ALLI LEAVES AS CARLTON RESTRUCTURES

CARLTON Communications have confirmed a major restructure within the company, and the departure of Lord Waheed Alli, current Managing Director of Carlton Productions.
Lord Alli took over Carlton’s television operations a year and a half ago after they purchased his production company Planet 24 for £15 million.
Carlton have stated that Lord Alli has left to concentrate on his political interests in the run up to the general election and it was not in relation to the management restructure which was also announced yesterday.
Carlton confirmed that they are to split the company into two new divisions: Carlton Channels and Carlton Content.
Carlton Channels will be headed by current Chief Executive of Carlton TV Clive Jones and will incorporate the company’s four ITV licences; their advertising sales arm Carlton Sales, and their interests in digital service provider ONdigital and their investments in ITN, LNN and GMTV.
Carlton Content will incorporate Carlton Productions, the publishing video and new media businesses and Carlton International. Carlton have not yet named who will be appointed as Chief Executive of Carlton Content.
Gerry Murphy has been appointed Chief Executive and will now head the new Executive Board, with both divisional heads reporting to him.
Lord Alli is reportedly seeking to develop the format of ‘Survivor’, a gameshow he and his partner Charlie Parsons developed, which broke rating records in America.
However, when Carlton acquired Planet 24 they did not receive the worldwide rights to ‘Survivor’, which was set up under a separate company, Castaway Productions.
It has also been reported that Lord Alli had been in talks with regard to a possible purchase of ‘The Daily Star’ newspaper, considering a joint bid with Chris Evans.