ITV's new chairman, the former Tory MP Archie Norman, has said he does not "expect favours" from his political contacts, but plans to lobby for more deregulation of the broadcasting market.
Norman said he had only been approached "about three weeks ago" about the ITV chairman job, after the previous favourites for the post, Sir Crispin Davis and Sir Michael Bishop, pulled out in early October.
He added that he planned to carry on the search for a new chief executive and avoid the "very public" nature of the process up to now.
"One of the unfortunate aspects of the last few months is that the process [to recruit] a chief executive and chairman was very public," he said. "This business has to get back to setting about finding the best possible candidate, making that selection in an orderly manner. We have the opportunity to conduct this process in a thoroughly professional manner and that is the right thing to do."
He refused to commit to a timetable for appointing a chief executive but indicated that there would not be an announcement before next year.
"I am looking for a top-calibre person who combines the ability to work well with the talented team we have here," he said. "A person who is able to galvanise, energise and lead people in the creative industry combined with the strategic vision to lead the very necessary transformation of the business to adapt it to a new media age."
Norman, a former chief executive of the Conservative party, said that he is not "expecting favours" from his old political contacts but vowed to fight for further deregulation to help benefit ITV.
"Obviously I know a lot of people in public life, both in the Conservative and Labour parties, and have good relationships," he added. "I hope it will be an advantage that I know my way around, that I have a direct link with people, I'm not expecting favours from any political party. I think ITV has, on regulatory terms, got a very strong case to make and we will certainly be making that case."
Norman added that it did not faze him that he was not the first choice for the role and pledged to spend as many hours at the broadcaster as was necessary to get the business back on track.
"I don't mind if I'm first choice or 51st choice," he said. "What interests me is if I can do the job and the challenges ahead. This is effectively my comeback into public company life. My history, whether at Asda or Energis or elsewhere, has been very much about taking on transformational challenges like this, it is what I do."
ITV's share price surged by 5.2% to 54.65p by 11.34am as City analysts looked favourably on the appointment of Norman, who has a solid track record in turning around businesses such as Asda.
However, Norman cautioned "not to read too much" into how he has operated at other businesses, including his time as chief executive of the Conservative party.
"ITV is very different from where I've worked in the past, I absolutely don't think a formulaic approach is going to work," he said. "It is not a telecoms company. It is certainly not a supermarket."
Norman added that it was important to note that he had been hired as chairman and that "it is for the chief executive and the management team to lead the business into the future".
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