Granada restructures into two divisions

Granada is reorganising all its businesses into two divisions – Platforms and Content. Simon Shaps, currently md of Granada Broadband, becomes the new md of the Content division.

The move is largely a result of a downturn in TV advertising revenues. Furthermore, Granada is making 100 jobs redundant, as well as trying to negotiate top actors to take a pay cut.

Granada Platforms will consist of Granada’s broadcasting interests in ITV, ITV digital, ITV2 and the soon-to-be-launched ITV Sport Channel will be managed within a single Granada Platforms division. A managing director has yet to be announced.

This division includes Granada’s six ITV regional franchises (Granada Television, LWT, Yorkshire Television, Tyne Tees, Meridian and Anglia), Granada Enterprises (television airtime sales, sponsorship, licensing, publishing, merchandising and interactive advertising), and Granada’s interests in ITV Digital (formerly ONdigital), TV3 in Ireland and Australia’s Seven Network.

Granada Enterprises will continue to be run by Mick Desmond as ceo and a member of the executive board.

Granada Content includes all of Granada’s production companies behind programmes like Coronation Street, Emmerdale, Airline, Touch of Frost, Seeing Red, Blind Date, Hornblower, Survival and This Morning.

This creative division will now be brought together with the company’s online and broadband activities into a single content creation business delivering content across all multimedia platforms.

It incorporates Granada’s annual output of 9,000 hours of original programming including its international distribution and international production bases in the US, Germany, Australia and China and the pool of on- and off-screen creative talent.

Broadband, operating as a business within Granada Content, includes online partnerships with Ask Jeeves, Manchester United (MUtv), Liverpool FC and Arsenal FC, GSB, Wellbeing and Shop!

Speaking about the restructure, Steve Morrison, ceo of Granada, said: {Simplifying our businesses into two clear divisions makes us stronger and fitter for future growth and will enable us to exploit opportunities rapidly and flexibly whenever and wherever they arise worldwide.