Falling returns from television advertising has prompted ITV to strengthen its web marketing division, it has emerged.

Three newly appointed online sales managers will be looking to take advantage of the internet's potential as a marketing medium and boost the company's profits.

ITV is initiating a new broadband strategy which will see it attempt to make more of its itv.com and Friends Reunited sites, as well as roll out its own internet service in early 2007, reports Brand Republic.

Rob Hicks, Alexis James and Fiona Stedman are the latest additions to ITV's growing online advertising sales team.

Controller of online sales at ITV, Vanessa Kent, is quoted as saying: "We are delighted to be attracting such a high calibre of new recruits with a wide array of online experience to our sales team."

"It's testament to ITV's expanding portfolio of online propositions," she added.

ITV claims that its website reaches over five million unique users per month and that this figure matches by its recently-acquired Friends Reunited site.