It's not relevent who owns what. ITv could NOW control 100% of the network, but still have 14 franchises. Legacy, i know.
Now, In the all digital age, the only benifit ITV will have from its old position wil be good epg listings, and DTT carriage rights.
To all intents, it could hand back its ITv franchises at say 80% digital switchover and just use its commercial carrage on digital (that anyone could buy...for example £350,000 gets you Transponder and EPG on Sky. No regional obligations at all!
But I thought Murdoch owns the satellites. Therefore you'd have to rent one from him.
That was why ITV Digital failed, wasn't it?
Well the current franchaise situation still stands as far as I know it. I don't know what will happen in 2008.
Ulster I know desperately try to cover up "ITV 1" on the branding like on the end of Coronation Street. They claim they are NOTHING to do with ITV. They say they are UTV. I know this.
Scottish are similar- and refuse to be anything to do with ITV. And sometimes refuse to output some ITV programmes and transmit their own programmes over the top of ITV shows we see down here.
I dont know about Channel.
It's a bitter dispute and as far as I know, ITV is NOT a unified firm covering the whole of the country.
But as you say Gary, I suppose anyone can buy a transponder and put out their own programmes.
I think he has the grandfather like stature with authority.
If the other bit's true and Westcountry News moves in too, it'll be the battle of the grandfathers in the corridors of Bath Road, Bob versus Richard Bath.
