LONDON, August 6, 2008 (AFP) - ITV, the biggest British commercial television network, said on Wednesday that it made a first-half net loss of 1.537 billion pounds (1.9 billion euros, 3.0 billion dollars) owing to special charges in view of an advertising downturn.

The loss figure for the six months to the end of June compared with a net profit of 83 million pounds in the same period of last year, the group said in a results statement.

Adjusted pre-tax profits, excluding exceptional items, sank 28 percent to 91 million pounds.

ITV added that it booked a so-called impairment, or special-cost, charge of 1.6 billion pounds on acquisitions made in 2000 and 2004.

'The impairment charge is due to the downturn in the short-term outlook for the advertising market which is an area highly exposed to the general downturn in the economy,' the group said.

In reaction, ITV's share price tumbled 10.37 percent to 41.50 pence on London's FTSE 100 index, which was up 0.33 percent in morning trade.

'We cannot control the economic environment in which we operate,' added ITV executive chairman Michael Grade in the earnings release.

'As a result of the recent slowdown in the television advertising market, the board has taken some tough decisions which are reported here today.'

Group income increased by 2.7 percent to 1.031 billion pounds in the reporting period.