MIKE CLASPER, the former chief executive of BAA, yesterday ruled himself out of the running for the top job at ITV, after mounting speculation that he was favourite for the vacant position.

Mr Clasper, an ITV non-executive, took the unusual step of issuing a personal statement to deny rumours circulating among senior staff at the broadcaster that he had been virtually promised the job by Sir Peter Burt, the chairman.

He said that any suggestion that “I have thrown my hat into the ring for the CEO role is incorrect” and added: “I believe that I can contribute most effectively to the continuing success of ITV in my current role as a non-executive director.”

Until now Mr Clasper had tried to remain silent on the issue, while City bookmakers, buoyed by the gossip, made a man with no television experience favourite ahead of Greg Dyke, the former BBC Director-General, and Stephen Carter, the former Ofcom chief executive.

However, the low-key operator who ran BAA, the airports group, until its takeover by Ferrovial, said that he had no option but to “set the record straight” in the light of “the intensity of recent speculation” in the media and at ITV’s Gray’s Inn Road headquarters in London.

Mr Clasper was also keen to scotch any suggestion that his name had been leaked out as a failed kite-flying exercise because he had not allowed his name to go forward. In any event, ITV indicated that it had had no complaints from shareholders about Mr Clasper’s credentials.

However, the selection of the former BAA man would have been a major surprise. ITV is suffering from sagging ratings and a weak advertising market, and the prevailing view is that the commercial broadcaster needs somebody with creative flair to find ways of rapidly reducing the dependence on its core channel.

ITV is gradually moving towards interviewing shortlisted candidates over the course of October to fill a vacancy created by the departure of Charles Allen in August. However, some of those approached said yesterday that their interviews had been delayed, implying that the process had several weeks to run.

The process has taken longer than many expected, although ITV says it is trying to conduct a thorough exercise, reaching candidates in both the UK and abroad. The company is thought to be concentrating on executives with media experience, arguing that the broadcaster cannot afford to employ somebody who is learning on the job.

Speculation also continues to circulate about the long-term prospects of Sir Peter Burt. There is an expectation in ITV circles that the chairman may announce that he is stepping down once a chief executive is found. Sir Peter has declined to comment on his own future, although the former banker has not enjoyed some of the criticism that comes with a job that carries an extremely high profile.

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