ITV to sell / close Granada Digital Channels

According to Media Week, ITV are looking to sell / close down the Granada / BSkyB digital channels Plus and M&M. The article below

ITV is in negotiations to either sell or close down digital channels Plus and Men & Motors in the latest stage of its huge sell-off of non-core assets.

The company holds a 50.5% stake in the channels’ parent company, Granada Sky Broadcasting, and is talking with BSkyB, its partner, about bailing out of the operation.

Sky is one possible buyer for Men & Motors, which, in recent months, has moved toward more motoring than girls in its channel line-up.
The channel could also be saved from closure by a management buyout if staff could find the backing from a private investment company.

It is believed the other main digital player, Flextech, is not interested in Men & Motors, having already got the Bravo channel in its line-up.
Plus, however, appears destined for closure. Originally Granada Plus, it appears surplus to requirements with the impending arrival of ITV3 and ITV is tipped to move some of its best content to the new channel.

Another of the non-core assets owned by ITV, Carlton Screen Advertising, is widely expected to be accompanying the Granada channels out of ITV ownership, with chief executive Debbie Chalet having said a management buyout of the company, valued at £66m, is one option.

CSA has been the subject of major speculation this year, with former Carlton chairman Michael Green previously touted as a possible buyer for both it and the other cinema advertising company, Pearl & Dean, currently in the hands of SMG, which continues to insist it has no intention of selling its media assets.

ITV has already sold Carlton Books, for £3m, to a management buyout and made £162m by selling its stake in French media company Thomson SA in a selloff programme, which could raise a total of more than £500m.

Others on the “for possible sale” list include ITV’s 33% stake in Manchester United’s football channel MUTV and its 45% stake in Ireland’s TV3 channel.

Would they not get more revenue if they bought out Sky's part of Plus and rebranded it as an ITV channel, and then they could still sell Men & Motors, unless they wanted to drop the girls and turn it into a sports channel.

Sell TV3?

Surprising.

Would have thought it would have been strategically important for if/when they snap up UTV.

I find this quite odd as ITV Plc the other week said that they said no intetion of selling or closing down Granada Sky Broadcasting.

I can understand why ITV may want to pull out of it but closing them is stupid as Plus and Men and Motors are some of the most popular channels on Digital. IMO they should let Sky have full control of M&M, maybe link it with Sky Sports? As it does tend to show alot of programmes about cars and bikes and not as much adult material.

Now Plus, I can't imagine that closing down, but I can't see it in the full hands of Sky or Flextech, it's hard to imagine who would find a home for this channel, considering that it still shows a considerable amount of Granada material. (ie Granada, LWT and Yorkshire)

It will be a shame if Granada Plus closes, they showed some decent stuff, especially since UK Gold started to show anything but 'gold' stuff.

That depends on your definition of Gold

60's, 70's, 80's and early 90's up to 1993!

It is such a shame the M&M and Plus will be closing, they showed dome good shows and motors . (ITV are really double sided, in relation to lTV saying last month they have no plans to.)

Rumours about Granada Sky channels closing have been around since it was announced ITV3 was launching, however Granada Plus has always said that they ARE NOT closing down.

ITV3 will NOT be a golden oldies channel and will be showing a lot of recent things, so its not likely to affect Granada Plus.

Plus better NOT shut down! I really like the channel and it would be good if there was a PLUS +1!

ITV should do some sort of deal with Sky so that Sky have 100% M&M and ITV have 100% PLUS, instead of this 50/50 cr*p.

Then ITV could re-brand it ITV GOLD and Bob's your uncle!

ITV Plus would be simpler.

Or if Plus launched another channel - then a time-delayed version of it, we'd have Plus 2 + 1.

OK - I'll shut up now!

But that's not the definition that UK TV Gold uses