Battle between ITV and RTL over Dawn Airey's start date rumbles on

ITV and RTL have still not agreed a final deal over when Dawn Airey will become Channel Five's chief executive - despite the broadcaster's owner announcing on Tuesday that she will start in October.

In another twist in the battle over Airey, it appears ITV was caught on the back foot after the RTL Group chief executive, Gerhard Zeiler, announced on Tuesday that he expects her to start in October.

Airey has been on gardening leave since it was announced she was stepping down as ITV's director of global content after eight months in May.

Zeiler made the surprise announcement as RTL published its interim results earlier this week, telling journalists in a conference call: "We are very happy that Dawn Airey will start at the end of October working for Five, and she will make a difference."

However, two days after Zeiler's announcement, ITV is still unable to comment on Zeiler's announcement.

MediaGuardian.co.uk understands that a combination of the fact that a deal still has to be signed off, plus some of the executives involved in the negotiations being away on holiday, has led to the silence from ITV.

One source familiar with the situation said: "Gerhard appears to have taken a bit of a punt talking about it before everything is finalised. However, both sides do now expect that Dawn will be released early."

The ITV executive chairman, Michael Grade, was said to be furious at Airey's sudden departure and had threatened to hold her to 12 months' gardening leave - meaning she could not start at RTL until next May.

But many observers believed that the longstanding relationship between ITV and RTL's production arm FremantleMedia, maker of hit ITV shows such as The X Factor and The Bill, would encourage the two sides to broker a compromise.

One insider said there has been several months of heated "sabre rattling".

Another source familiar with the situation added: "It has been a battle, going back and forth between the two parties."

It is thought that RTL may have offered to compensate ITV for allowing Airey to start before the end of her 12-month notice period.

An RTL spokesman said: "Gerhard said at the results this week that he expects Dawn to start in October. That is our only comment on this."

Airey worked at Five as director of programmes and chief executive between 1996 and 2003. She will take over from the interim chief executive, Mark White.

An ITV spokeswoman declined to comment.

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