ITV's long-suffering shareholders may be asked to dig deep when executive chairman Michael Grade relinquishes day-to-day running of the broadcaster later this year.
Tony Ball, the ex-Sky boss who is the favourite to take over the troubled firm, is believed to have sounded out a raft of major shareholders over a rights issue.
ITV is currently working on a series of disposals, including its Friends Reunited website, to whittle down its £720million overdraft.
But many investors believe a more radical restructuring of its debts is needed if ITV is to weather the deepest downturn in advertising in living memory.
Following pressure from some of his biggest shareholders, Grade last month announced he would step down as chief executive but stay on as chairman.
