Action Time RIP

Action Time, which lost its two managing directors last month, is now to lose its semi-independent status and internationally-known format brand to be amalgamated within Granada International.

A Granada rep confirmed to C21 that the Action Time brand will disappear after MipTV later this month. The move continues Granada’s rebranding of all Carlton’s assets, following its merger with the company to form the all-new ITV plc.

Today’s move will see the merging of Granada’s format catalogue, which includes reality titles like I’m a Celebrity and Boot Camp, with Action Time’s library of stripped daytime and access primetime quizzes, like Alphabet Game and Chance of a Lifetime.

Granada International managing director Nadine Nohr has also appointed Action Time’s head of sales Laura Burrell (left) as the new head of formats within Granada’s programming division. Burrell arrived at Action Time last July from Discovery Networks Europe.

The loss of the Action Time brand was long fought against by previous managing directors Caroline Beaton and Phil Trelease, but after they both quit what used to be Carlton’s dedicated format sales house last month, the company’s fate was sealed.

“At Granada International we are fully committed to the international exploitation of our wide range of entertainment formats,” said Nohr. “Formats are vital to broadcasters’ schedules and form a substantial part of our business.”

On top of the departure of Beaton and Trelease last month, Granada’s own controller of formats and acquisitions, Malcolm Allsop, quit last October to head up Dutch format outfit TeVe Partners.