serious market research beforehand.

The Only Way is Essex – or Towie – has and is marketed to a young, female audience. Just as much as Top Gear is specifically marketed for the 18-54 male demographic, which brings me onto my second point.

Now it would be rather depressing and indeed an injustice if programmes, such as Towie and My Big Fat something or other, were the only offerings on the main terrestrial TV channel, but it isn't.

So, what stops you changing channels?

The Dave channel is clearly marketed towards 16-40 year old male audience, don't let the name give it away, and is continually peppered with male lifestyle product advertisements just to make the message clear.

But does that stop me or any other woman turning over to watch QI, re-runs of Have I Got News for You, or Man vs Food- no.

When I fancy watching some Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Star Trek or newly emerging 'classics' like Sharknado - I go to SyFy.

What I don't do is go to the widely popular E! entertainment channel that is smattered with seriously orange people that represent Oompa Loompas with giganticism and an eating disorder, and "news updates" on Kim Largeassian Kardashian and family are doing.

Horse for courses.

So, hopefully, one can hope that with the existence of ITVBe will eventually just hive off all those terrible programmes onto one platform so I can get back to watching documentaries on sink holes and shows that have a plot that entails more whether bimbo #546 will get a vajazzle or not.