ITV's Relationship with the BBC

No, nothing Granada produced would have been classed as an independent as it was a broadcaster.

That's right - Granada was a broadcaster, so was not an independent producer, either for ITV, BBC, or any other public service broadcaster subject to the requirement. In fact the 25% I quoted was originally a 15% shareholding in (or from) a broadcaster, and it originally didn't specify UK broadcasters.

Granada also owned motorway service stations, which today are branded Moto. And the Moto I was in today was showing BBC News 24 on a videoscreen on the wall. So there's that.

They also had rental shops. Did any of the other franchise holders have such interests away from broadcasting?

BBC News CHANNEL. It hasn't been called News 24 for years.

It's levi-OH-sa! Not levi-oh-SAH!

Multi-industry conglomerates are a bit unusual in the UK, so it's a bit strange to think that a TV company would also have its fingers in the hospitality pie. In the early 2000s Granada merged with Compass Group, then demerged again a year later, with the catering bits all with Compass. Not long after, Granada merged with Carlton to create ITV plc (and Compass hived off its travel arm to create SSP, though Moto has subsequently changed owners again).

So it think I'm right in saying that Thames was an Indie after it went off air in London, but ceased to be once Channel 5 launched. It being part of Pearson TV which part owned C5.


If those rules still apply then presumably anything made by Freemantlemedia (under any of its brands such as Thames) isn't classed as 'indie' now because of it's ownership by RTL


Or did it distuingish being owned by a broadcaster and being the sister company of a broadcaster?

Thames was bought out by Pearson not even a year after they lost the franchise, not to mention they sold the Chorlton-cum-Hardy studio, previously the home of Cosgrove Hall Productions, to Anglia to form Cosgrove Hall Films, two weeks before Pearson bought them.

Yes, but that's all irrelevant


Thames became Pearson TV and Pearson TV owned a large part of Channel 5. Thus, presumably, as soon as Channel 5 went on air Pearson TV aka Thames and it's other production brands ceasdd to be an indie

The point I was trying to make was that their reign of independence was short lived anyway, the byline "A Pearson Television Company" appeared shortly after the sale was done, on their commissions for the BBC, ITV and C4, LONG before Channel 5 began broadcasting in March 1997.

NOT in those days ....
it is only the current charter allows the BBC to make programmes commissioned
by other broadcasters,
It levels the playing field where itv studios ( and stv for that matter)
made programmes for the BBC.
But the BBC could not make programmes for itv etc... until now..,