GRANADA REFOCUS ON TWIN BUSINESS DIVISIONS

GRANADA, one of Europe’s leading commercial television companies, are reorganising all their businesses into two distinct and focused divisions comprising platforms and content.
Granada claim that this will enable them to embrace the significant changes taking place in both the UK and international markets.
Unveiling the new structure Steve Morrison, Chief Executive of Granada, also announced the appointment of Simon Shaps, currently Managing Director of Granada Broadband, as the Managing Director of the new Content division.
The new divisions will consist of Granada Platforms and Granada Content.
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. The appointment of a Managing Director will be announced in due course. This division includes Granada’s six ITV regional licences, Granada Television, LWT, Yorkshire Television, Tyne Tees, Meridian and Anglia, Granada Enterprises and Granada’s interests in ITV Digital, 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.
While Granada Content will include all of Granada’s production companies making some of Britain’s most popular programmes including ‘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 on-line and broadband activities into a single content creation business delivering content across all multi-media platforms.
It incorporates Granada’s annual output of 9,000 hours of original programming including their international distribution and international production bases in the US, Germany, Australia and China and the pool of on and off-screen creative and award winning talent.
Broadband, operating as a business within Granada Content, includes the successful on-line partnerships with Ask Jeeves, Manchester United (MUTV), Liverpool FC and Arsenal FC, GSB, Wellbeing and Shop!.
Steve Morrison, Chief Executive 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.
“I’m delighted Simon Shaps will be leading the Content business, working with chair Andrea Wonfor and our unique group of programme executives. He has wide-ranging experience in both programming and the broadband business and I’m confident he will ensure the Granada production powerhouse continues to deliver high quality, top rating and award winning programmes for all of our customers and across all platforms.” (CD)