If all UTV is doing is selling its TV interests, then the company will still exist and so, will most likely want to retain the UTV brand. This means that ITV will almost certainly have to rebrand the 'Channel 3' station, even if it doesn't want to (unlikely). Let's face it though, it's going to be called ITV, like all the other regional stations ITVplc owns, including Wales.
Stranger things have happened. I think the future of the UTV brand depends on whether or not UTV Ireland is part of the sale. If it is included (and I think it will be) I imagine the UTV brand will be as well, with UTV Media allowed to use it until their next AGM. If UTV Ireland is not included, then I think UTV will keep both the brand and the name, and ITV will be given a licence to use it until they rebrand the NI station.
Stranger things have happened. I think the future of the UTV brand depends on whether or not UTV Ireland is part of the sale. If it is included (and I think it will be) I imagine the UTV brand will be as well, with UTV Media allowed to use it until their next AGM. If UTV Ireland is not included, then I think UTV will keep both the brand and the name, and ITV will be given a licence to use it until they rebrand the NI station.
Yes, part of the rationale for UTV_I was the synergy between television news and the existing newsgathering operations around UTV's local radio stations. If ITV do indeed take over UTV_I, then presumably it has a strong interest in keeping that commercial relationship alive.
Thinking aloud, and way out-of-the-box. Could not ITV buy-in news services from UTV in NI and the RoI? Perhaps the UTV news out of Belfast may continue to be a UTV produced programme from Havelock House. The Newshour form Dublin might even become a UTV/ITN co-production?
Part of the deal may be that U105, the local radio station for Belfast owned by UTV may stay at Havelock House.
I wonder if ITV will guarantee to continue to occupy Havelock House? Would it make sense for them if they slim down the operation (presumably playout, advert sales and a lot of management will cease to be required there?)
:-(
A former member
Or maybe UTV will own Havelock house and ITV will just rent playout and news studios
I do believe that at one point, there were talks, that ended without agreement, on a possible merger between STV and UTV. That would've been an interesting exercise.
The thing with UTV in vision continuity, is that whilst there's nothing wrong with the idea, and I like it, it's the way that it's delivered by one individual in particular, having seen clips on youtbe and TV-ark. If anything, should ITV buy UTV (and I say should) then what ITV might like to do is reintroduce IVC at certain times, and make their channel stand out from the BBC and others, who don't use such a facility. It would also give their channel a face.
If anything, should ITV buy UTV (and I say should) then what ITV might like to do is reintroduce IVC at certain times, and make their channel stand out from the BBC and others, who don't use such a facility. It would also give their channel a face.
If an era of multichannel TV, having IVC would definitely make your channel stand out. I don't think it would work on the main ITV though. Maybe on ITV2, where they already have the showbiz news update during a break. (BBC Three showed us how not to do IVC!)