Carlton And Granada May Implement Spending Cuts At ONdigital

ONdigital owners Carlton and Granada are expected to announce spending cuts at the digital broadcaster when they reveal the latest subscription figures in two weeks time, according to a report in today’s Daily Telegraph. At present the company is spending around £3m every year thanks to the heavy subsidies on set-top boxes.

Yesterday ONdigital’s chief executive, Stuart Prebble, laid blame at the door of the major terrestrial channels and the government for holding back digital switch-over’s progress. ITV and the BBC were attacked for failing to come up with a tempting consumer offering with ITV2 and BBC Choice and Knowledge. The government received harsher words regarding its failure to encourage more purchases of integrated TV and digital receiver equipment.

No comment has been made by either Carlton or Granada Media on the matter of possible spending cuts.

ONdigital: 020 7819 8000 www.ondigital.co.uk

Subscribers can access digital viewing figures in the Television database by selecting “Television” from the drop-down box at the top of this page.