ITV plc

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ITV plc (LSE: ITV) is the British media company that operates 11 of the 15 regional television broadcasters that make up the ITV Network, the oldest and largest commercial terrestrial television network in the United Kingdom. The network, which is currently branded ITV1 by ITV plc, and the independent Channel Television, has vied with the British Broadcasting Corporation's BBC One for the status of the UK's most watched channel since the 1950s. Although ITV plc has a dominant influence on the ITV network, it should be noted that it does not actually own or operate the whole network.

ITV plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange. It was formed by the merger of Carlton Communications and Granada plc and began trading on 2 February 2004, with Granada being valued about at about twice the worth of Carlton. This was the most recent stage in a long process of mergers between the original ITV regional franchises.

ITV plc is divided into three divisions: Broadcast, which operates the TV networks, News, which runs the ITV regional franchises, and Granada which is the network production division.

On 9 November 2006, ITV plc confirmed that it had received a preliminary approach from cable operater NTL/ Virgin Media about a proposed merger.<ref>www.digitalspy.co.uk on ITV plc and NTL possible merger</ref>

On 17 November 2006, BSkyB announced that it had purchased 17.9% of ITV's shares for £940 million. It is thought that this is more a tactical manoeuvre to thwart NTL's ownership aspirations than anything else. (In fact, the £940 million is more than BSkyB's operating profits over the preceeding financial year.) <ref>BSkyB snaps up 17.9% stake in ITV, BBC report on BSkyB's share acquisitions. 17 November 2006</ref>

[edit] Assets

[edit] ITV franchises

ITV plc currently owns the following ITV franchises in the UK:

Former Granada-owned franchises:

• Anglia Television: East of England franchise
• Border Television: English - Scottish border and Isle of Man franchise
• Granada Television: North West England franchise
• London Weekend Television: London weekend franchise
• Meridian Broadcasting: South and South East England franchise
• Tyne Tees Television: North East England franchise
• Yorkshire Television: Yorkshire/Lincolnshire franchise

Former Carlton-owned franchises:

• Carlton Television: London weekday franchise
• Central Independent Television: Midlands franchise
• HTV: Wales and West of England franchise
• Westcountry Television: South West England franchise

New Franchises:

• ITV Thames Valley: Thames Valley Franchise (Made From The Central South & Meridian West Sub-Regions) *Begins Broadcasting 4th December

ITV plc also owns 75% of the ITV national breakfast television franchise GMTV.

[edit] Wholly owned digital channels

• ITV2
• ITV3
• ITV4
• ITV Play
• CITV Channel
• Men & Motors (operated by Granada Sky Broadcasting)

[edit] Other assets

ITV plc also owns 45% of the Irish broadcaster TV3. The company owns a 16.9% shareholding in SMG plc, owner of the Scottish and Grampian ITV franchises, as well as a 40% stake in its news provider Independent Television News Limited. ITV plc also owns 33.3% of Manchester United TV.

On 27 April 2005 ITV plc bought SDN, the digital terrestrial franchise holder of Multiplex A (currently transmitting ten channels) from its shareholders, S4C and UBM for £134 million.

ITV plc also owns the largest cinema advertising business in the UK and Ireland, Carlton Screen Advertising, Leckie and Leckie (Scotland's leading educational publishers) and recently bought Friends Reunited, a website dedicated to reunited former schoolfriends or work colleagues in a number of countries.

[edit] Notes

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[edit] External links

• itv.com - ITV plc

Categories: Companies listed on the London Stock Exchange | Companies established in 2004 | ITV | Media companies of the United Kingdom | Companies based in London