MIP-TV, the Spring TV programmes market in Cannes, is to shift its dates from April to March as of next year.

The move is intended to make the festival more relevant to buyers and sellers and will mean a March 24 start in 2003 compared with April 15 this year. Organisers, Reed Midem said: "March will make it easier for producers and distributors to close deals before the summer. It will also allow professionals to have more time between MIP-TV and other industry events in May." These include the Cannes film festival and the LA Screenings.

MIP-TV, unlike its Reed cousin MIP-COM in October, had been criticised for falling at a time which is too early for new product to be available and too late to be useful for programmers' summer schedules.

This year's event will as usual be preceeded by documentary market MIP-DOC on April 13-14. Once again, it looks like being dominated by programme formats, with the conference agenda including multiple debates on winning and new formats.